Sunday, May 3, 2026

2026-04-27 The Ohio Players

MONDAY  — 27-Apr-2026

Q.  Who is the only player to hit fifty doubles in a season in the 1960s?

Hint: #1  He joined Walter Alston, Charley Grimm and Ted Williams as managers of major league teams a full year before and after their team moved cities.

Hint: #2  He won the batting Triple Crown with a twist:  That season was the only time he led his league in any of those categories.

A.  FRANK ROBINSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Robinson hit 51 doubles for CIN in 1962 & as the reigning NL MVP.  Between Stan Musial’s 53 in 1953 & Hall McRae’s 54 in 1977.

-  #1  .. Alston........ 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers......... 1958 Los Angeles Dodgers

Grimm........ 1952 Boston Braves.............. 1953 Milwaukee Braves

Williams..... 1971 Washington Senators... 1972 Texas Rangers

Robinson... 2004 Montreal Expos............. 2005 Washington Nationals

-  #2  In 1966, his first season in the AL, he led with 49 HR, 122 RBI & a .316 BA.  Only the HR were a career best.

FCR -  Chris Engebo, Kelso, Washington

Incorrect guesses:  Carl Yastrzemski

 

 

TUESDAY — 28-Apr-2026

Q.  Which BBTB pitcher threw more wild pitches in his career than any other major leaguer?

Hint: #1  He was the first pitcher born outside the United States to throw a major league no-hitter.

Hint: #2  In SABR plebiscites, he is often recommended to be reconsidered for Hall of Fame inclusion.

A.  TONY MULLANE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Mullane is the all-time career leader in WP w/343.  He was known to pitch with either hand, which he famously first did in a game on 18-Jul-1882.

-  #1   His no-hitter on 11-Sep-1882 is the 6th ever recorded.  He was born in County Cork, Ireland

-  #2  His credentials speak for themselves.  His 66.6 career WAR exceeds those of Willie McCovey, Rich Gossage & Andre Dawson, to name a few.

FCR -  Pete Dupuis, Hooksett, New Hampshire

Incorrect guesses:  Felipe Alou, Ted Williams, Bert Blyleven, Masanori Murakami, Don Mattingly

 

 

WEDNESDAY— 29-Apr-2026

Q.  Which former six-time American League Gold Glove winner was the vice president  of the Cincinnati Reds.

Hint: #1  Alumni of his high school include two Hall of Famers.

Hint: #2  One season he had 200 hits and only hit .299.

A.  BUDDY BELL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Bell won his 6 GG in consecutive seasons 1979-1984, each of the years he spent a full season with the Texas Rangers.  He was useful for the Reds in parts of 4 seasons 1985-1988.  His full title with Cincinnati is vice president and senior advisor to the general manager for the Cincinnati Reds.

-  #1   Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati has quite a few successful professional baseball players among its former students including Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Larkin & Bell.

-  #2  Only a handful of major leaguers have ever turned in such a season.

FCR -  Steve Berman, Wanaque, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Sparky Anderson

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  — 30-Apr-2026

Q.  Which rookie led the majors in batting playing for a city that no longer has a major league team?

Hint: #1  His career batting average is .341, just a few notches behind Ted Williams and Babe Ruth.

Hint: #2  He made a memorable contribution of equipment to the game  

A.  PETE BROWNING [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Browning hit .378 with an OPS+ of 223 as a 21-year-old rookie for the 1882 Louisville Eclipse of the American Association, the first major league to rival the NL.

-  #1   Career batting average leaders here.

-  #2  He is THE slugger referred to by a certain Kentucky bat company.  Details here.

FCR -  Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Al Spalding, Buck Ewing, Wee Willie Keeler, Pete Reisser, Rogers Hornsby, Hugh Duffy, Bill Terry

 

 

THURSDAY  — 30-Apr-2026

Q.  Which Double Unique outfielder hit a grand slam for his first home run in the majors, but was later sorry he did?

Hint: #1  If you assemble the right, tight statistical requirement, only he and Willie Mays qualify in 155 years of major league play.

Hint: #2  As in Buddy Bell’s case, alumni of his high school includes Hall of Famers.

A.  VADA PINSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He hit a GS in his 3rd MLB game.  “Probably the worst thing that happened to me was hitting that homer,” Pinson said later. “It won the game, but didn’t do me any good.  I started thinking of myself as a slugger.””  Doubles Uniques.

-  #1  Only Mays and Pinson can claim MLB careers that include:  300 SB, 250 HR, 125 triples & 500 BB.  Check it here.

-  #2  HOF Frank Robinson, Ernie Lombardi & Bill Russell Basketball Hall of Famer also attended Pinson’s Oakland, California’s McClymonds HS.

FCR -  Frank Workman, Escondido, California

Incorrect guesses:  Fernando Tatis Jr., Ken Griffey Jr, Dizzy Dean, Daffy Dean

 

 

 

FRIDAY  — 01-May-2026

Q.  Which former Cardinal moundsman once had the sheriff seize the St. Louis portion of the gate in Brooklyn?

Hint: #1  He is believed to be the last player to play without a glove of any kind.

Hint: #2  Although he never led the league again after his first two seasons, when he retired he held the record for the pitcher who hit the most batters.  He still holds it.

Hint: #3  His brother would also qualify for this week’s theme.

A.  GUS WEYHING  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Weyhing took legal action because he was not paid 10 days' severance after being released by the Cards.

-  #1  He may have been the last to play defence barehanded in baseball’s Modern Era.

-  #2  Pitching to catcher Hall of Famer Wilbert Robinson, Weyhing plunked 37 & 42 batters in his freshman & sophomore seasons, 1887 & 1888.  He left the game with 277 HBP.

-  #3  John Weyhing is believed to have died before turning 21, becoming 1 of only 4 major leaguers to do so.  The other 3: Jay Dahl, Will Smalley & Gus Williams.

FCR -  Jim Cochran, Tuscaloosa

Incorrect guesses:  Dizzy Dean, Daffy Dean, Denny McLain

 

 

SATURDAY  — 02-May-2026

Q.  Who injured his throwing arm in the minor league, but was pleased with the results?

Hint: #1  He and his son were the first father/son in which each pitched in a World Series.

Hint: #2  He remains the only pitcher in his franchise’s history to record a thirty-wins season.

A.  JIM BAGBY [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  While pitching in the Southern Association, he collided with a teammate, fracturing his forearm.  Ironically, the injury seemed to have the effect of improving his curveball.

-  #1  The elder Bagby pitched for Cleveland in his only World Series, in 1920, and became the first pitcher to hit a HR in a World Series game, as Cleveland defeated Brooklyn in five games to two.  His son, Jim Bagby Jr., pitched for Boston in the 1946 World Series.

-  #2  Bagby’s 1920 record was 31-12 & led the majors in wins.

FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

SUNDAY  — 03-May-2026

Q.  Which Baltimore-born pitcher/outfielder was a clandestine BRTB?

Hint: #1  In his sixth year in the majors, he led the league in WAR, with a number twice his career’s next highest.  Two years later, he posted a -0.7 WAR.

Hint: #2  SABR reports that he got his nickname because he was said to possess “austere calm in the face of all hostility by the enemy”.

A.  ICE BOX CHAMBERLAIN [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 09-May-1888, Chamberlain, pitching for Louisville, had dominated the batsmen of the woeful Kansas City Cowboys.  When the score reached 8-0, he switched & threw with his left hand.  The fact that he was slightly less effective after switching was overlooked by the magic he had wrought.

-  #1  Chamberlain’s 9.2 in 1889 led the AA.  His -0.7 in 1891, bad as it was followed by 5 years of impressive, stable numbers.

-  #2  Sometimes printed as “Icebox”.

FCR -  Andrew Jett, Waxahachie, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, Tony Mullane, Joe McGinnity

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE — 03-May-2026

Q.  Who has the most career stolen bases by a player whose primary position was catcher in Major League Baseball history?

Hint: #1  He grew up learning all aspects playing in the working-class neighborhoods of St. Louis.

Hint: #2  He spent parts of four decades in the majors.

A.  JACK O’CONNOR  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Catchers with 55% of their more than 1,400 total games, puts O’Connor on top with 219.  (Granted, it takes a  bit of prestidigitation to arrive at this conclusion, but let’s let a hardworking lover of the game, his moment on top of the mountain, eh?)

-  #1  That is (ahem) the Irish neighborhoods of St. Louis.

-  #2  His MLB career: 1887-1910 (with a few breaks).

FCR -  Andrew Milner, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Tim McCarver, Yogi Berra, Roger Bresnahan, Joe Garagiola, Wilbert Robinson, Johnny Kling, Carlton Fisk

  _ _ _ _ 


THEME:  Men who played for at least 2 of Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland franchises, i.e., the Ohio players.  Do not confuse with…

 

                                                Live 1977 | Ohio Players.  Listen here.

 

Ohio Player        Cin               Cle         Columbus        WAR

Bagby.................. 1912............ 1916-22..... ..................... 30.9

 

Bell...................... 1985-88....... 1972-78..... ..................... 66.4

 

Browning............ 1891-92....... 1890........... ..................... 40.4

 

Chamberlain....... 1892-94....... 1896........... 1890............ 30.7

 

Mullane................ 1886-92....... 1894........... ..................... 66.6

 

O’Connor............ 1887-88....... 1882-98..... 1890-91....... 21.4

 

Pinson................. 1958-68....... 1970-71..... ..................... 54.2

 

Robinson............. 1956-65....... 1974-76..... ................... 107.2

 

Weyhing.............. 1901............ 1901........... ..................... 37.2

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Greg Wells, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania (after Browning)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  Players who hold a team record for the Cincinnati Reds

 

Wed     -  Players acquired from another organization by and later traded by the Cincinnati Reds

 

 

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Monday, April 27, 2026

2026-04-20 Players with more than sixty-five steals in a season this century

MONDAY  — 06-Apr-2026

Q.  Even if he is as good as his baseball contract indicates, Juan Soto was not the Rookie of the Year when he came up.  Who was the player who banished Soto all the way down to second place in the voting that year?

Hint: #1  Five years later, he (not Soto) had a season so electrifying that he was the unanimous Most Valuable Player in his league.

Hint: #2  He is the youngest player ever to win MVP honors in Arizona Fall League.

A.  RONALD ACUNA Jr.  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  In the NL ROY voting in 2018, Soto received 2 1st -place vote & 89 of the overall vote shares.  Acuna, however, got 27 & 144 respectively.

-  #1   Acuna received 30 out  of 30 votes for NL MVP in 2023.  He led the NL in OPS (1.012), but he majors in runs (149, the highest season total in either league since 2000), hits (217) & an eye-popping 73 stolen bases.  The improbable combination of high HR & SB in one season has been the focus of sportswriters & statisticians since Willie Mays did in 1956 (36/40) & 1957 (35/38).  It has now been done 79 X by 50 different players, nobody in the 30/30 Club has ever stolen more than 70 bases in the 30/30 year.

-  #2  Acuna was the MVP of the AFL in 2017, helping the Peoria Javelinas win the league championship at age

FCR -  Waker Arnold, Jay, Vermont

Incorrect guesses:  Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani

 

 

TUESDAY  — 21-Apr-2026

Q.  Which Gold Glove center fielder with Indian heritage, was born in Madras.

Hint: #1  He was chosen in the 23rd round then taken as the 23rd pick.

Hint: #2  An on-field collision in April of his fourth season ruined year.  However, the next year he was voted Comeback Player of the Year and led the majors in plate appearances, Total Bases and WAR!

A.  JACOBY ELLSBURY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ellsbury, proud of his American Indian ancestry, was born in Madras, Oregon.  Quoth he, “Every time I step on the field, I carry my heritage with pride.”  An enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, Ellsbury is the first Native American of Navajo descent to play in the majors.  He won his Gold Glove in 2011.

-  #1  A five-sport star at Madras HS, he was drafted by Tampa Bay the 23rd round of the 2002 MLB June Amateur Draft, the 674th overall pick.  He chose school & played for 3 years for Oregon State University.  He was then drafted anew, this time by the Red Sox in the 1st round (23rd) of the 2005 Draft.

-  #2  Ellsbury’s WAR for 2010 was -0.1, the nadir of his career.  In 2011, things really turned around.  He gave the Red Sox 732 PA, 364 TB & a WAR of 8.3.

FCR -  Amar Rehal, Chicago

Incorrect guesses:  Tony Armas, Shane Victorino

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 14-Apr-2026

Q.  Which one-time Phillies left fielder was the last person to play every inning of every game for an entire MLB season?

Hint: #1  He holds the twenty-first century record for the most consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout.

Hint: #2  His name honors a Hall of Famer who was his father’s favorite player.

A.  JUAN PIERRE  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  In 2004, Pierre played every inning of every game on schedule his team, the WS champion Miami Marlins all—162 games totaling 748 plate appearances.  He played the 2012 season, 130 games, with Phillies.

-  #1  In 2004, Pierre played 147 straight strikeout-free plate appearances.   The second longest was 143 also by Pierre in 2001.    Luis Arraez got close with 141 in 2024.

-  #2  He is named for Juan Marichal, who retired from playing (1975) just two years before Pierre was born (1977).

FCR -  Jim Cochran, Tuscaloosa

Incorrect guesses:  Mookie Betts

 

 

THURSDAY  — 23-Apr-2026

Q.  Which one-time Colorado Rockies player began his major league career as a teenager, but in each of his first three full seasons, led the National League in stolen bases, all but the first of those, leading the majors?

Hint: #1  He leads the Mets franchise in career triples and stolen bases, both by outlandish margins.

Hint: #2  In recorded major league history, only he and Hall of Famer Tim Raines are switch-hitters with at least 100 triples, 100 home runs and 500 stolen bases.

A.  JOSE REYES  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  In 2005, 2006 & 2007, Reyes stole 60, 64 & 78 bases.  He played for the Rockies the 2nd half of 2015 before returning to the Mets for the final 3 seasons of his playing career.  His debut game was the only one he spent in the majors as a teenager—he turned 20 the very next day.

-  #1  Reyes leads the Mets’ [The New York Metropolitans] franchise in triples 113 to Mookie Wilson’s 2nd-place 62.  Wilson cedes the lead to Reyes by 45%, 408 to 281.

-  #2     Reyes has 131 3B, 145 HR & 517 SB.  Raines’s corresponding numbers are 113, 170 & 808 as shown here..

FCR -  Anthony Jablonski, Evanston, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Vince Coleman, Jimmy Rollins, Howard Johnson, Eric Young, Carlos Beltran

 

 

FRIDAY  — 24-Apr-2026

Q.  Which rangy shortstop from Great Plains of the River led the majors in strikeouts in his first full season?

Hint: #1  He made the All-Star team every year he played at least 160 games.

Hint: #2  He completed one of baseball’s rarest and most delightful plays by stealing third and home on successive pitches.

A.  ELLY De La CRUZ  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  De La Cruz struck out 218 X in 2024, good for 5th place, all-time.  His home town, Sabana Grande de Boya in the Dominican Republic, translates roughly to “Great Plains of the River”.

-  #1  He played in 160 games in 2024 & 162 in 2025.

-  #2  On 05-Jun-2023, in the 7th inning in Milwaukee, De La Cruz did it on TWO pitches.  Read more here.

FCR -  Ross Retterer, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

SATURDAY  — 25-Apr-2026

Q.  Which future L.A. Dodger supplemented his minor league income by becoming a substitute teacher?

Hint: #1  Batting lead-off, he helped his new team break a championship drought of almost ninety years.

Hint: #2  He was known for his speed.  He stole more than three hundred bases in his MLB career, including a season when he led all the majors in steals.

A.  SCOTT PODSEDNIK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Podsednik spent parts of 15 seasons in the minors at every level, including 8 straight seasons before he played his 1st game in the majors.  Substitute teaching in West, TX during the off-season supplemented his meager minor league income.  He played for LAD in 2010.

-  #1  He played a key role for CHW in 2005 to whom he had been traded from MIL during the offseason.  Although he hit no home runs during the season, he hit 2 HR in the postseason, including an improbable walk-off HR off an All-Star reliever, securing the win in Game #2 of the White Sox World Series sweep of the Astros in 2005.

-  #2  Podsednik posted 4 consecutive seasons with 40+ SB & later 3 straight years of 30+.  His 70 SB in 2004 topped everybody and no doubt played a part in his All-Star selection in 2005.

FCR -  Shaun Montana, Medway, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Maury Wills, Bip Roberts

 

 

SUNDAY  — 26-Apr-2026

Q.  Which former Washington Nationals outfielder led the majors in stolen bases in his final full season in the majors?

Hint: #1  As a rookie, he helped his team reach the World Series for the first time since the franchise was created in the previous century.

Hint: #2  His cousin, still playing in the majors, played for a different franchise that also a.) Was born in the previous century, b.) Was domiciled in the same state and c.) Reached first-time championship status.

A.  WILLY TAVERAS  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing 133 games for COL in 2008, Taveras swiped 68 bags 49 more than his next closest teammate, Matt Holliday..  He played for WSN in 2010.

-  #1  In 2005, the Houston Astros (né Colt 45’s in 1962) won the NL pennant by beating ATL in the NLDS then STL in the NLCS.

-  #2  Cousin Leody Taveras presently plays for BAL, but was on the 2023 Texas Rangers (né Washington Senators in 1961) when they won the World Series.

FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Howie Kendrick, Dave Roberts

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 26-Apr-2026

Q.  Who holds the American League record for stolen bases in a rookie season?

Hint: #1  He missed an entire season due to Covid.

Hint: #2  Since he began his professional baseball career, he has been an Aviator. a Chihuahua, a Comet, a Jumbo Shrimp, a Mission, a Port, a Sound, a Storm, a Tiger, a TinCap and a Toro.

A.  ESTEURY RUIZ  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing for OAK in 2023, Ruiz stole 67 bases, passing the rookie mark of 66* set by HOF Luis Aparicio in 1956.  It’s also the most steals in the A’s franchise by anybody since Rickey Henderson had 108 in 1993.

-  #1  In 2020, the entire minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  He was in the Padres’ organization at the time.

-  #2  Ruiz’ minor league peregrination has included stops with the…

2018 Fort Wayne TinCaps (A),

2019 Toros del Este (DWL),

2021 San Antonio Missions (A+),

2022 Nashville Sounds (AAA),

2022 El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA),

2023 Las Vegas Aviators (AAA) & 2025,

2024 Stockton Ports (A),

2025 Oklahoma City Comets (AAA),

2026 Tigres de Licey (DWL) &

2026 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (AAA).

*INCORRECT !  Aparicio did lead the AL in steals his rookie season, 1956, but he did it with 21 SB--not 66.  In fact, in his entire 18-year MLB career, his high for any one season was 57 in 1964 with AL.

FCR -  Rick Fink Edison, New Jersey

 

THEME:  Players with more than sixty-five steals in a season this century (2001- )

 

Thief                    #SB       Yr/Tm           Yr WAR       Career WAR

De La Cruz.......... 67........ 2024/CIN........... 5.2............ 10.5

Ruiz..................... 67........ 2023/OAK........ -0.3............ -1.2

Acuna.................. 73........ 2023/ATL.......... 8.4............ 28.9

Pierre................... 68........ 2010/CHW........ 0.3............ 17.3

Ellsbury............... 70........ 2009/BOS......... 2.8............ 31.0

Taveras............... 68........ 2008/COL......... 0.0.............. 5.1

Reyes.................. 78........ 2007/NYM......... 5.1............ 37.0

Podsednik........... 70........ 2004/MIL........... 0.5.............. 6.8

 

Correct theme guess:  Shaun Montana, Medway, Massachusetts (after Podsednik)

 

 

If you know someone who would enjoy receiving daily Horsehide Trivia questions, have them click here:  Horsehide Trivia or do it on their behalf.

 

Click here => THIS WEEK’s quiz, compete with questions, hints, answers & even incorrect guesses.

 

Scroll back to see previous Horsehide Trivia posts as far back as 2010.  Quizzes before that may also be available upon request.

 

 

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