MONDAY — 01-Jun-2026
Q. Who holds the major league record for most
home runs in a season by a shortstop, as well as the record for most by a third
baseman?
Hint:
#1 No one has hit more career homers
with the bases loaded.
Hint:
#2 When he couldn’t have the uniform
number of a Baseball Hall of Famer, he went with the uniform number of a
Football Hall of Famer.
A. ALEX RODRIGUEZ
[SABR Bio]
- Ans. In
2001, Rodriguez hit 52 homers as the Texas Rangers’ starting shortstop, then
broke his own record with 57 the following season. In 2007, he belted 54 as the New York Yankees’
regular third baseman.
- #1 Against
SFG on 20-Sep-2013, he hit the 24th
grand slam of his career, surpassing Lou Gehrig for the all-time lead. He added one more two years later, retiring
with 25.
- #2 Upon
being traded to the Yanks in 2004, A-Rod couldn’t wear #3 because it had been retired for Babe Ruth 56 years earlier. Instead, he took #13 in tribute to Miami
Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.
FCR - Bob Cormier, Yoncalla, Oregon
Incorrect
guesses:
TUESDAY — 02-Jun-2026
Q. Who is the only player with three or more league
Most Valuable Player awards to his credit who never hit a double in postseason
play?
Hint:
#1 He and Mickey Mantle are the only
American Leaguers to finish second in MVP voting to the same person in
consecutive seasons. (Well, not the SAME
player for both of them.)
Hint:
#2 When he played his first game at
Citizens Bank Park, his hometown accounted for nearly 20% of the crowd.
A. MIKE
TROUT [B-R Bio]
- Ans. Trout
hit a solo home run in his lone postseason
appearance, going 1-for-12 against KCR in the 2014 ALDS. Of the 12 other 3+-time MVPs*, Jimmie Foxx has
the fewest doubles (3) in postseason play.
- #1 Trout
finished second to Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013;
Mantle was runner-up to Roger Maris in 1960 and 1961. In
the NL, Albert Pujols finished second to Barry Bonds in 2002 and 2003.
- #2 Trout
grew up in Millville, New Jersey, about 45 miles from Philadelphia. When the Angels played a road game against the
Phillies 13-May-2014, around 8,000 residents made
the drive to see Trout’s “homecoming.” The
town’s mayor threw out the first pitch & the Millville Senior High School
choir sang the National Anthem.
*Yogi
Berra 1951, 1954, 1955
Barry
Bonds 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Roy
Campanella 1951, 1953, 1955
Joe
DiMaggio 1939, 1941, 1947
Jimmie
Foxx 1932, 1933, 1938
Aaron
Judge 2022, 2024, 2025
Mickey
Mantle 1956, 1957, 1962
Stan
Musial 1943, 1946, 1948
Shohei
Ohtani 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
Albert
Pujols 2005, 2008, 2009
Alex
Rodriguez 2003, 2005, 2007
Mike
Schmidt 1980, 1981, 1986
Mike
Trout 2014, 2016, 2019
FCR - Mark Solomon, Roswell, Georgia
Incorrect
guesses: Ken Griffey Jr, Mike Schmidt
WEDNESDAY
— 03-Jun-2026
Q. Who led his team in home runs for eighteen
consecutive seasons, yet is only third on his franchise’s career home run list?
Hint:
#1 He tied Gavvy Cravath’s record for National
League home run titles, though he needed more than twice as many home runs to
do it.
Hint:
#2 When Braves outfielder Bill Dunlap
made his big league debut, it marked the first time in four seasons that
someone younger than this player was on a National League roster.
- Ans. Ott
had more homers than any other Giants hitter every season from 1928-45. His total of 511 dingers in a Giants uniform,
however, is fewer than Willie Mays (646) or Barry Bonds
(586) hit in their time with the team.
- #1 Ott
led the Senior Circuit in round trippers six times, in 1932, 1934, 1936-38, and
1942. In those six seasons, he hit a
total of 203 home runs. Cravath also led the league
six times, from 1913-15 and 1917-19, but only hit 94 homers combined in those
six seasons. His record would eventually
be broken by Ralph Kiner, who won seven consecutive NL home run titles from
1946-52. He, in turn, was eventually eclipsed
by Mike Schmidt, who led the NL in home runs eight times.
- #2 Ott’s
first at-bat for the Giants came less than two months after his 17th
birthday. He was by 20 months the junior
of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rufus Meadows, the 2nd youngest player to
take the field in 1926.
FCR - Gabe Kinstlinger, Reisterstown, Maryland
THURSDAY
04-Jun-2026
Q. What Hall of Fame infielder walked away from
the game for three years rather than play for Leo Durocher?
Hint:
#1 When he made it into his first big
league game, there were three other future Hall of Famers in the lineup.
Hint:
#2 His nephew made his major league
debut for the Houston Colt .45s at age nineteen, but failed to spark a
long-lasting career.
A. ARKY VAUGHAN [SABR Bio]
- Ans. With
the Dodgers in 1943, Vaughan led the majors in runs scored but opted to retire
at the age of 31. Earlier in the season,
he had walked out on the team for one game over comments Durocher made about
teammate Bobo Newsome. Branch Rickey
lured Vaughan back in 1947, after Durocher was suspended over his ties to
professional gamblers.
- #1
Vaughan, who was selected to the Hall in 1985, made his PIT debut on 17-April-1932, taking the field with
teammates Pie Traynor, Lloyd Waner & Paul Waner. It’s interesting that Durocher was playing
shortstop for opposing CIN.
- #2
Shortstop Glenn “Sparky” Vaughan played 9 games for
Houston as a September call-up in 1963. He
returned to the minors for 1964, but was out of baseball after that season.
FCR - Dennis Walls, Orrington, Maine
Incorrect
guesses: Dolph Camilli, Jackie Robinson
FRIDAY — 05-Jun-2026
Q. Who is the only major leaguer to record three
consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs and 50 stolen bases?
Hint:
#1 He retired as the seventh most
prolific base stealer of the Live-Ball Era.
Hint:
#2 He was the first outfielder to win consecutive
Gold Gloves for an expansion franchise.
A. CESAR CEDENO [SABR Bio]
- Ans. From
1972-1974. Joe Morgan also had three 20-50 seasons, but his were over a 4-year
span: 1973, 1974 & 1976. Rickey Henderson hit the twin
milestones four times, in 1985, 1986, 1990 &1993.
- #1 At
the end of the 1986 season, only 6 players since
1920
had more than his 550 steals. In the ensuing years, 8 more have surpassed
him.
- #2 From
1972 through 1976, Cedeno won five consecutive Gold Gloves for HOU. Michael Bourn (2009, 2010) is the only other
outfielder to win a National League Gold Glove in a Houston Astros uniform.
FCR - John Wilson, Mesa
Incorrect
guesses: Tim Raines, K en Griffey Jr
SATURDAY — 06-Jun-2026
Q. Paul Molitor is the only player to steal
second, third and home in the same inning for the Milwaukee Brewers. Who is the only player to accomplish that feat
against the Brew Crew?
Hint:
#1 No one racked up 10 career homers and
20 career stolen bases faster than this player.
Hint:
#2 In the past 67 years, only he and one
other player from his franchise have done what qualified him for this list, and
they were both wearing the same uniform number when they did it.
- Ans.
In Milwaukee on 08-July-2023, De La Cruz stole three times in two pitches. Molitor stole three in an inning on 26-July-1987.
- #1 De
La Cruz stole his 20th base—he already had 10 HRs—in the 64th
game of his career,
one fewer than it took Barry Bonds.
- #2
Can’t tell you what they did without revealing the theme for this week,
but can tell you that De La Cruz and Eric Davis are both #44’s.
FCR - John Rickert, Terre Haute, Indiana
Incorrect
guesses: Rod Carew, Jackie Robinson,
Rickey Henderson
SUNDAY — 07-Jun-02026
Q. Who scored the most runs in the game that saw
the most runs scored?
Hint:
#1 The Cardinals took public criticism but
agreed to take Flack for trading him in the middle of a doubleheader.
Hint:
#2 In the Modern Era, he leads all Penn
State alumni in hits, runs, RBIs and doubles.
A. CLIFF HEATHCOTE [SABR Bio]
- Ans.
Heathcote went 5-for-5 and scored 5 runs for the CHC on 25-Aug-1922 in a 26-23 loss to PHI. Teammate Marty Krug & Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee each scored 4 times.
- #1
Between Game 1 and Game 2 of a 30-May-1922 Decorations Day (now: Memorial
Day) doubleheader, STL & CHC agreed to swap Heathcote for
outfielder Max Flack.
- #2 If
you include players from the 1800s, however, Hall of Famer John Ward leads nearly all career
offensive statistics among the 37 major leaguers who attended Penn State.
FCR - Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma
Incorrect
guesses: John Montgomery Ward
THEME: Players who hit for the cycle before
their 22nd birthdays
Player Date Age Write-up
Cedeno.......... 02-Aug-1972........ 21-159...... SABR
Games Project Story
De
La Cruz*... 23-Jun-2023......... 21-063...... SABR
Games Project Story
Heathcote....... 13-Jun-1918......... 20-140...... SABR
Games Project Story
Ott.................. 16-May-1929(2)..... 20-075...... SABR
Games Project Story
A-Rod............. 05-Jun-1997......... 21-313...... SABR
Games Project Story
Trout............... 21-May-2013........ 21-287...... SABR
Games Project Story
Vaughan......... 124-Jun-1933....... 21-107...... SABR Games
Project Story
*Eric Davis was the last Reds player
to hit for the cycle
prior to De La Cruz, on 02-June-1989.
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Daniel Wilson, St. Paul
Incorrect
theme guesses:
Mon - Youngest
players with a 30-30 season
Tues - Players
who received MVP votes at the age of 20
Sat Players who received MVP votes before their 21st birthday
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