2026-08-24 Hall of Famers at the Mic

MONDAY  — 23-Aug-2026

Q.  Who had more hits in the 1950s that any other player?

Hint: #1  The time he led the majors in batting average, he could only manage thirty-three runs batted in.

Hint: #2  He twice led the majors in triples.

A.  RICHIE ASHBURN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  From 1950-1959 Ashburn reached base with a hit 1,875 times.  The AL leader over that time was Nellie Fox with 1,837.

-  #1  Ashburn hit .350 in 1958.  His RBI total?...33.

-  #2  He tripled 14 times in 1950, leading his team to the World Series.  He hit 13 triples in 1958.

FCR -  Ed Yoder, Port Matilda, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Eddy Mathews, Nellie Fox, Mickey Mantle

 

 

TUESDAY  — 24-Aug-2026

Q.  Who won the first Cy Young Award for a major league team domiciled on the West Coast?

Hint: #1 A better-than-average-hitting pitcher, he is the only pitcher to homer in two Opening Day games.

Hint: #2  Three Hall of Fame batters hit career double-figure home runs off him.

A.  DON DRYSDALE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Drysdale was the 1962 MLB CYA winner.  The award would stay on the West Coast for the next 5 seasons…

MLB:  Sandy Koufax – 1963, 1965, 1966*; Dean Chance 1964.

NL: Mike McCormick 1967.

-  #1  OD HRs:  At Wrigley on 11-Apr-1959 off the Cubs’ Bob Anderson.  It was the Dodgers’ only run in a 1-6 loss.  True to his already-established reputation, Drysdale hit a batter and threw a wild pitch.  Then he hit a home run in Shea Stadium on OD on 12-Apr-1965 off the Mets’ Al  Jackson.  Both Opening Days were the 1^st games of Dodgers WS championship seasons.

-  #2  Most career home runs surrendered to a player by Drysdale:

17 – Hank Aaron

13 – Willie McCovey

12 – Willie Mays

*All 3 were unanimous votes

FCR -  Mike Webb, Burlington, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Vida Blue, Don Newcombe, Dean Chance, Sandy Koufax

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 26-Aug-2026

Q.  Who was the first pitcher to win more than ten career post-season games?

Hint: #1  No Brave has won more games in a season since they won their first Modern Era World Series.

Hint: #2  He broke his 262-game errorless streak in the same game his teammates tied their franchise record of hitting eight home runs in a game while surrendering none.

A.  JOHN SMOLTZ  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Won his 11^th such on 30-Sep-1998, winning the 1^st game of the NLDS, breaking the record of 10 shared by Whitey Ford & Dave Stewart.

-  #1  Smoltz won 24 in 1996 to lead the NL & tying Tony Cloniger’s 1965 win total in Milwaukee.  The Braves first World Series championship was in 1914.  That same year, teammates Bill James & Dick Rudolph won 26 each.

-  #2  On 28-May-2006, the Braves beat the Cubs 13-12.  ATL had 8 HR; CHC had 0.  Smoltz bobbled the ball hit by Neifi Perez.& threw wildly to first.  His errorless game streak had begun 18-Sep-2001 at Veterans Stadium.  He fielded 163 errorless chances during the 262-game run.

FCR -  Steve Riach, Southlake, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Christy Mathewson, Warren Spahn, Pedro Martinez, Catfish Hunter

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  27-Aug-2026

Q.  Whose brother and he were #1 and #2 on the pitching staff of a World Series Championship team?

Hint: #1  He lectured at SMU regarding his changed profession.

Hint: #2  He finished in the Top Two in MVP voting for three consecutive seasons.

A.  DIZZY DEAN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The 1934 WS champion St. Louis Cardinals featured Dizzy Dean & Daffy (Paul) Dean at the top of their pitching rotation.  Dizzy’s record that year was 30-7; Paul (Daffy) had 19-11.

-  #1  He made an erudite presentation at Southern Methodist University entitled, “Radio Announcing I Have Did”.

-  #2  MVP voting:  1934 - 1^st; 1935 - 2^nd; 1936 - 2^nd.

FCR -  Rick Fink, Edison, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Greg Maddux, Phil Niekro, Paul Waner

 

 

THURSDAY  — 27-Aug-2026

Q.  Who is the only Pittsburgh Pirate to lead the National League in home runs in consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1  Only one player in National League history (since 1876) had a season’s home run total higher than his best year.

Hint: #2  The town where he was born bears an eerie similarity to the town where another National League home run champion was born.

A.  RALPH KINER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Kiner led or tied for the NL lead in home runs every year from 1946, his rookie season, through 1952.

-  #1  Only Hack Wilson’s 56 in 1930 was more than Kiner’s 54 in 1949 (tied with Johnny Mize).  Since then, 8 NL sluggers have topped that season mark with Mark McGuire & Shohei Ohtani doing it in consecutive seasons, 1998-1999 & 2024-2025 respectively.

-  #2  Santa Rita, New Mexico no longer exists.  It was home to employees who worked in the nearby cooper mine.  When the mine was no longer productive, it closed & the town with it.  Willie Mays was born in Westfield, Alabama a town which also was “ghosted” when employment opportunities dried up.

FCR -  Rich Lerner, Silver Spring, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Barry Bonds, Willie Stargell

 

 

FRIDAY  — 28-Aug-2026

Q.  Which Lone Star state native set a record for career bases-of-balls by a National Leaguer did Barry Bonds break?

Hint: #1  His best season amassing walks was the same year he won the MVP and he aided his team win the World Series..

Hint: #2  His Hall of Fame manager proclaimed him “… the greatest offensive player I ever managed.”

A.  JOE MORGAN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Morgan ended with 1,799 NL BB when he retired in 1984.  Bonds’s final total was an otherworldly 2,558 of which 688 were intentional passes. (Both numbers the all-time records.)  Morgan was born in Bonham, Texas.

-  #1  In 1975, Morgan was the NL MVP.  His team, the red-hot Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds won the NL Pennant & an exciting WS over BOS.

-  #2  The quote is attributed to Reds Manager Sparky Anderson who didn’t even mention Morgan’s 5 Gold Glove Awards.

FCR -  Jim Cochran, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Incorrect guesses:  Don Baylor, Rogers Hornsby, Rickey Henderson

 

SATURDAY  — 29-Aug-2026

Q.  Who is the last Hall of Fame pitcher to lead the majors in shutouts with more than nine that season?

Hint: #1  He is the only Hall of Fame pitcher to homer in the majors as a teenager.

Hint: #2  He is the only pitcher to surrender more than one postseason home run to Reggie Jackson.

A.  JIM PALMER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Palmer led the majors with 10 shutouts in 1975, the same year he led everyone in pitching WAR (8.4), wins (23), ERA (2.09) & ERA+ (169).  John Tudor had 10 shutouts in 1985, but finished behind Dwight Gooden in Cy Young voting that year.  No one has hit double digits since.

-  #1  Palmer’s 1^st HR (of the 3 in his career) was off NYY’s Jim Bouton on 16-May-1965.  Palmer was 19 years, 7 months, 1 day old that day.  Surprisingly, pitcher Babe Ruth’s 1^st major league HR didn’t happen until he was 20 (06-May-1915).

-  #2  Jackson hit 2 HRs off Palmer in the 3^rd game of the 1971 ALCS, both solos, one in the 3^rd inning & one in the 8^th.

FCR -  Alan Makovsky, Washington, DC

Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, Bob Gibson, Fernando Valenzuela, Bert Blyleven, Don Drysdale, Don Sutton, Steve Carlton, Gary Nolan, Randy Johnson

 

 

SUNDAY — 30-Aug--2026

Q.  Who is the only Hall of Famer to play in a losing World Series six (6!) times?

Hint: #1  His nickname is from the first professional team he played on.

Hint: #2  He was traded by the Red Sox to the Dodgers.

A.  PEE WEE REESE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Reese was on the Dodgers championship team in 1955, but prior to that, he couldn’t prevent BRO from losing in the WS in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953 & 1956.

-  #1  Reese was recruited to play for the minor league Louisville Colonels & as the smallest member of the team, was called the ”little Colonel”.  His other nickname, the one he became known by, “Pee Wee” is said to derive from his time as a young marbles champ.  Given his diminutive stature bearing, it’s not impossible to believe that the marble

-  #2  On 18-Jul-1939, Reese was dealt to BRO before playing in the majors.  It was a fairly elaborate exchange.  Traded by BOS to BRO in exchange for $35000 and 3 players & 2 players to be named later.  They turned out to be Red Evans & Art Parks neither of whom played in the majors again.

FCR -  Frank Larkin, Brattleboro, Vermont

Incorrect guesses:  Duke Snider

 

THEME:  Hall oi Fame players who became announcers after their playing days

 

Name                    On Air                                                   WAR

Morgan.............. ESPN TV.............................................. 100.6

Smoltz............... Fox, MLB 2014-...................................... 69.0

Palmer............... Orioles radio, TV..................................... 68.5

Reese................ GOTW, WS Radio.................................. 68.4

Drysdale............ LAD ........................................................ 67.1

Ashburn............. PHI analyst 1963-1976........................... 64.3

Kiner.................. Mets radio, Kinser’s Corner.................... 48.1

Dean................. Cardinals radio....................................... 46.2

 

There are others who qualify:

Phil Rizzuto

George Kell

Et al.

Et al.

Et al…

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Steve Riach, Southlake, Texas (after Kiner)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

           

Tues    -  MLB players-turned-broadcasters who died while still broadcasting

 

Thur     -  HoF inductees that have announced a WS game

-   Hall of Famers who became broadcasters for a different team

-   HoF inductees that have announced a WS game

 

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2026-08-17 Hall of Famers who hit three triples in one game

MONDAY – 17-Aug-2026

Q.  Who won Gold Glove Awards in each of his final twelve seasons?

Hint: #1  His first five years in the major leagues, he batted over .300 only once and averaged .281.  The next 13 years, he averaged .329, batting under .300 only once.

Hint: #2  He hit .310 and .414 in his two World Series.

A.  ROBERTO CLEMENTE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Won GGs 1961 – 1972.

-  #1  He averaged 250 total bases every year of his career.

-  #2  Played in the WS in 1960 & 1971..

FCR -  Dan McLaughlin

Incorrect guesses:  Cal Ripken, Ozzie Smith, Ivan Rodriguez, George Brett, Brooks Robinson, Wade Boggs, Mike Schmidt

 

 

TUESDAY – 18-Aug-2026

Q.        Who was the first Cubs player to have his uniform number retired?

Hint: #1  One season, he led the National League in errors at shortstop.  The next year, he set a new league record for fewest errors at shortstop.

Hint: #2  How many shall we play today?

A.  ERNIE BANKS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  No. 14 retired at Wrigley before the game on 22-Aug-1982.

-  #1  Most SS errors: 32 in 1958; Fewest: 12 in 1959.

-  #2  Two.  “Let’s play two!”

FCR -  Dan McLaughlin, Floral Park, New York

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

WEDNESDAY – 19-Aug-2026

Q.  Who is still considered by many to be the most graceful center fielder ever to play the game?

Hint: #1  Only Yogi Berra has more World Series rings.

Hint: #2  Only Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig batted in more runs in a season as a Yankee.

A.  JOE DiMAGGIO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ted Williams: “Joe was simply the greatest player I ever saw, as well as the most graceful.”

Yogi Berra:  “I’d never seen him dive for a ball, everything was a chest-high catch.”

Bob Elliott:  “Joe DiMaggio seems to be drifting not running.”

DiMaggio himself discussed his reputation with writer Tom Boswell:  “People say I was graceful. I was not aware of it—I practiced hard.”

-  #1  DiMaggio was an essential part of Yankee World Series championships in:

Year       Opp        W/L

1936     NYG     W (4-2)

1937     NYG     W (4-1)

1938     CHC     W (4-0)

1939     CIN      W (4-0)

1941     BRO     W (4-1)

1947     BRO     W (4-3)

1949     BRO     W (4-1)

1950     PHI       W (4-0)

1951     NYG     W (4-2)

-  #2  DiMaggio had 167 RBI in 1937.  Ironically, he led the majors with 2 lower totals:  in 1941 (125) tied w/Charlie Keller & 1948 (155).

FCR -  Tom Hablitzel, Hudson, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Mickey Mantle

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS – 20-Aug-2026

Q.  Who won two qualified league batting titles by eighty-six points and thirty-three points?

Hint: #1  He once missed over a month of the season when he broke the thumb on his throwing hand by throwing a punch at a future Hall of Fame teammate.

Hint: #2  He was once photographed holding two lion cubs.

A.  NAP LAJOIE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1901, Lajoie led the new American Legue hitting .426 for the Philadelphia A’s.  That same year, the Orioles’ Mike Donliin hit .340, highest on his team by 12 points.  In 1904., Lajoie hit .376 for CLE.  Willie Keeler of the Hill Toppers (Highlanders) hit .343.

-  #1  Consensus is that he hit the wall, missing Elmer Flick’s player’s jaw.  They had bickered for a year over on-field duties & ownership of a specific bat.

-  #2  Not sure why, but here’s the photo, taken in Macon, Georgia in Spring Training in 1906.  Photographer Louis Van Oeyen, Cleveland sports photographer, is credited with the image.

FCR -  Rick Tharp, Plattsburgh, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Ty Cobb, George Brett, Rogers Hornsby, Al Kaline

 

 

THURSDAY – 20-Aug-2026

Q.  Who, in first four career at-bats in the National League, struck out looking, grounded out, flied out and lined out, ending the inning each time?

Hint: #1  In his fifth at bat, he reached first base on an error.

Hint: #2  If not for the error, his at-bat would have resulted in another inning-ending out.

Hint: #3  In his next complete season he made the All-Star team.

A.  WILLIE MAYS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In his MLB debut, having turned 20 just 3 weeks prior, facing the Phillies’ Bubba Church on 25-May-1951, Mays struck out, grounded out, flied out & lined out, making the last outs of the 1^st,  3^rd, 5^th & 7^th innings.  Then, facing reigning MVP Jim Konstanty in the 8^th, Mays reached on an error when SS Granny Hamner mis-handled his grounder.

-  #1 & #2  (See Ans.)  This inauspicious debut did not prevent him from being the 1951 NL ROY in an overwhelming vote.

-  #3  In 1954, Mays not only made the 1^st of is 24 All-Star appearances, he edged out a player who led the majors with 49 HR & 141 RBI, to be voted MVP.

FCR -  Randall Chandler, Germantown, Tennessee

Incorrect guesses:  Wes Covington

 

 

FRIDAY – 21-Aug-2026

Q.  Who played every inning of all six of his All-Star games?

Hint: #1  No other player at his position has ever hit more doubles in a season.

Hint: #2  He was the first player in the Modern Era to hit an inside-the-park home run and a grand slam in the same game.

A.  CHARLIE GEHRINGER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Gehringer went 10 for 20 in MLB’s first 6 ASGs, 1933-1938.

-  #1  He hit a personal best 60 doubles in 1936, leading the AL.  No other second baseman has ever topped that.

-  #2  In the game on 04-Aug-1930, Gehringer hit both HRs off future Hall of Famer Ted Lyons.  However, on 04-Jul-1923, SS Everett Scott of the Yankees accomplished the feat before Gehringer.

FCR -  Ken Edwards, Ferrisburgh, Vermont

Incorrect guesses:  Lou Gehrig, Mookie Betts, Joe Medwick, Roger Maris, Joe Cronin, Pete Rose

 

 

SATURDAY  — 22-Aug-2026

Q.  Who won a batting title with an average below .310 while the qualifying titlist in the other league had an average of more than .375?

Hint: #1  He also led in slugging, triples, OPS and OPS+, yet received not a single Most Valuable Player vote.

Hint: #2  He was the object of Nap Lajoie’s affection, mentioned in Hint #1 of the Midweek Bonus above.

Hint #3  He was the oldest living inductee in Hall of Fame history.

A.  ELMER FLICK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1905, Flick hit .308 for CLE to lead the AL.  It was only the 5^th best season batting average of his career & 5 points lower than his career .313.  That season in the NL, Cy Seymour of the Reds hit .377, his career high by 35 points.

-  #1  Flick slugged .462, had an OPS of .845 and OPS+ of 164.  However, 1911 was the first year that an award like MVP was ever given out.

-  #2  Flick was known s a competitor, but Lajoie was more likely to invite fisticuffs.

-  #3  At 87 years old, Flick, he got the call from Branch Rickey about his HOF selection, Flick did not believe it.  He said that he did not even realize that he was being considered for election at the time.  Flick's family had to convince him that the call was real.

FCR -  John Wilson, Mesa, Arizona

Incorrect guesses:  Joe Mauer, Snuffy Stirnweiss

 

 

SUNDAY – 23-Aug-2026

Q.  Who was his team’s leadoff hitter for the final eleven seasons of his twelve-season major league career?

Hint: #1  He had forty-three put-outs and never made an error in sixteen World Series games over four Fall Classics.

Hint: #2  After suffering a near fatal collision in center field, he returned to play the next year.

A.  EARLE COMBS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Yankees’ manager Miller Huggins installed Combs as their regular leadoff hitter in 1925.  He remained identified with that role through his final season, 1935.

-  #1  The Yankees, won the AL pennant in 1926 & the WS in 1927, 1928 & 1932.

-  #2  That year, he had another serious collision and he ended his career saying, “I’m getting out of this game before it kills me.”

FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Jimmy Slagle

 

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Famers who hit three triples in one game.

 

Mays.............. 15-Sep-1960........................ 156.2

Lajoie............. 13-Jul-1904.......................... 108.7

Clemente....... 08-Sep-1958.......................... 95.0

Gehringer...... 05-Aug-1929.......................... 84.6

DiMaggio....... 27-Aug-1938(1)...................... 78.9

Banks............ 11-Jun-1966........................... 67.8

Flick............... 06-Jul-1902 & 20-Jun-1898....... 53.4

Combs............ 22-Sep-1927.......................... 44.9

 

Would also qualify for this week’s theme:

Miller Huggins       08-Oct-1904(2)................. 36.0

Jim Bottomley       15-May-1923.................... 35.9

Ross Youngs        11-May-1920.................... 32.4

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme –

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     - 

-    

-    

 

Tues    - 

-    

-    

 

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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⚾️