2026-10-19 Players who led their league in home runs with fewer strikeouts than home runs that same season

MONDAY  — 19-Oct-2026

Q.  Who is the only Hall of Famer with a better career on-base percentage than Babe Ruth?

Hint: #1  His annual on-base percentage was .490 or above in eleven of his nineteen seasons in the majors.

Hint: #2  He once posted an OPS+ for the season that led the majors at age thirty-eight.

A.            TED WILLIAMS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Williams finished with an amazing career OBP of .482.  Ruth’s is .474 (also quite amazing).  The most common incorrect guess was Barry Bonds whose .444 is good for 7^th, career. 

-  #1  He led the AL in OBP 12 times with10 of those seasons also leading the majors: 1941, 1942, 1946–1949, 1952–1955 & 1957.  Two were abbreviated seasons: 6 sole  games in 1952 & only 37 in 1953.

-  #2  In 1957, The Kid’s OPS+ was 233.  The average major leaguer’s OPS+ is 100.  That nickname stuck even when he was clearly no longer a “kid”.

FCR -  Mark Kozlevcar, El Segundo, California

Incorrect guesses:  Rogers Hornsby. Barry Bonds, Ichiro Suzuki, Ty Cobb

 

 

TUESDAY  — 20-Oct-2026

Q.  Who was the inaugural member of the Thirty/Thirty Club?

Hint: #1  He never reached thirty in either category again in his fourteen seasons in the majors.

Hint: #2  In that same magical year, he became the first player in the Modern Era to hit two home runs in one inning.

A.  KEN WILLIAMS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1922 Williams hit 39 HR and stole 37 bases.  A 30 +HR / 30+ SB major league season has been accomplished 82 times by 53 different players including 3 in 2026 & 7 in 2025!  19 have accomplished it more than once.  Bobby Bonds & son share the record with 5 apiece.

-  #1  His next-highest HR season was the next year when he hit 29 HR.  He stole 20 bases in each of 1921 & 1924..

-  #2  On 07-Aug-1922, in the 6^th inning, Williams,, the inning’s 2^nd batter, homered off Washington’s George Mogridge.  Nine Browns PAs later, Williams went deep again, this time off Eric Erickson.  Each HR cleared the fence & each was with a man on.  Coincidentally, those 2 were his 29^th & 30^th of the season.

FCR -  Brandon Boysen, Yukon, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses:  Tommy Harper, Fernando Tatís, Bobby Bonds

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 21-Oct-2026

Q.  Who was the first Cincinnati Reds player to hit forty home runs and drive in at least one hundred runs for a season?

Hint: #1  He was a star playing football at Indiana University.

Hint: #2  In his best major league season, he had two thirds of a Triple Crown, leading the league (and majors) in home runs and runs batted in.  However, the only man finishing ahead of him in the Most Valuable Player vote had the third leg.

A.  TED KLUSZEWSKI  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1953, Ted Kluszewski was good for 40 HR, 108 RBI.  He was coincidentally, also the 1^st Cincinnati Redlegs player to do so.

-  #1  Klu was a star end and kicker for the Hoosiers, helping them win the 1945 Big Ten football championship, their first outright conference championship, finishing with a record of 9–0–1.

-  #2  In 1954 Big Klu hit 49 HR & had 141 RBI & batted .326.  Alas, young Willie Mays hit .345 & won his 1^st MVP.

FCR -  Alan Goldhammer, Bethesda, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Gus Bell

 

 

THURSDAY  — 22-Oct-2026

Q.  Which New York native, playing for Boston, led the majors one season in home runs, hits, doubles , total bases and led his league in slugging, OPS, OPS+ and WAR, but could only come up with a distant second place in MVP voting?

Hint: #1  His eighth-inning single off a Hall of Fame pitcher gave his team (that hadn’t played in a championship series in more than thirty years) a 1-0 home field win in the opening game of that year’s World Series.

Hint: #2  He replaced his Hall of Fame manager midseason then was himself replaced the following year as manager mid-season.

A.  TOMMY HOLMES  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1945, playing for the 6^th-place Braves, Holmes hit 28 HR, 47 2B, 224 H, .577 SLG, .997 OPS, 175 OPS+ & 8.3 WAR.  In NL MVP voting however, the top spot went to the Cubs’ Phil Cavarretta, 15.0 1^st-place votes to 3.0.

-  #1  In game 1 of the 1948 WS, Bob Feller had held the Braves to 1 hit.  Holmes’s was the only other hit off Feller that day, but it was enough to score pinch runner Phil Masi & seal the win.

-  #2  Holmes replaced Billy Southworth as the Braves’ manager in 1951after Southworth had led the team to a 28-31-1.  Homes took the reins for the last half of the season but also played.  He was replaced by veteran manager Charlie Grimm after 35 games in 1952.

FCR -  John Rickert, Terre Haute, Indiana

Incorrect guesses:  Johnny Pesky, Eddie Mathews, Bob Elliott

 

 

FRIDAY  — 23-Oct-2026

Q.  When Sammy Sosa hit three home runs in a game in Colorado on 10-Aug-2002, whose record did he tie for most times hitting three home runs in a game?

Hint: #1  He is the oldest person to hit his first World Series home run.

Hint: #2  One season, he led the league in triples but had nary a single stolen base that year (on zero attempts).

A.  JOHNNY MIZE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  It was the 6^th time with 3 HR in a game.  Mize’s 6^th was on 15-Sep-1950*, more than 12 years since he did it the first time.  Mookie Betts has since joined this elite club.

-  #1  When Mize homered for NYY off Preacher Roe on 03-Oct in game 3 of the 1952 WS, he became the oldest player to do it for the 1^st time at 39 years, 269 days.  He played in the WS in 5 straight seasons & had a total of 47 plate appearances in the Fall Classic, but only in 1952 did he go deep and he did it 3 times.

-  #2  In his 3^rd year in the majors, 1938, Mize hit 16 triples and led the NL.

*Only 1 time in 6 games did Mize’s team prevail, 20-Jul-1938(2).  They did, however, once tie. In Cincinnati on 13-May-1940.  The field flooded and the game was stopped after the 14^th inning.

FCR -  Tom Howell, Reno, Nevada

Incorrect guesses:  Harmon Killebrew, Barry Bonds, Enos Slaughter, Goose Goslin,. Joe DiMaggio

 

 

SATURDAY  — 24-Oct-2026

Q.  Who was the first player to hit fifty doubles in a season for the Yankees?

Hint: #1  He married a Chicago socialite at the height of his career.

Hint: #2  The next, season, as a married man, he put up a Triple Crown, the elite version where his stats were the best in both the American or National leagues.

A.  LOU GEHRIG  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Gehrig hit 52 2B in 1927 for NYY, breaking his own record of 47 set just the season before.  The 1927 mark stood until Don Mattingly hit 53 in 1986.

-  #1  Gehrig & Twitchell were wed in Chicago 29-Sep-1933.  She soon became the “First Lady of the Yankees” traveling the country with the team, the extrovert paired with introvert Lou.

-  #2  In 1934 , he hit .363, 49 HR & had 166 RBI.  Recent adjustments have added the Negro Leagues’ Buddy Burbage’s impressive .427, to the major leagues’ stats of 1934.  Interesting irony:  Gehrig finished fifth in the 1934 AL MVP voting despite winning the Triple Crown.

FCR -  Cliff Beiser, Kissimmee, Florida

Incorrect guesses:  Joe DiMaggio,  Alex, Rodriguez, Don Mattingly

 

 

SUNDAY  — 25-Oct-2026

Q.  Who played in every month of the baseball season, but was literally the best of May?

Hint: #1  He played every game of each of the ten World Series he played in.

Hint: #2  He signed his first professional contract after impressing onlookers with his playing ability at shortstop.

A.  JOE DiMAGGIO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The Italian words “di maggio” translate into “of May” in English.  Joe was the best of the brothers who reached the majors.

-  #1  Played every game in the WS of:  1936, 1937*, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1949, 1950 & 1951 & never missed a game.

-  #2  The San Francisco Seals of the PCL needed a SS for games ending the 1932 season. 

*The batter depicted on the front cover is clearly DiMaggio.  Joe played in the final three games of the season, then including his subsequent winter-league performances & was signed to a contract in 1933 for $225 a month

FCR -  Terry Walters, Wabasha, Minnesota

Incorrect guesses:  Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Babe Ruth

 

 

THEME:  Players who led their league in HRs with fewer K than HR.  It's happened ten times, but Gehrig, DiMaggio & Mize each did it twice.

 

 

Player                        Year         Lg      HR        K

DiMaggio.................... 1937...... AL...... 46....... 37

................................... 1948...... AL...... 39....... 30

 

Gehrig........................ 1934...... AL...... 49....... 31

................................... 1936...... AL...... 49....... 46

 

Holmes...................... 1945...... NL..... 28......... 9

 

Mize........................... 1947...... NL..... 51....... 42

................................... 1948...... NL..... 40....... 37

 

Kluszewski............... 1954...... NL..... 49....... 35

 

K Williams................. 1922...... AL...... 39....... 31

 

T Williams................. 1941...... AL...... 37....... 27

 

Theme guess FCR:  Joe Haardt, Bethany Beach, Delaware (after Kluszewski)

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  Players named "Williams"

-   Williamses with the most career HR

-   Williamses with the highest WAR

-   Has to do with players named Williams

 

Wed     -  Players who hit over 30 homers and struck out less than 30 times in a season

-   All had a season where they hit 30 or more home runs while striking out fewer than 40 times

-   More HR than SO in a season in multiple seasons

-   Players with at least 30 homers in a season that had more homers than strikeouts

-   Players who hit 30+ homers in a season with fewer than 40 strikeouts

-   More home runs than strikeouts in a season

 

Thur     -  More home runs than strikeouts in a season while hitting at least 25 home runs

-   More than 20 homers and less strikeouts than homers

-   Players who hit 30 or more homers in a season and who had more home runs than strikeouts in that season

 

Fri        -  Left-handed batters who hit more home runs than strikeouts in a season while hitting at least 25 home runs

 

 

 

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2026-=10-12 Mormon (LDS) players who have played in the World Series

MONDAY  — 16-Mar-2026

Q.  Who had the most American League runs batted in in the decade 1960-69?

Hint: #1  This Hall of Fame Double-Unique had 9,833 plate appearances in his twenty-two major league career, but is credited with exactly zero (0) sacrifice bunts.

Hint: #2  When he retired, only he and Babe Ruth had piled up twenty or more months with at least ten home runs each.

A.  HARMON KILLEBREW  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Killebrew’s RBI total 1960-1969 was 1,013.  Rounding out

the top 5 were       836 Brooks Robinson

                              831 Norm Cash

                              775 Rocky Colavito

                              767 Carl Yastrzemski

The MLB leader and only player ahead of Killebrew was Hank Aaron with 1,107.  (For Double-Unique explanation, click here.)

-  #1  Among HOF players with 9, 000+ PA, Killebrew is tied with Jim O’Rourke, Vladimir Guerrero & Frank Thomas for having 0 SH.

-  #2  Ruth did it 24 times, Killebrew 21.  Since then, Mark McGwire (21 months), Sammy Sosa (21) & Barry Bonds (20) have joined the list with 20 or more months of at least 10 HRs.

FCR -  Kurt Schumann

Incorrect guesses:  Mickey Mantle, Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline

 

 

TUESDAY  — 13-Oct-2026

Q.  Which New York Yankee outfielder is the only player ever to reach base twice on interference from two different catchers in the same game?

Hint: #1  He earned  his first All-Star selection, his first Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger Award all in the same season.

Hint: #2  This Double-Unique speedster is the only Boston Red Sox player to lead the American League three times in stolen bases.

A.  JACOBY ELLSBURY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 28-Jul-2015, Ellsbury clipped the glove of Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos in the 1^st plate appearance of the game.  Then the game became a NYY blowout & in the 9^th Ellsbury’s bat caught the glove of replacement catcher Tomás Telis.  For having merely done it twice in a game, he’s tied with Ben Geraghty (1936), Pat Corrales (1965, twice), Dan Meyer (1977), Bob Stinson (1979) & David Murphy (2010), but, of course, they all did it with the same catcher.

-  #1  It turns out that 2011 had the only GG, SS & AS selections of his career.  That year was also the season he received his first MVP votes.  He finished 2^nd behind only Justin Verlander.  He received MVP votes again in 2013.

-  #2  Ellsbury led in SB with 50 in 2008, 70 in 2009 & 52 in 2013.

FCR -  Dan Schoenholz, Walnut Creek, California

Incorrect guesses:  Jackie Jensen, Esix Snead

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 14-Oct-2026

Q.  Whose salary arbitration record did Don Mattingly break?

Hint: #1  This former Minnesotan finished in the top five in Cy Young Award voting, but was never the top vote-getter.

Hint: #2  He led the American League in Wild Pitches in six separate seasons, thrice leading the majors.

A.  JACK MORRIS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Morris won $1.85 million on Friday, 13-Feb-1987, breaking Wade Boggs’ previous arbitration record of $1.35 million.  Mattingly was awarded $1.975 million on Tuesday, 17-Feb, 4 short days later.

-  #1  In CYA voting, he finished:  3^rd in 1981, 3^rd in 1983, 5^th in 1986, 4^th in 1991 & 5^th in 1992.  He also finished 7^th in 1984 (when teammate Willie Hernández was the winner) & 9^th in 1987.  Morris was not only born & raised in Minnesota, he pitched the Twins to a World Series championship in 1991.

-  #2  Morris led the AL in WP w/18, 14, 15, 24, 15 & 13 in 1983, ’84, ‘85, ’87, ’91 & 1994 respectively.  His career WP total is 206, tied for 13^th on the all-time list.

FCR -  Joel Gross, Dunwoody, Georgia

Incorrect guesses:  Bert Blyleven, Charlie Hough, David Goltz, Andy Messerssmith

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  15-Oct-2026

Q.  Who last pitched eighteen innings in a single major league game?

Hint: #1  He won a Cy Young Award receiving twice as many votes as the Hall of Fame runner-up did that year.

Hint: #2  His son homered off Jack Morris in a major league game.

A.  VERN LAW  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 19-Jul-1955 in Pittsburgh, starter Law surrendered a solo HR to the game’s 3^rd batter, Eddie Mathews, & an unearned run in the 4^th, then pitched 14 consecutive scoreless innings.  Teammate Bob Friend took over for Law in the 19^th, gave up 1 run, got 3 outs & got the win when the Pirates scored twice in their half of the inning.

-  #1  Law won the 1960 eCYA with eight 1^st-place votes to Warren Spahn’s four.

-  #2  Law’s son Vance played for 11 seasons in the majors.  Playing for the White Sox, the younger Law hit the 9^th of his 71 MLB HRs off Morris on 08-Aug-1983(2).

FCR -  James McDonald, Essex, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Harvey Haddix, Roger Clemons, Billy Pierce

 

 

FRIDAY — 16-Oct-2026

Q.  Who was the first American Leaguer voted by the fans to start an All-Star game in his first year in the majors?

Hint: #1  His nickname was two steps removed from Steamboat Willy’s creator.

Hint: #2  The Angels drafted him as compensation for the Yankees signing free agent Don Baylor.

A.  WALLY JOYNER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Joyner was the AL’s starting first baseman for the 1986 All-Star game in Houston’s Astrodome.  It was the only All-Star appearance of his career.

-  #1  Walt Disney’s first theme park was Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  Mocking the eponymous park, a popular 1983 Hollywood movie worked into the light plot fun destination called Wally World.  Joyner’s team played next door to the original, so calling him Wally World seemed like a natural progression.

-  #2  MLB rules attempt to make unfair deals fair.  Joyner was the Angels’ 3^rd-round selection, No. 67 overall, in the 1983 draft, using the pick received from the Yankees as compensation for their signing Baylor.  Ironically, it was Don Mattingly defeated by Joyner in the 1986 All-Star voting.  Baylor and Mattingly were teammates for the next 3 seasons, during which Baylor played exactly a total of one game at first base.

FCR -  Thom Frohnhoefer, U,S, Armed Forces, Hohenfels, Germany

Incorrect guesses:  Mike Trout, Walt Weiss, Fred Lynn

 

 

SATURDAY  — 17-Oct-2026

Q.  Which church-going reliever was arrested with the devil one night when scuffling at a bar in Houston?

Hint: #1  He was only noticed by major league teams when scouts came to see the play of his college teammates.

Hint: #2  He is one of only three pitchers with at least seventy-five starts, seventy-five wins and three hundred saves.

A.  RICK AGUILERA  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 18-July-1986, Aguilera went out with teammates Tim Teufel*, Ron Darling & Bob Ojeda to celebrate the birth of Teufel’s son.  The evening’s festivities ended after midnight with all four arrested at Cooter’s in Houston.  Aguilera was charged with hindering an arrest, a charge that was later dropped.

-  #1  Recruited to play infield for BYU, Aguilera’s better-known teammates were Cory Snyder and Wally Joyner.  In college, Aguilera impressed no one with his foot speed.  In fact, one of his coaches got a little poetic & said, “ He ran like a tombstone.”  (Ouch!)

-  #2     Player                    GS       SV         W   Stathead result

Dennis Eckersley. 361..... 390..... 197

José Mesa............. 95..... 321....... 80

Rick Aguilera.......... 89..... 318....... 86

*Teufel is German for devil.

FCR -  Sean McCormick, New York City

Incorrect guesses:  Calvin Schiraldi, Dennis Eckersley, John Smoltz, Billy Wagner, Hoyt Wilhelm, Lindy McDaniel

 

 

SUNDAY  — 18-Oct-2026

Q.  Which young infielder was acquired by major league teams where he had little chance of starting because he was stuck behind some stars, notably Rabbit Maranville, Pie Traynor and Tony Lazzeri.

Hint: #1  He became locally famous even before he made the majors.  His hometown, knowing of his professional advancement held a “Day” in his honor when his minor league team rode in to play the local nine.

Hint: #2  He was the first alumnus of his now Big 12 Conference university.

A.  SPENCER ADAMS  [RIP Bio]

-  Ans.  The Pirates and Yankees signed him, but his playing time was limited.  Other Hall of Fame teammates of Adams include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Max Carey, Walter Johnson, Goose Goslin, Stan Coveleski, Sam Rice, Bucky Harris & George Sisler.

-  #1  Adams was playing for the PCL Seattle team in 1922 when he was feted.  Ogden’s Mayor, Frank Francis, presented him with a gold watch worth $205.97 (oddly precise) & was given several flower bouquets.  He thanked the hometown crowd by knocking a couple of base hits (and committing a couple of costly fielding errors in the Bees win).

-  #2  Adams was a student at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.  (Referred to as “The U” practically since its founding in 1850.)

FCR -  Steve Berman, Wanaque, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Bucky Harris, Ray Morehart, Doc Farrell

 

 

 

 

THEME:  Mormon (LDS) players who have played in the World Series

 

 

Player                      World Series                  WAR

Killebrew...................... 1965.......................... 60.4

 

Morris................ 1984, 1991*, 1992............... 43.5

 

Joyner........................... 1998.......................... 35.8

 

Law................................ 1960.......................... 32.3

 

Ellsbury................... 2007, 2013..................... 31.0

 

Adams..................... 1925, 1926..................... -0.8

 

Aguilera................... 1986, 1991..................... 21.8

 

 

 

Additional qualifiers include:

Kelly Downs.................. 1989........................... 4.5

Dennis Eckersley 1988, 1989, 1990................ 62.1

Doug Fister.................... 2012.......................... 19.6

Jeremy Guthrie.............. 2014.......................... 18.5

Bryce Harper................. 2022.......................... 56.9

Ken Hunt....................... 1961........................... 1.1

Bruce Hurst................... 1986.......................... 34.2

Dane Iorg.................. 1982, 1985...................... 0.3

Jeff Kent........................ 2002.......................... 55.4

Ray Knight.................... 1986*......................... 13.2

Brad Thompson............. 2006........................... 0.4

Jaret Wright................... 1997........................... 4.4

 

*World Series MVP

 

 

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Randall Chandler, Germantown, Tennessee (after Morris)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  Double-uniques whose first names were other players’ last names

-   Players who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

 

Sat       -  Some sort of LDS or BYU theme

 

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