Sunday, September 25, 2011

September 19-25, 2011 Batters with grand slams for different teams in the same season


MONDAY
Q.         Who is the only catcher to hit .300 or better with 30 home runs in a season five times in his career?
Hint:     He was runner-up in the MVP balloting in consecutive seasons.
SABR:  He was the first catcher to have 200 hits in a season.
Twint:    He was the Dodgers’ first regular-season designated hitter.
A.         Mike Piazza (1993, 95-99; 1996-97; 201 H in 1997, but only 187 came while he was playing C; DH 12-Jun-1997)
First Correct Respondent - J.J. McCoy, Washington, DC

MONDAY A SECOND TIME
Q.         Who, in his first major league at-bat, hit a home run off Nolan Ryan?
Hint:     His 1.335 OPS in three National League Championship Series is the highest on record.
SABR:  His answering machine at home says, “The Thrill is gone.  Leave a message.”
Twint:    No, he’s not THAT guy; not the movie star!
A.         Will Clark (HR 08-Apr-1986; NLCS 1987, 89, 2000; Other famous Will Clark)
First Correct Respondent - Alan Miller, Oakland

TUESDAY
Q.         Which player's sixth career leadoff home run was the one that put him in the 300/300 club?
Hint:     He was the first Arizona Diamondback to win a Gold Glove.
SABR:  He won the major league Player of the Week Award with three different teams a total of five times.
Twint:    He is a member of the Saluki Baseball Hall of Fame and the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame.
Twint:    He once hit two home runs in a game when he was suffering from a bugling vertebral disk.
A.         Steve Finley (300th HR 14-Jun-2006; GG 1999, 2000; 2 HR 28-Sep-1999)
FCR -    Michael Bender, Derwood, MD

TUESDAY DOUBLE
Q.         Who had the quietest fifty-home run season ever?
Hint:     He was the first player to hit forty home runs in a season while playing for two teams.
Hint:     They were also in different leagues.
SABR:  His cousin won an American League Most Valuable Player Award.
SABR:  Another cousin of his played sixteen years in the majors.
Twint:    He was the last player in the 20th century to hit two home runs in a World Series game.
A.         Greg Vaughn (50 HR in 1998; 41 HR in 1996 playing for San Diego and Milwaukee; Mo Vaughn AL MVP, cousin Jerry Royster; 2 WS HRs G1 17-Oct-1998)
FCR -    Bill Garrod, Edgewood, WA

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who hit grand slams off Hall of Famers in the same season while playing for different teams?
Hint:     He hit four additional home runs that year off Hall of Fame pitchers.
SABR:  He was the first Yankee infielder to win a Gold Glove.
Twint:    Six years before his regular season slams, he’d hit one in the World Series.
A.         Joe Pepitone (GS HRs off Nolan Ryan on 10-Jun-1970 & Don Sutton 14-Aug-1970; 2 HR each off Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry; GG 1965, 66, 69; WS GS 14-Oct-1964)
FCR -    No one (partially, it would appear, because he was the SECOND Yankee IF GG, after Bobby Richardson in 1961)

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who earned his major league debut as a replacement for his injured Hall of Fame player manager?
Hint:     Even though his debut was in September, he played well enough to earn a World Series share with the team.
Hint:     He watched his grandsons face each other in the 2003 All-Star game.
SABR:  As a scout, he signed Curt Schilling.
SABR:  He tied for the RBI lead in the American League one season.
Twint:    Like his son, he started his professional career as a catcher.
Twint:    He was the leader of the San Diego chapter of the National Lumber Jacks Association.
A.         Ray Boone (Lou Boudreau 1948; 2003 ASG sons Bret and Aaron; RBI lead 1955 w/116)
FCR -    Frank DiPrima, Morristown, NJ

THURSDAY
Q.         Who was the Browns’ batting leader their last year in St. Louis?
Hint:     He was a Red Sox scout for forty years, interrupted by a four-year stint as first base couch for them.
SABR:  He was the only first base coach that manager Eddie Kasko ever had.
Twint:    He got his nickname because it was difficult for him to find shoes narrow enough.
Twint:    His playing career was ended in 1954 by a broken leg.
A.         Don Lenhardt (.317 in 1953; 1957-91 as a scout, first base coach 1970-73
FCR -    Peter Beagle, Oakland

FRIDAY
Q.         Who was announced as the successor to Mike Schmidt when Schmidt retired in 1989?
Hint:     He was traded in early June that same season.
SABR:  He had nine runs batted in a single game two years later.
Twint:    His brother is well-known football player and broadcaster.
A.         Chris James (Traded for John Kruk and Randy Ready 02-Jun-1898; Brother Craig James)
FCR -    Matt Gibson, Barboursville , WV

SATURDAY
Q.         Who is the first post-expansion player to play 40 games at each of the three outfield positions in the same season?
Hint:     That year, he led his team in batting, hits, doubles and at-bats.
Hint:     A certain value-savvy general manager probably knew he was going to do that.
SABR:  At Zanesville High School, graduated 4th in his class while starring in baseball, soccer and basketball.
Twint:    He had two “Tommy John” surgeries while still a minor leaguer.
A.         Jay Payton (Oakland A’s 2006 LF 51, 44, CF, 41 RF)
FCR -    Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who was the penultimate player to reach the 600 level at Veterans Stadium with a home run?
Hint:     He made his major league debut on the losing end of a no-hitter.
Hint:     He won the 1995 International League MVP award.
SABR:  He won the Doubleday Award in his first season as a professional.
SABR:  He won the award three more times.
Twint:    He was one of the few players allowed to continue wearing #42 after 1997.
A.         Butch Huskey (HR 15-Sep-1997; Debut 08-Sep-1993 [Tanana]; Doubleday Award 1989, 91, 93 & 95)
FCR -    Prisco Panza, Milford, CT

SUNDAY
Q.         Which All-Star second baseman is the third baseman and captain of his Dominican Winter League team?
Hint:     He was the first Washington National to hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning or later.
SABR:  After Jim Northrup in 1973, he was the next leadoff batter to have eight RBIs in a game.)
Twint:    In 2005, he started in every spot in the batting order except clean-up.
Twint:    He was the first non-roster invitee to start for the Rockies on Opening Day of 2003.
A.         Ronnie Belliard (Northrup’s 8-RBI game 11-Jul-1973, Belliard’s 23-Sep-2003)
FCR -    J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD


WEEKLY THEME – Batters with grand slams for different teams in the same season.  Thanks to David Vincent for this theme and the data to back it up.

Belliard       2009     WAS   (22-Aug)                LAN   (19-Sep)
Boone        1953     CLE    (10 & 24-May)        DET   (19-Jul & 12-Aug)
Clark           2000     BAL    (20-Jul)                  SLN   (24-Sep)
Finley         2004     ARI     (11-May)                LAN   (02-Oct)
Huskey       1999     SEA    (17-May)                BOS  (28-Jul)
James        1989     PHI     (29-Apr)                 SDN  (18-Jul)
Lenhardt     1952     BOS    (19-Apr & 02-Jun)   DET   (09-Jun)
Payton        2005     BOS    (24-Apr)                 OAK  (30-Jul)
Pepitone     1970     HOU    (10-Jun)                 CHN  (14-Aug)
Piazza         1998     LAN    (09, 10 & 24-Apr)    NYN  (22-Aug)
Vaughn       1996     MIL     (16-Jul)                  SDN  (16-Aug)


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

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