MONDAY
Q. Who
is the only player to finish in the top two (2!) in league MVP voting in his
first three years in the majors?
Hint: As
a partial consolation, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in the American League.
Hint: In
addition, he has been named the MVP of the All-Star Game.
Hint: Twice.
Hint: In
a row
Twint: He
collected a unique All-Star cycle.
Twint: All
of this is true!
A. MIKE
TROUT
-
ASG
MVP 2013, 14
-
1st AB in 2012 ASG: Single; 1st AB in 2013 ASG: Double; 1st AB in 2014 ASG: Triple; 1st AB in 2014 ASG: HR
FCR - Gary
Moore, Walker, MI
Incorrect answers: Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez, Fred Lynn, Al Kaline,
Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey, Jr.
MONDAY BONUS
Q. Whose
great stats in 2012 led him to the first Triple Crown (for a position player)
in more than 40 years?
Hint: He
had led in each Triple Crown category in previous years.
Hint: He’s
among the leaders again this year.
Hint: Only
Ted Williams and Mel Ott reached 500 RBI at a younger age.
Twint: He
magnanimously switched from playing first base to third when his team hired
another power-hitting first baseman.
-
2012 TC: 44 HR, 139 RBI, BA .330
-
37 HR in 2008, 126 RBI in 2010, .344 in 2011
-
His .350 leads the AL (currently on the DL)
-
Switched to 3rd when Prince
Fielder joined DET in 2012
FCR - Victor
Piacentile, Yorktown Heights, NY
Incorrect answers:
TUESDAY
Q. Who
was said to be a sure-fire Rookie of the Year until Jose Fernandez posted an
unbeatable WAR of 6.7?
Hint: Some
of those same people also thought he was also a double-unique.
Hint: His
salary is reminiscent of what the Giants signed Barry Bonds for in 1992.
Hint: He
comes from a hundred fires.
Twint: He
had to consort with some unsavory characters to reach Mexico and then the U.S.
A. YASIEL
PUIG
-
2013
ROY voting; Puig’s WAR was a still-impressive 4.9, over only 104 games.
-
Rich Puig
debuted 13-Sep-1974. Twelve days later he played his last game.
-
Signed for $42 million over 7 years (Bonds’s
was increased later.)
-
Cienfuegos, Cuba translates to “100 fires”
-
Sports
Illustrated reported that he signed a portion of future MLB earning to
underworld thugs in order to finance his defection from Cuba
FCR - Scott
Matteson, Shawnee, KS
Incorrect answers: Matt Harvey, Billy Hamilton
WEDNESDAY
Q. Who
was the first pitcher to homer for the Royals in the designated hitter era?
Hint: It
helped offset the fact that he led the league in pitching losses that same
year.
Hint: Later,
though, he would win league titles in ERA and, in another season, winning
percentage.
Twint: He
struggles with social anxiety disorder.
A. ZACK
GREINKE
-
10-Jun-2005
of D-Backs’ starter Russ
Ortiz
-
5-17 in 2005
-
2009 ERA of 2.16 (CYA too); 2013 .789%
FCR - Rick
Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD
Incorrect answers: Jim Rooker, Kevin Appier, Mark Gubicza, Bret
Saberhagan, Larry Gura, Mel Stottlemyre, Jr., Paul Splittorff, Danny
Jackson, Dennis Leonard, Mike Morgan
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who
is the only Houston Astro to win a league batting title?
Hint: His
manager said, “He is at the top of the list of players I would pay my own money
to watch play.”
Hint: A
former Eagle once presented him with a differential larger than the width of home
plate. He singled.
Twint: Houston announcers invented a new unit of length of exactly
his height.
Twint: For
example, a home run measuring 550’ would be 100 ________’s.
A. JOSE
ALTUVE
-
2014: .341
-
Quote from Bo
Porter
-
6’11" Jon Rauch
(Morehead State)
was the opposing pitcher 01-May-2012
-
Entered the majors at 5’5" and now measures 5’6"
FCR - Tony
Nicolo, Norfolk, VA
Incorrect answers: Craig, Biggio, Jose Cruz, Terry Puhl, Jeff
Bagwell, Moises Alou, Victor Martinez, Greg Gross, Ken Caminiti
THURSDAY
Q. What
former Blue Jays outfielder parlayed his league-leading 46 doubles into a $126
million contract?
Hint: It
took the next two seasons to top that total.
Hint: His
first professional team was the Orioles,
where he was drafted as a catcher.
Hint: It
was working under coach Manny Mota was when he first reached double-digits in
steals.
Twint: Some
surmise that he is channeling Uncle Sam as he Iast appeared in the famous U.S.
Army recruitment
poster.
A. JASON
WERTH
-
11 SB with LAD in 2005 where Mota
was a veteran coach. (Mota was a hitting coach and may well have had nothing at
all to do with the steals.)
FCR - Wayne
Patterson, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers: Vernon Wells, Jesse Barfield, Shawn Green,
Alex Rios, Carlos Delgado
THURSDAY BONUS
Q: Who is the only catcher to ever
hit two doubles in his only two at bats in a single All-Star Game?
Hint: In fact, he is the first catcher
since Tim McCarver to get two hits of any kind in their only two at bats in a
Mid-Summer Classic.
Hint: He is the most recent player to have
a 7 RBI game twice in the same season.
Hint: He is one of only five players to do
so in the 2000’s.
Twint: He once lost a sock, which ended up
costing him two months in mid-season.
- On 20-May-2012 and 30-Aug-2012; The
other four are Cody Ross 2006, A-Rod 2000, Derrek Lee2009 and Jason Giambi 2000
- In 2012, he sustained a
“boxer’s fracture” when his wife accidentally dropped a suitcase on him while he was
reaching under the bed for a “lost sock” at their hotel. He was out from
28-May-2012 until returning to action 26-Jul-2012
FCR - Barry
Nelson, Guilderland, NY
Incorrect answers: Mike Piazza, Russell Martin, Brian McCann,
Joe Mauer, Ivan Rodriguez
FRIDAY
Q. Who was the “player to be named
later” in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers?
Hint: Of the four Brewer players traded,
he is the only one to make the All-Star Game, win a Silver Slugger Award or get
an MVP vote.
Hint: In fact, he’s the only one still
playing in the big leagues.
Hint: The only lead-off home run of his
career was the very first home run of his career.
Twint: He is the only Cleveland Indian in
the 2000’s to collect 200 hits in a season.
Twint: His nickname, conjured up by Dennis
Manoloff, belies the team’s history of “rougher” characters.
- 2014 200 H, Kenny Lofton
the last to do it with 210 H 1996
- Nicknamed “Dr. Smooth” for his smooth, unhurried
style, while the Indians have had the likes of “Wild Thing” and other players
such as Grady Sizemore and Kenny Lofton
FCR - Neil
Cohen, Brooklyn, NY
Incorrect answers: John Halama, Carlos Santana
SATURDAY
Q. Who
hit the 10,000th homer in the history of the Twins franchise?
Hint: Though
historic, it was for a losing effort as it was the only run the team scored
that day, losing by 8 to the Orioles.
Hint: He
has appeared at every position for the Twins except pitcher, catcher and center
field.
Hint: Though
a first-round pick, it took 6 years before his major league debut, and he
wasn’t a rookie until the year after that.
Twint: His
senior year he was a Baseball America All-American as a utility man though he also
had a 12-2 pitching record with an ERA of 0.78.
Twint: As
a freshman he pitched a no-hitter on opening day – his first ever Varsity
start.
-
29-Aug-2014
7th in a 9-1 loss
-
Twins 1st
round pick 2004, debut 2010, rookie status 2011
FCR - Bob
Wilber, Spokane, WA
Incorrect answers: Cesar Tovar, Aaron Hicks, Brian Dozier, Kent
Hrbek, Denny Hocking
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who
was the last switch-hitting catcher to bat over .300?
Hint: This
century, only Jorge Posada has more home runs among switch-hitting catchers.
Hint: He
won two silver slugger awards 10 seasons apart at different positions.
Hint: He
won a batting award that bears his surname.
Twint: He
was the first Tiger to do so in over 35 years.
- 2010 .302
- Since 2001 Posada 212 HR, Martinez
195
- SS
2004 at catcher, and 2014 at DH
- 2014 Edgar Martinez
Award for Outstanding DH; Last Tiger to win Rusty Staub, 1978
FCR - Frank
Workman, Lake Forest Park, WA
Incorrect answers: Craig, Biggio, Ted Simmons, Jason Kendall,
Johnny Bench, Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza
SUNDAY
Q. Who
was the last Cardinal to start at shortstop in the All-Star Game?
Hint: He
drove in the first run for the National League team that day.
Hint: This
season he is leading in hits among NL shortstops.
Twint: In
his only World Series, he managed only 1 hit in four games as his team was
swept.
Twint: Though
meaningless, it was a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th inning in an
8-3 loss.
-
2015
ASG roster
-
RBI single b2
116 H leads NL among shortstops (as of 08-Aug-2015)
-
2012 WS
1 H/15 AB/.067
-
Game 1
2012 WS)
FCR - Bob
Muse, San Diego, CA
Incorrect answers: Ozzie Smith, Hanley Ramirez, Yunel Escobar
WEEKLY THEME – 2014 MLB Doubles
leaders by position (as listed in www.MLB.com)
Altuve 2B 47
Brantley LF 45
Cabrera 1B 52*
Greinke P 6
Lucroy C 53*
Martinez DH 33
Peralta SS 38
Plouffe 3B 40
Puig RF 37
Span CF 39
Trout CF 39
Werth RF 37
*Led the league
First Correct Respondent
to Identify Theme – No
one
Incorrect theme guesses:
Monday - Players with
"Missle" in their nickname
- AL MVP’s
- AL MVP’s since
2000
Saturday - WAR
leaders at each position
Questions archived here: http://horsehidetriviA. blogspot.com/
Horsehide Trivia home page: https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia
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