Sunday, April 1, 2018

2018-03-26 500 Home Run Club members not in the Hall of Fame


Q.        Whose custom-tailored suits bear the monogram “MBM”?
Hint:     He has hit more grand slams than any other player born outside the U.S.
Hint:     He once received four (4!) intentional walks in one game.
Hint:     When asked if he had been tested for Attention Deficit Disorder, gave this classic response, “If they did, I don't remember it.”
A.         MANNY RAMIREZ
-  That’s just Manny Being Manny.
-  21 GS, 3d all-time.  Next highest foreign-born grand slams =
-  4 IBB 06-Jun-2001
FCR -  Fernando Piñeres, Washington, DC
Incorrect guesses:  Joe Canseco, Carlos Lee

TUESDAY
Q.        Which Red Sox slugger was given a plaque by owner John Henry and President Larry Lucchino declaring him, “The greatest clutch hitter in the history of the Boston Red Sox”?
Hint:     He holds the Red Sox record for the most home runs in a single season, topping even the best years by Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx , Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice.
Hint:     Among designated hitters, he is the all-time career leader in major league history for home runs, runs batted in and hits.
Hint:     At age 32, he became a United States citizen.
A.         DAVID ORTIZ

-  Clutch production includes 11 career walk-off home runs during the regular season and 2 during the postseason.
-  54 HR in 2006.  Williams’ best was 43 in 1949; Foxx had 50 in 1938, Yaz got 44 in 1967; and Rice hit 46 in 1978.  (All MVP years)
-  DH records:  485 HR; 1,569 RBI & and 2,192 H.
-  Gained citizenship 11-Jun-2008 at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston.
FCR -  Adam Foldes, New York City
Incorrect guesses:  Tony Conigliaro, Jim Rice

WEDNESDAY
Q.        Who is the only Chicago Cub to have more total bases in a season than Hack Wilson’s 193 total of 423?
Hint:     He was the first player to hit three home runs in a game three times in a season.
Hint:     He is the only Cub in franchise history to amass extra bases in triple digits in one single season.
A.         SAMMY SOSA
-  425 TB in 2001
-  3 HR (09-Aug-, 22-Aug- and, 02-Sep-2001)
-  103 EBH in 2001
FCR -  Kellen Nielson, Blanding, Utah
Incorrect guesses:  Rogers Hornsby, Aramis Ramirez, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Andre Dawson, Craig Biggio

Q.        Who holds the National League rookie records for Total Bases, Extra-Base Hits, Runs-Batted-In and times Grounding into a Double Play?
Hint:     He hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in his first college game.
Hint:     He scored a 100 on his U.S. citizenship test.
A.         ALBERT PUJOLS
-  In 2001 = 360 TB, 88 EBH, 130 RBI & 21 GIDP.
-  Attended Maple Woods Community College (Kansas City, MO).
-  A 2012 survey showed that only 65-percent of native-born Americans could score high enough on a mandatory civics exam to become a U.S. citizen.  When the Dominican-born Pujols took the test in 2007, he scored a perfect 100. “He even answered a bunch of additional questions and gave us more answers than we asked,” said immigration officer Chester Moyer.
FCR -  Will McCracken, Bradenton, Florida
Incorrect guesses:  Bill Wambsganss, Roy Campanella, Sammy Sosa, Ted Williams, Juan Samuel, Ernie Banks,

THURSDAY
Q.        Who is the only teammate of Tony Gwynn to beat him out for the National League batting title?
Hint:     They were both part of the “Four Tops”.
Hint:     He was the first player to homer in a 1-0 game thrice in one season.
Hint:     He was an All-Star for 5 of the 8 separate franchises he played for in his 20+ years in the majors.
Hint:     He and fellow MLB All-Stars Dwight Gooden and Carl Everett all attended the same high school in the same decade.
A.         GARY SHEFFIELD
-  1992 Sheffield = .330; Gwynn was 5th in the league @ .317.  Sheffield also led the Padres that year in WAR, hits, doubles, slugging and OPS.
-  The Four Tops was a nickname given to the first four batters at the top of the Padres’ lineup that year were a force to be reckoned with = Tony Fernandez, Gwynn, Sheffield and Fred McGriff.  All were All-Stars that year except for McGriff, but he did get MVP votes.
-  3 X 1-0 = 02-Apr-; 07-May-; and 12-May-2001
-  AS for SDP, FLA, LAD, ATL & NYY.  He also played
-  Attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa in the 1980s.
FCR -  Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Incorrect guesses:  Steve Garvey, Dave Winfield, Garry Templeton, John Kruk, Larry Walker, Ken Caminiti

IN MEMORIAM
Q.        Which former Met founded a fund to benefit families of policemen and firemen who had lost their lives in the course of duty?
Hint:     During his career, he was traded for:
Jesus Alou,
Donn Clendenon,
Jack Billingham,
Skip Guinn,
Tim Foli,
Mike Jorgensen,
Ken Singleton,
Billy Baldwin,
Mickey Lolich,
Randall Schafer,
Chris Smith     and
LaRue Washington.
Hint:     Perhaps his most famous career accomplishment was accumulating 500 hits for each of 4 franchises. (And another 100 for a 5th one.)
Hint:     He was credited with popularizing batting gloves.
Hint:     His record of 81 for most pinch-hit at-bats in a season was broken in 2001.
Hint:     He still holds the record for most pinch-hit RBI in a season.
Hint:     He was fined by his team for refusing to play in the aftermath of Robert Kennedy’s assassination.
Hint      He homered in the majors before he turned 20 and after he turned 40, becoming only the second player in history to do so.
Hint:     He was the first player to make an honest effort to learn French while playing for the Expos.  The city, province and even most of Canada loved him for it.
A.         RUSTY STAUB  [NY Times Obit & SABR Bio]
-  Staub founded The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund in 1985, the year he retired as a major leaguer.
-  His trades were an indication of how valuable other team viewed him.
- 11-Sep-1961: Signed by HOU as an amateur free agent.
- 22-Jan-1969: Traded by HOU to MON for Jesus Alou and Donn ClendenonDonn Clendenon refused to report to his new team on 08-Apr-1969.  MON sent Jack BillinghamSkip Guinn and $100,000 to HOU to complete the trade.
- 05-Apr-1972: Traded by MON to NYM for Tim FoliMike Jorgensen and Ken Singleton.
- 12-Dec-1975: Traded by NYM with Bill Laxton to DET for Billy Baldwin and Mickey Lolich.
- 20-Jul-1979: Traded by he DET back to MON for a player to be named later and cash.  MON sent minor leaguer Randall Schafer later to DET to complete the trade.
- 31-Mar-1980: Traded by MON to the TEX for Chris Smith and LaRue Washington.
- Lenny Harris had 83 pinch-hit at-bats in 2001 w/NYM.  Ichiro Suzuki is the current record holder w/100 PH AB in 2017 playing for MIA.
- Staub & teammate Bob Aspromonte were fined by the Astros in 1968 for their position on the Kennedy tragedy.
- 1st HR = 03-Jun-1963 off Don Drysdale; Last HR = 22-Jun-1985 off Jeff Reardon.  Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez have since tied Cobb and Staub.
FCR -  Naftali Greenwood, Kiryat, Arbat, ISRAEL
Incorrect guesses:  Keith Hernandez

FRIDAY
Q.        What former middle infielder recently bought a 7.5% share of a business owned by Rob Gronkowski?
Hint:     He (the baseball player) was publicly caught in a personal moment on Opening Day.
Hint:     He played high school football with future major leaguer Doug Mientkiewicz.
Hint:     He belongs to a very special club comprised of only himself and Hall of Famers Tony LaRussa and Robin Yount.
A.         ALEX RODRIGUEZ
-  Gronkowski and his brothers appeared on “Shark Tank” asking for funding in an episode where A-Rod was one of the potential investors.  Season 9, Episode 4. First Aired: 15-Oct-2017.
-  Girlfriend Jennifer Lopez visited him an shared a quick smooch in the broadcast booth of the Giants/Dodgers Opening Day game.
-  A-Rod played with Mientkiewicz at Westminster Christian High school in Miami, Florida
-     Rodriguez, LaRussa and Yount were the only 18-year-old shortstops in the majors in the 20th century.
FCR -  R.D. Lerner, Silver Spring, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: 

SATURDAY
Q.        Who was the last out in Mickey Morandini's unassisted triple play?
Hint:     He was the first National League player to hit more than 30 home runs for each of 13 consecutive seasons.
Hint:     Only Babe Ruth was on base more times in a single season.
Hint:     A scout who scouted him in high school was surprised at the support he received from the parents of teammates—not the usual situation when outstanding players are being recruited.
Hint:     He has a higher career W.A.R. than those of Willie McCovey, Mickey Cochrane and Hugh Duffy COMBINED!
A.         BARRY BONDS
-  30+ HR 1992-2004
-  On base 376 times in 2004 (Ruth was on base 379 times in 1923)
-  Bonds’s career WAR is 162.8 (McCovey 64.5 + Cochrane 52.1 + Duffy 43.1 = 159.7)
FCR -  Frank Stephenson, Rome, Georgia
Incorrect guesses:  Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols

SUNDAY
Q.        Which player's 15-year-old son was his team’s batboy the very night his father collected his 3,000th career hit?
Hint:     No other player played in more major league games than he did in the preceding decade.
Hint:     A classmate of his was drafted 2nd overall in the same draft where he was taken 22nd.
Hint:     One of his managers in the majors was an alum of the same school.
A.         RAFAEL PALMEIRO
-  3,000th H = 05-Jul-2005; 15-year-old Patrick Palmeiro
-  G 1990-99 = 1,526; 1991-2000 = 1,530 (Leader, measured either way.)
-  Buck Showalter managed Palmeiro on the 2003 TEX team and had attended Miss. St.
FCR -  David Krassin, Los Angeles
Incorrect guesses:  Pete Rose, Craig Biggio, Cal Ripken, Ken Griffey, Sr.


WEEKLY THEME – 500-Home Run Club members who are not in the Hall of Fame
762      Bonds
652      Rodriguez
614      Pujols
606      Sosa
569      Palmeiro
555      Ramirez
541      Ortiz
509      Sheffield


First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeMorris Buenemann, Florissant, Missouri             (After Sosa)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday -  World Series MVP’s who won the Silver Slugger Award
               -  Most home runs by players from Dominican Republic
               -  Members of 2004 Red Sox
               -  Red Sox who have led the AL in home runs or OBP
               -  Red Sox who have led the majors in RBI or OPS
               -  Red Sox to make 5 straight All-Star appearances
               -  Members of any of the 2004-2008 AL All-Star teams
               - Dominican Players on the Red Sox
               -  Dominican players with 400 home runs
               -  Dominican born players on the 2004 Red Sox
               -  Players from the DR, who have won silver sluggers & the Hank Aaron Award
               -  Members of the 2004 Red Sox who broke the curse

Wed        -  All-time home run leaders born in the Dominican Republic
               -  Dominican-born players with 400+ career home runs.
               -  League leaders who were suspected of using PED, never admitted or proven to.
               -  Positive steroid tests
               -  Players from the Dominican Republic with multiple All-Star games
               -  Dominican born home run hitters above a certain threshold career number
               -  Players associated with steroids
               -  Players from the DR, who led their leagues in HR
               -  Dominican-born players with most career RBI
               -  They were all on the 2003 doping list
               -  Dominican born players with over 400 home runs
               -  Dominican born players with 500+ home runs
               -  All-time Latino career HR leaders
               -  Dominican-born players who led their league in home runs in a season.
               -  Dominican players with the most career Home Runs
               -  all players implicated in PED scandals who hit at least 400 home runs in their careers
               -  500 HR Club, who have homered on opening day










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