Sunday, June 23, 2019

2019-06-17 Batters who were second in home runs on their team in a year when the team leader hit 60.


Q.        Who was the first New York Yankee to be voted American League MVP twice?
Hint:     His own teammate kept the first one from being unanimous.
Hint:     His first-ever major league stolen base was a steal of home.
Hint:     He hit a home run and stole home in the same game six times in his career.
A.         LOU GEHRIG  [SABR Bio]
-  MVP 1927, 1936
-  Tony Lazzeri received a single first-place MVP vote in 1927.
-  1st SB = 24-Jun-1925 [Double steal w/ Wally Schang taking 2nd base]
-  HR + SBH = 29-Jun-1927; 30-Jul-1927; 19-Jul-1929; 07-Jun-1930; 15‑Apr‑1931 and 12-Apr-1932.  The last one was on Opening Day.
FCR -  Jeff Orner, York, Pennsylvania
Incorrect guesses:  Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Roger Maris

TUESDAY
Q.        Who was the subject of Jane Leavy’s second baseball biography?
Hint:     As a youngster, he was so physically unimposing that when his dad took him for a workout with the sad-sack St. Louis Browns, they sent him home without even letting him on the field.
Hint:     Nevertheless, he and a famous teammate were both recruited to play football at a major college football powerhouse.
Hint:     The best catch he ever made was the most important one.
A.         MICKEY MANTLE  [SABR Bio]
-  The glory of SLB’s lone pennant was probably still fresh enough.  
-  Both he and Roger Maris could have played football at the University of Oklahoma.
-  In the 1956 WS, he raced down a deep drive to centerfield off the bat of BRO’s Gil Hodges.  The play helped preserve Don Larsen’s perfect G.
FCR -  John Gottko, Corvallis, Oregon
Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax, Billy Martin, Roy Sievers

WEDNESDAY
Q.        What former Texas Ranger is the proud owner of an eight-RBI inning?
Hint:     Teammate Eli Marrero homered in that same inning.
Hint:     His offspring, already forecast for bigger things, will likely never eclipse that single feat.
A.         FERNANDO TATIS (Sr.)  [B-R page]
-  2 grand slams were all that was needed 23-Apr-1999.
-  LAD’s Chan Ho Park surrendered all 3 HR that inning.
-  Fernando Tatis, Jr. is so promising that he bumped the $300,000,000 Manny Machado over to 3rd base.
FCR -  Kevin Johnson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Incorrect guesses:  Pudge Rodriguez, Vlad Guerrero, Juan Gonzalez, Fernando Tatis, Jr., Adrian Beltre

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.        What New York Yankee slugger is famous for sharing a name with a candy bar?
Hint:     He led the majors in strikeouts by a batter one year but was still an All-Star.
Hint:     It was the only black ink he ever mustered in a respectable eleven-year, 950-game career.
A.         HENRY RODRIGUEZ  [B-R page]
-  Oh Henry candy bars were often thrown onto the field when he homered for any of the 5 MLB teams he played for.  Played for NYY in 2001.
-  AS in 1996.
FCR -  Steven Wright, Naperville, Illinois
Incorrect guesses:  Reggie Jackson, Babe Ruth, Joe Gordon, Jack Clark, Steve Balboni,

THURSDAY
Q.        Who led all National League shortstops defensively in double plays and putouts but also wielded a decent bat by leading the whole league in hits in the first year of the century?
Hint:     He is partnered with a current major league manager in a Napa Valley winery.
Hint:     When his double-play partner won the league MVP, he led all shortstops in the league in home runs.
Hint:     His school became more politically correct when he was in college there.
A.         RICH AURILIA  [BR-page]
-  2001 = 206 H
-  His business partner is Dave Roberts who was his teammate on SFG 2007-08.  Roberts has managed LAD since 2016 and twice won the NL pennant.
-  Had 20 HR in 2000.  Jeff Kent was NL MVP in Y2K.
-  St. John’s University Redmen became the Red Storm in 1994. 
FCR -  Josh Murphy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Incorrect guesses:  Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Correa?

FRIDAY
Q.        What St. Louis Cardinal, in the only All-Star appearance of his fourteen-year major league career, became the last 20th century National Leaguer to play a complete All-Star Game?
Hint:     He was the first batter to hit two upper-deck home runs in a game at Cinergy Field.
Hint:     In spite of striking out 100 or more times for eleven consecutive seasons, he only led the league once in that category.
A.         RAY LANKFORD  [B-R page]
-  2 HR = 15-Jul-1997.  Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium became Cinergy Field in 1996.
-  100+ K = 1991-2001, basically every year he played at least 100 G.  Led the NL w/147 in 1992.
FCR -  Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma
Incorrect guesses:  Mark Whiten

SATURDAY
Q.        Who has the most career pinch-hit home runs by a player not born in the United States?
Hint:     His home country has elected him to their baseball Hall of Fame.
Hint:     His first franchise and his last one was the same franchise although they were different teams.
Hint:     He owns a well-deserved World Series ring.
A.         MATT STAIRS  [B-R page]
-  Has 23 PH HR, most by any player.
-  CBHOF in 2015
-  1992-93 played for MON.  2011 finished w/WSN.
-  Helped PHI win the 2008 WS by helping them get there with a dramatic HR in the NLCS.  Matt Zolecki, writing for MLB, has called his pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of G 4 in the 2008 NLCS off the LAD reliever Jonathan Broxton “…one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history.”
FCR -  Sarah Grynpas, Toronto
Incorrect guesses:  Rico Carty, John Vander Wal, Rusty Staub, Manny Mota

SUNDAY
Q.        Who was the first 20th century National League player to collect six hits in the game where he hit for the cycle?
Hint:     He purchased 200 tickets for each Sunday home game from for four years to give to underprivileged children in the city where he played at the time.
Hint:     His father-in-law was, for a time, former MLB manager Jerry Manuel.
A.         RONDELL WHITE  [B-R page]
-  Cycle/6 H day = 11-Jun-1995
-  Donations made 1997-2000 to children in Montreal.
-  Married for 18 months to Manuel’s eldest, Angela.
FCR -  Ken Kirk Corning, New York
Incorrect guesses:  Curtis Granderson, Dave Winfield, Jose Valentin, Rickey Henderson



WEEKLY THEME – Batters who were second in home runs on their team in a year when the team leader hit 60.  Thanks to Mike Caragliano for this idea.

Year       Team__ Player            HR        Leader        HR
1927...... NYY...... Gehrig........... 54.......... Ruth......... 60
1961...... NYY...... Mantle........... 54.......... Maris........ 61
1998...... STL....... Lankford........ 31.......... McGwire... 70
1998...... CHC...... Rodriguez..... 31.......... Sosa......... 66
1999...... CHC...... Rodriguez..... 26.......... Sosa......... 63
1999...... STL....... Tatis.............. 34.......... McGwire... 65
2001...... SFG....... Aurilia........... 31.......... Bonds....... 73
2001...... CHC...... Stairs............ 17.......... Sosa......... 64
2001...... CHC...... White............ 17.......... Sosa......... 64


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Dan Massey, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (after Aurilia)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday -  Iron men at each position
               -  Yankee HR leaders at each position
               -  P layers who had multiple salamis within a single week

Wed        -  Players who had multiple salamis within a single week
               -  Best HR combinations by teammates
               -  The lesser half of most single season teammate HR combos, like A-Rod (& Griffey) and Palmeiro (& A-Rod) and Lankford (& McGwire).  Maybe Utley (& Howard).

Thurs      -  One-Time All-Stars

Friday     -  They are all 1/2 of the teammates with the most home runs in one season.
               -  They are all the lower 1/2 of a pair of teammates that when combined the teammate who hit more home runs, hit the most home runs by any pair of teammates.












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