2020-09-07 Fourth HR of 4 in-a-row-HRs in an Inning

MONDAY  —  07-Sep

Q.        Who is the only member of the 500 HR club to hit a grand slam as a teenager?

Hint:     He is the only American League batter to lead his league in home runs before and after his team moved to a new city.

Hint:     He once had five multiple-home run games in a single calendar month.

A.         HARMON KILLEBREW  [SABR Bio]

-  573 career HR.  1^st GS (at age 19) 21-Jun-1956 off Billy Hoeft

-  Led AL in HR for WSH in 1959 w/42.  Led AL in HR for MIN in 1962, 63, 64, 67 & 69.

-  2 HR Gs in May-01, -02, -09, -12 & -17-1959(2).  Hit solo HR on May-05, -20, -27, -29 & -30 as well.

FCR -  Tom Lee, Nashville

Incorrect guesses:  Eddie Mathews, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriquez, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx

 TUESDAY  —  08-Sep

Q.        Which third baseman hit walk-off home runs in consecutive months during his rookie season?

Hint:     He hit them in a stadium no longer used for major league baseball.

Hint:     He is only the third rookie ever to knock in 110 runs and not be elected Rookie of the Year since 1947.

A.         RYAN ZIMMERMAN  [B-R Bio]

-  Walk-off HRs: 18-Jun-2006 off NYY’s Chien-Ming Wang; then 04-Jul-2006 off FLA’s Joe Borowski.  (Apt fireworks ensued in the nation’s capital for the latter.)

- Both walk-offs were hit in RFK Stadium, a venue no longer used for baseball since the 2007 season.  Occasional college and high school baseball games have been played there since then.  Citing mounting maintenance costs, the District of Columbia has scheduled RFK to be demolished in 2021.

-  Zim 110 RBI in 2006, & finished 2^nd behind Hanley Ramirez for 2006 ROY whose 59 RBI didn’t impress as much as his 119 R did.  Al Rosen had 116 RBI in 1950 and did not get a single ROY vote.  Ray Jablonski had 112 in 1953 but finished 3^rd in the 1953 NL ROY voting.

FCR -  James Higgins, Bethesda

Incorrect guesses:  Ray Jablonski, Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Albert Pujols, Ken Caminiti, Al Rosen, David Wright, Bill Melton, Dick Allen, Mel Ott

 

WEDNESDAY  —  09-Sep

Q.        Who is the only player to participate in both the last game of the New York Giants and the first game of the New York Mets?

Hint:     He was the second player in the modern era to be hit by pitches twice in the same inning.

Hint:     He studied for the priesthood in Canada before deciding on baseball as a career.

Hint:     His namesake played football on a scholarship at one of the top D1 programs in one of the top programs in one of the country’s premier college football conferences.

A.         FRANK J. THOMAS  [SABR Bio]

-  Last NYG G = 29-Sep-1957; 1^st NYM G = 11-Apr-1962.

-  HBP 2X = 29-Apr-1962, 1 by Art Mahaffey, 1 by Frank Sullivan.  1^st double-plunk was to relief pitcher Willard Schmidt 26-Apr-1959.  Coincidentally,  Thomas was Schmidt’s teammate at that time and played in that game!

-  Studied for 4½ years to become a Catholic priest attending seminary at the Mt. Carmel Monastery in Niagara Falls, Ontario, now a spiritual retreat and conference centre.

-  Frank E. Thomas played tight end at Auburn University in the 1986 season before focusing on baseball.

FCR -  Philip Trostler, Norwich, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Wes Westrum, Hobie Landrith, Gil Hodges, Casey Stengel, Roger Craig, Ron Hunt

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  —  09-Sep

Q.        Who is the only person who has played in the Little League World Series, the College World Series, the Major League World Series, the Major League All-Star Game, the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic?

Hint:     He’s a huge admirer of another Diamond Hall of Famer.

Hint:     He’s the first catcher to catch four no-hitters.

A.         JASON VARITEK  [B-R Bio]

-  LLWS (1984), CWS (1994), MLB WS (2004/2007), ASG (2005/2008), U.S. Olympic team (1992) and WBC (2006).

-  Varitek’s third daughter Caroline was named after the song "Sweet Caroline" (recorded by Neil Diamond) that plays in the middle of the eighth inning during every game at Fenway Park. Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

-  Behind the plate for the no-no’s hurled by Hideo Nomo (04-April-2001), Derek Lowe (27-April-2002), Clay Buchholz (01-Sept-2007) and Jon Lester (19-May-2008).  Carlos Ruiz matched this record in 2015.

FCR -  Evan Thompson, Mesa

Incorrect guesses:  A.J. Pierzynski, Jeff Torborg, Carlos Ruiz, B. J. Surhoff, Gary Sheffield, Bob Boone

 

THURSDAY  —  10-Sep

Q.        Who is the only Owl to win the Dick Howser Award as the national college baseball player of the year?

Hint:     He once led his league in doubles in consecutive seasons with the exact same total each year.

Hint:     He is the only player in MLB history to go six-for-six with three home runs and ten runs-batted-in in a nine-inning game.

Hint:     After helping his team win a World Series championship he signed a free-agent contract worth more than $200,000,000.

A.         ANTHONY RENDON  [B-R Bio]

-  Won Howser award in 2010 playing for Rice University in Houston.

-  Led the NL in 2B w/44 in 2018 & 2019.

-  10-RBI G =  30-Apr-2017.  It was the 1^st multi-HR G of his career.

-  Was a key part of the WSN team who won the 2019 WS.  In the off-season, he signed with LAA for $245,000,000 over 7 seasons.

FCR -  Spencer Weisberg, Renton, Washington

Incorrect guesses:  Lance Berkman

 

FRIDAY  —  11-Sep

Q.        Who hit the first World Series home run for the Giants since Barry Bonds?

Hint:     He played for seven major league teams over sixteen seasons and racked up more than 300 doubles in that time.

Hint:     He’s one of the few who has won a World Series with an American League team and a National League team.  He hit postseason home runs for both teams.

A.         JUAN URIBE  [B-R Bio]

-  HR in the 1^st G of the 2010 WS between TEX & SFG.  Bonds had hit the last Giants HR in the 2002 WS.

-  Ended with 323 2B, more than the totals of Yogi Berra, Dave Bancroft, Jesse Burkett, Richie Ashburn and 29 other Hall of Famers.

-  Was with CHW in 2005 and SFG in 2010.  HRs in G 1 of the 2005 ALDS, G 6 of the 2010 NLDS and G 1 of the 2010 WS.

FCR -  Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

Incorrect guesses:  Edgar Renteria, Pablo Sandoval, Aaron Rowand, Aubrey Huff

 

T.G.I.F BONUS  —  11-Sep

Q.        Who is the only major league shortstop in the twenty-first century with major league brothers who played pitcher and outfield?

Hint:     In his third full season, he tied with Albert Pujols for fourth in doubles in the National League.

Hint:     The day he hit for the cycle, the feat was matched by a player in another game, only the second time ever in MLB history that has occurred.

A.         STEPHEN DREW  [B-R Bio]

-  Brother J.D. Drew played in MLB from 1998-2011.  Brother Tim Drew pitched in the majors from 2000-2004.

-  Hit 44 2B in 2008.   Also tied w/Aramis Ramirez behind Lance Berkman and Nate McLouth w/46 each and Corey Hart w/45.

-  Cycle 01-Sep-2008 for ARI.  Matched by Adrian Beltre of SEA.  1^st occurrence was by Bobby Veach and George Burns on 17-Sep-1920.

FCR -  David Krassin, Los Angeles

Incorrect guesses: 

 

SATURDAY  —  12-Sep

Q.        Who does SBNation, a Dodgers Community publication, call, with a couple scoops of hyperbole, the “Best Player in Dodger History”?

Hint:     He hit a pinch home run in his first big league at bat.

Hint:     He gave Brooklyn a hitting coach right when they needed it.

A.         MARLON ANDERSON  [B-R Bio]

-  Marlon’s magical 2006 Sept remains one of the great periods in Dodger history.  “Greatest” explanation.

-  PH HR =      08-Sep-1998

-  Anderson was the hitting coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2018.

FCR -  Bob Heckman, Alexandria, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Pete Reiser, Babe Ruth, Eddie Morgan, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Zach Wheat, Pee Wee Reese, Dan Bankhead Ba be Herman, Billy Herman, Dick Green,

 

SUNDAY  —  13-Sep

Q.        Who committed the error on the play when Reggie Jackson was credited with his first career stolen base?

Hint:     He (not Jackson) collided with his much larger teammate Leon Wagner in a play at Yankee Stadium and suffered a fractured skull, broken nose and shattered cheekbones

Hint:     He was out for six weeks.  Wagner missed only the game the following day.

 

Hint:     He was given an award that would be considered politically insensitive today.

A.         LARRY BROWN  [SABR Bio]

-  On 10-Jun-1967, in the 3^rd inning, CLE pitcher Sonny Siebert walked Jackson.  Jackson stole second but Brown mishandled catcher Duke Sims’ throw thus allowing Jackson to advance to 3rd.  Reggie then scored on Rick Monday’s single..

-  Collision took place in the 4^th inning on 04-May-1966.

-  In the spring of 1966, he won the Golden Tomahawk award.  It was given annually by the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America to the most underrated player on the team.  It was discontinued after 2002.

FCR -  Steven Wright, Naperville, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Vic Davalillo, Albie Pearson, Pedro Gonzalez

 

WEEK’S FINALE  —  13-Sep

Q.        What left fielder has a .927 OPS for the team that currently has the best record in the American League?

Hint:     He has teammates who lead the majors in RBI and batting average.

Hint:     A recent feat of his prompted the theme for this week’s quiz.

A.         ELOY JIMENEZ  [B-R Bio]

-  CHW’s 30-16 record has them ½ game ahead of Tampa Bay for the league’s best record.

-  First baseman Jose Abreu’s 48 RBI is the best in the majors at the end of play on Sunday.  Team SS and last year’s AL batting champ Tim Anderson is currently hitting .362.

-  (You’ll see if you haven’t already figured out the theme.)

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Batters who homered immediately after three teammates had homered.  Back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers have happened ten times in major league play, here listed chronologically.

Click the date to see the boxscore and play-by-play if available:

 

08-Jun-1961 - MLN on the road vs. CIN, top of the 7^th

1. Eddie Mathews (off of Jim Maloney)
2. Hank Aaron (Maloney)
3. Joe Adcock (Marshall Bridges)
4. Thomas (Bridges)

 

31-Jul-1963(2) - CLE home against the LAA in the bottom of the 6^th

1. Woodie Held (off of Paul Foytack)
2. Pedro Ramos (Indians pitcher) (Foytack)
3. Tito Francona (Foytack)
4. Brown* (Foytack)

Note: Foytack was relieved after Brown’s HR.

 

02-May-1964 - MIN on the road against the KCA in the top of the 11^th

1. Tony Oliva (off of Dan Pfister)
2. Bob Allison (Pfister)
3. Jimmie Hall (Pfister)
4. Killebrew (Vern Handrahan)

 

18-Sep-2006 - Dodgers at home against the Padres in the bottom of the 9^th:

1. Jeff Kent (off of Jon Adkins)
2. J.D. Drew (Adkins)
3. Russell Martin (Trevor Hoffman)
4. Anderson (Hoffman)

 

22-Apr-2007 - Red Sox at home against the Yankees in the bottom of the 3^rd:

1. Manny Ramirez (off of Chase Wright)
2. J.D. Drew (Wright)
3. Mike Lowell (Wright)
4. Varitek (Wright)
5. Note: It was Drew's second time, and Red Sox manager Terry Francona is the son of Tito Francona who was part of the Indian's quartet in 1963.

 

14-Aug-2008 - White Sox at home against the Royals in the bottom of the 6^th :

1. Jim Thome (off of Joel Peralta)
2. Paul Konerko (Peralta)
3. Alexei Ramirez (Peralta)
4. Uribe (Robinson Tejeda)

 

11-Aug-2010 - Diamondbacks on the road against the Brewers in the top of the 4^th:

1. Adam LaRoche (off of Dave Bush)
2. Miguel Montero (Bush)
3. Mark Reynolds (Bush)
4. Drew (Bush) DREW

Note: Stephen Drew is the brother of J.D. Drew, who has twice been part of 4 HR in a row.  They are the only brothers in such a string of homers.

 

27-Jul-2017 - Nationals at home against the Brewers in the bottom of the 3^rd:

1. Brian Goodwin (off of Michael Blazek)
2. Wilmer Difo (Blazek)
3. Bryce Harper (Blazek)
4. Zimmerman (Blazek)

Note: Then, after 1 out, Anthony Rendon also homered off Blazek for 5 blasts in 6 batters.  Coming into the G, Blazek, starting for the only time in his career, had an perfect ERA of 0.00!  When he was lifted after the Rendon HR, he didn’t pitch in the majors again that year and closed out the season with an ERA of 8.31 & a record of 0-1.

 

09-Jun2019 - Nationals on the road against the Padres in the top of the eighth:

1. Howie Kendrick (off of Craig Stammen)
2. Trea Turner (Stammen)
3. Adam Eaton (Stammen)
4. Rendon (Stammen)

 

16-Aug-2020 - White Sox at home against the Cardinals in the bottom of the fifth:

1. Yoan Moncada (off of Roel Ramirez)
2. Yasmani Grandal (Ramirez)
3. Jose Abreu (Ramirez)

4.     Jimenez (Ramirez)

 

*First career HR.

 

Theme:  The fourth home run hitter of a back-to-back-to-back-to-back sequence.

 

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Sarah Grynpas, Toronto (after Varitek)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses: 

 

Tuesday -  Washington Based Players with 100+ RBI Seasons

               -  Washington third basemen

               -  Members of the 500 HR club

 

Wed        -  Players who have participated in hitting four consecutive home runs for their particular team in one inning

               -  One of each of the players who hit 4 homers in a row

 

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