MONDAY — 04-Jan
Q. Who is the
youngest National League player to hit fifty home runs in a season?
Hint: His given name
suggests royalty. His family name
suggests position. His nickname suggests
a more avuncular nature.
Hint: His father
is the only major leaguer to hit fifty home runs in a season with a son who
equaled that measure.
A. PRINCE FIELDER [B-R
Bio]
- 50 HR in 2007 at
age 23.
- Nickname: “Uncle Phil”.
Nickname of “Uncle Phil” bestowed on Fielder due to his resemblance to
the character of the same name who appeared in the
television series “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”
- Father Cecil Fielder hit 51 HR for DET in 1990.
FCR - Tara Krieger,
New York City
Incorrect guesses: Duke
Snider, Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Keller, Barry Bonds
TUESDAY — 05-Jan
Q. Who is the
only player to triple twice off a Hall of Fame pitcher in the batter’s major
league debut game?
Hint: In spite of
playing a mere fifty-two games that year, he was the only rookie in his league
to receive any votes for that honor that year.
Hint: He was the first
player to twice homer in an inning twice in his career?
Hint: He became
the most prolific left-handed home run hitter in the history of the National
League.
A. WILLIE McCOVEY [SABR Bio]
- 2 triples off Robin Roberts in McCovey’s 1st
G in the Bigs 30-Jul-1959 at Seals Stadium.
- Elected ROY unanimously
in 1959 in spite of a strong
rookie NL group that year, including Bob Gibson and Maury Wills. It is interesting to note that his new
teammate Orlando Cepeda, who had graciously volunteered to move to LF to make
room for McCovey, had also been elected ROY, also unanimously,
while playing the same position, just the season prior.
- HR X 2/inning = 12-Apr-1973, 4th inning;
27-Jun-1977, 6th inning. Only McCovey, Alex Rodriguez, Jeff King,
Andre Dawson and Edwin Encarnacion have accomplished this feat.
- On 09-Jun-1979, McCovey hit his 512th
career HR, passing fellow Giant’s lefty Mel Ott. Barry Bonds, on 30-May-2001, both tied and passed
McCovey on the career NL lefty HR list.
FCR - Jim Goggin,
Williamsburg, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Barry Bonds, Ryan Howard, Mel Ott, Ken
Griffey, Jr., Stan Musial, Eddie Mathews
Q. Which three-time Most Valuable Player never once led the league in any standard offensive category at any time in his nineteen-year MLB career?
Hint: He
was ordered to wear glasses to correct his vision after being hit in the nose.
Hint: His
thirteen-game hitting streak was stopped on his birthday by a pitcher’s near-no-hitter.
Hint: His
son played for the NFL’s Baltimore Colts.
A. YOGI BERRA [SABR Bio]
- MVP in 1951, 1954 & 1955, all fairly well
contested.
- Glasses came in
1957.
- Streak stopped 12-May-1956, Yogi’s 31st
birthday, by rookie Oriole and fellow Italian Don Ferrarese. Undeterred, Berra compiled his career-high
19-game hitting streak later that season (29-Aug through 23-Sept).
- Son Tim Berra played one season
for the Colts. He was nominally a
wide receiver, but just returned punts during his only NFL season.
FCR - Barry Nelson,
Guilderland, New York
Incorrect guesses: Ken
Griffey, Jr., Roy Campanella,
Q. Which player
started walking an imaginary avian companion while playing for an avian-named
team whenever circling the bases (something he does quite frequently)?
Hint: Assuming
good health, he’ll likely climb into the Top 50 career home run hitters in 2021
for his new/old team next season.
Hint: Six times he
has exceeded 100 RBI in a season, once leading the league.
A. EDWIN (Edwing?) ENCARNACION [B-R
Bio]
- After homering, he holds his right arm up as
if to provide a perch for a companion parrot.
It’s tradition going back to a grand slam he hit in 2012 for the Blue Jays. Elated, he circled the bases as though banking an airplane. His TOR teammates encouraged him to do it every time he
homered. He has done it for all 301 HR
hit subsequently (although no official records have been kept).
- His 424 HR have him in 52nd place
on the career list. Assuming
good health (and a job), he could Mike Piazza and into 50th.
- Led the AL w/127 RBI in 2016.
FCR - Jeff Orner, York, Pennsylvania
Incorrect guesses: Nelson Cruz
WEDNESDAY — 06-Jan
Q. Who is the only player to hit a home run
every year from 1963 to 1985?
Hint: He had a minimum one hundred hits wearing each
of six different major league uniforms.
Hint: Popular wisdom say that he popularized wearing
both batting gloves when at bat.
A. RUSTY STAUB [SABR Bio]
- That span was every year of his career. The most in a season was 30 (1970 w/MON); the
least was 1 (1984 & 85 w/NYM)
- Hit totals: 178
Colt 45’s,
614 Astros,
531 Expos,
582 Tigers,
102 Rangers and
709
Mets
2,716 career total
- Although the history of the origin of the use
of batting gloves in baseball is a bit murky, uniform researcher Paul
Lukas tell us that Staub was the first to use two at the same time
in every game.
FCR - Eric Savage, Short Hills, New Jersey
Incorrect
guesses: Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Pete
Rose, Carl Yastrzemski
THURSDAY — 07-Jan
Q. Who famously got his tower buzzed in the
All-Star game by a certain Hall of Fame pitcher.
Hint: He player opened a bar called Third Base
because it is, "… the last stop before you go home."?
Hint: He learned to hit to the opposite field in
his backyard so the baseball wouldn't go into his mother's vegetable garden.
Hint: Only once in his ten-year MLB career did
his OPS+ rating fall below 110. A
hypothetical major league player in the same years has an OPS+ of 100.
- In the 1993 ASG, Kruk stood in to face Randy
Johnson. Johnson lost control on the
first pitch and a fastball went flying 5’ over Kruk’s head. For the rest of the at-bat, Kruk stood so far
away from the plate that Johnson struck him out easily.
- Actually titled “3B”, he opened it in his home
state of West Virginia.
- Grew up in Keyser, West Virginia, a suburb of Cumberland,
Maryland. He practiced hitting every
chance he got but learned how to place his hits.
- His highest OPS+ was the 150 he put together
in 1992 to go along with his .323 batting average.
FCR - Phil Hertz, Kamuela, Hawaii
Incorrect
guesses: Brooks Robinson, Larry Walker, Ron
Santo, Jim Thome, Wayne Boggs, Ken Caminiti
IN MEMORIAM — 08-Jan
Q. Which pitcher was sent to the minors to
allow room for Sandy Koufax on the Dodgers' roster?
Hint: In his brief career as a major league
pitcher, he stuck out Mickey Mantle 50% of the times he faced him.
Hint: A former teammate of Jackie Robinson, he
was at the ceremony where Robinson's family received the posthumously-awarded Congressional
Gold Medal.
Hint: As a manager he had an unprecedented nine
of his rookies win the Rookie of the Year Award.
Hint: During his
tenure as manager, his team won five and a half NL West Division championships,
four National League pennants and two World Series.
Hint: He is famous throughout baseball for his
loyalty.
Hint: He has the fourth most managerial wins
among manager who only managed one major league team.
Hint: He became the first manager to win a World
Series and manage an Olympic gold medal winner during his career.
Hint: The mantle of a distinction he held will
now be taken on by Willie Mays.
Hint: He phrequently phought the Phillie Phanatic
and phinally won.
Hint: Barry Bonds once gave him a catcher’s chest
protector.
Hint: During most of his managerial career, he
struggled with his weight.
A. TOMMY LASORDA [SABR Bio]
- His contract was sold by the Dodgers to the KCA
where Lasorda pitched in 18 of his career 26 G.
- Pitcher Lasorda never achieved a WAR above
0.00, but struck out Mickey Mantle in 2 of their 4 encounters. Mantle singled in the others.
- Robinson’s medal was presented by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2005. Lasorda was a member of the group
representing the Dodgers as well as his teammate in 1954-55.
- Lasorda managed LAD from 1976 to 1996. The following were first-year players that he gave ample opportunity to perform and perform they did, outdoing all their NL classmates:
1979 Rick
Sutcliffe...................... P
1980.... Steve
Howe.................... P
1981.... Fernando
Valenzuela..... P
1982.... Steve
Sax...................... 2B
1992.... Eric
Karros..................... 1B
1993.... Mike
Piazza.................... C
1994.... Raul
Mondesi................ RF
1995.... Hideo
Nomo................... P
1996.... Todd
Hollandsworth....... P
- Won NL West in 1977, 1983, 1985, 1988 &
1995. Won NL pennant in 1977. 1978, 1981
& 1988. Won WS in 1981 & 1988. Also won the first half of play in the 1981 split season.
- Lasorda is the longest-tenured Dodger employee
of all time (3 years longer than Vin Scully although Scully had the longest
continuous employment streak with them). He often said that he bled Dodger Blue.
- His 1,599 wins is only exceeded by the totals
of Walter Alston and Mike Scioscia. Only
Scioscia managed fewer seasons.
- LAD won WS titles in 1981 & 1988. Came out of retirement to lead a group of American players who were mostly
unknown minor leaguers at the time. They
dethroned the heavily-favored Cuba team at the 2000
Olympic Games in Sydney.
- Lasorda, aged 93, had been the oldest living
HOFer since the death of Red Schoendienst 06-Jun-2018. 89-year old Willie
Mays now assumes that title.
- After several years of all-in-fun battles with
the Phillies’ mascot, Lasorda eventually got his revenge. Explaining his
actions, Lasorda said, “What the Phanatic did wasn't entertainment. I love the Dodgers, and it wasn't right for
him to stomp on the doll with the uniform. There were a lot of kids there, and he's
showing them violence. He didn't need to
do that.”
- With Lasorda coaching third base in the 2001
All-Star Game, Vladimir Guerrero lost his grip on a swing and the flung bat sent
Lasorda sprawling.
Bonds offered Lasorda the protective gear as soon as the manager was on
his feet again. (Had it been a NBA game,
he might have been called for flopping.)
- He explained his expansive girth with, “When
we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When
we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot.
When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot.”
FCR - Leonard Levin, Providence
FRIDAY —
08-Jan
Q. Which St. Louis Cardinal All-Star infielder
had been the International League Most Valuable Player?
Hint: Despite having played on thirty postseason
victories, he has never played in a World Series game that his team won.
Hint: Though advanced, the letter is still
silent.
A. JHONNY PERALTA [B-R Bio]
- An NL AS at SS for STL in 2015, had also been an AS playing for DET in 2011 & 2013; IL MVP in 2004 playing for CLE’s AAA team, the Buffalo Bisons.
- Victorious postseason games record:
2007........ ALDS...... 3
2007........ ALCS...... 3
2011........ ALDS...... 3
2011........ ALCS...... 4
2012........ ALDS...... 3
2012........ ALCS...... 4
2012.......... WS........ 0
2013........ ALDS...... 3
2013........ ALCS...... 2
2014........ NLDS...... 3
2014........ NLCS...... 1
2015........ NLDS...... 1
Total 30
- Peralta & Jhonny Nunez have the silent ‘h’ in their first names ahead
of the ’o’ as sometimes seen in Latin-X culture. Jhonatan Solano appears to be OK with it too, however, Cueto
and Paredes might see it otherwise.
FCR - Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan
Incorrect guesses: Red Schoendienst, Terry Pendleton, Rocky
Nelson
SATURDAY — 09-Jan
Q. Who is the only catcher to compile 4,500
plate appearances in the American League during the Designated Hitter Era without
ever playing DH?
Hint: This future All-Star was a member of the
Barrington, Illinois Little League team that lost to Derek Bell’s Tampa, Florida
team in the 1981 Little League World Series semifinals.
Hint: At home games he came to the plate with the
strains of the refrain from “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa playing from the loud speakers.
A. DAN WILSON [B-R Bio]
- He had exactly 4,500 PA for SEA from 1994 to
2005. Only Alcides Escobar, among all AL
position players, has had more DH-less PA (5,702) during this Era.
- “Whatta
Man” walk-up
tune was played alluding to his nickname: “Dan the Man”.
FCR - Rick Pyle, Concord, California
Incorrect
guesses: A.J. Pierzynski, Carlton Fisk, Bob
Boone, Ivan Rodriguez, Joe Girardi
WEEKEND BONUS — 09-Jan
Q. Who is the only player to go 0-for-5
with five strikeouts on Opening Day?
Hint: Was given a police nickname by team television
announcers.
Hint: For much of his single-team career, he
platooned with a future Hall of Famer.
A. RON KARKOVICE [B-R Bio]
- 5 Ks = 31-Mar-1996 (Ouch!)
- Dubbed “Officer Ron Karkovice” by White Sox
broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson due to Karkovice’s great defensive prowess in
throwing out baserunners attempting to steal.
His career CS% of 41.2% bested all other AL backstops during those
seasons by 8% and ranks him among the top toughest-to-steal-against catcher’s
all-time.
- Though they were both right-handed, Karkovice
platooned with Carlton Fisk 1986-1993 to ease the physical demands of catching
in the majors.
FCR - Evan Thompson, Mesa
Incorrect
guesses: Fred McGriff, Gary Matthews, Mark
Reynolds, Byron Browne, Yogi Berra
SUNDAY — 10-Jan
Q. Which one-time Boston Red Sox lefty is
the only pitcher whose first hit in the majors was an inside-the-park home run?
Hint: It was the only home run of his seven-year
major league career.
Hint: He hit it off a pitcher who, only two
seasons prior, had won the Cy Young Award.
Hint: He was the inspiration for this week’s
theme.
A. BUTCH HENRY [B-R Bio]
- Hit his HR
off Doug Drabek in the 2nd inning of the G on 08-May-1992. Henry
pitched in 38 G for BOS in 1997-98.
- Since Henry’s feat, Marc Sagmoen, a TEX OF, hit the lone HR of his 21-G career in 1997. How you ask? IPHR !
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses: Bill Lee, Willard Nixon, Mickey
McDermott, Ken Brett, Mike Lee
WEEKLY THEME – A
handful of players deemed unlikely to hit an inside-the-park home run, and yet…
Player IPHR Yrs* HR* SB* 3B*
Berra....................... 29-May-1947............... 19..... 358....... 30....... 49
Encarnacion............. 31-Aug-2007............... 16..... 424....... 61....... 10
................................ 02-Apr-2018
Fielder...................... 17-Jun2007................ 12..... 319....... 18....... 10
................................ 19-Jun-2008
Henry**................... 08-May-1992................. 7......... 1......... 0......... 0
Karkovice................. 30-Aug-1990***.......... 12....... 96....... 24......... 6
Kruk........................ 24-Sep-1987................ 10..... 100....... 58....... 34
McCovey................. 15-Sep-1967................ 22..... 521....... 26....... 46
Peralta...................... 18-Jul-2010................ 15..... 202....... 17....... 24
Staub........................ 12-Jun-1966................ 23..... 292....... 47....... 47
Wilson..................... 10-Sep-1997................ 14....... 88....... 23....... 13
............................... 03-May-1998
*Career numbers at the
end of the 2020 season
**1st career
H; Only career HR
***Grand slam
N.B. Of interest—9 of Babe Ruth’s 714 HRs were of
the inside-the‑park variety. Ruth was
not the kind of slow runner we’ve celebrated this week.
First Correct
Respondent to Identify Theme – David Washburn, Marietta, Georgia
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Monday - Most
home runs all-time in the Home Run Derby
Tuesday - Sons of Major
Leaguers
- All-stars
whose fathers were all-stars
- Home
Run Derby winner who touched bats with former winner before winning his own
title
- The
slowest player in the history of the team franchise.
- Best
in their position (first base) for their respective teams (brewers/giants)
- All-Stars
who have connection to Willie Mays
Wed - Most
RBI's by decade
- Slowest
players running the bases after a home run
- Slowest
player in the history of his primary franchise, as measured by stolen base to
RBI ratio
- Players
with more than 1000 career RBI's but fewer than 100 career stolen bases.
- Homered
before age 20 and after age 4
Thursday - 300+ career homers and fewer than 100 career
stolen bases
Sat - Players
with fewer than 100 career stolen bases but career WAR greater than 100
- Something
to do with grand slams
- Fewest
career steals with at least one inside the park HR
Sunday - Players
with colorful nicknames who achieved one-of-a-kind, unique home run feats
- Players
with more ITP HRs than stolen bases for a season
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