Q. Which
player, active in 2021, but with fewer than ten seasons in the majors, has won
a Rookie of the Year Award, a Most Valuable Player Award, an LCS MVP Award, has
played in sixty-six postseason games and owns a World Series ring?
Hint: #1
Oh, I forgot to mention the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and his
being an All-Star.
Hint: #2
His father played a couple of games for the Angels.
A. CODY BELLINGER [B-R Bio]
- Ans. ROY in 2017; MVP in 2019; 2018
NLCS MVP; WS w/LAD in 2020.
- #1 GG &
SS in 2019; AS in 2017
& 2019.
- #2 Father
Clay
Bellinger finished his career in Anaheim w/2 G after 3
seasons as a utility man with NYY.
FCR -
Matt Dicker, Chicago
Incorrect guesses: Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Bryce Harper, Freddie
Freeman, Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, Rafael Devers, Kris Bryant
TUESDAY —18-Jan
Q. After
Heinie Zimmerman in 1912, who was the next Chicago Cub to win a batting title?
Hint: #1
He hit for the cycle in his first professional game.
Hint: #2
He was the first manager to be fired during Spring Training.
-
Ans. Cavarretta led the majors in
1945 with a .355 batting average
-
#1 With the B-level Peoria Tractors at age 17 in 1934, Cavarretta played RF &
hit for the cycle in his 1st G with them.
-
#2 He got fired during spring
training in 1954 after frankly admitting that his Cubs were unlikely to finish
above 5th place. (They
finished in 7th place.)
FCR -
Tony Hughes, Woodbridge, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Bill Madlock, Billy Williams, Bill Buckner,
Rogers Hornsby, Stan Hack, Kiki Cuyler
WEDNESDAY —19-Jan
Q. Which
one-time San Francisco Giant often wore nothing on his back during games?
Hint: #1
In the twentieth century, he was the oldest player to win his first
batting title.
Hint: #2
Twice he was on teams where he and eight other teammates had one hundred
hits in the same season.
-
Ans. Oliver had uniforms with “0”
when he played for FG, LAD, TOR, PHI, MON & TEX. He played for SFG in 1984.
-
#1 1st & only BA
title was in 1982 when he hit .331 for MON. That distinction has since been claimed by
other players who were older for their 1st.
-
#2 Teams w/9 100-H players = 1972 PIT & 1976 PIT
FCR -
Joe Merrill, Montpelier, Vermont
Incorrect guesses: Dick Groat, Barry Bonds, Bill Terry Lefty
O’Doul, Matty Alou, Ted Williams, Bill Mueller
MIDWEEK BONUS —19-Jan
Q. Who
was the first native of the Dominican Republic to win a batting title in the
majors?
Hint: #1
He was the only player to steal a base against the Cincinnati Reds in
the 1972 World Series.
Hint: #2
Almost exactly a decade earlier, Whitey held him at third.
A. MATTY ALOU [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1966 Alou hit .342
for PIT and led the majors.
-
#1 In the 8th inning
of G 2 of the 1972 WS, Alou stole 2nd off Tom Hall & Johnny Bench.
-
#2 He might have scored the tying
run from 1B in the 9th inning of G 7 on Willie Mays’s double of the
1962 WS. Third base coach Whitely
Lockman went by the conservative “book” and held Alou at 3rd. McCovey lined out and the G end 1-0 and the
WS ended NYY 4-SFG 3.
FCR -
Art Mugalian, Minneapolis
Incorrect guesses: Herb Washington, Felipe Alou, Marty Alou, Bert
Campaneris, Rico Carty, Jesus Alou, Frank Taveras, Tony Perez
THURSDAY —20-Jan
Q. Who
singled off Bob Feller in his first at-bat of the only All-Star game he ever
played in?
Hint: #1
He was called "Hippity" by the press, but tabbed
"Cotney" by friends and teammates.
Hint: #2
His hometown, his high school and his college all had the same name.
Hint: #3
Played with or for an amazing twenty-six Hall of Fame teammates, coaches
and managers during his time in the majors.
Hint: #4
His bother played in the NFL.
A. JOHNNY HOPP [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Started in CF in the 1946 ASG.
-
#1 Cotney because of his blond
"cotton-top" hair as a youth.
Hippity because, well…
-
#2 Born and raised in Hastings,
Nebraska; attended Hastings High School; attended Hastings College.
- #3 Played with and/or for Joe Medwick, Johnny
Mize, Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Billy Southworth, Red Schoendienst,
Billy Herman, Warren Spahn, Ralph Kiner, Honus Wagner, Yogi Berra,
Joe DiMaggio, Casey Stengel, Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle,
George Kell, Hal Newhouser, Rick Ferrell, Phil Rizzuto, Ted Lyons, Roy Campanella,
Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson & Duke Snider.
-
#4 Brother Harry Hopp, was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1941 and played in the NFL
until 1947.
FCR -
Tal Smith, Sugar Land, Texas
Incorrect guesses: Clint Courtney, Ben Chapman, Dave Concepcion
FRIDAY —21-Jan
Q. Which
BBTL infielder/outfielder was Curt Schilling's 3,000th career strikeout
victim?
Hint: #1
He was recruited to play football at Notre Dame.
Hint: #2
His father had also played in the majors.
A. NICK SWISHER [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Curt’s K = 30-Aug-2006.
Swisher whiffed thrice that day.
-
#1 A 3-sport athlete in high
school, Swisher chose to play baseball at Ohio State.
-
#2 Father Steve caught for 3 NL teams over 9 seasons.
FCR -
Jim Lubell, Hillsboro, Oregon
Incorrect guesses: Darrel May, John Mayberry, Jr.,
T.G.I.F. SPECIAL —21-Jan
Q. Which
player came out of Angels Camp, but never played for the Angels in the majors?
Hint: #1
On Opening Day one year, he set a new major-league record for first
basemen, committing three errors in the same inning.
Hint: #2
He actually got MVP votes playing for a last-place team.
Hint: #3
It’s interesting that his remarkable nickname is not batrachian but piscatorial.
A. GEORGE METKOVICH [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Metkovich was born in
the town of Angels Camp, California, but played his last MLB G in 1954,
7 years before LAA became a major league franchise.
- #1 Playing for BOS on 17-Apr-1945 in Yankee Stadium, Metkovich made 3 errors
in the 7th inning, 2 on 1 play!
- #2 In 1952, with his 1.3 WAR, landed 2 votes in
the NL MVP race, finishing tied for 38th, next
to last. Teammates Murray Dickson and
Ralph Kiner also received votes that year.
- #3 Metkovich’s home town, in Calaveras County, is home to the famous annual frog jumping contest, where Mark Twain’s literary career was launched. The
nickname we know him by is from his Boston teammates. After Metkovich stepped on a catfish trying
to pull the hook out of its mouth, a barbed fin went through the crepe sole of
his shoe and incapacitated him during 1940 Spring training.
FCR -
Bill Henry, East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Incorrect guesses: Bob Brenly
SATURDAY —22-Jan
Q. Under
whose managerial guidance did an American League Most Valuable Player winner
set a single-season record for runs driven in for his new team?
Hint: #1
He was invited to train with the U.S. Olympic speed skating team, having
won eight national championships as a youngster.
Hint: #2
He set a minor league (perhaps professional) record when he stole seven
bases in one game.
A. LEE MAZZILLI [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Mazzilli was manager of BAL in 2004 when Miguel Tejada had 150 RBI.
-
#1 Declined the invitation to
focus on baseball.
-
#2 Had 7 SB for Class A Visalia
on 08-Jun-1975, just 2 years after being drafted in the 1st round
by NYM. (On 26-May-1977, an
18-year-old Rickey Henderson stole 7 bases against the Fresno
Giants, setting a California League record that still stands.)
FCR -
Mark DeLodovico, Rockville
Incorrect guesses: Eddy Alvarez, Cap Anson
SUNDAY —23-Jan
Q. Which
player was caught stealing exactly once in each of ten consecutive seasons?
Hint: #1
He was the first to hit for the cycle and the first to homer
three times in a game for his young franchise.
Hint: #2
His All-Star game single sent Pete Rose crashing into Ray Fosse in 1970.
A. JIM HICKMAN [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. 1 CS in 1964-73
-
#1 1st cycle for NYM =
07-Aug-1963; 1st
3-HR G = 03-Sep-1965.
-
#2 1970 ASG 14-Jul-70 Riverfront Stadium. It was Hickman’s only All-Star appearance in
his 13-year MLB career.
FCR -
Mark Kanter Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Incorrect guesses: Nate Colbert, Cesar Cedeno, Amos Otis
WEEK’S FINALE —23-Jan
Q. Which
third baseman once completed a double play by throwing out a batter who had
just struck out?
Hint: #1
He was one-for-one in All-Star competition, his hit coming off a two-time
MVP and future Hall of Famer.
Hint: #2
The teams he played in included those in Montreal, Oakland and Milwaukee.
-
Ans. Haas was playing third base
and there were runners on first and third.
The batter K’d, but the ball eluded the C. The runner on 3rd was out trying
to score. The alert Haas threw the ball
to 1st to get the batter out, since he had not advanced after the 3rd
strike. Baseball-reference notes that it's rare for a batter who has struck out
to be thrown out at 1st, by the 3rd baseman, completing a
double play.
-
#1 Pinch-hitting for Ewell Blackwell
in the 1947 ASG, Haas singled off Hal Newhouser.
-
#2 Haas played for the 1940 Montreal
Royals, the 1951 Oakland Oaks
& the 1938 Milwaukee Brewers.
FCR -
¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Incorrect guesses: Sal bando
WEEKLY THEME – Players
with fifty games in center field and first base in the same season.
Player Year Team G@1st G@CF WAR
Bellinger......... 2018........... LAD............... 78.............. 110................ 16.7
Cavarretta...... 1942........... CHC............... 61................ 67............... 37.0
Haas............... 1947............ CIN................ 53................ 61................ 5.4
Hickman......... 1970........... CHC............... 74................ 53................ 13.0
Hopp.............. 1946........... BSN............... 68................ 58................ 26.4
Mazzilli........... 1980........... NYM............... 92................ 66................ 15.6
Metkovich....... 1944........... BOS............... 50................ 83.................. 6.0
Joe Pepitone...1966........... NYY............... 119................ 55.................. 9.8
Oliver.............. 1973............ PIT................ 50.............. 109 ................ 43.6
Swisher.......... 2008.......... CHW............... 71................ 79 ................ 21.4
Note: Pepitone not included in week's questions.
FCR
identifying theme – Philip Trostler, Norwich, Connecticut (after Cavarretta)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Monday - Most
total bases by a rookie in a single postseason
Tuesday - Never made the top 5 (or some other number) in the MVP vote
except the year they won
Wed - Players who played first base and outfield
only on defense
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