MONDAY —16-Jan
Q. Who is
the only third baseman to win the American League Most Valuable Player award unanimously?
Hint: #1
He is the last American League player to homer twice in an All-Star
game.
Hint: #2
He once stole home with Yogi Berra behind the plate.
- Ans. AL
MVP 1953
- #1 ASG
HR X 2 = 1954
- #2 SB
was part of a triple steal on 15-Jul-1952 when pitcher Bob
Kuzava was caught off guard.
FCR - Howie
Burgess, Wallington, New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Brooks Robinson, George Brett, Mike Trout, Eddie Matthews, Nolan
Arenado, Zoilo Versalles
IN MEMORIAM —17-Jan
Q. Whose franchise
single-season home run record stood for more than a decade?
Hint: #1 He once hit
a pair of home runs in each of three consecutive regular-season games.
Hint: #2 He made it
to Cooperstown nearly half a century after his final day in the majors.
Hint: #3 His was the
final element of a record-setting quartet.
Hint: #4 He was the
second major leaguer to get hit by pitches twice in the same inning.
Hint: #5 His home
run total one season, came within six of matching the team’s win total that
same year.
A. FRANK THOMAS [SABR Bio] [NYT Obit]
- Ans. Thomas hit 34 HRs in 1962,
NYM’s inaugural season. The record
lasted until Dave Kingman hit 36 in 1975.
- #1 Thomas homered 2X on 01-Aug-, 2X on 02-Aug- & 2X again on 03-Aug-1962 at the Polo Grounds,
where the LF foul line was just 279' from home plate. A 15' upper-deck overhang shortened the actual
distance even more. Right-handed pull
hitters were known to take aim at this inviting target & all 6 of his that
week were hit to left field.
- #2 He, the ‘first’ Frank Thomas (played 1952-66), was invited to the
HOF to be present when the second Frank Thomas, (2X AL MVP, “The Big
Hurt”), was enshrined in July 2014.
- #3 In the 7th inning 08-Jun-1961, playing for MLN, Thomas followed teammates
Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock by launching the 4th
HR in a row against CIN pitching. HOF Joe Torre then grounded out. [CIN won the G & that year’s NL pennant.]
- #4 On 29-Apr-1962(1), in the 4th inning, Thomas took 2
for the team. CIN’s P Willard Schmidt
suffered the same fate 3 year & 3 days earlier.
- #5 The
1962 expansion NYM had the worst MLB record of
the 20th century at 40-120.
Their starting LF, Thomas, led the team with 34 HR.
FCR - Steven Wright,
Naperville, Illinois
Incorrect guesses:
Nate Colbert, Minnie Minoso
TUESDAY —17-Jan
Q. Which Yankee rookie
set a record with three home runs in a World Series?
Hint: #1 He twice
had the anomalous stat of hitting at least ten home runs in a season where his
hit total for that year was fewer than fifty.
Hint: #2 His
nickname, meant as a compliment, was not his favorite.
A. CHARLIE KELLER [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Had 3 WS HR in NYY’s sweep of CIN in 1939. Went deep twice in G 3 and 1 X in G 4. This WS rookie record has now been tied by
STL’s Allen Craig in 2011 and Randy Arozarena of
the 2020 TBR.
- #1 In 1945,10 of Keller’s 49 H were HR. In 1947, he reached based by a hit 36 times,
but 13 of those times he didn’t stop at 1st, 2nd or 3rd! Oscar Gamble and Andruw Jones are the only
other NYY to have two such seasons.
- #2 “King Kong” was given to Keller when he was a
batting star at the University of Maryland.
3 “King Kong” movies had already
come out, the title character being a force to be feared. Writer Milton Gross reminded readers why
Keller had received the sobriquet, writing, “… (Keller) looked massive. His black, beetle-browed eyes, his muscled
blacksmith arms, his thick neck and hogshead of a chest were of wrestler’s
proportions.” Still…
FCR - Bob Trostler,
Norwich, Connecticut
Incorrect guesses: Johnny
Blanchard, Tom Tresh, Steve Balboni, Shane Spencer
TUESDAY TWICE —
17-Jan
Q. Who is the most
recent contestant to repeat as the Home Run Derby champion?
Hint: #1 As a
rookie, he broke a record that most fans thought was safe for some time to come.
Hint: #2 His most
recent statistical highlight was leading the majors in runs batted in for a
season.
- Ans. HRD winner in 2019 & 2021 (Contest not
held in 2020.)
- #1 In 2017, Aaron Judge broke Mark McGwire’s
30-year old record for HR by a rookie when he hit 52. 2 years later, NYM Alonso became the new
rookie to beat when he banged out 53.
- #2 Alonso led his NYM to the postseason with 131
RBI in 2022.
FCR - David Krassin,
L.A.
Incorrect guesses: Yoenis
Cespedes
WEDNESDAY — 18-Jan
Q. Who
is the most recent National League hurler to throw no-hitters in successive
seasons?
Hint: #1
Once a pre-hirsute Coyote, he came up with the Birds.
Hint: #2 Winning his Cy Young Award was a natural
result of leading the majors in wins, complete games and shutout that season.
A. JAKE ARRIETA [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. Pitching for CHC, threw
no-no’s on 30-Aug-2015 vs. LAD & on 21-Apr-2016 vs. CIN.
-
#1 Pitched for the Coyotes of Weatherford
College (TX) and was a serviceable starter for BAL, 2010-2013. As a starter w/CHC, PHI & SDP, we picture him fully
bearded.
-
#2 In addition to his no-hitter
in 2015, he had 22 W, 4 CG & 3
SHOs.
FCR - Elliott
Frankfother, Rock Falls, Illinois
Incorrect guesses: Tim Lincecum, Homer Bailey, Max Scherzer
WEDNESDAY AGAINSDAY — 18-Jan
Q. Who
is the only reliever to strike out more than one hundred batters for four
straight seasons appearing in fewer than one hundred innings each year?
Hint: #1
He is the proud owner of an Immaculate Inning.
Hint: #2
He was, most agree, the baddest of Boys.
A. ROB DIBBLE [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Seasons 1989-1992 saw Dibble
throw 99, 98, 82⅓ & 70⅓ innings resulting in K totals of 141, 136, 124
& 110.
-
#1 Dibble threw 9 straight
strikes in the 8th inning of 04-Jun-1989, retiring Carmelo
Martinez, Mark Parent & Garry Templeton of SDP.
-
#2 The 1990 CIN bullpen had 3
relievers so effective at halting the progress of opposing teams with fastballs
& a menacing demeanor, that their collective nickname was “The Nasty Boys”. They were Norm
Charlton, Randy Myers & Dibble. Myers racked up
347 saves & 44 win over his 14-year MLB career. Charlton has 97 saves & 51 W on his
13-year resume. Dibble had 27 W,
89 SV but was only in The Bigs for 7 years. He has had issues holding down a variety of
broadcasting jobs in his post-pitching career.
FCR - Max
Weder, Vancouver
Incorrect guesses: Randy Myers
MIDWEEK BONUS — 18-Jan
Q. Which
one-time Detroit Tiger considered himself the greatest stolen base artist of
all time?
Hint: #1
He was the first player since 1906 to strike out ninety-eight times in a
season with no home runs.
Hint: #2
He once caused a Cy Young Award-winning teammate to miss a start by
accidentally hitting him with a golf club in the in the team’s clubhouse.
A. VINCE COLEMAN [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In his 1st 3
years in MLB, Coleman led the majors in SB w/more than 100 each year: For STL in 1985. 1986 & 1987 he swiped 110,
107 & 109 bags.
No one ever thought he’d slow down, least of all him. He led the NL for the next 3 years, but never
again produced black ink in that column.
He finished his career in 1997 w/DET, playing 6 G, 3 X on
base and 0 SB.
-
#1 1986, his sophomore campaign,
was the only season where he didn’t hit a HR (min 10 G played), but he did
manage 98 K in his 600 AB.
-
#2 On 26-Apr-1993, Coleman
accidentally struck Doc Gooden’s right shoulder blade with a golf club
practicing his swing in the Mets’ Shea Stadium clubhouse. Doc was not seriously hurt, but had his
scheduled start that evening pushed back one day.
FCR - Mark
DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Ron Leflore, Jake Wood, Ty Cobb, Omar Moreno
THURSDAY — 19-Jan
Q. Which
catcher hit baserunner Bobby Bonds on the head with his throw when Bonds stole
third base, knocking Bonds out of the game and entitling pinch-runner Gary
Nolan to walk home since the ball had ricocheted into the dugout?
Hint: #1
He was the two thousand two hundred and ninety-seventh run batted in…
the record.
Hint: #2
He and two Hall of Famers are the only players of the Wall of Honor in
Miller Park and of the All-Time Alabama Baseball Team.
A. CHARLIE MOORE [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Moore’s missile was in the 6th
inning on 07-Sep-1977 in Anaheim. Bonds was back on the field on 09-Sep.
-
#1 On 03-Oct-1976, Hank Aaron singled in
the last RBI of his career. The runner
who score that run was Charlie Moore and it was Aaron’s 2,297th–the
most in MLB history. [Aaron’s 1st
MLB RBI was Danny O’Connell on 23-Apr-1954.]
-
#2 Moore joins Don Sutton &
Hank Aaron as the only 3 members of both organizations. Where MIL plays is now called American
Family Field. The all-time team from the state of AL
was selected in 2014 by readers of AL.com.
FCR - Tom
Veal, Spanaway, Washington
Incorrect guesses: Earl Williams, Bob Uecker, Biff Pocoroba, Pat Corrales, Ted Simmons, Darrell Porter
FRIDAY —
20-Jan
Q. Who was
the first National League shortstop to win the World Series Most Valuable
Player Award?
Hint: #1
He briefly replaced Dennis Eckersley as Tony La Russa’s favorite Eck.
Hint: #2
He once played on a team where his teammates included future Hall of
Famers Frank Thomas and Roy Halladay as well as Marco Scutaro,
Matt Stairs, Scott Rolen, A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan.
A. DAVID ECKSTEIN [YouTube Bio]
-
Ans. Eckstein was at the top of
his game when he won the 2006 WS MVP and…
-
#1 … was extolled regularly
during that Fall Classic by his Hall of Fame manager.
-
#2 Eckstein played 98 G for TOR in 2008 after de facto GM La
Russa and the Cards cut him loose. (St.
Louis general manager Walt Jocketty had been fired 3 weeks
earlier.)
FCR - Jason
Winston, Riverside, California
Incorrect guesses: Jimmy Rollins, Ozzie Smith, Edgar Renteria
SATURDAY — 21-Jan
Q. Who
was the first player to amass four thousand major league at bats as a
designated hitter?
Hint: #1
In two of the six seasons where he led his team in doubles he also led
the majors in the same category.
Hint: #2
He once achieved a rare statistical combination, previously achieved by
only Lou Gehrig, Chuck Klein and Joe Medwick.
-
Ans. His 4,000th DH AB
came in 1983.
-
#1 In 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980,
1982 & 1983, McRae was the Royals top doubles man. With 54 in ’77 & 46
in ’82, he also paced MLB, leading the field by 10 in the former and tied
w/Robin Yount in the latter.
-
#2 Putting together a season
w/10+ 3b, 20+ HR & 50+ 2B in 1977, McRae hit 11 3B, 21 HR & 56
2B. Grady Sizemore joined this small
group in 2006.
FCR - Glenn
Guzzo, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Incorrect guesses: Edgar Martinez, Don Baylor, Harold Baines,
David Ortiz, Tino Martinez
SATURDAY SPECIAL — 21-Jan
Q. Who was
once traded for three future Hall of Famer players back to a team he had
previously played for?
Hint: #1
The record for his two-and-a half-year stint as a player/manager showed
that it was probably not the career he was cut out for.
Hint: #2
His hit total in his second World Series stood as the record for half a
century.
A. BUCK HERZOG [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. On 20-Jul-1916, Herzog was
traded by CIN w/Red Killefer to NYG for Christy Mathewson,
Bill McKechnie & Edd Roush.
Mgr McGraw of NYG traded the feisty Herzog away 3 X & brought him
back twice, both times experiencing immediate success. “I hate his guts, but I want him on my club,”
McGraw once said about him.
-
#1 From 1914 to Aug 1916, SS/Mgr Herzog
turned in a tepid record of 165-226 for CIN & never finished above 7th
place in the 8-team NL.
-
#2 In the 1912 WS, Herzog had 12 H, a
mark finally bested by Bobby Richardson in 1964. Ironically both records were set in losing
efforts. Richardson’s record 13 H were
equaled by Lou Brock/1968 and Marty Barrett/1986. Their 2 teams also failed to win a WS
despite these stellar performances.
FCR - Mike
Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses: Maury Wills, Pete Rose, Phil Cavarretta,
Rogers Hornsby
IN MEMORIAM II — 22-Jan
Q. Who
was the second American League third baseman with two hundred career home runs?
Hint: #1
In four separate seasons he had a higher WAR than his league’s Most
Valuable Player.
Hint: #2 He has been
the only captain of the team he debuted with.
Hint: #3 He would
have won the league’s MVP one year were it not for a talented younger teammate.
Hint: #4 Over one five-year
span, his cumulative WAR was the highest in the majors.
Hint: #5 He once
earned some bonus cash from his team’s owner just by letting nature take its
course.
-
Ans. Among AL 3B, Bando’s
lifetime total of 242 HRs trails only Brooks Robinson’s 268.
-
#1 Bando’s WAR exceeded the AL
MVP’s WAR in:
1969 – His 8.3 topped Harmon Killebrew’s 6.1;
1970 – His 6.2 topped Boog Powell’s 5.1;
1974 – His 4.9 topped Jeff Burroughs’ 3.6; &
1976 – His 5.8 topped Thurman Munson’s 5.3.
-
#2 In 1969, manager Hank Bauer named the 25-year old Bando OAK’s only official
captain, although he debuted with the A’s franchise when they were in Kansas City.
- #3 Bando trailed only teammate Vida Blue in the 1971 AL MVP Voting.
- #4 From 1969 through 1973, Bando’s 33.6 WAR was
better than even those Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Reggie Jackson & Pete
Rose, among others, many others.
-
#5 Lured by normally tight-fisted
OAK owner Charles O. Finley’s promise to pay $300
to any of his players who grew a mustache, Bando and all 24 of
his teammates took advantage of the offer and grew one in celebration of “Mustache Day”, 18-June-1972.
FCR - Philip
Guiliano, Chester New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Brooks Robinson
WEEKEND BONUS — 22-Jan
Q. Which
former Bobcat, in the twelfth game of his major league career, was robbed of a grand
slam when the ball he’d hit bounced back onto the field?
Hint: #1
His Hall of Fame manager’s early summation was this, "He will be
great, super, even wonderful. Now if he
can only learn to catch a fly ball."
Hint: #2
He wore uniform #4 for a New York City major league franchise.
A. RON SWOBODA [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Attended NYU, whose mascot
is a Bobcat. Near-GS was on 30-Apr-1965 in Crosley Field,
Cincinnati, hit off of a plywood extension put in place to protect a road crew
working outside.
-
#1 That was NYM mgr. Casey
Stengel’s scouting report on Swoboda.
-
#2 Uni #4 retired for New York
City teams include Lou Gehrig for NYY, Duke Snider for BRO and Mel Ott for NYG. The number 4 has not been retired for the
Mets, with Swoboda being one of 27 players to wear it with NYM, including Duke
Snider, who wore it with the 1963 Mets in his penultimate MLB season.
FCR - Joseph
Cohen, Holden Massachusetts
Incorrect guesses: Rusty Staub, Mel Ott, Babe Herman
SUNDAY — 22-Jan
Q. Which
new San Diego Padre’s doubles totals for his first four full consecutive
seasons in the majors were neatly divisible by eleven, with no two seasons
alike?
Hint: #1
He led the National League in bases on balls one year, but it was in
neither of the years his walks were in triple digits.
Hint: #2
Played as a bird yet his nickname is a fish.
A. MATT CARPENTER [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. Carpenter’s 2B totals w/STL
were 2012: 22;
2013: 55;
2014: 33; &
2015: 44.
In 2021, his 11th and final
season with STL, he hit exactly 11 doubles. On December 20‑Dec‑2022, he signed as a
Free Agent with SDP.
-
#1 Paced the NL in BB w/95
in 2014, but led only STL in 2017 & 2018 with totals of 109
& 102.
-
#2 Played for STL. Nickname is “Carp”.
FCR - Sean
McCormick, New York City
Incorrect guesses: Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Mike Schmidt
WEEK’S
FINALE — 23-Jan
Q. Who was the first player to end a league
championship series game by stealing home?
Hint:
#1 He hit the first home run in Petco
Park.
Hint:
#2 He is the only player to compile a consecutive
game hitting streak of at least fifteen games in the World Series while
appearing for two teams.
A. MARQUIS
GRISSOM [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Grissom’s
SB = Bottom of the 12th, G 3, 1997 ALCS on 11-Oct-1997. This was properly scored
a steal, but may have actually been either a botched suicide squeeze bunt by
Omar Vizquel, a passed ball by BAL catcher Lenny Webster, or as contested by
irate Oriole manager Davey Johnson, merely a foul tip. Watch this clip and try to make the call.
- #1 Petco
HR in the 10th inning 08-Apr-2004.
- #2 WS
H streak = 1995-97, ATL, CLE
FCR - Matt Van Hoose
Incorrect
guesses: Mark Loretta
WEEK’S THEME – Alumni*
of colleges with reptile mascots
Player University Mascot WAR
Keller......................... Maryland....................... Terrapins.................... 43.8
Carpenter................... TCU............................... Horned
Frogs............. 39.2
Rosen.......................... Florida........................... Gators......................... 32.4
Grissom...................... Florida
A&M.................. Rattlers....................... 29.6
McRae........................ Florida
A&M.................. Rattlers....................... 27.9
Herzog........................ Maryland....................... Terrapins.................... 27.4
Arrieta........................ TCU............................... Horned
Frogs............. 22.8
Eckstein...................... Florida........................... Gators......................... 20.9
Alonso........................ Florida........................... Gators......................... 14.2
Coleman .................... Florida
A&M.................. Rattlers....................... 12.5
Moore......................... UA
Birmingham............. Dragons...................... 10.3
Dibble......................... Florida
Southern........... Moccasins.................... 9.3
Swoboda .................... Maryland....................... Terrapins...................... 8.0
*A
person need not graduate to earn the title alumna or alumnus, but merely to have attended the institution of learning in
question.
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Sean McCormick, New York City (After
Coleman)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Tues - AL
hitters that led the league in OPS at least once
Wed - Rookies who received MVP votes
Sun - Players
whose nicknames are in movie titles
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