MONDAY —30-Jan
Q. Who
was the last player to drive in triple-digit runs the same season he had
single-digit home runs?
Hint: #1
He was the first player reach the three-thousand-hit level with a
triple.
Hint: #2
He was the runner on first base when Joe Carter hit his
World-Series-winning home run.
- Ans. In
1996, Molitor’s 1st season with his hometown Twins, he had 113 RBI,
but only 9 HR, the 200th player to do that since those
records have been kept.
- #1
Molitor hit #3,000 on 16-Sep-1996 in Kansas City,
currently 11th all-time, the 21st player to reach that
total. He finished his career with 3,319
H. Ichiro Suzuki’s 3,000th H was also a 3B.
#2 In
the 9th inning of the 6th G of the 1993 WS, Rickey Henderson was
on 2nd & Molitor on 1st when Carter hit his famous blast.
FCR - Eric
Savage, Short Hills, New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Roberto Alomar, Rickey Henderson, Tommy Herr,
Dave Winfield
TUESDAY —31-Jan
Q. After Tommy
Holmes, who was the next left-handed hitting batter to compile a hitting streak
of at least thirty-five straight games?
Hint: #1 He led the
majors in being hit by pitches for three straight seasons during the most
productive years of his career.
Hint: #2 He broke
into the majors as a Double Unique, maintaining that status until a young Texan
came up to the Yankees for a cup of coffee.
A. CHASE UTLEY [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Utley’s 35-G streak ran 23-Jun- through 03-Aug-2006. He hit .405 in the 35 G with 25 extra-base
hits, 30 RBI &35 runs scored. Holmes’s
streak was 37 G in 1945 for BSN.
- #1 Utley was HBP 25, 27
& 24 X in 2007, 2008 & 2009.
- #2 There had been neither a Chase (first name)
nor an Utley in MLB until Chase Wright
debuted in April 2007. He remains the
only Utley. [Double Uniques list]
FCR - Brad Clark, Madison,
Wisconsin
Incorrect guesses: Minnie
Minoso, Heinie Manush, Ron Hunt, Jeff Kent, Vada Pinson
WEDNESDAY — 01-Feb
Q. Who was the older
of the M & M boys who led their franchise to its first postseason
appearance?
Hint: #1 In high
school, he led his team to the state title, winning tournament MVP and being
named State High School Player of the Year.
After his time in the majors, he was also inducted into the National
High School Hall of Fame.
Hint: #2 Two recent
rankings put him as the second-best leftfielder the New York Mets have ever
had.
A. KEVIN McREYNOLDS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Together with fellow outfielder Carmelo
Martinez, McReynolds led the Padres to the franchise’s
first postseason experience and World Series in 1984 where they proved no
match for the Detroit Tigers. (The
media tagged them with that overreaching nickname.)
- #1 He is among the best major leaguer hitters
born in Arkansas.
- #2 Frequent writer on NYM, Elizabeth Muratore
wrote a credible ranking here. Anthony
DiComo, writing for MLB,
also put McReynolds 2nd on a similar list.
FCR - Sean McCormick,
New York City
Incorrect guesses: Sterling
Marte, Jon Matlack, Mookie Wilson, Cleon Jones
MIDWEEK BONUS — 01-Feb
Q. Who
was the MVP of the last postseason series that sent the Blue Jays home but not
until after Toronto had won two games?
Hint: #1
His cousin was recently National League Rookie of the Year
Hint: #2
He won his only Gold Glove the only year he was an All-Star.
A. ALCIDES ESCOBAR [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Escobar was MVP
of the 2015 ALCS when KCR beat TOR, 4
games to 2. The Blue Jays have since
lost post-season series to CLE in 2016 (w/just 1 victory) & in both 2020
& 2022 when TBR & SEA, respectively, swept them.
-
#1 Cousin Ronald Acuna, Jr. was
NL ROY in 2018.
-
#2 In the best season of his
career, Escobar was elected starter for the AL AS squad. Teammates Salvador Perez & Lorenzo Cain also
named starters. Escobar was also awarded
a Gold Glove honoring the best fielding shortstop in the league.
FCR - Mark
DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland
Incorrect guesses:
THURSDAY— 02-Feb
Q. Which
one-time Los Angeles Angel’s career stolen base success rate (min 100 attempts)
is the best among all Arkansawyers—including Hall of Famer Lou Brock’s?
Hint: #1
One year, playing for TEX, he was caught in his first post-season
stealing attempt after being flawless during the regular season.
Hint: #2
When he hit his first major league home run, his own manager went out to
secure the ball.
-
Ans. Brock’s career SB% of 75.34
is second best to Gentry’s 82.46% among players born in
Arkansas. Officially, residents of Arkansas are
Arkansans, but many prefer to call themselves Arkansawyers. This is because there is some debate over the
true spelling of the indigenous tribe that gave the state its name. Some residents feel that
"Arkansawyers" is more accurate & easier to pronounce
phonetically. Gentry played for LAA in 2016.
-
#1 In 2011, after not being
caught stealing all year long, he was nabbed in G3 of the ALDS when TBR pitcher David Price picked him off
first base to saddle Gentry with his 1st CS of the season.
-
#2 After scoring
standing upon an inside-the-park
HR for personal HR #1, Gentry asked TEX mgr Ron Washington about it, Gentry was
assured that it was, he told Wash it was his first and really wanted the
baseball. His skipper immediately went
out onto the field to recover the ball.
FCR - Ken
Kirk, Corning, New York
Incorrect guesses: Willie Davis, Mickey Rivers, Devon White
FRIDAY — 03-Feb
Q. Which
BLTL outfielder and San Diego native immediately became a coach upon his
retirement from the majors?
Hint: #1
His first major league hit was a bunt double.
Hint: #2
In his rookie season, he had his a five-hit game.
A. QUINTIN BERRY [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Berry hung up his spikes in
2018, but quickly hooked up with MIL as their minor league outfield and base
running coordinator in 2019. In 2021, he was promoted to
their major league coaching staff as first base coach and was there through 2022.
-
#1 Berry surprised CLE 2B Jason
Kipnis in the 6th inning on 23-May-2012 with this small ball (See Berry bunt at 1:16:10).
-
#2 In an inter-league contest vs.
COL on 17-Jun-2012(1) at Comerica Park,
Berry banged out five singles in a game for the only time in his career.
FCR - Dr.
John Rickert, Terre Haute, Indiana
Incorrect guesses: Tony Gwynn, Dave Roberts, Ken Caminiti, Phil
Nevin
SATURDAY — 04-Feb
Q. Who saw
his first major league hit, first stolen base, first error and first daughter
all on the same day?
Hint: #1
Although he didn’t start playing baseball in earnest until his junior
year in high school, he rocketed up MLB draft lists, almost passing The Rocket.
Hint: #2
His spirited competition for a starting job one Spring Training was lost
to a teammate, a teammate who knows _____________.
A. GARY THURMAN [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Before his 1st G, he was called into KCR
mgr. John Wathan’s office to learn that Thurman’s wife had gone into labor in
Indianapolis, but Thurman opted to stay & play. Then, however, after that Sunday game, played
in Chicago, Thurman jumped into a car, sped home & found new daughter Brytoney
waiting for him, born 30 minutes before he arrived.
-
#1 More serious about football at
Indianapolis’ North Central High
School, he took up baseball
just because a friend played the sport. His
ascension in baseball was so quick that he was drafted in the first round of MLB’s 1983 June Draft—just two picks behind Hall of Famer Roger Clemens.
-
#2 Expected to battle for KCR’s
starting LF job in 1988 after an impressive late-season cup of coffee the
previous year (.296 in 90 PAs), Thurman hoped to make the incumbent move to DH.
However, Thurman hit just .188 the
following spring while his teammate Bo
Jackson easily retained his
position, hitting .300 with 5 HRs.
FCR - Evan
Thompson, Mesa
Incorrect guesses: Ricky Jordan
SUNDAY – 05-Feb
Q. Who set
the modern record for most bases stolen at the beginning of a major league
career with the previous record holder being his old running coach?
Hint: #1
He led the majors in sprint speed for his first three years.
Hint: #2
He grew up in the same town as the [ahem] “Father of Baseball”.
A. TIM LOCASTRO [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Locastro swiped 28 straight
bases without being caught to begin his career, eclipsing the mark set in 1981
by his first minor league baserunning coach, Hall of Famer Tim Raines. Watch
highlights here.
-
#1 According to Statcast,
Locastro led the MLB in 2019 & 2020 with a sprint speed of 30.8'/sec. &
30.7'/sec. in 2020. Just as fast in
2021, he was again timed at 30.7'/sec.
-
#2 Locastro was raised in Auburn, NY as was General Abner
Doubleday, once thought to be… well, you know.
FCR - Terry
Walters, Wabasha, Minnesota
Incorrect guesses: Vince Coleman, Amos Otis, Marlon Anderson, Tommie
Agee
WEEK’S FINALE — 05-Feb
Q. Which
Mobile, Alabama native stole sixteen straight bases during his first year with his
second team in the majors?
Hint: #1
He racked up 371 stolen bases in the pros by the time he was through.
Hint: #2
He was one of eleven rookies to debut in his franchise’s debut season.
A. JIMMY SEXTON [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. In HOU in 1978, Sexton’s 2nd
stop in the majors, he had a 16-0 skein before ever being thrown out.
-
#1 He had 36 SB in MLB & 335
in MiLB.
-
#2 1st G was as a member of
the 1977 expansion Seattle
Mariners.
FCR - Elliott
Frankfother, Rock Falls, Illinois
Incorrect guesses:
WEEK’S ULTRA FINALE —05-Feb
Q. Who
stole Hall of Famer Max Carey's long-standing record with his 37th consecutive
steal without being caught?
Hint: #1
After Dan McGann did it in 1904, he was the next National League player
to steal five bases in one game.
Hint: #2
He spent more than forty years in the majors.
A. DAVEY LOPES [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Lopes stole 38 bases without
being caught from 10-Jun through 24-Aug-1975 to break Max Carey’s mark of 36 in a row set during the 1922-23 seasons. Lopes was finally nabbed by Gary Carter of the Expos in the 12th inning on August 24
after stealing number 38 in the 7th. (Vince
Coleman has since broken the
record with 50 straight SB in 1988-89.)
-
#1 5 SB = 24-Aug-1974
-
#2 As a player in MLB = 16; As a
manager = 3; As a coach = 27.
FCR - Joseph
Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts
Incorrect guesses: Rickey Henderson, Maury Wills, Vince Coleman
WEEK’S THEME – A string
of 15 stolen bases in one season without being caught
Player SB CS Yr Age Team G BA WAR
Berry............... 21...... 0.... 2012...... 27....... DET............ 94....... .258........... 0.8
Escobar.......... 22...... 0.... 2013...... 26....... KCR......... 158....... .234......... 10.0
Gentry............. 18...... 0.... 2011...... 27....... TEX............ 64....... .271........... 9.7
Locastro.......... 17...... 0.... 2019...... 26....... ARI............. 91....... .250........... 0.2
Lopes.............. 15...... 0.... 1984...... 39....... CHC,OAK.. 88....... .255......... 42.4
McReynolds... 21...... 0.... 1988...... 28....... NYM......... 147....... .288......... 30.1
Molitor............. 20...... 0.... 1994...... 37....... TOR......... 115....... .341......... 75.6
Sexton............ 16...... 0.... 1982...... 30....... OAK........... 69....... .245........... 0.5
Thurman......... 16...... 0.... 1989...... 24....... KCR........... 72....... .195.......... -2.8
Utley............... 23...... 0.... 2009...... 30....... PHI........... 156....... .282......... 64.5
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (after
Utley)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Mon - Players
who were WS MVP in first year with new team
Tues - Best
stolen base percentage with at least 20 or more stolen bases
-
Stole 20 bases is a season, without getting caught
Wed - 25 consecutive successful stolen base attempts
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