Monday, March 27, 2023

2023-03-20 Players who hit more than one double in a major league All-Star game

MONDAY  — 20-Mar

Q.  Who was the first player to win a BBWAA Most Valuable Player award with different National League teams?

Hint: #1  He had more career intentional walks than the combined totals of Tony Gwynn, Willie Mays and Ted Williams.

Hint: #2  He was the first major league player to appear in the TV show "Everybody Loves Raymond".

A.  BARRY BONDS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  1990 NLMVP w/PIT & 1992 NL MVP w/SFG (Also 1993, 2001, 2002*, 2003, 2004)

-  #1  Bonds was the recipient of 688 career IBB.  Gwynn had 203, Mays 214, Williams 258.

-  #2  “ELR”, Season 1, Episode 16: 07-Feb-1997.  Bonds edged out Tommy Lasorda (also Season 1, but 4 episodes later) for onscreen appearances, although Lasorda’s name was mentioned in the 2nd-ever episode (certainly not referencing his accomplishments as an MLB player).

*Unanimous

FCR -  Mark Linneman, Sacramento

Incorrect guesses:  Alex Rodriguez, Frank Robinson, Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx, Bryce Harper, Mickey Cochrane.

 

 

TUESDAY — 21-Mar

Q.  Who broke Johnny Frederick's National League rookie extra-base hits record?

Hint: #1  He was the first visiting player to hit a 435 foot home run at Petco Park.

Hint: #2  He went to high school in Kansas City, but played on the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic.

A.  ALBERT PUJOLS   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Frederick had 82 XBH in 1929 for BRO, leading the majors w/52 2B.  Pujols surpassed Frederick, amassing 88 XBH in 2001,comprised of 47 2B, 4 3B & 37 HR.

-  #1  HR at SDP = 28-May-2006.  Pujols’ 436′ blast was measured at 2′ longer than an earlier Sammy Sosa HR.  The current record for the longest Petco Park HR by a visiting player is held by Edwin Rios who sent one 473′ during his 2019 rookie season.

-  #2  Pujols was born in the capital city of the DR, Santo Domingo.  He, his father & grandmother immigrated in 1996 to Washington Heights in New York City, but soon moved to Independence, MO where he played baseball at Fort Osage High School.  Played for DR in the WBC in 2006.

FCR -  Sean Baker, Overland Park, Kansas

Incorrect guesses:  Robinson Cano

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 22-Mar

Q.  Which twentieth century Hall of Famer had two qualifying years where he hit .390 or better, but never had a season over.400?

Hint: #1  Eleven times he finished in the top ten in his league in runs batted in, only once getting the top spot, but even then, not the majors.

Hint: #2  He grew up as a fan of the franchise he played for the first nine seasons of his playing career in the majors.  He later had parts of three more seasons with them before retiring, then seven more with them as a coach.

A.  AL SIMMONS   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Simmons’ 2 best seasons by batting average were 1927 (.392) & 1931 (.390).

-  #1   Led the AL in RBI in 1929 w/157 &, just 1 of the 11 consecutive seasons (1924—1934) that he placed among the American League’s Top 10.

-  #2  Simmons played for Mr. Mack 1924-32, 1940-41, 1944.  He worked for Mr. Mack (coached) 1942, 1944-49.

FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Juan Soto, Harry Heilmann, George Brett, Zack Wheat, Eddie Collins, Lefty O'Doul, Babe Herman

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS — 22-Mar

Q.  Which player, after being moved to first base to accommodate some natural loss of speed as he aged, hit three triples in one game?

Hint: #1  He received league MVP votes each of the first full seven seasons he was in the majors.

Hint: #2  In his second full year in the majors, he hit five grand slam home runs.

Hint: #3  He was the first person in his franchise to have his uniform number retired.

A.  ERNIE BANKS   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 11-Jun-1966, at 35 years old, in the Houston Astrodome, hit a triple in the 4th, 5th, & 9th innings off 3 different pitchers.

-  #1  In 1954 through 1960, Banks finished 16th, 3rd, 28th, 6th, 1st, 1st & 4th in NL MVP voting.  He received MVP votes 4 more times after that.

-  #2  5 GS in 1955, a record at the time.

-  #3  Banks’s 14 can now not be worn by any other Chicago Cubs player.

FCR -  Adam Balutis, Arlington, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Miguel Cabrera, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, George Brett

 

 

THURSDAY— 23-Mar

Q.  Who was the first player to hit a home run in the All-Star game and in the World Series in the same season?

Hint: #1  Beginning in his first full season and during the next seven-year period, he racked up 1,630 hits.

Hint: #2  Three hundred seventy-one of those hits were doubles during that same time period.

A.  JOE MEDWICK   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1934, Medwick went deep off Lefty Gomez in the 3rd inning of the ASG.  That Fall, Medwick hit one of the Cards’ 2 WS HR that year.

-  #1   From 1933 through 1940, Medwick averaged 204 H per season.

-  #2  …averaging 46 doubles per year along the way.

FCR -  Foster Beach, Rock Hall, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Stan Musial, Jimmy Foxx, Mickey Mantle. Lou Gehrig, Derek Jeter, Pete Rose, Todd Helton

 

 

FRIDAY — 24-Mar

Q.  The players with ten letters in their last names who have hit forty or more home runs in a season are Roy Campanella, Rick Petrocelli, Carl Yastrzemski, Curtis Granderson, Edwin Encarnacion and ______________?

Hint: #1  He homered three times in his first modern World Series.

Hint: #2  His baseball wisdom once produced this gem, “I’m not sure what the hell charisma is, but I get the feeling it's Willie Mays.”

A.  TED KLUSZEWSKI   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Campanella had 41 HR in 1953 when he won his 2nd MVP.  Petrocelli hit 40 w/BOS in 1969.  Yastrzemski hit 40+ thrice:  1967, 1969, 1970.  Big Klu had 40 in 1953, 47 in 1954 & 49 in 1954.

-  #1   Playing for CHW in 1959 vs. LAD, Klu homered 2 X in the 1st G & once in the 6th & final G.

-  #2  Mays beat Kluszewski for the 1954 NL MVP in spite of his 49 HR & 141 RBI.  I’m certain, however, that Kluszewski’s quip was not a sign of jealousy but of admiration.

FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski

 

 

SATURDAY — 25-Mar

Q.  Who was behind the plate for the U.S. Team the only time the U.S. won the World Baseball Classic?

Hint: #1  He was traded from his first team three weeks after getting a base hit while representing them in the All-Star game.

Hint: #2  The day he announced his retirement, his first MLB team announced that he will be inducted into the team's wall of honor.

A.  JONATHAN LUCROY  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Lucroy alternated at catcher with Buster Posey when the U.S. defeated Puerto Rico for the 2017 WBC title.

-  #1   Lucroy played in the 2016 ASG on 16-Jul & was traded on 01-Aug.

-  #2  Lucroy announced his retirement in August of 2022 whereupon the Brewers announced he would be honored among the franchise’s best players on their Wall of Honor, alongside Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor & other standouts.

FCR -  John Michael Pierobon, Fort Lauderdale

Incorrect guesses:  Damian Miller, A.J. Ellis, Buster Posey Mike Piazza, Jason Varitek, Brian McCann, Yadier Molina, Jason Kendall,

 

 

WEEKEND BONUS— 25-Mar

Q.  Which one-time Cincinnati Reds player was drafted by the Dodgers and ahead of Jason Varitek, Troy Glaus, Kevin Brown and Aaron Boone in the same draft?

Hint: #1  He is the only player to accumulate more than 4,000 total bases playing for the Chicago White Sox in their 122-year history.

Hint: #2  He is the first White Sox player to be the MVP of a postseason series.

A.  PAUL KONERKO  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Drafted in 1994.  Played for CIN in 1998.  Played for LAD in 1997.

-  #1  Konerko’s career TB = 4,010.

-  #2  MVP of the 2005 ALCS.  Less than three weeks after Konerko, teammate Jermaine Dye became the 2nd White Sox postseason MVP when he received the honors for the 2005 World Series. 

FCR -  Rick Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Frank Thomas, A.J. Pierzynski, Jim Thome, Harold Baines, Greg Brock, Jermaine Dye

 

SUNDAY  — 26-Mar

Q.  Who was the first catcher in the Expansion Era to be the throwing half of three “strike‑‘em‑out‑throw-‘em-out” double plays in one game?

Hint: #1  He was the National League record-tying ninth player on his squad to collect 100 hits in the same season.

Hint: #2  He was the first player to get a hit in an All-Star game in a park which shared his last name.

A.  DAMIAN MILLER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Catching Randy Johnson on 25-Ma-1999 at the BOB, Miller threw out would-be base stealers on The Big Unit’s 1st, 5th & 8th Ks in the 1st, 4th & 7th innings respectively.

-  #1  In their WS championship season of 2001, ARI had 9 w/100 H, from Luis Gonzalez w/198 to Miller who got his 100th with just 13 G to play in the regular season.

  #2  [See week’s summary below.]

FCR -  Randall Chandler, Germantown, Tennessee

Incorrect guesses:  Buck Rodgers

 

WEEK’S THEME – Players who hit more than one double in a major league All-Star game

 

Player                  Date                     Pos.             Venue                Career WAR

Banks*............ 07-Jul-1959(1)......... SS............. Forbes Field.................. 67.7

Bonds*............. 13-Jul-1993........... LF............. OPACY........................ 162.8

Kluszewski....... 10-Jul-1956........ PH/1B.......... Griffith Stadium............. 31.4

Konerko* **....... 09-Jul-2002........... 1B............. Miller Park..................... 28.1

Lucroy*............. 15-Jul-2014............ C.............. Target Field................... 17.7

Medwick*.......... 07-Jul-1937........... LF............. Griffith Stadium............. 54.5

Miller**.............. 09-Jul-2002............ C.............. Miller Park....................... 8.9

Pujols*............. 13-Jul-2004........... 1B............. Minute Maid Park........ 101.6

Simmons*......... 10-Jul-1934........... CF............. Polo Grounds................ 68.2

 

*ASG  starter

** Game ended in a tie.  Broadcasters Buck and McCarver stated that if the NL won, Miller would be named MVP.  If the AL won, Konerko would be named.

 

First Correct Respondent identifying themeWarren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (After Simmons)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Wed     -  Players who have had at least 12 seasons with 100 RBI

 

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