MONDAY —27-Mar
Q. Whom
did the World Series Champion Atlanta Braves sign to help offset the impending
loss of former MVP and team leader Freddie Freeman?
Hint: #1
To secure his services, the Braves signed him to an eight-year extension.
Hint: #2
Both players were returning “home”.
- Ans. Olson
was traded from Oakland Monday, 14-Mar-2022, then signed a lucrative, long-term
contract upon arrival. Freeman signed
with LAD that Friday, 18-Mar-2022.
- #1 Olson’s
contract is for $168 million, $21 million per season, with incentives.
- #2 Olson
was born in Atlanta and grew up in adjacent Gwinnett County. Freeman was born in Fountain Valley in Orange
County, California and grew up in the same area.
FCR - Eric
Stone, Los Gatos, California
Incorrect guesses: Matt Chapman
TUESDAY —28-Mar
Q. Which infielder,
with only three full seasons of major league experience had won three Gold
Gloves and was twice honored with the American League’s Platinum Glove?
Hint: #1 He struck
out at bat more times in one season than any player in the history of the A’s,
be they the Philadelphia, Kansas City or Oakland variety.
Hint: #2 He was
probably happy when Nolan Arenado chose to remain in the National League.
A. MATT CHAPMAN [B-R Bio]
- Ans. Chapman’s glove work at 3rd B
continues to be admired. Enjoy.
- #1 Chapman’s 202 K’s in 2021 broke the record of
197 in 2008 held by Jack Cust.
- #2 Arenado has an unbroken string of NL Gold
Gloves at 3rd B every one of the 10 years he has been a major
leaguer, unhindered by changing teams.
Beginning his 5th year Arenado has also won the NL’s Platinum Glove
as the best defensive player at any position in the league. That unbroken string is now at 6
seasons. Chapman has won the AL GG for
his play at 3rd B thrice & won consecutive PG in 2017 &
2018. Both types of honor in those years
would have been unlikely if he had had to compete with you-know-who in the NL.
FCR - Glan Guzzo, Ponte
Vedra Beach, Florida
Incorrect guesses: Adrian
Beltre, Jack Cust, Eric Chavez
WEDNESDAY — 29-Mar
Q. Who broke the fifty-seven-year-old
rookie home run record by a remarkable eleven homers?
Hint: #1 He is the
only player to have a single season slugging percentage above .700 in both
leagues.
Hint: #2 He got a
bit lachrymose confronting select gathered solons.
A. MARK McGWIRE [B-R Bio]
- Ans. In 1930 Braves’ LF Wally Berger hit a
career-high 38 HR in the 1st of his 11 MLB seasons. That mark was tied by Frank Robinson in
1956. In 1987 McGwire exploded the
record when he hit 49 with OAK.
- #1 McGwire’s SLG in 1998 w/OAK was .730 in
1996. W/STL in 1998 he had a career-high
of .752.
- #2 His tearful testimony
before the House
Government Reform Committee on 11-Mar-2005, part of an 11-hour session, is now
the stuff of legend.
FCR - John Bath, Gahanna,
Ohio
Incorrect guesses: Albert
Pujols, Frank Robinson, Aaron Judge
WEDNESDAY AGAINSDAY — 29-Mar
Q. Which former
Tiger catcher is only the second Toronto Blue Jay to be named American League
Most Valuable Player?
Hint: #1 Originally
drafted by the Cubs, he saw action with Cleveland before their name change.
Hint: #2 He became
only the third Yankees player with a walk-off ultimate grand slam in Yankees
franchise history.
- Ans. Donaldson was AL MVP in 2015. TOR’s only other league MVP was George Bell
in 1987. Donaldson had played catcher for the Auburn
University Tigers.
- #1 Drafted by CHC in 2007 in the 1st Round, 48th overall.
Played for CLE for 16 G at the end of
2018.
- #2 Only Babe Ruth’s (24-Sep-1925) &
Jason Giambi’s (17-May-2002)
ultimate grand slams had preceded Donaldson’s on 17-Aug-2022. “Ultimate” indicates that a grand slam was a
walk-off with the hitter’s team behind by 3 runs at the time.
FCR - Preston
Salisbury, Starkville, Mississippi
Incorrect guesses: Pat
Borders, George Bell, Joe Carter, Jason Giambi, Ernie Whitt, Lance Parrish
MIDWEEK BONUS— 30-Mar
Q. Tom
Glavine batting became which pitcher’s one thousandth career strikeout?
Hint: #1
He led the majors in Win-Loss Percentage in his second season and with
it, led his league in pitching wins.
Hint: #2
A true workhorse, he started more than thirty games nine times in his
career and more than twenty games in additional seven seasons.
A. TIM HUDSON [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. On 07-Sep-2005,
Hudson put Glavine down swinging, to open the 5th inning.
-
#1 In 2000, pitching for OAK, Hudson won 20
and lost 6 for a .796 W-L%.
-
#2 Seven times between 1999 &
2015, he was among the majors’ leaders in GS.
FCR - Andrew
Lipsett, Woburn, Massachusetts
Incorrect guesses: Orel Hershiser, David Cone, Fernando
Valenzuela, Barry Zito, Steve Carlton, Roger Clemens
THURSDAY— 30-Mar
Q. Who
is the only player to win MLB’s Home Run Derby at Fields Citi and Target and do
it in back-to-back seasons?
Hint: #1
He was not an All-Star selection the first time he won it.
Hint: #2
In spite of a tremendous rookie season, he really had no hope of being
honored as Rookie of the Year, in spite of finishing ahead of a teammate in the
voting.
A. YOENIS CESPEDES [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Won HRD in 2013 at Citi
Field in New York City & in 2014 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
-
#1 Cespedes wasn’t an All-Star
until 2014 & was then again in 2016.
-
#2 In his first year, 2012, Cespedes
put up 129 H, 25 2B, 5 3B, 23 HR, 16 SB, 82 RBI & a 4.0 WAR, finishing
ahead of Oakland A’s teammate, pitcher Jarrod Parker. However, that was the incandescent rookie
season of Mike Trout who got all the 1st-place votes.
FCR - Jesse
Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma
Incorrect guesses: Bobby Abreu, Pete Alonso
FRIDAY — 31-Mar
Q. Which
former BRTL Spartan hurler led the majors in pitching victories in his first
year with his new team?
Hint: #1
In his signature season, he was awarded the Warren Spahn Award.
Hint: #2
He was signed then released by the Yankees without ever throwing a
single pitch for them.
A. GIO GONZALEZ [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Led MLB w/21 W
in 2012 w/WSN. Had played for the Monsignor Edward Pace
High School Spartans in Miami
Gardens, Florida.
-
#1 In 2012 Gonzalez was deemed
the majors’ best lefty and received the Warren
Spahn Award, named for the pitcher
with the most career wins (363) by a left-hander.
-
#2 Signed to a minor league
contract in March 2019 by NYY, but was released
before the end of April. Finished his
career with 4 starts with CHW.
FCR - Susan
Nelson, Moscow, Tennessee
Incorrect guesses: Robin Roberts, Mark Mulder, John Smoltz, Ken
Holtzman,, Dontrelle Willis, Vida Blue
SATURDAY — 01-Apr
Q. Which
former Twins All-Star player played more career games at catcher by the end of
the 2022 season than any other active player not named Molina?
Hint: #1
He now works as a special assistant to the General Manager of a major
league team.
Hint: #2
The new job will keep him geographically close to where he played his
college ball.
A. KURT SUZUKI [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Suzuki finished the 2022 year
with 1,540 G at C & the announcement of his retirement. Yadier Molina, whose final year was also
2022, finished with 2,184 G behind the plate, 4th most all time. Suzuki was an AL All-Star w/MIN in 2014.
-
#1 He is a special assistant to LAA GM Perry Minasian. LAA was the last team Suzuki played for and
he was hired not long after he announced his retirement.
- #2 He played for Cal State Fullerton, a school
with a strong baseball résumé.
FCR - Mary
Hums, Louisville
Incorrect guesses: Steve Braun, Joe Mauer, Terry Steinbach, Earl
Battey
SUNDAY — 02-Apr
Q. Which
former Yankee starting pitcher tied for the American League lead in shutouts
the year he threw a career high of two?
Hint: #1
In college, he was granted a quite high, but unofficial, naval rank, but
led his school to their first berth in the NCAA College World Series.
Hint: #2
He quarterbacked his high school to back-to-back 5A State titles in the
fifteenth most populous state in the U.S.
A. SONNY GRAY [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. Gray got his final career
shutouts on 12-Jul-2015
& 28-Jul-2015. Tying him for the AL honor were Jeff
Samardzija, Mike Montgomery, Dallas Keuchel & Felix Hernandez. Gray’s only other shutouts were a brace of
them in the preceding season.
-
#1 Gray pitched
for the Vanderbilt University Commodores. He helped Vanderbilt earn their 1st College World Series berth, making it to the semifinals before losing to
national runner-up Florida.
-
#2 Gray played QB for Smyrna's
football team, guiding them to state titles in 2006 and 2007. He was voted Gatorade Player of the Year by The Tennessean
in 2007 & 2008 for his athletic success.
FCR - Dan
Schoenholz, Walnut Creek, California
Incorrect guesses: Corey Kluber, CC Sabathia, Roger Clemens
WEEK’S FINALE — 02-Apr
Q. Who
was the first batter to appear in a major league game using a pink bat?
Hint: #1
In a state that boasts of no native Hall of Fame player, he has the most
career plate appearances, at-bats, hits, runs, doubles and WAR.
Hint #2 His
state’s nickname was The Sunshine State” until 1992.
Hint: #3
At the time of his retirement, his fielding percentage at his position was
the fifth-best all-time in MLB history.
A. MARK ELLIS [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Leading off the game on 14-May-2006, Ellis
drew a walk from NYY starter Randy Johnson.
-
#1 South Dakota’s only Hall of
Famer is manager Sparky Anderson. Ellis ranks
high among most natives of SD in a wide array of offensive and defensive
statistics.
-
#2 South Dakota’s nickname was “The Sunshine State”
until it was officially changed to “The Mount Rushmore State” in 1992 by
passage of a bill in the state legislature.
Florida had claimed the Sunshine nickname since 1970, gaining
exclusivity to it when SD made their change. However, neither SD nor FLA are the sunniest
among the 48 contiguous states. In
order, the top ten are Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, California,
Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Utah & then Florida. South Dakota ranks as the 25th sunniest.
- #3 Ellis posted a career .991 fielding
percentage, and ranked a remote 361st in career errors committed.
FCR - Ed
Smith, Gouverneur, New York
Incorrect guesses: Shane Victorino, Darin Erstad
WEEK’S THEME – Victims of Moneyball: Select players traded away from Oakland by GM
Billy Beane because they became too valuable (expensive) to keep
Original
A A’s Years Then Notes Career WAR
Cespedes........ 2012-2014.......... NYM, DET, BOS................................................................... 21.6
Chapman......... 2017-2021.......... TOR...................................................................................... 26.8
Donaldson....... 2010-2014.......... TOR, ATL, MIN, CLE, NYY.................................................. 46.6
Gonzalez......... 2008-2011.......... WSN, MIL, CHW.................................................................. 28.3
Gray................ 2013-2017.......... NYY, CIN, MIN..................................................................... 24.9
Hudson............ 1999-2004.......... ATL, SFG.............................................................................. 57.9
Ellis.................. 2002-2011.......... COL, LAD, STL..................................................................... 33.5
McGwire.......... 1986-1997.......... STL....................................................................................... 62.1
Olson............... 2016-2021.......... ATL....................................................................................... 21.7
Suzuki.............. 2007-2012.......... WSN, MIN, ATL, LAA........................................................... 19.4
A few others: Eric Chavez, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada &
Barry Zito all left OAK under Beane via free agency, perhaps avoiding the
inevitable.
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Mon - Players
who have hit a walk-off grand slam on Opening Day
- Players
whose names have suffixes
Tues - Guys
named Matt
- Guys
named Matt who played for Oakland
- Guys
Oakland traded
- Oakland
plyers who have won Gold Gloves
Wed - Oakland
A's gold glove winners since 1980
-
Oakland A's (expansion era) players with 100 home runs in their
first 5 years of play
-
Oakland A's players who have participated in the Home Run Derby
-
A's players who were traded the year following winning an award
-
A's players who were t traded the year following winning an award,
including an All-Star appearance
-
Former All-Stars traded by the A’s
-
Players traded by the A’s to wither the Blue Jays
-
Players traded by the A’s to wither the Braves
Thu - Players
who had 5+ WAR seasons for the A's and were later traded by them
-
Players traded during/just before their age 28 season
-
Players traded in the year before hitting free agency
Fri - Oakland
A's All-star players traded away by the following season
-
Oakland A's gold glove award winning players traded away by the
following season
-
Oakland A's star players who were dealt within a year of achieving
a baseball award (All-Star status, GG, etc.)
-
A's All Stars traded for prospects
-
Multi-MVP vote receiving players traded away by the Oakland A's
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