MONDAY — 15-May
Q. Who
led the majors in runs scored in five of his first ten years as a major leaguer?
Hint: #1
Nobody in major league history hit into more double plays.
Hint: #2
In his rookie season, he had a successful sacrifice bunt. Two decades later it is still the only one he
ever hit.
- Ans. His
1st 10 seasons were 2001-2010.
He led MLB in R in 2003 (137), 2003 (133),
2005(129), 2009 (124) & 2010 (115). Only
Ted Williams had a more prolific career-beginning streak, leading the AL in R
in 6 of his 1st 8 seasons, 5 of those leading MLB.
- #1 Joe
Torre holds the single-G record (4), Jim Rice owns the single-season mark in1984
(36), but Alberto led the league 4 X in GDP, 3 of those leading the Bigs,
finishing with an impressive 426.
- #2 In the 7th inning on 16-Jun-2001, Pujols bunted teammates J.D. Drew & Placido
Polanco & to 2nd & 3rd base. They both scored 2 batters later. In some 13,000 subsequent PAs, the subject
never came up again.
FCR - Tal Smith, Sugar Land, Texas
Incorrect guesses: Cal
Ripken, Jim Rice, Miguel Cabrera, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Reggie Jackson,
Albert Pujols, Hank Aaron, Rickey Henderson
TUESDAY — 16-May
Q. Whose career
record did Jim Thome avoid by retiring?
Hint: #1 He (not
Thome) struck out more than one hundred times per season for eighteen of his
twenty-one years as a major league batter, yet was elected to the Hall of Fame
on his first ballot.
Hint: #2 He is the
only batter Cesar Tovar ever struck out.
A. REGGIE JACKSON [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Jackson has held the career record for Ks by
a batter since passing Willie Stargell in 1982.
He finished with a whopping 2,597.
At the end of the 2012 season, Thome had long ago left Adam Dunn
behind & was within 54 of Jackson.
He chose that time to retire. A
partial season, even, of 55 AB (based on Thome’s average K pace over his final
two seasons) would easily have put him
as the new leader. And really? Who doesn’t think Reggie is a more fitting
title holder anyway?
- #1 Jackson’s K record did not take any glimmer
off his stardom. Most fans and writers
realize that this is a record held once by Babe Ruth & Mickey Mantle &
is the price some pay for offensive greatness.
- #2 On 22-Sep-1968,
Twins manager Cal Ermer let his versatile star Cesar Tovar play all nine positions in a single game, starting on the mound in the 1st. They played OAK that day. Jackson was the 2nd batter &
he made Tovar look like a hidden talent.
FCR - Chris Betsch, New Albany, Indiana
Incorrect guesses: Albert
Pujols, Jeff Liefer, Willie Stargell,
Rick Monday, Mickey Mantle
WEDNESDAY — 17-May
Q. Who was the first
National League player since at least 1901 to hit a walk-off home run in his first
major league game?
Hint: #1 He belongs
to one of the most exclusive statistics “clubs” in baseball history as only he,
Willie Mays and Hank Aaron are members.
Hint: #2 He is the
first player to hit his five hundredth home run outside of the United States.
Hint: #3 His mother
played on his native country’s national softball team.
- Ans. On 20-Jun-2003, 20-year-old
rookie Cabrera homered in the bottom of the 11th to send the home
crowd home happy.
- #1 Only those three players managed to collect
3,000 hits of which at least 500 were home runs & maintained a .300 career
batting average. Cabrera is still an active major leaguer. However, he is (in the baseball vernacular of
the day) scuffling in his 21st,self-proclaimed final season. Still, this club membership seems secure
since Cabrera would have to go 0-for-his-final 263 AB for his career BA to dip below
.300.
- #2 Miggy’s 500th HR came in Toronto
on 22-Aug-2021
off Steven Matz.
- #3 His
mother Gregoria “Goya” played shortstop & batted cleanup for Venezuela’s national
softball team.
FCR - Rich Lerner,
Silver Spring Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Albert Pujols, Rafael Palmeiro, Seiya Suzuki
MIDWEEK BONUS —
17-May
Q. Which Texas
hurler, who used to wear a Stetson hat, was a double Cy Young Award winner?
Hint: #1 He owned an
.800 winning percentage in postseason play.
Hint: #2 Four times in
a period of six seasons, he finished among the majors’ Top Ten in lowest
qualifying ERAs, including leading MLB one year with a sub-2.00 number.
A. JACOB deGROM [B-R Bio]
- Ans. Here he is wearing his Stetson
hat. He attended Stetson University in
Florida. CYA wins in 2018 & 2019 (Each was only 1 vote
away from unanimous.).
- #1 He owns 2 NLDS wins, 1 NLCS win & 1 NLWC win. Also has 1 WS loss.
- #2 In 2018, deGrom’s 1.70 ERA led all qualifying
pitchers. In 2015, his 2.55 finished 6th;
in 2019, his 2.43 trailed only the 2.32 of LAD’s Hyun Jin Ryu; in 2020, his
2.38 was good for 6th among MLB pitchers.
FCR - Sean McCormick, New York City
Incorrect guesses: Roger
Clemens, Dizzy Dean, Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, Gaylord Perry
Fergie Jenkins
THURSDAY— 18-May
Q. Which
rookie and future Hall of Famer had a season with more than one hundred runs,
more than two hundred hits, a batting average higher than .320, more than three
hundred fifty total bases but was not a unanimous Rookie of the Year?
Hint: #1
He hit the first home run ever by a designated hitter.
Hint: #2
He was the first player on his team to total three hundred doubles.
A. TONY OLIVA [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In Oliva’s 1st
complete season, 1964, he had a debut for the ages. His totals 109 R, 43 2B & .323
avg., led the AL while his 217 hits and 374 TB both
led the majors. [All except the
batting average, were career highs.] However,
in that year’s AL ROY polling, BAL’s
SP Wally Bunker got a vote so Oliva’s honor was a landslide
instead of unanimous. He also received
enough AL MVP votes
to finish 4th.
-
#1 On 06-Apr-1973,
Oliva homered off fellow future Hall of Famer, Catfish Hunter in the 1st
inning on Opening Day in Oakland.
-
#2 He led the AL in 2b 4 X & reached
300 2b in 1973. His Twins total of 329
trails only those of Joe Mauer (428) & Kirby Puckett (414).
FCR - Dan Greder, Ames, Iowa
Incorrect guesses: Ichiro Suzuki, Orlando Cepeda, Ron Blomberg, Al Kaline, Dick Allen, Frank Robinson,
Jim Rice
FRIDAY —
19-May
Q. Which
former White Sox outfielder is the only position player to hit a grand slam in
Baltimore Orioles postseason history?
Hint: #1
He is the first batter to hit a
home run against the Colorado Rockies.
Hint: #2
One of the eight teams he played for in the majors is making sure he
doesn’t forget his time with them.
A. BOBBY BONILLA [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. On 01-Oct-1996
in OPACY, vs. CLE. Watch the other two BAL postseason grand slams here. Debuted & played 75
G w/CHW in 1986.
-
#1 In COL’s 1st G ever
on 05-Apr-1993,
Bonilla took David Nied deep in the 5th inning.
-
#2 Bonilla played for NYM for 5
years and has a contract that pays him approximately $1,000,000 annually
through 2035. Details here.
FCR - Richard Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Eddie Murray, Harold Baines, Don Buford, Dave McNally, Sammy Sosa, Ichiro Suzuki
SATURDAY — 20-May
Q. Which
versatile fielder played at least two hundred games at each of five different positions
during his major league career?
Hint: #1
Although he was never named an All-Star, he did receive MVP votes in five straight seasons.
Hint: #2
In one game, he played all nine positions. He began on the mound and the first batter he
faced had played all nine positions in one game three years earlier.
A. CESAR TOVAR [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Tovar had 200+ at each OF
position & 200+ more each at 3B & 2B.
-
#1 Had AL MVP votes 1967-1971.
-
#2 Tovar did all 9 on 22-Sep-1968
& got SS Bert Campaneris to pop out for the G’s 1st out. Campy played all 9 on 08-Sep-1965.
FCR - Mike
Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses: Jimmy
Rollins, Bert Campaneris, Zoilo Versailles, Jose Oquendo, Tony Phillips
WEEKEND BONUS — 20-May
Q. Who
set records when he hit seven home runs and racked up a tidy .724 slugging
average in one year’s postseason play?
Hint: #1
In the offseason, he trained with a former Heisman Trophy winner who is
also his neighbor.
Hint: #2
He was traded from the team that won the World Series the year after
they granted him free agency.
A. DANIEL MURPHY [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. These (and additional) stats
made him the MVP of the 2015 NLCS, when NYM beat CHC to
win the NL pennant for the first time in 15 years.
- #1 Ex-quarterback and former baseball minor
league hopeful Tim Tebow was (is?) Murphy’s enthusiastic workout partner in 2017. Those
workouts seem to have paid off for Murphy as he’s still playing, this time for
the 2023 Long
Island Ducks of the
Atlantic League and hitting a robust .391.
-
#2 The Washington Nationals released
Murphy 29-Oct-2018. WSN won the WS in 2019.
FCR - Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware
Incorrect guesses: Randy
Arozarena, David Ortiz, Christian Yelich, Billy Hatcher, Hideki Matsui,
Carlos Beltran, Reggie Jackson, Troy Glaus, Jason Werth, Chase Utley
SUNDAY —
21-May
Q. After
Ewell Blackwell in 1947, who was the next Reds pitcher to earn twenty wins in a
season?
Hint: #1
He played for the Braves in two different cities.
Hint: #2
He played with some of the best players of his era.
-
Ans. Jay helped his team capture
the NL flag in 1961 with a record of 21-10, 4 of which were
shutouts in his first season with them.
-
#1 Played for MLN 1953-55 & 1957-60. Finished his career with 9 G w/ATL in 1966.
-
#2 A sampling of teammates includes
the likes of Hank Aaron, Felipe Alou, Lew Burdette, Rico Carty, Eddie Mathews, Phil
Niekro, Joe Nuxhall, Milt Pappas, Tony Perez, Frank Robinson,
Pete Rose, Red Shoendienst, Enos Slaughter, Warren Spahn & Joe Torre. It was a time that many consider to be the
Golden Age of baseball.
FCR - Greg
Gits, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Incorrect guesses: Jim Maloney, Bob Purkey
WEEK’S THEME – Players
whose single MVP vote denied the winner unanimity (in the BBWAA era).
1990/NL..... Bonds............. [23]...... 9.7..... Bobby Bonilla..... [1]................... 4.0.................. 30.2
2009/AL..... Mauer............. [27]...... 7.8..... Miguel
Cabrera... [1]................... 5.1.................. 67.1
2018/NL..... Yelich............. [29]...... 7.3..... Jacob deGrom.... [1]................... 9.9.................. 44.6
1982/AL..... Yount.............. [27].... 10.5..... Reggie Jackson.. [1]................... 3.1.................. 73.9
1961/NL..... F. Robinson... [15]...... 7.7..... Joey Jay.............. [1]................... 4.5.................. 14.0
2016/NK.... Bryant............. [29]...... 7.3..... Daniel
Murphy.... [1]................... 4.5.................. 20.4
2010/NL..... Votto............... [31]...... 7.0..... Albert Pujols....... [1]................... 7.5.................. 101.5
1965/AL..... Versalles ....... [19]...... 7.2..... Tony Oliva.......... [1]................... 5.4.................. 43.0
1967/AL..... Yastrzemski... [19].... 12.4..... Cesar Tovar........ [1]................... 2.4.................. 28.2
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan
(after deGrom)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Tues - Players
with 3 home runs in a playoff game
- Members
of the 500 HR club that hit more HR on the road than at home
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