2023-12-04 Players born in cities that were or are military forts

MONDAY  — 04-Dec

Q.  Which deft American League East outfielder was for years a thorn in the side of the Blue Jays before finally joined them, helping lead Toronto back into the playoffs?

Hint: #1  He won the coveted Platinum Glove Award before eve being established as a Gold Glove Fielder.

Hint: #2  To combat the effects of cold-weather play, he once announced to the media before a Yankee game that he was about to cover his entire body with Vaseline.

A.  KEVIN KIERMAIER  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Kiermaier played for TBR for a decade, 2013-2022.  The Blue Jays were not the only team who saw potential extra base hits be extinguished in his centerfielder’s glove.  They suffered perhaps a little more because they had a Kevin of their own, CF ball hawk, Kevin Pillar.  To Canadian observers, he seemed every bit as talented as Kiermaier, but with a fraction of the acclaim.

-  #1  Kiermaier won both awards in 2015 & has added Gold Gloves in 2016, 2019 & 2023.

-  #2  Cooler heads prevailed.

FCR -  Daniel Wilson, St. Paul

Incorrect guesses:  Dave Winfield

 

TUESDAY —— 05-Dec

Q.  Who was the first National Leaguer to play at least one hundred games at catcher in a season without making an error?

Hint: #1  His defensive excellence that season was a key part of his team’s World Series championship

Hint: #2  His son is currently an active NFL wide receiver.

A.  CHARLES JOHNSON   [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Johnson played 123 G at C in 1997 for FLA.  Only Mike Matheny with 0 E in 138 G in 2003, tops Johnson.

-  #1  The 1997 Marlins won their franchise’s 1^st WS.  For their skipper, Jim Leyland, who was just elected to the Hall of Fame on Sunday, it was the only WS title of his 22-year MLB managing career.

-  #2  Son Brandon plays for the Denver Broncos.

FCR -  Ian Leggin, Oregon, Wisconsin

Incorrect guesses:  Rickey Henderson, Buddy Rosar, Mickey Cochrane

 

WEDNESDAY  —— 06-Dec

Q.  Which one-time San Francisco Giant led the majors in triples the year his team won their second consecutive National League pennant?

Hint: #1  Two years later, in a labor dispute-shortened season he led his league in times caught attempting to steal.

Hint: #2  He received the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award.

A.  DEION SANDERS  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Sanders had 14 3B in 1992 w/ATL.  He played 52 G for SFG in 1995.

-  #1  Was caught a NL-high 16 times on the base paths during the 1994 season which was truncated to two-thirds its normal length by the work stoppage.

-  #2  Sanders played college football or the Florida State Seminoles winning the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior.

FCR -  Doug Greenwald, San Francisco

Incorrect guesses:  Darren Lewis, Garry Maddox, Brett Butler

 

MIDWEEK BONUS — 08-Dec

Q.  Which two-time MLB All-Star and one-time Tiger, played for the Thailand national baseball team?

Hint: #1  He received MVP votes in four separate seasons and he has two World Series rings, each playing for a different team.

Hint: #2  He once lost a famous dance contest.

A.  JOHNNY DAMON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  His parents met in his mother’s native Thailand, where his father served as a U.S. Army sergeant.  His brother James was born in Bangkok, but Johnny was born in U.S.  He joined Thailand as it attempted to qualify for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.  Played for Det in 2010.

-  #1  Was part of BOS when they won their breakthrough WS in 2004.  Played for NYY when they won in 2009.

-  #2  In the 2018 edition of FOX television’s “Dancing with the Stars”, Damon & his professional dance partner, Emma Slater, were eliminated on the first day of competition.

FCR -  Doug Greenwald, San Francisco

Incorrect guesses:  Tommy Pham, Howard Johnson

 

THURSDAY  — 07-Dec

Q.  Which rookie gambled on a diving backhanded catch to save The Gambler’s perfect game?

Hint: #1  He achieved 1,000 career hits faster than anyone in the history of his franchise.

Hint: #2  His best batting average for a season was third all-time in the history of his franchise.

Hint: #3  His son was drafted out of high school in 2019 by the Diamondbacks.

A.  RUSTY GREER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 28-Jul-1994, Kenny Rogers, AKA “The Gambler”, pitching for TEX was working on a perfecto for TEX which was saved by Greer’s spectacular grab for the first out of the 9^th inning.

-  #1  Greer’s 1,000^th H was a double off Steve Woodard in a L to CLE on 07-Aug-2000.

-  #2  Greer hit .332 in 1996, helping TEX win the AL West & 4^th best in the AL yet he received not a single vote for MVP.  Only Mickey Rivers (.333 in 1980) & Julio Franco (.341 in 1991) had posted higher seasons by 1996.

- #3  His son, Mason Greer, was drafted by ARI in the 37^th round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft, but opted instead to attend Auburn University.  Mason has transferred twice since then and finished up his college baseball career at Missouri State this past season.

FCR -  Dave Williams, Glastonbury, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Michael Young

 

FRIDAY — 08-Dec

Q.  Which third-round draft choice ended a thirteen-year perfect game drought?

Hint: #1  The first year he led the league in strikeouts (187), he led too in Ks per 9 innings (6.8).  Unfortunately, he also led in wild pitches (14).

Hint: #2  He has been the head of Notre Dame baseball since 2010.

A.  LEN BARKER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Barker was taken at #1 in the 3^rd round in the 1973 MLB June Amateur Draft, a little ahead of Eddie Murray.  His perfecto was in Cleveland on 15-May-1981 vs. TOR, 13 years since Catfish Hunter’s on 08-May-1968.  In his perfecto, Barker never had more than 2 balls in any of the 27 counts.  The longest period between perfect games was 34 seasons (Charlie Robertson/1922 — Don Larsen/1956).

-  #1  These went along with his career-high 19 wins & his leading his team in W/L%, GS, IP, BF & a few additional lesser-known stats in his terrific 1980 season

-  #2  Coach Barker heads up the baseball program at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio, part of the Mountain East Conference.

FCR -  Vince Guerrieri, Elyria, Ohio

Incorrect guesses: 

 

SATURDAY — 09-Dec

Q.  Who once hit a pitched ball three times with one swing?

Hint: #1  In college one year, he was named the conference’s Player of the Year in spite of missing half that season’s games.

Hint: #2  One of his nicknames is the translation of his first name in Swahili.

A.  HUNTER PENCE   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  On 22-Oct-2012, in G 7 of the 2012 NLCS, in the 3^rd inning off STL reliever Joe Kelly, Pence had a 2-RBI double when the ball hit thrice off his bat before finding its way past the into the OF.  The  victory sent SFG to WS for the 2^nd time in 3 years.  Throughout his career, Pence’s swing was a much-studied anomaly.

-  #1  Playing for the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Pence hit .347 as a sophomore in 2003 and was named a 1^st-team all-conference OF.  Despite missing 15 of UTA's 30 Southland Conference games the following year due to a mid-season injury, he was named the 2004 Southland Conference Player of the Year, leading the league with a .395 batting average.  Pence still holds the conference record for 2B in a single series, with 5.

-  #2  “Hunter” translates to “Wawindaji” in Swahili, the language common to people in the countries of eastern Africa.  Swahili has the highest ratio of 2^nd language speakers.  [Not sure how this applies to baseball.]

FCR -  Doug Greenwald, San Francisco

Incorrect guesses:  Bo Jackson, Branch Rickey

 

WEEKEND BONUS — 10-Dec

Q.  Who was only the third to do what MVPs Frank Shulte and Jim Bottomley had done thirty and thirteen years prior?

Hint: #1  He made his major league debut in the game where his teammate set a new record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in a regulation, nine-inning American League game.

Hint: #2  He and Tim Lincecum are alumni of the same university.

A.  JEFF HEATH   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  They all had seasons with 20 doubles, 20 triples & 20 home runs.  Heath’s numbers for CLE in 1941 were 32/20/24.  Shulte won the 1^st-ever NL MVP with his 30/21/21 in 1911 w/CHC.  Cardinal Bottomley posted 42/20/31 in 1928.  In all, only 7 players have had such a season. Heath was the 1^st AL player in this club.

-  #1  Heath’s debut was 13-Sep-1936(1) when young Bob Feller struck out 17 A’s batters, breaking the AL for Ks in a 9-inning G set in 1908 by Rube Waddell.  Feller, only 17 years old at the time, had been in majors for less than 2 months.

-  #2  Heath and Lincecum attended the University of Washington in Seattle.

FCR -  Tom Veal, Spanaway, Washington

Incorrect guesses:  20D 20T 2OHR in a season, Jimmy Rollins, Mark Whiten, Lou Gehrig, Pablo Sandoval, Jake Lamb

 

SUNDAY  — 10-Dec

Q.  Which former MVP donated his famous dreadlocks to charity?

Hint: #1  Before he chose baseball, he was offered a full-ride scholarship by a powerhouse football university.

Hint: #2  On his way up to the Bigs, he was named the minor league player of the year for the franchise that drafted him.

Hint: #3  The son of a minister, he proposed to his girlfriend (now wife) on national television.

A.  ANDREW McCUTCHEN   [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  McCutchen told the media, “It's good to have an image.  I have the hair, but eventually I’m gonna cut it.”   On 25-Mar-2015, he cut his dreadlocks, which were then sold through MLB's website via auction, with all proceeds benefiting Pirates Charities. The ten dreads were paired with autographed baseballs and sold off for about a combined $4,000.

-  #1  McCutchen was sought to play wide receiver for them by the University of Miami, regularly one of the top teams in college football.

-  #2  Baseball America, in a rare unanimous consensus of scouts and managers, named McCutchen the top prospect in the South Atlantic League of 2006.

-  #3  McCutchen proposed to his longtime girlfriend Maria Hanslovan on the 11-Dec-2013, episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  Watch him hit his all-time favorite “home run” here.

FCR -  Donald Howell, Allison Park, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Manny Ramirez

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 10-Dec

Q.  The first pinch-hit grand slam in Texas Rangers’ history belongs to which future Silver Slugger honoree?

Hint: #1  He joined NYY in 1992, their fourth consecutive losing season.  The following year, he replaced Matt Nokes as the starting catcher.  Stanley's 122 G for them with a career-high WAR of 4.8 in 1993 helped NYY finish 14 games over .500.

Hint: #2  He was the catcher for Nolan Ryan’s seventh no-hitter.

A.  MIKE STANLEY   [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  GS = 27-Jun-1987(2) , pinch-hitting for MIN’s Geno Petralli (C) batting 8^th, off reliever Jeff Reardon.  Stanley was the 1993 AL SS winner at C for NYY.

-  #1  Stanley joined NYY in 1992, catching 122 G for them with a career-high WAR of 4.8.

-  #2  Ryan’s 7^th = 01-May-1991

FCR -  Bob Heckman, Alexandria, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Pudge Rodriguez

 

WEEK’S THEME – Select players born in the fort, surrounded or not.  They are a few of the many players born in cities that were or are military forts.

 

Player            “Fort” City             State          Birthday                              WAR

Barker................. Fort Knox.................. KY............ 07-Jul-1955............................. 12.7

Damon................. Fort Riley.................. KS.......... 05-Nov-1973............................. 56.3

Greer................... Fort Rucker............... AL........... 20-Jan-1969............................. 22.4

Heath................... Fort William.............. ON.......... 01-Apr-1959............................. 37.8

Johnson.............. Fort Pierce................ FL............ 20-Jul-1971............................. 22.6

Kiermaier............ Fort Wayne............... IN............ 22-Apr-1990............................. 35.5

McCutchen.......... Fort Meade............... FL........... 10-Oct-1986............................. 48.6

Pence.................. Fort Worth................ TX........... 13-Apr-1983............................. 30.9

Sanders............... Fort Myers................ FL.......... 09-Aug-1967............................. 5.5

Stanley................ Fort Lauderdale........ FL........... 25-Jun-1963............................. 20.9

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Joe Cohen, Holden Massachusetts (after Sanders)

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