Monday, February 10, 2025

2025-02-03 All-Star position-players with the high WAR ratings who received exactly zero (0) Hall of Fame votes

MONDAY  — 03-Feb

Q.  Who has the highest career WAR for any player born in Jamaica?

Hint: #1  He was the first player in the history of his expansion franchise to homer from both side of the plate.

Hint: #2  At the time of his retirement, he trailed only Rickey Henderson and Bobby Bonds in career lead-off home runs.

A.  DEVON WHITE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  White’s WAR is 47.3.  Chili Davis is a strong 2nd place at 38.31.

-  #1  HR X 2 = 23-Jun-1987 for the Angels.

-  #2  Has 34 lead-off HRs.

FCR -  Barry Gogel, Baltimore

Incorrect guesses:  Chili Davis, Christian Guzman, Curtis Granderson, Dexter Fowler, Eddie Murray, Andre Rodgers

 

 

TUESDAY  — 04-Feb

Q.  Who was the first non-Hall of Farmer to strike out 110+ times for 10+ consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1  He is a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.

Hint: #2  One season, he and a teammate combined for more than a hundred home runs.

A.  RAY LANKFORD  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Struck out 110+ X from 1991 through 2001.

-  #1  STL HOF.

-  #2  In 1998, Lankford added his 31 HR to his 1st baseman’s record-breaking 70.

FCR -  Erik Lundegaard, Seattle

Incorrect guesses:  Mark McGwire Albert Pujols, Rod Carew, Roger Maris, Fernando Tatis, Sr.

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 05-Feb

Q.  Who was the next American League player after Rocky Colavito did it in 1959, to hit four home runs in one game?

Hint: #1  He led the majors in putouts by an outfielder one season.

Hint: #2  In his career, he had 201 more strike outs than hits, yet he only led the league in strikeouts once.

Hint: #3  His leadoff home run in the nineteenth inning gave his team a one-run victory.

A.  MIKE CAMERON  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Cameron went deep 4 X on 02-May-2002 off White Sox pitching:  2X in the 1st (different pitchers), 1 X in the 3rd & 1 X in the 5th.  The next time up, he was HBP!  He finally made an out in the 9th.  No other player had hit a 4th HR before the 6th inning.

-  #1  His 485 PO for SEA in 2003, led all MLB outfielders.  He also led the AL w/404 in 2009.

-  #2  Finished in 2011 w/1,700 H & 1,901 K.  K’ed 176 X for SEA in 2002.

-  #3  SEA got a 5-4 W over the BOS on 01-Aug-2000.

FCR -  Jeff Epstein, Dallas

Incorrect guesses:  Josh Hamilton, Shawn Green, Mark Whiten, Carlos Delgado, Willie Mays, Jim Gentile, Charley Maxwell

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  — 05-Feb

Q.  Which outfielder was drafted first-round, second overall one year and then first-round, fifth overall the following draft?

Hint: #1  He had college baseball's first 30-30 season.

Hint: #2  He was the first right fielder to start a triple play this century.

Hint: #3  Playing for STL, he was pelted with batteries when the Cardinals visited PHI in 1999.

A.  J.D. Drew  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  PHI took him 2nd overall in 1997 but he could not come to terms on a contract, so he returned to school at FSU and had a record-setting junior season.

-  #1  As a junior in 1997 at Florida State University, Drew hit 31 HR & stole 32 bases.  He was also the 3rd player in NCAA history to record a triple-triple (100 hits, 100 runs, 100 RBI) after closing his 3-year Seminole career with 267 hits, 254 runs and 257 RBI.

-  #2  On 01-Aug-2002, Drew caught a line drive it by Eric Owens off Chuck Finley.  Drew rifled a throw to SS Edgar Renteria who tagged Derek Lee too far from 2nd base then relayed the ball to Tino Martinez at 1st, who caught Mike Lowell,.

-  #3  Phillie fans felt Drew had spurned their fair city in ’97 & they demonstrated their displeasure.

FCR -  Jim Casey, Savannah

Incorrect guesses:  Jordan Walker

 

 

THURSDAY  — 06 Feb

Q.  Which one-time Baltimore Oriole outfielder’s feud with Barry Bonds has lasted more than thirty years?

Hint: #1  His son played for the Dodgers for seven seasons.

Hint: #2  He was the middle out in Mickey Morandini's unassisted triple play.

A.  ANDY VAN SLYKE  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Van Slyke played alongside Bonds in PIT’s outfield 1987-1992.  Van Slyke was not shy about sharing his feeling about Bonds’s then sub-par work ethic.  Van Slyke played 17 games for the O’s in 1995.

-  #1  Son Scott Van Slyke splayed OF & 1B for LAD 2012-2017.

-  #2  PHI’s Morandini turned the unassisted TP on 20-Sep-1992, the first in the NL UTP since 1927.

FCR -  Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses:  Tim Raines, Eric Davis,

 

 

FRIDAY  — 07 Feb

Q.  Who was the first player to rack up at least twenty home runs in a season for six separate teams.  He did at least ten a season for an additional two.

Hint: #1  He finished his career in a special—yea—elite offensive club of eight members, two of whom are Hall of Famers.

Hint: #2  He was once hit by a pitch in the eighth inning of a game and charged the mound, without regard to the fact that the HBP had ended a perfect-game bid

A.  REGGIE SANDERS  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Sander had 20+ HR seasons for:  ARI, CIN, PIT, SDP, SFG & STL.  11 ea. For ATL & KCR.

-  #1  With his 304 SB & 304 HR, Sanders made the 300/300 “Club”.

-  #2  On 13-Apr-1994, Pedro Martinez had pitched 7⅓ inning without a single CIN player reaching base, but hit Sanders with a pitch.  Without taking the game situation into account, Sanders took umbrage & charged at Martinez.  There was some history behind it, but it’s one of the most famous in-game mound assaults.

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Barry Bonds Gary Sheffield

 

 

SATURDAY  — 08 Feb

Q.  Who is the only Braves shortstop voted National League Rookie of the Year?

Hint: #1  A BB/TR player, he once tripled thrice in a game.

Hint: #2  He pays the medical bills of the most vulnerable residents of his hometown.

A.  RAFAEL FURCAL  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  ROY (2000).  Alvin Dark, w/BSN in 1948, won the MLB ROY.

-  #1  Furcal’s 3B X 3 = 21-Apr-2002.

-  #2  Furcal, known for his generosity & philanthropy, has used his baseball wealth to pay medical expenses for those in need in his hometown of Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic.  He also arranged for the Dodgers to donate a fire engine to the small town (Pop. 20K) which had never had one.

FCR -  Terry Sloope, Cartersville, Georgia

Incorrect guesses:  Alvin Dark, Dansby Swanson, Sunny Jackson, Walt Weiss, Chipper Jones

 

 

SUNDAY  — 09-Feb

Q.  Who led the American League in home runs with the highest total ever for an Angel?

Hint: #1  The following season, he was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger and had more extra-base hits than singles.

Hint: #2  Although his ancestors are German, his name in English is a Swedish product used in almost every home worldwide.

A.  TROY GLAUS  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Glaus hit 47 HR in 2000.

-  #1  In 2001, Glaus, an AS & SS for the 2nd straight year, had 147 hits of which 81 (38 2B+2 3B+, 41 HR) were EBH.

-  #2  Glaus = glass in Swedish

FCR -  Jim Casey, Savannah

Incorrect guesses:  Mark Trumbo, Mike Trout

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 09-Feb

Q.  Who, in addition to Willie Stargell, hit twenty-four home runs in a season at Three River Stadium?

Hint: #1  He once took away a home run from Brandon Phillips with a catch neither of them will soon forget.

Hint: #2  He retrieved the base stolen by a Pirates manager to keep as a souvenir.

A.  BRIAN GILES  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Stargell hit 24 HR at 3 Rivers in 1973, Giles in 1999.

-  #1  Catch of CLE’s Phillips’ fly ball was in Pittsburgh in the 8th inning on 21-Jun-2003.

-  #2  PIT manager Lloyd McClendon is one of the greatest managerial tantrums ever, tore out first base.  Alert to the possibility, Giles took possession of the purloined, discarded base.

FCR -  Brett Moore, Studio City, California

Incorrect guesses:  Barry Bonds, Reggie Sanders

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – All-Star position-players with the high WAR ratings who received exactly zero (0) Hall of Fame votes

 

Player            HOF Vote           WAR

Cameron............... (2017)............. 46.7

Drew..................... (2001)............. 44.9

Furcal.................... (2020)............. 39.5

Giles...................... (2015)............. 51.1

Glaus..................... (2016)............. 28.1

Lankford............... (2010)............. 38.2

Sanders................ (2013)............. 39.8

Van Slyke............. (2001)............. 41.3

White..................... (2007)............. 47.3

 

Also qualified for the theme:

Carl Crawford         (2022)              39.1

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma (after Van Slyke)

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 Tues    -  Centerfielders with 200 or more career home runs and 200 or more career stolen bases 

            -  CFs who lead the league in Putouts without winning a gold glove

 

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