MONDAY — 31-Mar-2025
Q. Which
former Most Valuable Player had his college uniform number retired?
Hint: #1
He won he Comeback Player of the Year Award after a brief self-imposed
interregnum.
Hint: #2
He seems to be doing well in his new job.
-
Ans. Florida State University
retired his uniform #8 in 2023. Posey, who was a 2-time 1st-team
All-America C for the Seminoles in
2007 & 2008, won virtually every award in college baseball including the
Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy, Brooks Wallace, Johnny Bench &
Player of the Year honors by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball &
Rivals.com in his Jr. season.
-
#1 Won the CPY in 2021 after
sitting our 2020, citing worries about the Covid pandemic.
-
#2 Posey id now the Giants’
President of Baseball Operations and SFG 2025 currently has a record of 3-1.
FCR - William
Waite, Oakland, California
Incorrect guesses: Jose Canseco,. Will Clark, Mark McGwire
TUESDAY — 01-Apr-2025
Q. Who holds
the record for hitting the most home runs in his second full season in the
majors?
Hint: #1
He appears four times in his hundred-and-forty-year-old franchise’s Top
Ten season home run list.
Hint: #2
Among position players in the National League, only Willie McCovey won a
Rookie of the Year Award in fewer games played.
A. RYAN HOWARD [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. After a “cup of coffee”
where he hit 2 HR in 2004 and a rookie (ROY) campaign in 2006 that produced 22,
Howard exploded with 58 round-trippers in 2006, leading the
majors & smashing Mike Schmidt’s Phillies’ franchise record of 48
in 1980. It was Howard’s career best.
-
#1 Howard dominates the Phillies
list of 10 seasons with the most home runs, appearing at #1, #2, #4 & #8:
1. Ryan Howard....... 2006..... 58
2. Ryan Howard....... 2008..... 48
Mike Schmidt....... 1980..... 48
4. Ryan Howard....... 2007..... 47
Kyle Schwarber.... 2023..... 47
Jim Thome........... 2003..... 47
7. Kyle Schwarber.... 2022..... 46
8. Ryan Howard....... 2009..... 45
Mike Schmidt....... 1979..... 45
10. Chuck Klein.......... 1929..... 43
-
#2 McCovey played only 52 G in 1959 before winning the
(unanimous) NL ROY. Howard played 88 G
in 2005, just ahead of (or below) Bob Horner’s 89 G in 1978.
FCR - Mark
McFadden, Elverson, Pennsylvania
Incorrect guesses: Ronal Acuna, Mel Ott, Willie Mays, Albert
Pujols, Bryce Harper, Reggie Jackson
TUESDAY TWICE — 01-Apr-2025
Q. Who is
the only catcher to lead the majors in home runs for a season and then do it a
second time?
Hint: #1
He also led the majors in Runs Batted In, three times.
Hint: #2
His childhood friends nicknamed him “Hands”.
A. JOHNNY BENCH [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Bench led the NL (and MLB)
in 1970 w/45 HR & in 1972 w/40. Only a handful have ever even done it once. BTW., Bench was NL MVP in 1970 & 1972. The Cubs’ Billy Williams took the silver both
those years.
-
#1 Bench’s MLB-leading RBI seasons were ’70 &
’72 again, w/148 & 125, but he added 129
in 1974.
-
#2 Well… 7!
FCR - Bob
Heckman, Alexandria, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Mike Piazza, Jimmy Foxx, Roy Campanella
WEDNESDAY — 02-Apr-2025
Q. Who
is the only player to hit twenty home runs in a season in the Astrodome?
Hint: #1
He is the only first baseman on a Texas-based National League franchise
to win a Gold Glove.
Hint: #2
He donated his signed, game-used jersey, hat, bat and ball from a rehab
assignment with the proceeds going to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
A. JEFF BAGWELL [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. He did it 3 X: In 1997, The Astrodome’s antepenultimate
season, 22 of Bagwell’s 43 HR were hit at home.
He also hit 23 of his 39 HR at home in 1994, his MVP year. In 1998, 20 of Bagwell’s 34 HR were
Astrodome-domiciled.
-
#1 Bagwell was GG at 1st
for HOU in 1994, his (unanimous)
MVP year.
-
#2 In 2005, his final year in the
majors, Bagwell had to rehabilitate from shoulder surgery to address an
arthritic condition & numerous degenerative bone spurs. He rehabbed in the minors, playing 3 G w/ the
AA Corpus Christi Hooks. The items were auctioned on eBay.
FCR - James
Casey, Savannah
Incorrect guesses: Jim Wynn, Lance Berkman, Bob Watson, Rusty
Staub
MIDWEEK BONUS — 02-Apr-2025
Q. Who
was the last Most Valuable Player before Maury Wills in 1962 to also lead the
majors on stolen bases the same season?
Hint: #1
Like Wills, he did not debut in National League until he was more than
twenty-six years old.
Hint: #2
He beat Rosa by eleven years.
A. JACKIE ROBINSON [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Robinson was NL MVP in 1949 and led MLN in
SB w/37.
-
#1 On the day of Robinson’s
famous debut 15-Apr-1947, he was already 28
years old. Maury Will was 26 when he
finally came up to the big team.
-
#2 While serving in the Army,
Robinson refused to move to the back of a segregated bus at Fort Hood in
Texas. He was court-martialed but
acquitted—a courageous, pivotal stand in the civil rights movement. In 1955, a black 41-year old Alabama teacher sat
in the front of a local public bus, refusing to move the back when asked then
ordered. Read the Rosa Parks story here.
FCR - Toms
Brodkin, Lake of the Woods, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Willie Mays, Ted Lyons, Ricky Henderson, Willie
Davis, Marty Marion
THURSDAY — 03-Apr-2025
Q. Who
is the current Milwaukee Brewers’ career leader in Adjusted Batting Runs,
Adjusted Winning Runs, Power Speed #, Base-Out Runs Added, Win Probability
Added, Situational Wins Added and Base-Out Wins Added?
Hint: #1
No one else in his franchise’s half-century history has taken home
more Silver Slugger Awards.
Hint: #2
Among alumni who attended the same college, only Mike Piazza played more
major league games.
A. RYAN BRAUN [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. No idea, but they’re all here. In second place on each these lists is either
Christian Yelich, Robin Yount or Paul Molitor.
-
#1 Braun is a 5-time Silver
Slugger outfielder, won consecutively 2008-2012, his 2nd through 6th
seasons.
-
#2 Piazza & Braun attended
the University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL).
In MLB, Piazza was a contestant in 1,912 MLB games, Braun in 1,766.
FCR - Gabe
Kinstlinger, Reisterstown, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Christian Yelich, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor
FRIDAY —
04-Apr-2025
Q. Who
is the Rookie-of-the-Year-Award-winner who had been captured and jailed the
first four times he attempted to escape his native Cuba?
Hint: #1
In the first game of his third season, he hit a home run off a pitcher
who had thrown a perfect game.
Hint: #2
In every season of his career in the majors his ERA for the year stayed
below 3.00.
A. JOSE FERNANDEZ [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. Fernandez won the ROY in 2013, finishing 3rd
in the NL CYA voting. During his finally successful escape, crossing
the Gulf of Mexico, a fellow passenger fell overboard in the darkness. Without knowing who it was, Fernandez dove in
to rescue. It was his own mother.
-
#1 On 02-Jul-2015, Fernandez hit a solo
HR off SFG’s Matt Cain. It was the 2nd
& last HR of his career. Cain’s
perfecto had been 13-Jun-2012.
- #2 His
ERAs were: 2013 - 2.19 (2nd in
MLB),
2014 - 2.44,
2015 - 2.92 &
2016 - 2.86 (7th in MLB).
FCR - Larry
Lamb, Oakwood, Ohio
Incorrect guesses: Orlando Hernandez, Livan Hernandez, Jose
Abreu, Luis Tiant
SATURDAY — 05-Apr-2025
Q. Which
manager led the Seattle Mariners to their first winning season?
Hint: #1
He was the manager of Team China one year in the World Baseball Classic.
Hint: #2
He once had an acting gig as a head hunter on the TV show Gilligan’s Island.
A. JIM LEFEBVRE [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. SEA was 83-79 in 1991. There were 3 Hall of Famers on that team (&
1 more who should be IMHO).
-
#1 He led Team China in the 2006
WBC.
-
#2 Lefebvre & LAD teammate Al
Ferrera were on the show in the 1967-68 offseason. Wanna see?
FCR - Terry
Sloope, Cartersville, Georgia
Incorrect guesses: Chuck Cottier
WEEKEND EXTRA — 06-Apr-2025
Q. Who
was the first Rookie of the Year winner to lead his league strikeouts the same
year?
Hint: #1
A record-breaking Hall of Famer was a rookie teammate who debuted in the
same game he did.
Hint: #2
He was BRTB, but never in a game in the majors.
A. KEN HUBBS [SABR Bio] (Taking the question without the
hints, the correct answer would have been Jack Sanford in 1957.)
-
Ans. Hubbs was the ROY for CHC in 1962, but led he NL in Ks w/129.
-
#1 Hubbs & Lou Brock broke
into the majors in the same game, 10-Sep-1961. Brock led off and
Hubbs hit 2nd.
-
#2 Stories from coaches &
teammates said he could throw left-handed just as well as right, but playing
second base) he never used his left arm in games.
FCR - Art
Mugalian, Minneapolis
Incorrect guesses: Dwight Gooden, Herb Score, Tom Seaver, Vida
Blue
SUNDAY — 06-Apr-2025
Q. Which
former Giants infielder earned his nickname for being the youngest member of his
team when he was with Baltimore?
Hint: #1
He led the majors in triples as a rookie.
Hint: #2
He was a Dodgers coach when died just before the start of a World Series
the Dodgers were playing in.
A. JIM GILLIAM [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Gilliam was known as often
as “Junior” as Jim. He was only 17 years
old when he joined the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League II.
-
#1 He hit 17 triples
in 1953, which led the NL & AL.
-
#2 Gilliam died 08-Oct-1978 of a
brain hemorrhage. The team wore black
armbands in his honor, & retired his number 19 shortly thereafter.
FCR - Mike
Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses: Joey Amalfitano, Peanuts Lowery
WEEK’S THEME
– Retired NL Rookie of the Year Award winners who never played for another NL
or AL franchise. This is a variation of
the theme of 24/30-Oct-2024.
ROY Year Team Until WAR
Bagwell................. 1991.......... HOU............ 2005........... 79.9
Bench................... 1968.......... CIN.............. 1983........... 75.1
Braun................... 2007.......... MIL.............. 2020........... 47.2
Fernandez........... 2013.......... MIA.............. 2016........... 14.2
Gilliam................. 1953.......... BRO/LAD.... 1966........... 14.2
Howard................ 2005.......... PHI.............. 2016........... 14.5
Hubbs.................. 1962.......... CHC............ 1963............. 1.2
Lefebvre............... 1965.......... LAD............. 1972........... 17.1
Posey.................... 2010.......... SFG............. 2021........... 45.0
Robinson.............. 1947.......... BRO............ 1956........... 63.9
Future qualifiers?…
Ronald Acuna...... 2018......... ATL.............. 2025........... 25.6
Pete Alonso.......... 2019......... NYM............ 2025........... 19.9
Jonathan India..... 2021......... CIN.............. 2025........... 16.7
Michael Harris...... 2022......... ATL.............. 2025........... 11.8
Corbin Carroll....... 2023......... ARI.............. 2025............. 9.9
Paul Skenes......... 2024......... PIT.............. 2025............. 5.9
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Gregory Koch, Falls Church,
Virginia
Incorrect theme guesses:
Tues - MVPs
who also got their numbers retired by their college teams
- Rookies of the
Year who won league MVPs before their 500th MLB game
- Won Rookie of the
Year and MVP in the NL
Wed - Players
initially drafted by the Cincinnati Reds
-
Players
who won ROY and MVP and played their whole career for only 1 team
-
NL
players who won an MVP, ROY and ML PoY award
-
Players
who won ROY and MVP and played their whole career for only 1 National League
team
-
Rookies
of the Year who won MVPs and made the Hall of Fame
Thurs - Players
who won ROY and MVP and played entire career in the NL
-
National
League players who have won both the Rookie of the Year and MVP
-
Players
who won ROY and MVP with same NL team
-
NL
players who won an MVP, ROY and ML PoY award. And played entire career
for a single team
Fri - NL
RoY winners who were multiple all-stars and who played entire careers for one
team
-
ROYs
who played for one team their entire careers
Sun - Topps
Rookie Stars
-
Rookies
of the Year that played for only one MLB team
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