Horsehide Trivia: 2026-6-01 Players who hit for the cycle before their 22nd birthdays

MONDAY — 01-Jun-2026

Q. Who holds the major league record for most home runs in a season by a shortstop, as well as the record for most by a third baseman?

Hint: #1 No one has hit more career homers with the bases loaded.

Hint: #2 When he couldn’t have the uniform number of a Baseball Hall of Famer, he went with the uniform number of a Football Hall of Famer.

A. ALEX RODRIGUEZ [SABR Bio]

- Ans. In 2001, Rodriguez hit 52 homers as the Texas Rangers’ starting shortstop, then broke his own record with 57 the following season. In 2007, he belted 54 as the New York Yankees’ regular third baseman.

- #1 Against SFG on 20-Sep-2013, he hit the 24^th grand slam of his career, surpassing Lou Gehrig for the all-time lead. He added one more two years later, retiring with 25.

- #2 Upon being traded to the Yanks in 2004, A-Rod couldn’t wear #3 because it had been retired for Babe Ruth 56 years earlier. Instead, he took #13 in tribute to Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.

FCR - Bob Cormier, Yoncalla, Oregon

Incorrect guesses:

TUESDAY — 02-Jun-2026

Q. Who is the only player with three or more league Most Valuable Player awards to his credit who never hit a double in postseason play?

Hint: #1 He and Mickey Mantle are the only American Leaguers to finish second in MVP voting to the same person in consecutive seasons. (Well, not the SAME player for both of them.)

Hint: #2 When he played his first game at Citizens Bank Park, his hometown accounted for nearly 20% of the crowd.

A. MIKE TROUT [B-R Bio]

- Ans. Trout hit a solo home run in his lone postseason appearance, going 1-for-12 against KCR in the 2014 ALDS. Of the 12 other 3+-time MVPs*, Jimmie Foxx has the fewest doubles (3) in postseason play.

- #1 Trout finished second to Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013; Mantle was runner-up to Roger Maris in 1960 and 1961. In the NL, Albert Pujols finished second to Barry Bonds in 2002 and 2003.

- #2 Trout grew up in Millville, New Jersey, about 45 miles from Philadelphia. When the Angels played a road game against the Phillies 13-May-2014, around 8,000 residents made the drive to see Trout’s “homecoming.” The town’s mayor threw out the first pitch & the Millville Senior High School choir sang the National Anthem.

*Yogi Berra 1951, 1954, 1955

Barry Bonds 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

Roy Campanella 1951, 1953, 1955

Joe DiMaggio 1939, 1941, 1947

Jimmie Foxx 1932, 1933, 1938

Aaron Judge 2022, 2024, 2025

Mickey Mantle 1956, 1957, 1962

Stan Musial 1943, 1946, 1948

Shohei Ohtani 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

Albert Pujols 2005, 2008, 2009

Alex Rodriguez 2003, 2005, 2007

Mike Schmidt 1980, 1981, 1986

Mike Trout 2014, 2016, 2019

FCR - Mark Solomon, Roswell, Georgia

Incorrect guesses: Ken Griffey Jr, Mike Schmidt

WEDNESDAY — 03-Jun-2026

Q. Who led his team in home runs for eighteen consecutive seasons, yet is only third on his franchise’s career home run list?

Hint: #1 He tied Gavvy Cravath’s record for National League home run titles, though he needed more than twice as many home runs to do it.

Hint: #2 When Braves outfielder Bill Dunlap made his big league debut, it marked the first time in four seasons that someone younger than this player was on a National League roster.

A. MEL OTT [SABR Bio]

- Ans. Ott had more homers than any other Giants hitter every season from 1928-45. His total of 511 dingers in a Giants uniform, however, is fewer than Willie Mays (646) or Barry Bonds (586) hit in their time with the team.

- #1 Ott led the Senior Circuit in round trippers six times, in 1932, 1934, 1936-38, and 1942. In those six seasons, he hit a total of 203 home runs. Cravath also led the league six times, from 1913-15 and 1917-19, but only hit 94 homers combined in those six seasons. His record would eventually be broken by Ralph Kiner, who won seven consecutive NL home run titles from 1946-52. He, in turn, was eventually eclipsed by Mike Schmidt, who led the NL in home runs eight times.

- #2 Ott’s first at-bat for the Giants came less than two months after his 17^th birthday. He was by 20 months the junior of Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rufus Meadows, the 2^nd youngest player to take the field in 1926.

FCR - Gabe Kinstlinger, Reisterstown, Maryland

THURSDAY 04-Jun-2026

Q. What Hall of Fame infielder walked away from the game for three years rather than play for Leo Durocher?

Hint: #1 When he made it into his first big league game, there were three other future Hall of Famers in the lineup.

Hint: #2 His nephew made his major league debut for the Houston Colt .45s at age nineteen, but failed to spark a long-lasting career.

A. ARKY VAUGHAN [SABR Bio]

- Ans. With the Dodgers in 1943, Vaughan led the majors in runs scored but opted to retire at the age of 31. Earlier in the season, he had walked out on the team for one game over comments Durocher made about teammate Bobo Newsome. Branch Rickey lured Vaughan back in 1947, after Durocher was suspended over his ties to professional gamblers.

- #1 Vaughan, who was selected to the Hall in 1985, made his PIT debut on 17-April-1932, taking the field with teammates Pie Traynor, Lloyd Waner & Paul Waner. It’s interesting that Durocher was playing shortstop for opposing CIN.

- #2 Shortstop Glenn “Sparky” Vaughan played 9 games for Houston as a September call-up in 1963. He returned to the minors for 1964, but was out of baseball after that season.

FCR - Dennis Walls, Orrington, Maine

Incorrect guesses: Dolph Camilli, Jackie Robinson

FRIDAY — 05-Jun-2026

Q. Who is the only major leaguer to record three consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs and 50 stolen bases?

Hint: #1 He retired as the seventh most prolific base stealer of the Live-Ball Era.

Hint: #2 He was the first outfielder to win consecutive Gold Gloves for an expansion franchise.

A. CESAR CEDENO [SABR Bio]

- Ans. From 1972-1974. Joe Morgan also had three 20-50 seasons, but his were over a 4-year span: 1973, 1974 & 1976. Rickey Henderson hit the twin milestones four times, in 1985, 1986, 1990 &1993.

- #1 At the end of the 1986 season, only 6 players since 1920 had more than his 550 steals. In the ensuing years, 8 more have surpassed him.

- #2 From 1972 through 1976, Cedeno won five consecutive Gold Gloves for HOU. Michael Bourn (2009, 2010) is the only other outfielder to win a National League Gold Glove in a Houston Astros uniform.

FCR - John Wilson, Mesa

Incorrect guesses: Tim Raines, K en Griffey Jr

SATURDAY — 06-Jun-2026

Q. Paul Molitor is the only player to steal second, third and home in the same inning for the Milwaukee Brewers. Who is the only player to accomplish that feat against the Brew Crew?

Hint: #1 No one racked up 10 career homers and 20 career stolen bases faster than this player.

Hint: #2 In the past 67 years, only he and one other player from his franchise have done what qualified him for this list, and they were both wearing the same uniform number when they did it.

A. ELLY De La CRUZ

- Ans. In Milwaukee on 08-July-2023, De La Cruz stole three times in two pitches. Molitor stole three in an inning on 26-July-1987.

- #1 De La Cruz stole his 20^th base—he already had 10 HRs—in the 64^th game of his career, one fewer than it took Barry Bonds.

- #2 Can’t tell you what they did without revealing the theme for this week, but can tell you that De La Cruz and Eric Davis are both #44’s.

FCR - John Rickert, Terre Haute, Indiana

Incorrect guesses: Rod Carew, Jackie Robinson, Rickey Henderson

SUNDAY — 07-Jun-02026

Q. Who scored the most runs in the game that saw the most runs scored?

Hint: #1 The Cardinals took public criticism but agreed to take Flack for trading him in the middle of a doubleheader.

Hint: #2 In the Modern Era, he leads all Penn State alumni in hits, runs, RBIs and doubles.

A. CLIFF HEATHCOTE [SABR Bio]

- Ans. Heathcote went 5-for-5 and scored 5 runs for the CHC on 25-Aug-1922 in a 26-23 loss to PHI. Teammate Marty Krug & Philadelphia’s Cliff Lee each scored 4 times.

- #1 Between Game 1 and Game 2 of a 30-May-1922 Decorations Day (now: Memorial Day) doubleheader, STL & CHC agreed to swap Heathcote for outfielder Max Flack.

- #2 If you include players from the 1800s, however, Hall of Famer John Ward leads nearly all career offensive statistics among the 37 major leaguers who attended Penn State.

FCR - Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses: John Montgomery Ward

THEME: Players who hit for the cycle before their 22^nd birthdays

Player Date Age Write-up

Cedeno.......... 02-Aug-1972........ 21-159...... SABR Games Project Story

De La Cruz*... 23-Jun-2023......... 21-063...... SABR Games Project Story

Heathcote....... 13-Jun-1918......... 20-140...... SABR Games Project Story

Ott.................. 16-May-1929(2)..... 20-075...... SABR Games Project Story

A-Rod............. 05-Jun-1997......... 21-313...... SABR Games Project Story

Trout............... 21-May-2013........ 21-287...... SABR Games Project Story

Vaughan......... 124-Jun-1933....... 21-107...... SABR Games Project Story

*Eric Davis was the last Reds player to hit for the cycle prior to De La Cruz, on 02-June-1989.