Sunday, August 2, 2026

2026-07-27 Player born in capital cities of states

MONDAY  — 27-Jul-2026

Q.  Which former Tiger holds the record for the most World Series home runs by a third baseman?

Hint: #1  He has represented the U.S.A. six times in international competition.

Hint: #2  He was the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player the same year he lost the Home Run Derby to a player who had the advantage of playing in his home park.

A.  ALEX BREGMAN  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Bregman has hit 6 HR in WS games.: 2 in 2017, 3 in 2019 & 1 in 2022.  He played for the LSU Tigers in college.  He broke the previous record of 5 held jointly by Graig Nettles & Ron Cey.

-  #1  Bregman in a USA uniform:

Year    Event                                       Result

2011    18U Baseball World Cup        🥇 Gold

2012    18U Baseball World Cup        🥇 Gold (All-World Team)

2013    Collegiate National Team       🥇 Gold

2015    WBSC Premier12                   4th place

2017    World Baseball Classic           🥇 Gold

2026    World Baseball Classic           Returned to Team USA roster

-  #2  The HRD in 2018 was a Nationals Park in Washington, DC., as part of the ASG celebrations.  Bregman advanced to the finals before losing to the Nats star Bryce Harper.  Bregman, however was named the game’s MVP in large part because he hit the HR in the 10th inning that broke the tie & put the AL ahead for good.

FCR -  Terry Gans, San Crlos, California

Incorrect guesses:  Chipper Jones. Travis Fryman, Eddie Mathews, Miguel Cabrera

 

 

TUESDAY  — 128-Jul-2025

Q.  Which former Raven owns the record for the most postseason pitching victories in major league history?

Hint: #1  He broke his nearly four-year-long drought without a shutout, by pitching one on Mothers’ Day.

Hint: #2  He led an expansion team to its first pennant and first World Series.

A.  ANDY PETTITTE   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Pettitte’s postseason Victories:

7 in ALDS competition

7 in ALCS competition

5 in World Series competition = 19 total

He pitched for Houston’s San Jacinto College Ravens before going pro.

-  #1  Pitching at home for the Astros on 14-May-2006, Pettitte walked just one, gave up 3 hits, but 0 runs throwing a 9-inning shutout—half of HOU’s shutouts that year.  His previous ShO had been for NYY on 30-Jun-2002.

-  #2  Pitching on a staff that included Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt & Brad Lidge, Pettitte was a key part of Houston's first National League pennant.

FCR -  Dan Schoenholz, Walnut Creek, California

Incorrect guesses:  Randy Johnson, Max Scherzer, Jamey Wright

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 29-Jul-2025

Q.  Which Hall of Famer was the youngest pitcher to win his 300th game?

Hint: #1  He is the only pitcher to win thirty games in a season seven times.

Hint: #2  He was young Casey Stengel’s coach on an amateur team in Kansas City.

Hint: #3  He won the Kansas City bowling championship at the age of 64.

A.  KID NICHOLS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Won #300 on 07-Jul-1900.  He was 30 years, 10 months old.

-  #1  John Clarkson & Tim Keefe did it 6 times each.  Only Nichols did it 7.

   Year     Record

1.) 1891   30-17

2.) 1892   35-16

3.) 1893   34-14

4.) 1894   32-13

5.) 1896   30-14

6.) 1897   31-11

7.) 1898   32-12

-  #2  Nichols also coached at Missouri Valley College during WWI.

-  #3  [Channeling a future Beatles hit?]

FCR -  Mark Haynes, Dumfries, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Pud Galvin

 

 

THURSDAY  -- 30-Jul-2025

Q.  Which former Cincinnati Reds player hit the first World Series grand slam this century?

Hint: #1  He was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the League Championship Series preceding that World Series.

Hint: #2  In the final season of his eighteen-year major league career, he received the prestigious Lou Gehrig Award.

A.  PAUL KONERKO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing for the White Sox, Konerko homered with 3 men on base in the 7th inning of Game 2, of the in 2005 WS, off the 1st pitch thrown by Astros reliever Chad Qualls.  Scoring ahead of him sere Juan Uribe, Tadahito Iguchi & Jermaine Dye.

-  #1  MVP of the 2005 ALCS.

-  #2  The 2014 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award went to Konerko, capping off his career.  [N.B. There exists some controversy about whether Konerko was that year’s winner.  Wikipedia and MLB are on one side, everyone else lists Adrian Beltre as the 2014 winner.]

FCR -  Jeff Papas, White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Incorrect guesses:  Josh Hamilton, Addison Russel, Tony Perez, Paul O’Neill, Shane Victorino

 

 

SABR 54 BONUS — 30-Jul-2025

Q.  Which one-time White Sox player spent more than fifty per cent of his games in the outfield as a rookie, but played 101 of his 138 games at first base the very next season?

Hint: #1  The first year he hit twenty home runs, he fell just short of stealing twenty bases that same season.

Hint: #2  Once, when chastised for smoking and drinking as a professional athlete responded, “I ain't an athlete, lady, I'm a baseball player.”

A.  JOHN KRUK     [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Kruk was drafted by, broke in with & spent his first 2+ years with SDP.  In his final season, he played 45 games with & homered twice for, CHW.

-  #1  In 1987 for PHI, Kruk successfully stole 18 bases and was thrown out 10 times.

-  #2  Case closed?  Perhaps not.  His physique may have suggested otherwise, but a career with 34 triples and 58 stolen bases point to a considerably better athlete than he claimed to be.

FCR -  Stephen Wright, Naperville, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Dick Allen, Darin Erstad, Joey Votto, Ron Leflore, Josh Hamilton, Chipper Jones, Roy Sievers

 

 

FRIDAY  — 31-Jul-2025

Q.  Who is only the fifth switch-hitter to reach the four-hundred-home run mark?

Hint: #1  One year, he hit more than twenty home runs, all from the left side, before the All-Star Game. 

Hint: #2  He is currently campaigning to be a U.S. Congressman.

A.  MARK TEIXEIRA  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Teixeira hit his 400th HR (& 401st) on 03-Jul-2016.  He hit his last one later that year, ending with 409.  Only switch-hitters Mickey Mantle (536), Eddie Murray (504), Chipper Jones (468) & Carlos  Beltran (435) hit more.

-  #1  After hitting 27 HR before the 2005 ASG, Teixeira’s 1st, he started at first base & homered in the 6th inning off lefty Dontrelle Willis.  As a result, it was his first right-handed HR of the season.

-  #2  Teixeira is the Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives representing Texas's 21st Congressional District.  He won the GOP primary in March, advancing to face Democratic candidate Kristin Hook in the general election on 03-Nov-2026.

FCR -  Jaime Aron, Dallas

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

SATURDAY  — 01-Aug-2025

Q.  Who ranks just one place ahead of Cy Young in career Fewest Bases-on-Balls per Nine Inning Pitched?

Hint: #1  He was once an All-Star in the Cape Cod League while playing for the Harbor Hawks and is a former Scarlet Knight and Lion.

Hint: #2  He earned a master's degree in psychology at Boston University and authored a book with a title that paraphrases the wisdom of Yogi Berra.

A.  BOB TEWKSBURY  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Tewksbury’s BB/IP rate at 1.4543, is slightly better than Young’s 1.4890.  Tewksbury ranks 23rd overall, but 3rd-best in the Live Ball Era.

-  #1  He has the most MLB games pitched, inning pitched & most wins among alumni of Rutgers University of New Brunswick New Jersey as well as among alumni of St. Leo University of St. Leo, Florida.   Tewk starred for the Harbor Hawks of the wood-bat Cape Cod League.

-  #2  His book is titled, “Ninety Percent Mental”.

FCR -  Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Ron Guidry

 

 

AN AUGUST* QUERY— 02-Aug-2025

Q.  Who threw the pitch that earned an opposing player an unwanted nickname?

Hint: #1  He was the pitching half of the battery who first threw out Rickey Henderson twice in a single game.

Hint: #2  He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a promising rookie.

*Pronounced “aug-GUST” and not “AUG-ust”.

A.  MIKE TORREZ  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Torrez’ 16-win 1978 season was forgotten with 1 pitch when he gave up a 3-run HR to light-hitting Yankee shortstop, Bucky Dent, in the late innings of the season-ending, division-deciding 163rd game.

-  #1  On 07-Jun-1980, Henderson, after successfully stealing 2nd base, was thrown out trying to steal 3rd base in the 5th inning by BOS C Doug Rader.  Henderson got caught again by Rader while attempting to steal 2nd base in the 7th inning.

-  #2  Torrez appeared on the 11-Mar-1967 issue with Johnny Bench, Cisco Carlos, Alan Foster & Don Pepper.  Torrez’ MLB career was 18 years long.  In this cover photo, only Bench came close w/17.  Foster was next w/10 years followed by Carlos w/4.  Don Pepper had 3 AB in 4 games in 1966 but quit baseball to run the family's turkey farm when his father died.

FCR -  ¯\_()_/¯

Incorrect guesses:  Jerry Augustine, Don August

 

 

 

 

 

THEME:  Players born in state capital cities

 

Topeka, Kansas................................. Torrez ................... 22.9

 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana.................... Pettitte................... 60.2

 

Annapolis, Maryland.......................... Teixeira................. 50.5

 

Concord, New Hampshire................. Tewksbury............ 20.8

 

Albuquerque, New Mexico................ Bregman............... 45.2

 

Providence, Rhode Island................. Konerko................ 28.0

 

Charleston, West Virginia.................. Kruk....................... 25.1

 

Madison, Wisconsin........................... Nichols................ 118.2

 

 

Addition qualifiers include -

 

Hartford, Connecticut......................... Randy Bush........... 37.5

Boise, Idaho....................................... Vance Law............. 10.6

Lansing, Michigan.............................. Vic Saier.................. 15.0

Jackson, Mississippi.......................... Chet Lemon........... 55.6

Jefferson City, Missouri..................... Steve Rogers......... 44.7

Lincoln, Nebraska.............................. Les Mann............... 14..6

Trenton, New Jersey......................... George Case......... 17.8

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma................. Bullet Rogan.......... 57.8

Salem, Oregon................................... Scott Hatteberg...... 10.0

Columbia, South Carolina.................. Kirby Bigbe............ 17.7

Pierre, South Dakota......................... Floyd Bannister...... 26.4

Nashville, Tennessee........................ Roy Cullenbine...... 32.2

Richmond, Virginia............................ Billy Nash............... 33.8

Olympia, Washington........................ Geoff Jenkins......... 21.9

Cheyenne, Wyoming......................... Brandon Nimmo..... 28.0

(There are, of course, many others.)

 

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme –  ¯\_()_/¯

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Players who hit 3 GS in a calendar month

-    

 

If you know someone who would enjoy receiving daily Horsehide Trivia questions, have them click here:  Horsehide Trivia or do it on their behalf.

 

Click here => THIS WEEK’s quiz, compete with questions, hints, answers & even incorrect guesses.

 

Scroll back to see previous Horsehide Trivia posts as far back as 2010.  Quizzes before that may also be available upon request.

 

 

Horsehide Trivia encourages independent research.  ⚾️

No comments:

Post a Comment