MONDAY
Q. Who
was the first player to hit thirty home runs in each of his first ten major
league seasons?
Hint: He
didn’t have 100 RBI every one of those years, but almost. [Actually he did, but finally missed in his 11th year, when he
ended at 99 RBI.)
Twint: He
is one of the few players to win both the Rookie of the Year Award and Most
Valuable Player Award unanimously.
FCR - Jim
Casey, Savannah
TUESDAY
Q. Who
held the switch-hitter record for doubles in a season until Brian Roberts broke
it in 2009?
Hint: The
year he was the National College Player of the Year, he led his traditionally
academic school to their first College World Series appearance.
Twint: On
the wings of a Zephyr, this Owl became a Killer B.
A. Lance Berkman (55 in 2001, Roberts got
56 in 2009; NCPOY 1997 for Rice University; Played briefly with the New Orleans Zephyrs, then with
Bagwell
& Biggio
on the 1999-2005 Houston Astros.)
FCR - Mike Stock, East Alton, IL
WEDNESDAY
Q. What
former Dodger is the son of an Olympian?
Hint: He
represented his country also, but in the Pan Am Games.
Hint: He
is one of only a handful of major leaguers whose grandfathers played in the
majors.
Twint: He
represents his country today by playing for a team based in the nation’s
capital.
A. Jayson Werth (Played with the Dodgers 2004-05, Mother,
Kim Schofield Werth, competed in the US Olympic Trials in the long jump and 100
meters; Junior Pan Am Games in 1995; Grandfather Dick
Schofield; Washington
Nationals)
FCR - Stuart Levin, Sarasota
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who hit at least ten home runs a season
for seven consecutive seasons for seven different National League teams?
Hint: He
broke up Pedro Martinez’ perfect game by being hit by a pitch then charging the
mound.
Hint: Jerome
Walton promptly pinch-ran for him and reached third on a wild pitch.
Twint: He
boasted that he could easily steal against Randy Johnson if he could only get
on base.
Twint: In
nine such career opportunities, he only stole once.
Twint: In
each of the National League seasons where he had ten home runs, he also had at
least ten stolen bases.
A. Reggie Sanders (10+ HR for CIN 1998, SDP 1999, ATL 2000, ARI 2001, SFG 2002, PIT 2003,
STL 2004;
Brawl 13-Apr-1994)
FCR - Dave Williams, Glastonbury, CT
THURSDAY
Q. Whose
ninth-inning home run at Shea Stadium won the National League Championship
Series for his team?
Hint: He
and his two brothers are the first since the Cruzes all to play the same
position at the same time in the majors.
Hint: He
is contracted to make $14,000,000+ for each of the next six seasons, eclipsing
each year the total he made in his first six years.
Twint: He
is the only person with his first name in the history of the majors.
A. Yadier Molina (NLCS G
6 19-Oct-2006;
Brothers Bengie
and Jose,
[Jose,
Hector
and Tommy
Cruz)
FCR - Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD
FRIDAY
Q. Whose
deft fielding play assured the majors’ second-ever postseason no-hitter?
Hint: In 2011, he was ranked as the most
underrated at his position in the majors by Jayson Stark, of
ESPN.
Twint: Chooch
A. Carlos Ruiz (No-no by Roy Halladay
06-Oct-2010,
who benefitted from Ruiz’ well-played assist on a dribbler from the speedy Brandon
Phillips to end the game; “Chooch” is his nickname)
FCR - Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA
SATURDAY
Q. Who
is the only player to win multiple Gold Glove Awards in each league as a first
baseman?
Hint: His
finest defensive move on a baseball field, however, was not as a first baseman.
Twint: His
uniform number in his final season was 84, worn to honor the recent passing of
his father.
A. J.T. Snow (GG w/Angels 1995-96,
w/Giants 1998-2000; He snatched 3-year-old batboy Darren Baker out of harm's way
while scoring in G 5 of the 2002 WS; Father was NFL Pro Bowler Jack Snow.)
FCR - Andy McCue, Riverside, CA
SUNDAY
Q. What
player received his native land’s highest honor, the "San Carlos Cross of
the Order of the Great Knight"?
Hint: He
was also voted his country’s Man of the Year by "El Espectador".
Hint: Both
honors came well before he won his highest baseball honor.
Twint: Because
of his boyish features, he is sometimes called “The Barranquilla Baby”.
A. Edgar Renteria (Colombia awards in
1997; WS MVP 2010; native of Baranquilla)
FCR - Gregg Gaylord, Chicago
WEEKLY THEME – National League batters who have had more than ten World Series
base hits this century.
Renteria 12 (5
w/St. Louis
in 2004; 7 w/San
Francisco in 2010)
Ruiz 12 (6
w/Philadelphia
in 2008;
6 in 2009)
Sanders 12 (7
w/Arizona in
2001; 5 w/San
Francisco in 2002; 0 w/St. Louis in
2004)
Snow 11 (11
w/San
Francisco in 2002)
Werth 13 (8
w/Philadelphia
in 2008;
5 in 2009)
First Correct Respondent
to Identify Theme – No
one
