Hint: #1 He is the only player to finish second in Rookie of the Year voting then second in Most Valuable Player voting within three seasons.

Hint: #2 He remains the only player in major league history to accumulate one hundred home runs and four hundred walks before his twenty-fifth birthday.

Thursday’s question answered:

Q. Which one-time Kansas City Royals player is the only non-Yankee switch-hitter ever voted Most Valuable Player in the American League?

Hint: #1 He helped take down the Big Red Machine.

Hint: #2 He is the first player at his position to start the All-Star Game for both leagues.

A. VIDA BLUE  [SABR Bio]

– Ans. BBTL Blue was AL MVP in 1971. Played for KCR in 1982–83.

– #1 Blue & his OAK teammates won the WS in 1972, 4-3 over CIN. The CIN team dominance in the 1970s earned them the “Big Red Machine” nickname.

– #2 He was the starting pitcher for the AL in 1971 & 1975 pitching for OAK. Playing for SFG, he started for the NL in 1978. The NL won all 3 of his ASG starts.

FCR – Tom Hannon, Amesbury Massachusetts