Q. Which former Dodger pitcher broke Luis Tiant’s record for opponents’ lowest batting average in any season?

Hint: #1 His brother (not Tiant’s) pitched for the Pirates the following season.

Hint: #2 He (not the brother) was caught in untimely infield sprinkler action during a game in the 2005 season.

A. PEDRO MARTINEZ [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Martinez surpassed the.168 set by Luis Tiant in 1968, “The Year of the Pitcher”. In 2000 Pedro’s was .167. He had pitched for LAD in 1992 & 93.

– #1 Ramon Martinez, Pedro’s older brother, pitched for PIT in 2001.

– #2 View the unexpected sprinklers here.

FCR – Stefan Grossman, Bethesda

TUESDAY — 29-Apr-2025

Q. Who is the only National League player to hit home runs in his first two World Series at-bats?

Hint: #1 He is a member of an elite club of only four members, the other three being Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt & Ken Griffey, Jr.

Hint: #2 He is the youngest player ever to start a season for the oldest franchise in major league history.

A. ANDRUW JONES [B-R Bio]

– Ans. In G 1 of the 1996 WS, Jones homered off Andy Pettitte in the 2^nd inning & off Brian Boehringer in the 3^rd. At 19 years, 180 days old, he became, & still is, the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the WS.

– #1 Mays, Schmidt, Griffey & Jones each have 10 GG & 400+ HR.

– #2 In 1997, at 19 years old, Jones was the youngest Opening Day starter in the history of the Braves franchise, which dates to 1876, when they began as the Boston Red Stockings.

FCR – Jeff Cohen, Wantagh, New York

TUESDAY TWICE  — 29-Apr-2025

Q. Who has hit more doubles in a season than any other player in the one hundred fourteen year history of the Dodgers?

Hint: #1 He led the majors in doubles that year but also did twice before.

Hint: #2 Eight times he has finished in the Top Ten in league Most Valuable Player voting.

A. FREDDIE FREEMAN  [B-R Bio]

– Ans. Freeman hit 59 2B in 2023.

– #1 He hit 47 2B for LAD in 2022 & hit 23 for ATL in shortened 2020 season, his MVP year. He also led the NL in 2B for ATL w/44 in 2018.

– #2 Going chronologically, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023.

FCR – Brian Barris, Oneida, New York

WEDNESDAY — 30-Apr-2025

Q. Who hit the first, second, third and fourth most home runs in any season for the Montreal Expos?

Hint: #1 He is also the only Expo with a hitting streak of at least thirty games.

Hint: #2 Didn’t win an MVP until he changed leagues.

A. VLADIMIR GUERRERO [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Guerrero hit 44 (2000), 42 (1999), 39 (2002) & 38 (1998) for Montreal — the top four single-season home run totals in Expos history. He also owns their best four seasons of slugging percentage and total bases.

– #1 Hit in 31 straight G in 1999.

– #2 Although he had been on 6 consecutive NL MVP ballots, he was voted the AL MVP in his first year with ANA, 2004.

FCR – D.J. Pisano, Cape Town, South Africa

THURSDAY — 30-Apr-2025

Q. Who is the only player to hit for the cycle in a season where he had only one triple?

Hint: #1 He did it twice!

Hint: #2 He was an all-conference pitcher in college.

A. JOHN OLERUD [SABR Bio]

– Ans. On 11-Sep-1997, Olerud hit for the cycle for NYM.  The triple in that game was his only one of the season. His previous cycle had come 405 games earlier, on the final day of the strike-shortened 1994 season.

– #1 Then, playing for SEA on 12-Jun-2001, he again hit for the cycle again.  That triple was also his only one of the year—and came during a five-season span in which he hit no other triples (1999–2003).

– #2 Olerud’s pitching record at Washington State University was 26-4 with a 3.17 ERA over his 3 seasons. He also threw 241.1 innings, setting multiple PAC-10 & PAC-10 North records.

FCR – Scott Morissey, Hamilton, Ontario

THURSDAY AGAIN — 01-May-2025

Q. Who was named Baseball America Freshman of the Year and the next year Baseball America College Player of the Year?

Hint: #1 He hit the first of almost three hundred major league home runs off Roger Clemens.

Hint: #2 He is the only player to hit two grand slams in a single game AND hit grand slams in each game of a doubleheader.

A. ROBIN VENTURA [SABR Bio]

– Ans. At Oklahoma State U., Ventura burst onto the college baseball scene in 1986 & 1987 with one of the most explosive beginnings ever.

– #1 HR off Clemens was on 18-Apr-1990.

– #2 Two slams in one G = 04-Sep-1995, 1 each off SEA’s Danny Darwin & Dennis Cook. His doubleheader slams were on 20-May-1999(1) off Jim Abbott & 20-May-1999(2) off Horacio Estrada.

FCR – Jim Cochran, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

FRIDAY — 02-May-2025

Q. Who led the majors in WAR and ERA+ and led the American League in ERA, but came in a distant third in the only season of his sixteen in the majors when received even a single Cy Young Award vote?

Hint: #1 It was also the only season he received votes for the league’s Most Valuable Player where he finished behind twenty-two other players—including five pitchers!

Hint: #2 Among all pitchers since 1901 with at least 2,500 innings pitched and a career ERA+ of more than 120, only he had fewer than 170 wins and no Cy Young Awards or 20-win seasons.

A. KEVIN APPIER [SABR Bio]

– Ans. In 1993 his WAR of 9.3 & ERA+ of 179 were both best in the majors while his 2.56 ERA led the AL.

– #1 1993 AL MVP voting.

– #2 Appier’s career of 2,595⅓ IP & 169 W remains one of the most underappreciated in baseball history.

FCR – Jason Winston, Riverside, California

SATURDAY — 03-Mar-2025

Q. Which diminutive one-time Colorado Rockies’ pitcher is the only pitcher to begin his career with fifteen straight wins against another team in his league?

Hint: #1 He led the majors in pitchers’ WAR just two years after consecutive twenty-win seasons.

Hint: #2 He appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman to read the “Top 10” list.

A. ROY OSWALT [B-R Bio]

– Ans. Oswalt beat the Cincinnati Reds 15 times (over 19 starts) before he ever lost to them. He played for COL in 2013 in the last season of his career. Oswalt’s relatively slight stature (5’10”, 150 lbs.) scared away early scouts. [N.B. H

– #1 His 6.6 WAR was the pitchers’ best in 2007, but nobody could beat A-Rod’s 9.4for all players, all positions. In 2005 Oswalt’s record was 20-10 & 20-12 the following year.

– #2 He appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman to read the “Top 10 Perks of Getting Into the World Series”, in 2006,Season 13, Show #2447.

FCR – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

WEEKEND SPECIAL — 04-May-2025

Q. Who is the only shortstop with more than two hundred home runs and more than four hundred stolen bases?

Hint: #1 His total games playing shortstop, rounds to 100%.

Hint: #2 One year, halfway through his major league sojourn, he set the records for the most plate appearances and most at-bats in one season. Both records have stood the test of time.

A. JIMMY ROLLINS  [B-R Bio]

– Ans. Rollins racked up 231 HR & 470 SB in his 17 seasons in the majors, 15 w/PHI. Stats.

– #1 Of his 2,228 G, 7 were at 2^nd base & he DH’ed once.

– #2 In 2007, Rollins had 778 PA of which 716 were at-bats.

FCR – Fred Worth, Henderson, Arkansas

SUNDAY — 04-May-2025

Q. Who played in the most postseason series of any non-Yankee or non-Brave in the 1990s?

Hint: #1 He was an All-Star for three different expansion franchises.

Hint: #2 He was the first California Angels player to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.

A. DEVON WHITE  [SABR Bio]

– Ans. White was in 8 such series:

1991 ALCS – TOR;

1992 ALCS & WS – TOR (2 series);

1993 ALCS & WS – TOR (2 series);

1997 NLDS, NLCS, WS – FLA (3 series)

– #1 ASG for AL CAL in 1989, for AL TOR in 1993 [with 6 teammates] & for the NL… ARI in 1998.

– #2 Switch-hit HRs = 23-Jun-1987.

FCR – David Wise, Hyde Park, New York

WEEK’S FINALE — 04-May-2025

Q. Which outfielder was once traded for Ken Griffey Jr.—and had previously been traded for Paul Konerko?

Hint: #1 He once homered four times in a single game, half of those in the first inning.

Hint: #2 He won Gold Gloves in both leagues and reached the 20–20 club with four different franchises.

A. MIKE CAMERON  [B-R Bio]

– Ans. Cameron was dealt from CHW to CIN for Konerko in 1998, then from CIN to SEA in the 2000 blockbuster that sent Griffey to the Reds.

– #1 On 02-May-2002, he hit 4 HR for SEA at CHW, including two in the 1st inning off Jon Rauch and Jim Parque.

– #2 Gold Glove CF for SEA (AL) and SD (NL), he had 20–20 seasons with SEA, NYM, MIL & SD.

FCR – Will Middleton, Salt Lake City

WEEK’S THEME – Rookies who finished behind unanimous Rookie of the Year Award winners, but built a solid major league careers (35.0+ career WAR)

Yr Lg        Unan. ROY                     Also-ran            Place    WAR

1993 NL… Mike Piazza………………… Martinez………… t-8^th…… 83.9

1997 NL… Scott Rolen…………………. Jones…………….. 5^th…….. 62.7

2011 NL… Craig Kimbrel………………. Freeman………… 2^nd…….. 61.1

1997 NL… Scott Rolen…………………. Guerrero……….. 6^th…….. 59.5

1990 AL… Sandy Alomar……………… Olerud…………… 4^th…….. 58.1

1990 AL… Sandy Alomar……………… Ventura…………. 7^th…….. 56.1

1990 AL… Sandy Alomar……………… Appier…………… 3^rd…….. 54.5

2001 NL… Albert Pujols………………… Oswalt…………… 2^nd…….. 50.0

2001 NL… Albert Pujols………………… Rollins…………… 3^rd…….. 47.9

1987 AL… Mark McGwire……………… White…………….. 5^th…….. 47.3

1997 AL… Nomar Garciaparra………. Cameron……….. 6^th…….. 46.7

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Really?! Not even a bad guess?

Incorrect theme guesses:

Mon    – Hall of Famers whose last MLB appearance was in a World Series

Tues   – One-time LA Dodgers who won a gold glove and a World Series

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