Hint: #1 He was the first player in his team’s history to hit safely six times in one game.

Hint: #2 He once homered and stole home in the same game.

Hint: #3 A Sports Illustrated poll voted him the second nicest major league player—after Jim Thome.

Thursday’s question answered:

Q. Which Yankee holds the record for the smallest home run total to lead the American League in a full season since the end of the Dead Ball Era?

Hint: #1 That same year, he led the league in walks, both intentional and otherwise.

Hint: #2 The year before, he had a streak of seventeen straight games when he didn’t hit a single single. He had hits—just no singles—for more than two weeks.

Hint: #3 As was the practice at the time, he left his glove on the field while his team was on offense. One day in a minor league game, a candy wrapper flew into his glove—an event noted by the media.

A. NICK ETTEN  [reddit Bio]

– Ans. Etten hit 22 HR in 1944 in 154 games.

– #1 He led the AL w/97 BB & 18 IBB in 1945.

– #2 In 1943, from 30-Jul to 15-Aug(2), Etten had 14 hits—9 doubles & 5 HR in 66 AB.

– #3 “Etten’s glove fields better without Etten,” quipped Sportswriter Dan Taylor, quoting Etten teammate Joe Trimble, who saw it happen.

FCR – Terry Sloope, Cartersville, Georgia