Hint: #1 In his seventeen-year, two-thousand-plus game major league career, he only played for National League teams except for the eighty-eight game dalliance that qualified him for this week’s theme.

Hint: #2 Although he and Don Mattingly didn’t play at the same time in the majors, they were born in the same home town on the banks of the Ohio River.

Thursday’s question answered:

Q. Which Hall of Famer, originally drafted 233^rd by the New York Yankees, was the first San Diego Padre to lead the National League in home runs one season?

Hint: #1 He was the first in his franchise to hit a grand slam on Opening Day.

Hint: #2 He became the first player to hit thirty home runs in a season with five different teams.

A. FRED McGRIFF  [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Playing for SDP 1992, McGriff led the NL in HR w/35. Was drafted out of Thomas Jefferson HS in Tampa, Florida in 1981, the last player chosen in 9^th round.

– #1 Playing for TBD , he knocked in 3 plus himself with a HR off Brad Radke in the 5^th on 03-Apr-2000.

– #2 McGriff hit:

36, 35 w/TOR in 1989, ’90;

31, 35 w/SDP in 1991, 92;

34 w/ATL in 1994;

32 w/TBD in 1999; &

30 w/CHC in 2002.

FCR – Jake Bell, Santa Fe, New Mexico