Hint: #1 His first major league hit came off a pitcher who had thrown a perfect game. The next night, he belted his first career home run off a two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Hint: #2 He was Au… you know.  His uniform really ought to be 79.

Wednesday’s question answered:

Q. Whose record for the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast Era did the Pirates’ Oneil Cruz break last month?

Hint: #1 A two-time Hank Aaron Award winner, he was the Most Valuable Player for a league he no longer competes in.

Hint: #2 He represented his home country in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and 2017.

A. GIANCARLO STANTON  [B-R Bio]

– Ans. On 09-Aug-2021, NYY’s Stanton hit into a double play at a blistering 122.2 MPH, tying the speed of one hit he had in 2017. But, on 25-May-2025, Cruz hit a HR at 122.9 MPH.  [Notice how many times Stanton appears on this list.]

– #1 Stanton won the Hank Aaron Award in 2014 & 2017. He was the NL MVP in 2017 by the thinnest of margins over the Reds’ Joey Votto.

– #2 He was on Team USA in 2017, having been born in Panorama City, California, only a few miles from the Games’ venues.

FCR – Randall Chandler, Germantown, Tennessee