Answers & Theme for the Week of January 19-25, 2026

Peter,

 

MONDAY — 19-Jan-2026

Q. Who has earned more World Series rings as a player than anyone not named Yogi Berra?

Hint: #1 No player has batted in more runs during his first ten seasons.

Hint: #2 Before Nomar Garciaparra in 1999-2000, he was the last right-handed batter to win consecutive American League batting titles.

A. JOE DiMAGGIO [SABR Bio]

– Ans. DiMaggio was a 9-time winner with NYY: 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950 & 1951.

– #1 He amassed 1,277 RBI 1936-42, 1946-48, including highs of 167 in 1937 & 155 in 1948.

– #2 DiMaggio’s BA led the AL in 1939 (.381)& 1940 (.352). All other repeaters until Nomah were lefties. Righties Miguel Cabrera & Jose Altuve have done it since then.

FCR – Tom Hanon, Onset, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses: Whitey Ford, Frankie Crosetti, Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs

IN MEMORIAM — 20-Jan-2026 

Q. Which BRTL former Pirate pitcher was the only one to have twenty saves one season and twenty wins in each of the next four years?

Hint: #1   No modern pitcher has ever struck out more times at bat than he did in his last full year in the majors.

Hint: #2 He is the last pitcher to work more than 376 innings in one season since the Dead Ball Era.

Hint: #3 He is the last pitcher to start both ends of a double-header.

Hint: #4 No American League lefty pitcher has appeared in more games in one season.

A.  WILBUR WOOD [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Wood had 21 saves in 1970 for CHW and 22, 24, 24 & 20 wins for them in 1971-74. He spent 1964 & 1965 with PIT. He batted right-handed & threw left-handed, an uncommon combination.

– #1 He struck out 65 X in his final full season of 1972.

– #2 Wood threw 376⅔ innings in 1972. (Mickey Lolich had exactly 376 in 1971.)

– #3 He started the game on 20-Jul-1973(1) in Yankee Stadium, but only lasted ⅓ of an inning. White Sox manager Chuck Tanner figured Wood was still relatively fresh and so started him in the 2nd game 20-Jul-1973(2). He pitched 5⅓ this game, but took the L in both contests.

– #4 Woods had 2 starts & 86 relief appearances in 1968. That record, 88, has been tied by Tigers Mike Myers in 1997 & Sean Runyan in 1998.

FCR – Robert Reuther, Pittsburgh

Incorrect guesses: Dave Guisti Roy Face

TUESDAY  — 20-Jan-2026

Q. Which Southern slugger led the majors in home runs in consecutive seasons and in both years, had fewer strikeouts than home runs?

Hint: #1 The Yankees had never won the World Series in five consecutive seasons until he joined them.

Hint: #2 This BLTR was an All-Star for one league then played for a team from the other league in that same season’s World Series?

A. JOHNNY MIZE [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Mize was born and died in the same small town in Georgia. Playing for NYG in 1947, he hit 51 HR & K’d only 42 X. In 1948, he hit 40 HR & K’d 37 X. (Mark Reynolds assumes these stats are total fiction.)

– #1 Mize joined NYY in 1949. They then won the WS in 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 & 1953 with him after which they released him & he retired.

– #2 He started at 1st base for the Giants in the All-Star Game on July 12, 1949, his 9th ASG appearance. However, he was sold across town from the Giants to the Yankees in August & began their WS run with them that same fall.

FCR – Michael Craig, Gilbert, Arizona

Incorrect guesses: 

WEDNESDAY — 21-Jan-2026

Q. Which postseason home run hero’s ten-year Hall of Fame candidacy ended yesterday?

Hint: #1 He was drafted in the first round out of the same high school that Henry Kissinger had attended.

Hint: #2 He hit the third-most grand slams in major league history.

A. MANNY RAMIREZ [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Inn his 10 years on the HOF ballot, Ramirez garnered voting percentages of:

23.8% in 2017

22.0% in 2018

22.8% in 2019

28.2% in 2020

28.2% in 2021

28.9% in 2022

33.2% in 2023

32.5% in 2024

34.3% in 2025

38.8% in 2026

Never close to the 75% required for induction .

– #1 Rod Carew, Maria Callas, Alan Greenspan, Kissinger & Ramirez are all alumni of George Washington High School in New York City. Manny was taken 13th overall in the 1991 June Draft.

– #2 Ramirez’ 21 grand slam total trails only the 25 of Alex Rodriguez & 23 of Lou Gehrig.

FCR – Jaime Aron, Dallas

Incorrect guesses: Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones, Kirk Gibson, Jeff Kent

MIDWEEK BONUS — 18-Jun-2025

Q. Who is the only Pittsburgh Pirate to be named National League Most Valuable Player more than once?

Hint: #1 His father had a “cup of coffee” with the Cubs.

Hint: #2 He is related, by birth, to a first-round Hall of Famer.

A. BARRY BONDS [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Bonds’s MVPs = 1990, 1992. In 1990, a single vote for a teammate prevented him from winning unanimously.

– #1 Bobby Bonds ended his 14-year career with CHC in 1981, playing only 45 games (Maybe it was  a full urn?)

– #2 Reggie Jackson is his cousin.

FCR – Doug Wedge, Edmond, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses: Willie Stargell, Dave Parker

THURSDAY — 22-Jan -2026

Q. Which one-time Anaheim Angels player broke Mickey Mantle’s record for the most games with a home run from each side of the plate?

Hint: #1 In the game where he broke the record, this player’s left-handed blast was off the father of NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Hint: #2 He was the first Cleveland Indians player to appear in a World Series game as a designated hitter.

A. EDDIE MURRAY [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Mantle did it 10 X. Murray hit his 11th on 21-Apr-1994.  The current record is a tie at 14, held by Mark Teixeira & his one-time NYY teammate, Nick Swisher. Murray played 41 G for ANA in 1997.

– #1 His 11th game with one each was in Minnesota. Watch here. Mahomes & son here.

– #2 CLE WS DH AB=Game 3, 24-Oct-1995

FCR – Dan McLaughlin, Floral Park, New York

Incorrect guesses: Bo Jackson, Ruben Sierra, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Santana

FRIDAY — 19-Mar-2025

Q. Which former Bulldog failed to get Most Valuable Player votes only three times in his first ten seasons?

Hint: #1 In the other seven seasons, he received first place votes in four of them including all of them one year.

Hint: #2 He joined an elite club begun by Frank Robinson.

A. AARON JUDGE [B-R Bio]

– Ans. From 2016 through 2025, Judge received MVP votes following every season except 2016, 2019 & 2020. In college he played for the California State Fresno Bulldogs whose alumni count 12 additional players with at least 10 years in MLB.

— #1 He got two 1st-place AL MVP votes in 2017. He got most of the 1st-place votes in 2022 (28 of 30) & 2025 (17 of 30) then got all the 1st-place votes in 2024, his unanimous AL MVP.

– #2 Robinson was the first player to be chosen unanimously for both ROY & MVP (1956, 1966). Judge as unanimous ROY in 2017 & MVP in 2024. Other members include Orlando Cepeda, Albert Pujols & Mike Trout.

FCR – Gregory Koch, Falls Church, Virginia

Incorrect guesses: Orlando Cepeda, Jeff Bagwell, Will Clark, Shohei Ohtani, Frank Thomas, Mike Trout

SATURDAY — 23-Jan-2026 

Q. Which peripatetic nomad nonetheless never malingered with any of the seven teams he played for?

Hint: #1 In spite of striking out one hundred times in each of ten seasons, his other stats never suffered, compared to major league averages, notably his slugging and OPS+.

Hint: #2 He won two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and two MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Hint: #3 A Hall of Fame manager called him, “the best-fielding right-handed first baseman I’ve seen since Gil Hodges.”

A. ANDRES GALARRAGA [SABR Bio]

– Ans. From 1985 to 2019, Galarraga played for MON, STL, COL, ATL, TEX, SFG & ANA.

– #1 Galarraga averaged 105 Ks annually over his 19-year career, but he finished with a slugging average of .499 & an OPS+ mark of 119.

– #2 Won GG in 1989 & 1990 for MON; Won SS for Mon in 1988 and for COL in 1996. CPOTY in 1993 w/COL & in 2000 w/ATL.

– #3 Quote is from Whitey Herzog.

FCR – Steve Berman, Wanaque, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses: Keith Hernandez, Vic Power, Dave Kingman

SUNDAY — 25-Jan-2026

Q. Who batted sixth in the lineup in a World Series game where he was the starting pitcher?

Hint: #1 He also batted in two runs with a triple that same day.

Hint: #2 Only Barry Bonds had led his league in bases-on-balls more times.

A. BABE RUTH [SABR Bio]

– Ans. Game 4 of the 1918 WS vs. CHC.

– #1 Ruth knocked in George Whiteman & George “Stuffy” McInnis with a 3B off Cubs starter Lefty Tyler in the 4th inning.

– #2 Bonds is the all-time leader, having ed the NK 12 X in BB, but Ruth in the AL king w/10 X.

FCR – Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses: Bob Lemon, Shohei Ohtani, Nolan Ryan

WEEK’S THEME –  Players who qualified by leading their league in all 3 Triple Crown categories, but not in the same season

Player               HR/Year            RBI/Yr                  Avg/Yr

Bonds……………. 46/1993…………. 123/1993…………..  .370/2002

…………………….. 73/2001…………. ………………………..  .362/2004

DiMaggio……….. 46/1937…………. 125/1941…………..  .381/1939

…………………………………………….. 155/1948…………..  .352/1940

Galarraga………. 47/1996…………. 150/1996………….. .370/1993

…………………………………………….. 140/1997

Judge……………. 52/2017…………. 133/2022…………..  .331/2025

…………………………………………….. 144/2024

Mize……………… 28/1939…………. 137/1940…………..  .349/1939

…………………….. 43/1940…………. 110/1942

…………………….. 51/1947…………. 138/1947

…………………….. 40/1948

Murray…………… 22/1981………….  78/1981………….. .330/1990

Ramirez…………. 43/2004…………. 165/1999…………..  .349/2002

Ruth……………… 11/1918…………. 113/1919…………..  .378/1924

…………………….. 29/1919…………. 135/1920

…………………….. 54/1920…………. 168/1921

…………………….. 59/1921…………. 130/1923

…………………….. 41/1923…………. 153/1926

…………………….. 46/1924

…………………….. 47/1926

…………………….. 60/1927

…………………….. 54/1928

…………………….. 46/1929

…………………….. 49/1930

…………………….. 46/1931

Also qualifying but not receiving questions this week…

Hank Aaron……. 44/1957…………. 132/1957…………..  .328/1956

…………………….. 44/1963…………. 126/1960

…………………….. 44/1966…………. 130/1963

…………………….. 39/1967…………. 127/1966

Albert Pujols…… 47/2009…………. 118/2010…………..  .359/2003

…………………….. 42/2010

Alex Rodriguez. 52/2001…………. 142/2002…………..  .358/1996

…………………….. 57/2002…………. 156/2007

…………………….. 47/2003

…………………….. 48/2005

…………………….. 54/2007

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (after Mize)

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Published by RJ Hamster

I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis. I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God. I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons. I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA. While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon.. In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987). From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting. Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982. I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects. In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston. In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018. Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia. In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey. As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova. Love and God Bless, Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi

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