Trivia Quiz

I was watching the Braves-Giants game on Wednesday and paid particular attention to the AFLAC Trivia Question (how is it possible to sponsor every MLB trivia question on every network in America?).
Anyhow, with Tim Lincecum pitching for the Giants, the question was: "Who was the last Giant pitcher to lead the league in strikeouts?"
That's a tough one. The Giants haven't had a lot of power pitchers over the past 50 years or so. I'm the former team captain of my high school academic team, so I have some expertise in this area (trivia/miscellany/too much free time). First, I look at the current squad and count back. The only names of big winners from recent squads that popped up were Jason Schmidt and Russ Ortiz. Schmidt was a possibility, but I didn't think he ever actually led the league. (The play-by-play man picked him anyhow.) And Ortiz was never a big strikeout guy.
Then I start going back by eras, using any postseason appearances as benchmarks. Who were the Giants' pitchers on their 1987 and 1989 teams? The only names that came up were Bill Swift, Mike Krukow, and Atlee Hammaker. Good pitchers, but not dominant. I did remember that John Burkett had a big career year in the mid-90's, but that was due to wins, not actual dominance.
The Giants had a lot of good pitchers in the 70's, despite the fact that they did most of their winning on other teams. Gaylord Perry? Not enough of a K man. And I couldn't think of the other key Giants pitchers from the 70's. I remembered John Montefusco, who won the Rookie of the Year with a big season one year and then faded away. He became my default choice. I could have sworn there was some other big Giant rookie around that time, but I couldn't place a name (I was thinking of Mike McCormick, but he wasn't the guy).
That left the 1960's, and it was a stretch for me to believe that a team as good as the Giants hadn't had a pitcher lead the league in strikeouts since then. Juan Marichal was The Man for the Giants in the 60's, but I seem to remember that he never actually led the league in K's, mainly because he was up against Koufax and Gibson.
Okay. Now I know for sure that Carl Hubbell led the league in strikeouts back in the 1930's. But surely somebody has done it since then? The answer I settled on was Montefusco, but with some misgivings.

The answer?

Bill Voiselle in 1944.

The announcers playfully chided their trivia guru for giving them such an impossible question. I marveled at the fact that the Giants had had so many good teams since 1944 without having a real ace, Marichal excepted. You could maybe count Gaylord Perry or Jason Schmidt, but they didn't stick around for long.

Out of this, I came up with a great idea for a trivia quiz. Ask the same question for every major league franchise, and not just for strikeouts; for several key stats. It’s the sort of thing for someone with too much spare time, so here I go. And I’ve decided to include you in on the fun.

I submitted my own answers to the question. I’ll reveal my answers, along with the real ones, at the end of the entry:

Q: Who was the last member of each franchise to lead the league in batting average?

Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
a. Hank Aaron
b. Rico Carty
c. Chipper Jones
d. Terry Pendleton

Chicago Cubs
a. Ernie Banks
b. Derrek Lee
c. Billy Williams
d. Ryne Sandberg

Cincinnati Reds
a. Pete Rose
b. Joe Morgan
c. Barry Larkin
d. Tony Perez

Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
a. Steve Garvey
b. Willie Davis
c. Jackie Robinson
d. Tommy Davis

Philadelphia Phillies
a. Richie Ashburn
b. Mike Schmidt
c. Napoleon Lajoie
d. Pete Rose

Pittsburgh Pirates
a. Barry Bonds
b. Roberto Clemente
c. Bill Madlock
d. Freddy Sanchez

New York/San Francisco Giants
a. Barry Bonds
b. Willie McCovey
c. Willie Mays
d. Jeff Kent

St. Louis Cardinals
a. Rogers Hornsby
b. Willie McGee
c. Keith Hernandez
d. Albert Pujols

Baltimore Orioles
a. Brooks Robinson
b. Cal Ripken, Jr.
c. Frank Robinson
d. Boog Powell

Boston Red Sox
a. Manny Ramirez
b. Bill Mueller
c. Wade Boggs
d. Mo Vaughn

Chicago White Sox
a. Luke Appling
b. Minnie Minoso
c. Frank Thomas
d. Magglio Ordonez

Cleveland Indians
a. Bobby Avila
b. Brett Butler
c. Roberto Alomar
d. Joe Jackson

Detroit Tigers
a. Alan Trammell
b. Lou Whitaker
c. Norm Cash
d. Magglio Ordonez

Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins
a. Kirby Puckett
b. Joe Mauer
c. Rod Carew
d. Joe Cronin

Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics
a. Rickey Henderson
b. Ferris Fain
c. Jason Giambi
d. Reggie Jackson

New York Yankees
a. Bernie Williams
b. Derek Jeter
c. Mickey Mantle
d. Paul O’Neill

Los Angeles Angels
a. Alex Johnson
b. Tim Salmon
c. Rod Carew
d. No Angel has ever led the league

(New)Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1960-Present)
a. Ivan Rodriguez
b. Mike Hargrove
c. Jeff Burroughs
d. No Ranger has ever led the league

New York Mets
a. Keith Hernandez
b. John Olerud
c. David Wright
d. No Met has ever led the league

Houston Astros
a. Craig Biggio
b. Cesar Cedeno
c. Jeff Bagwell
d. No Astro has ever led the league

Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers
a. Robin Yount
b. Cecil Cooper
c. Paul Molitor
d. No Brewer/Pilot has ever led the league

Kansas City Royals
a. Frank White
b. Willie Wilson
c. George Brett
d. No Royal has ever led the league

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
a. Jose Vidro
b. Al Oliver
c. Tim Raines
d. Pete Rose

San Diego Padres
a. Dave Winfield
b. Steve Garvey
c. Nate Colbert
d. Tony Gwynn

Seattle Mariners
a. Ichiro Suzuki
b. Ken Griffey, Jr.
c. Edgar Martinez
d. No Mariner has ever led the league

Toronto Blue Jays
a. Carlos Delgado
b. Vernon Wells
c. John Olerud
d. No Blue Jay has ever led the league

Colorado Rockies
a. Larry Walker
b. Todd Helton
c. Andres Gallaraga
d. Matt Holliday

Florida Marlins
a. Luis Castillo
b. Gary Sheffield
c. Miguel Cabrera
d. No Marlin has ever led the league

I’ll spare you the trouble and tell you right off that no member of the Arizona Diamondbacks nor the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays has ever won a batting title.

A: Who was the last member of each franchise to lead the league in batting average?
Correct Answer is italicized

Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
a. Hank Aaron
b. Rico Carty
c. Chipper Jones
d. Terry Pendleton
I got this one right. I remembered that Pendleton won the batting title during his 1991 MVP year while leading the Braves to the pennant. Carty won it in 1970, and Aaron won it in 1956 and 1959. And would you believe that Ralph Garr won it in 1974 (one of the more forgettable batting champions in history)?Chipper has never won a batting title, although he does lead the NL in hitting as of right now. He should win it this year, unless injuries drop him below the playing time threshhold.

Chicago Cubs
a. Ernie Banks
b. Derrek Lee
c. Billy Williams
d. Ryne Sandberg
I guessed Banks and guessed wrong. Mr. Cub never won a batting title; his best showing was 6th place in 1958 with a .313 mark. I knew that Derrek Lee had won something in 2005, but I thought it was the home run or RBI lead. Unlike Banks, Williams (the Forgotten Cub) did win a batting title, in 1972. Ryno was a good power hitter, but only once did he finish among the top five in average; that was a .314 mark that was good enough for 4th place in 1984.
Also, Bill Buckner won a batting title as a Cub in 1980, and Bill Madlock won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. Before Williams, though, you have to go back 27 years to find the last Cub winner of the batting title; Phil Cavarreta, at .355 in 1945.

Cincinnati Reds
a. Pete Rose
b. Joe Morgan
c. Barry Larkin
d. Tony Perez
I could have sworn Larkin won a batting title, but I was wrong. He finished in 6th place twice, but never better than that. As a Red, Rose won batting titles in 1968, 1969, and 1973. Neither Perez nor Morgan won even one. And before Pete Rose, you have to go all the way back to Ernie Lombardi in 1938 to find the last Red to pace the lead in AVG.

Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
a. Steve Garvey
b. Willie Davis
c. Jackie Robinson
d. Tommy Davis
Would you believe I guessed the wrong Davis? I could have sworn that it was Willie that won a batting title, but no; it was Tommy, in 1962 and 1963. Odd that the Dodgers, who have won 7 pennants and 3 World Series since then, have never had a hitter win one since. And Jackie Robinson did win a batting title, by the way, in 1949.

Philadelphia Phillies
a. Richie Ashburn
b. Mike Schmidt
c. Napoleon Lajoie
d. Pete Rose
As God is my witness, I picked Lajoie. Yes, that’s 100 years ago, but it’s the Phillies! I forgot all about Ashburn (I wasn’t given the gift of multiple choice like you folks). Even so, 50 years is a long time to go without a batting title (Ashburn won his in ’55 and ’58). And I wasn’t wrong about the low level of Phillie hitting in the years before. Harry “The Hat” Walker won a batting title in a 1947 season begun in St. Louis and ended in Philadelphia, so there’s one for the Phillies, technically. Other than that, it’s Chuck Klein (’33), Lefty O’Doul (’29), Sherry Magee (’10) and . . . well, not Lajoie, but his contemporary: Ed Delahanty (1899).

Pittsburgh Pirates
a. Barry Bonds
b. Roberto Clemente
c. Bill Madlock
d. Freddy Sanchez
It’s understandable that you would forget Sanchez who – I hate to say – may end up as one of the most forgettable batting title winners in history. I picked Clemente, and wasn’t off by much; Roberto did take home the title four times (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967). But I also forgot about Bill Madlock’s 1981 season (.340), and Dave Parker’s back-to-back titles in ’77 and ’78. The Pirates have won a fair number of batting titles.

New York/San Francisco Giants
a. Barry Bonds
b. Willie McCovey
c. Willie Mays
d. Jeff Kent
Would you believe I got this one wrong, too? I can’t believe I forgot Bonds’ batting titles in 2002 and 2004, improbable feats that came so late in his career. I picked Mays, and he’s actually the last Giant to win one before Bonds, taking it home in 1954. Kent and McCovey never had the honor.

St. Louis Cardinals
a. Rogers Hornsby
b. Willie McGee
c. Keith Hernandez
d. Albert Pujols
This one isn’t as hard, although it seems like he’s won a lot more than just the one (2003) batting title. McGee and Hernandez were, indeed, the last Cardinals before Pujols to take home the honor. I put Hornsby in there just to scare you into thinking this might be another Bill Voiselle situation.

Baltimore Orioles
a. Brooks Robinson
b. Cal Ripken, Jr.
c. Frank Robinson
d. Boog Powell
I picked Ripken, but as good as he was, he never finished higher than 5th in batting. Brooks and Boog were always more sluggers than contact hitters, anyhow.

Boston Red Sox
a. Manny Ramirez
b. Bill Mueller
c. Wade Boggs
d. Mo Vaughn
I missed this by one year. I picked Manny Ramirez, who won the title in ’02 . . . but I forgot that Mueller won it in ’03. In 2004, the Red Sox became likely the first team in history to bat the defending batting champion 9th on multiple occasions. Vaughn came close, but never won one, while Boggs took home five.

Chicago White Sox
a. Luke Appling
b. Minnie Minoso
c. Frank Thomas
d. Magglio Ordonez
Again, I put some older players in there to scare you a bit. I got this one right, but you wouldn’t be too out of line to look into the past for White Sox hitting heroes. Big Frank won the batting title in 1997. Before him, the last Chicago player to win it was, indeed, Luke Appling, in 1943. And Thomas and Appling are – believe it or not – the only Chicago White Sox ever to take home a batting title (Appling also won it in 1936) in the 107-year history of the American League.

Cleveland Indians
a. Bobby Avila
b. Brett Butler
c. Roberto Alomar
d. Joe Jackson
I had the right position in the field; I was just off by 40 years (Alomar was my guess). The Indians have been waiting nearly as long for another batting champ (since 1954) as they have for another world championship (since 1948).

Detroit Tigers
a. Alan Trammell
b. Lou Whitaker
c. Norm Cash
d. Magglio Ordonez
On this one, it was the recent player that may have thrown you, as Ordonez took home the honor last year, with a .363 mark. Before Ordonez, the last Tiger to win a batting title was Cash, in 1961. (Great though Trammell and Whitaker were, batting average wasn’t their greatest strength).

Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins
a. Kirby Puckett
b. Joe Mauer
c. Rod Carew
d. Joe Cronin
Again, recent history may have confused you here. Mauer won it just two years ago (.347). Puckett took it home in 1989 (.339) and Carew won seven batting titles while with Minnesota. Cronin was a red herring.

Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics
a. Rickey Henderson
b. Ferris Fain
c. Jason Giambi
d. Reggie Jackson
Rickey Henderson, my guess, was a good guess. But among all the teams that have managed to win a batting title, the A’s have waited the longest time since their last. Fain did it in 1952, 56 years, two cities, and four world championships ago. It’s astonishing that of all the great Athletic hitting talent since then, nobody’s been able to top the league while wearing the green and gold.

New York Yankees
a. Bernie Williams
b. Derek Jeter
c. Mickey Mantle
d. Paul O’Neill
Mantle was another Voiselle trick. He did win a batting title in 1956, but the award has been back in pinstripes again since then. Williams managed the feat in 1998, but since the Yankees were in the middle of stomping the rest of the major leagues into oblivion, it’s understandable if nobody remembers it.

California Angels
a. Alex Johnson
b. Tim Salmon
c. Rod Carew
d. No Angel has ever led the league
Who? Alex Johnson is another one of those utterly random batting title winners. I picked Carew, but he conveniently stopped winning batting titles after he left Minnesota.

(New)Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1960-Present)
a. Ivan Rodriguez
b. Michael Young
c. Jeff Burroughs
d. No Ranger has ever led the league
I was almost right when I guessed that no Ranger/Senator had won a batting title. I completely forgot Young’s 2005, when his .331 mark paced the league. The words “great player” and “Texas Ranger” rarely go together.

New York Mets
a. Keith Hernandez
b. John Olerud
c. David Wright
d. No Met has ever led the league
How ‘bout that? But if you think about it, most of the key Mets hitters have been sluggers, like Darryl Strawberry or even Gary Carter, rather than finesse hitters (and of course they’ve also had a lot of really bad hitters taking up space). Olerud and Hernandez both won batting titles elsewhere, and while Wright hasn’t won one, he may in the future.

Houston Astros
a. Craig Biggio
b. Cesar Cedeno
c. Jeff Bagwell
d. No Astro has ever led the league
With these three guys, Joe Morgan, Jose Cruz, Lance Berkman, Jimmy Wynn, and others around, I could have sworn one of them had won a batting title. It may happen yet, as Berkman is right behind Chipper in ’08. But still, how does this happen? Well, thirty-five years inside the AstroDome helps . . .

Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers
a. Robin Yount
b. Cecil Cooper
c. Paul Molitor
d. No Brewer/Pilot has ever led the league
I figured it was Molitor or nothing, and I guessed Molitor. Close. The Brewers, like the Mets, have had plenty of sluggers (George Scott, Gorman Thomas, Greg Vaughn, Richie Sexson, Prince Fielder) but precious few high-average hitters like Molitor.

Kansas City Royals
a. Frank White
b. Willie Wilson
c. George Brett
d. No Royal has ever led the league
Okay, this is one of the easier questions on the list. Brett won three batting titles in a long career of high averages, although it should be noted that Wilson took it home in ’82.

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
a. Jose Vidro
b. Al Oliver
c. Tim Raines
d. Pete Rose
I removed the “nobody” option on this one to make you think. And Raines is the best answer as well as the right one (1986). Rose only spent half a season with the Expos before going back to Cincinnati. Bonus points if you knew that Al Oliver also won a batting title with the Expos (1982).

San Diego Padres
a. Dave Winfield
b. Steve Garvey
c. Nate Colbert
d. Tony Gwynn
Again, another relatively easy one. I just had to wonder if anybody on the Padres could hit for average since Gwynn. The answer is: not really, especially since they moved to Petco.

Seattle Mariners
a. Ichiro Suzuki
b. Ken Griffey, Jr.
c. Edgar Martinez
d. No Mariner has ever led the league
For a young team, the Mariners get around; they’ve won 5 batting titles: two for Ichiro, two for Edgar Martinez, and one for A-Rod.

Toronto Blue Jays
a. Carlos Delgado
b. Vernon Wells
c. John Olerud
d. No Blue Jay has ever led the league
I guessed (d) and then felt stupid that I forgot Olerud’s exciting 1993 season when he flirted with .400

Colorado Rockies
a. Larry Walker
b. Todd Helton
c. Andres Gallaraga
d. Matt Holliday
It’s odd, but recent history really does blend together for me. I did not remember Holliday winning the batting title last year. I need to re-check my dosages . . .

Florida Marlins
a. Luis Castillo
b. Gary Sheffield
c. Miguel Cabrera
d. No Marlin has ever led the league
How can they? Their uniforms are barely warm before they get traded.

Q: Who was the last member of each franchise to lead the league in home runs?

Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
a. Hank Aaron
b. Chipper Jones
c. Andruw Jones
d. Andres Galarraga

Chicago Cubs
a. Ryne Sandberg
b. Billy Williams
c. Sammy Sosa
d. Ernie Banks

Cincinnati Reds
a. Dave Parker
b. Adam Dunn
c. George Foster
d. Frank Robinson

Los Angeles Dodgers
a. Adrian Beltre
b. Mike Piazza
c. Frank Howard
d. Kirk Gibson

Philadelphia Phillies
a. Greg Luzinski
b. Jim Thome
c. Mike Schmidt
d. Ryan Howard

Pittsburgh Pirates
a. Barry Bonds
b. Willie Stargell
c. Andy Van Slyke
d. Dave Parker

San Francisco Giants
a. Willie Mays
b. Willie McCovey
c. Barry Bonds
d. Matt Williams

St. Louis Cardinals
a. Mark McGwire
b. Albert Pujols
c. Stan Musial
d. Jack Clark

Baltimore Orioles
a. Cal Ripken, Jr.
b. Boog Powell
c. Ken Singleton
d. Eddie Murray

Boston Red Sox
a. Manny Ramirez
b. David Ortiz
c. Jim Rice
d. Mo Vaughn

Chicago White Sox
a. Jim Thome
b. Frank Thomas
c. Ron Kittle
d. Dick Allen

Cleveland Indians
a. Albert Belle
b. Travis Hafner
c. Jim Thome
d. Rocky Colavito

Detroit Tigers
a. Kirk Gibson
b. Al Kaline
c. Cecil Fielder
d. Darrell Evans

Minnesota Twins
a. Kirby Puckett
b. Justin Morneau
c. Harmon Killebrew
d. Kent Hrbek

Oakland Athletics
a. Reggie Jackson
b. Mark McGwire
c. Jose Canseco
d. Jason Giambi

New York Yankees
a. Bernie Williams
b. Dave Winfield
c. Paul O’Neill
d. Alex Rodriguez

Texas Rangers
a. Rafael Palmeiro
b. Alex Rodriguez
c. Juan Gonzalez
d. Jeff Burroughs

Los Angeles Angels
a. Don Baylor
b. Troy Glaus
c. Vladimir Guerrero
d. No Angel has ever led the league

New York Mets
a. Howard Johnson
b. Mike Piazza
c. Darryl Strawberry
d. Dave Kingman

Houston Astros
a. Jeff Bagwell
b. Lance Berkman
c. Jimmy Wynn
d. No Astro has ever led the league

Milwaukee Brewers
a. George Scott
b. Richie Sexson
c. Prince Fielder
d. Gorman Thomas

Kansas City Royals
a. Danny Tartabull
b. John Mayberry
c. Bo Jackson
d. No Royal has ever led the league

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
a. Gary Carter
b. Rusty Staub
c. Vladimir Guerrero
d. No Expo/Nat has ever led the league

San Diego Padres
a. Fred McGriff
b. Greg Vaughn
c. Gary Sheffield
d. No Padre has ever led the league

Seattle Mariners
a. Ken Griffey, Jr.
b. Alex Rodriguez
c. Edgar Martinez
d. No Mariner has ever led the league

Toronto Blue Jays
a. Carlos Delgado
b. Jesse Barfield
c. Fred McGriff
d. Joe Carter

Colorado Rockies
a. Matt Holliday
b. Larry Walker
c. Dante Bichette
d. Andres Galarraga

Florida Marlins
a. Miguel Cabrera
b. Gary Sheffield
c. Moises Alou
d. No Marlin has ever led the league

Again, I’ll skip two questions by telling you that no member of the Diamondbacks nor the Rays has ever led the league in home runs.

A: Who was the last member of each franchise to lead the league in home runs?
Right answer is in italics

Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
a. Hank Aaron
b. Chipper Jones
c. Andruw Jones
d. Andres Galarraga
You may have forgotten Andruw’s explosive 2005 campaign. It’s understandable considering what’s happened to him since. Chipper’s never led the league in dingers, and Gallaraga never did while a Brave. Aaron, of course, led four times, which doesn’t sound like a lot until you remember that he was contemporaries with Mays, McCovey, Musial, Mathews, Snider, Cepeda, and many others.

Chicago Cubs
a. Ryne Sandberg
b. Billy Williams
c. Sammy Sosa
d. Ernie Banks
I actually got this one wrong. I mistakenly believed that although Sammy had hit 60+ HR in three different season – a record – he never led the league. But that’s not exactly true. He never led the league in those seasons of 60+ HR. He did lead the league in 2000 and 2002. My guess was Sandberg, who was the last Cub before Sosa to lead the league, in 1990.

Cincinnati Reds
a. Dave Parker
b. Adam Dunn
c. George Foster
d. Frank Robinson
I got this one at the last minute, because for some reason I thought Foster was with the Mets when he had his big season. But no, he was with Cincinnati in ’77 when he hit 52 HR – the only person in the decade to top 50. He also led the league in ’78. Dunn is tied for the league lead this year, with Ryan Howard, and may yet win out.

Los Angeles Dodgers
a. Adrian Beltre
b. Mike Piazza
c. Frank Howard
d. Kirk Gibson
Again, without the benefit of multiple choice, I forgot about Beltre, whose career year in 2004 (48 HR) got him his sweetheart deal in Seattle. Piazza never led the league and, in fact, no Dodger other than Beltre has led the league in homers since they left Brooklyn (Duke Snider led the NL with 43 in 1956). That Dodger Stadium isn’t a hitter-friendly place. But to be fair, the Dodgers haven’t had very many big sluggers since Snider, either.

Philadelphia Phillies
a. Greg Luzinski
b. Jim Thome
c. Mike Schmidt
d. Ryan Howard
Again, recent history fooled me and I forgot about Howard, who led the league in 2006 and is tied for the league lead right now. When I hear “home runs” and “Philadelphia Phillies,” I automatically think of Mike Schmidt. Rightfully so, as Schmidt led the NL in homers an amazing 7 times. And before him, you have to go back to Chuck Klein in ’33 to find a Phillie topping the NL in homers. And even then, they were playing in the Baker Bowl, a true bandbox ballpark.

Pittsburgh Pirates
a. Barry Bonds
b. Willie Stargell
c. Andy Van Slyke
d. Dave Parker
I could have sworn that Bonds led the league in homers while with the Pirates. Nope. In fact, Stargell’s league-leading season came in 1973. The Pirates have waited a long time to get another slugger. But they’re not the team that’s waited the longest – we’ll meet them soon . . .

San Francisco Giants
a. Willie Mays
b. Willie McCovey
c. Barry Bonds
d. Matt Williams
Natch.

St. Louis Cardinals
a. Mark McGwire
b. Albert Pujols
c. Stan Musial
d. Jack Clark
I could have sworn that Pujols led the league in homers at least once. In Pujols’ seven major league seasons, seven different people have led the NL in homers – but never him. His consolation is that he’s finished in the top four on four occasions, and the only year he missed the top 10 was his rookie year.
Before Pujols was McGwire (‘98, ’99), and before that, you have to go aaaaalllll the way back to Johnny Mize in 1940. The Cardinals were a great team most of the time from 1940-1998, but they did it with really only one big-time slugger: Stan Musial, who somehow never led the league in homers.

Baltimore Orioles
a. Cal Ripken, Jr.
b. Boog Powell
c. Ken Singleton
d. Eddie Murray
I guessed Singleton, because I though there was a year where he led the league in homers. I was wrong. The Orioles have had some great teams over the years, but they’ve largely done it without any big-time sluggers, with only a few exceptions (Powell, F. Robinson, Murray, Palmeiro). And Murray’s share of the home run title was actually just a ¼ share; in 1981, four players tied for the AL league lead in homers. You’ll meet some more of them later. Before Murray, the last Oriole to lead the league was Robinson in 1966, his Triple Crown season.

Boston Red Sox
a. Manny Ramirez
b. David Ortiz
c. Jim Rice
d. Mo Vaughn
Manny led the AL in ’04, but big Papi hit 54 in 2006 to pace the league. As you might imagine, lots of Red Sox have led the league in homers. Going backwards, the list includes Tony Armas (’84), Jim Rice (’77, ’78, ’83), Dwight Evans (one of the four co-winners in 1981), Carl Yastrzemski (’67), Tony Conigliaro (’65), plus four seasons of Ted Williams. And that’s just getting started . . .

Chicago White Sox
a. Jim Thome
b. Frank Thomas
c. Ron Kittle
d. Dick Allen
I mentioned in the batting average section about the lack of star hitters on the ‘Sox, and well, here’s more proof. Allen takes us all the way back to 1974, when he led the league with 32 dingers. He also led the league in ’72 (37), his MVP season. In 1971, teammate Bill Melton (33) beat him out.
Before Melton, it’s a scary sight. Gus Zernial played for the Sox in 1951, the year he led the league with 33 homers, but he finished the season with the A’s. Amazingly enough, the same thing happened with Braggo Roth, the AL’s home run champion in 1915. He started the year in Chicago, but was traded to Cleveland to finish out the campaign.
And that, my friends, is it. Dick Allen and Bill Melton are the only Chicago White Sox ever to lead the AL in homers. Old Comiskey Park was indeed a cavernous place, but it also reflects on the Sox’ lack of impact hitters, or at least the lack of sluggers. The good news, though, is that the Sox’ Carlos Quentin currently leads the AL with 30 HR. Maybe he can join Allen and Melton on the White Sox’ short list.
But there’s a team that’s been missing a home run title even longer than the Sox. Who could it be . . . ?

Cleveland Indians
a. Albert Belle
b. Travis Hafner
c. Jim Thome
d. Rocky Colavito
Belle had a memorable season in 1995, where he hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in a strike-shortened season. But he was an asshole, so they gave the MVP to Mo Vaughn. My guess here was Jim Thome, who did hit 52 homers in 2002, but didn’t lead the league.

Detroit Tigers
a. Kirk Gibson
b. Al Kaline
c. Cecil Fielder
d. Darrell Evans
In 1990, Fielder became the first player to hit more than 50 homers since George Foster in 1977. I remember that season as a kid, and I remember the “Roger Maris watch” that started early in the spring. Cecil finished short of Maris, though. And might I add that I hate the fact that the “Roger Maris watch” is gone. I guess you could start a “Barry Bonds watch,” but that sounds more like a reality TV show about a parole officer.

Minnesota Twins
a. Kirby Puckett
b. Justin Morneau
c. Harmon Killebrew
d. Kent Hrbek
We have a winner! Since Killebrew took home the home run title (and MVP) in 1969, no Twin has ever led the league in homers. That’s a surprising display of offensive futility, especially in recent years, when league home run totals are escalating everywhere except in Minneapolis.
Killebrew is also the only Twin to lead the AL in homers, in ’62, ’63, ’64, ’67, and ’69. Before that, the team was still in Washington and called the Senators (where a young fellow named Harmon Killebrew led the league in homers in 1959, the last year in the nation’s capital).

Oakland Athletics
a. Reggie Jackson
b. Mark McGwire
c. Jose Canseco
d. Jason Giambi
McGwire hit 52 in ’96, and was on his way to ’58 in 1997 when he was traded to the Cardinals mid-season.

New York Yankees
a. Bernie Williams
b. Dave Winfield
c. Paul O’Neill
d. Alex Rodriguez
A-Rod did it last year, swatting 54 homers, and in 2004, notching 48. And oddly enough, no other Yankee during the current Yankee “dynasty” led the league in homers, despite the team’s fearsome offensive attack. You have to go all the way back to Reggie Jackson (41 in 1980) to find the last Yankee before A-Rod to top the AL in homers.

Texas Rangers
a. Rafael Palmeiro
b. Alex Rodriguez
c. Juan Gonzalez
d. Jeff Burroughs
That’s two franchises led by A-Rod. Stay tuned, and maybe he’ll make it three . . .

Los Angeles Angels
a. Don Baylor
b. Troy Glaus
c. Vladimir Guerrero
d. No Angel has ever led the league
Vlad has never led the league while with the Angels, and Baylor never did either, even in his 1979 MVP season. Reggie Jackson (fresh off his Yankee glory) tied for the league lead in 1982 while with the Halos, and Bobby Grich was part of the four-man collision in 1981.

New York Mets
a. Howard Johnson
b. Mike Piazza
c. Darryl Strawberry
d. Dave Kingman
This one really surprised me. I picked Strawberry, and while Straw did lead the league with 39 HR in 1988, HoJo swatted 38 in 1991 to lead the NL. I totally forgot that Johnson ever had a year that good. Piazza has never led the league in HR, and Kingman’s HR title came back in ’82 with the Mets.

Houston Astros
a. Jeff Bagwell
b. Lance Berkman
c. Jimmy Wynn
d. No Astro has ever led the league
Hard to believe, eh? Count how many homers Bagwell, Berkman, Biggio, Wynn and Rusty Staub hit and yet they never led the league. This breaks the record held by the Twins; the Astros have been around since the 1961 season and have never had a hitter lead the league in home runs. Although it wasn’t for a lack of talent . . .

Milwaukee Brewers
a. George Scott
b. Richie Sexson
c. Prince Fielder
d. Gorman Thomas
Fielder led the NL last year, with 50. Gorman Thomas (and if ever a name fit the person, it’s true here) tied for the league lead in 1982 and led it outright in 1979. Ben Oglivie (a good, but largely forgotten player) tied for the lead in 1980. Scott tied for the league lead in 1975. I mentioned in the batting average comment that the Brewers have had more sluggers than contact hitters, and this bears it out; the team has zero batting titles and five home run titles – that’s five more than the Astros, despite coming into the league 9 years later. And with Prince Fielder in town, they’ll probably pick up a few more in the years to come.

Kansas City Royals
a. Danny Tartabull
b. John Mayberry
c. Bo Jackson
d. No Royal has ever led the league
The Royals have had some good sluggers, but never for very long. The three listed above were all good sluggers who were perfectly capable of winning a league home run title; they just weren’t around long enough to do so.

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
a. Gary Carter
b. Rusty Staub
c. Vladimir Guerrero
d. No Expo/Nat has ever led the league
This can’t be seen as much of a surprise; the three most famous sluggers in Montreal history are listed above, and none of them spent that long with the team. And considering the state of this franchise, they could easily outlast the Astros in the race for “last team to a home run title.”

San Diego Padres
a. Fred McGriff
b. Greg Vaughn
c. Gary Sheffield
d. No Padre has ever led the league
I picked Sheffield, who came near a Triple Crown with San Diego, but never pulled it off. McGriff led the league in ’92, the year before his famous in-season trade to Atlanta. Vaughn hit 50 homers in 1998, but that was only good enough for third. Other than McGriff, no other Padre has led the league in homers. And since their move into Petco Park, that’s not likely to change.

Seattle Mariners
a. Ken Griffey, Jr.
b. Alex Rodriguez
c. Edgar Martinez
d. No Mariner has ever led the league
A-Rod never led the league in homers while he was in Seattle. Junior led four times. He’s the only Seattle player ever to lead the league.

Toronto Blue Jays
a. Carlos Delgado
b. Jesse Barfield
c. Fred McGriff
d. Joe Carter
I could have sworn that Delgado led the league at some point. But no. He came close; his 42 HR were second-best in 2003, and his 44 HR were third-best in 1999.
McGriff led the AL in HR in 1989, with 36. Barfield is the only other Blue Jay to do so, with 40 dingers in 1986. Carter never led the league in homers.

Colorado Rockies
a. Matt Holliday
b. Larry Walker
c. Dante Bichette
d. Andres Galarraga
A different member of the Rockies led the NL in HR each year from 1995-1997. It was Galarraga (47) in ’95, Bichette (40) in ’96, and lastly Walker (49) in his MVP year of 1997. But Holliday may yet lead the league someday, especially if he stays in Coors.

Florida Marlins
a. Miguel Cabrera
b. Gary Sheffield
c. Moises Alou
d. No Marlin has ever led the league
Florida is a pitcher’s park, and none of these sluggers were with the team for very long.

Q: Who was the last member of each franchise to lead the league in RBIs?

Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
a. Chipper Jones
b. Eddie Mathews
c. Dale Murphy
d. Andruw Jones

Chicago Cubs
a. Billy Williams
b. Sammy Sosa
c. Derrek Lee
d. Andre Dawson

Cincinnati Reds
a. Dave Parker
b. Eric Davis
c. Adam Dunn
d. Tony Perez

Los Angeles Dodgers
a. Eric Karros
b. Shawn Green
c. Tommy Davis
d. Reggie Smith

Philadelphia Phillies
a. Ryan Howard
b. Darren Daulton
c. Mike Schmidt
d. Chuck Klein

Pittsburgh Pirates
a. Willie Stargell
b. Barry Bonds
c. Dave Parker
d. Roberto Clemente

San Francisco Giants
a. Matt Williams
b. Barry Bonds
c. Darrell Evans
d. Jeff Kent

St. Louis Cardinals
a. Jack Clark
b. Albert Pujols
c. Mark McGwire
d. Scott Rolen

Baltimore Orioles
a. Frank Robinson
b. Cal Ripken, Jr.
c. Miguel Tejada
d. Eddie Murray

Boston Red Sox
a. David Ortiz
b. Jim Rice
c. Manny Ramirez
d. Fred Lynn

Chicago White Sox
a. Robin Ventura
b. Dick Allen
c. Frank Thomas
d. Jermaine Dye

Cleveland Indians
a. Albert Belle
b. Travis Hafner
c. Jim Thome
d. Manny Ramirez

Detroit Tigers
a. Al Kaline
b. Magglio Ordonez
c. Cecil Fielder
d. Kirk Gibson

Minnesota Twins
a. Kent Hrbek
b. Kirby Puckett
c. Harmon Killebrew
d. Justin Morneau

Oakland Athletics
a. Reggie Jackson
b. Mark McGwire
c. Jose Canseco
d. Jason Giambi

New York Yankees
a. Alex Rodriguez
b. Tino Martinez
c. Don Mattingly
d. Bernie Williams

Texas Rangers
a. Rafael Palmeiro
b. Alex Rodriguez
c. Ivan Rodriguez
d. Pete O’Brien

Los Angeles Angels
a. Garret Anderson
b. Vladimir Guerrero
c. Troy Glaus
d. Don Baylor

New York Mets
a. Howard Johnson
b. Cleon Jones
c. Darryl Strawberry
d. Mike Piazza

Houston Astros
a. Craig Biggio
b. Glenn Davis
c. Jeff Bagwell
d. Lance Berkman

Milwaukee Brewers
a. Prince Fielder
b. Gorman Thomas
c. Richie Sexson
d. Cecil Cooper

Kansas City Royals
a. Hal McRae
b. George Brett
c. Danny Tartabull
d. No Royal has ever led the league

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
a. Rusty Staub
b. Gary Carter
c. Vladimir Guerrero
d. No Expo has ever led the league

San Diego Padres
a. Fred McGriff
b. Gary Sheffield
c. Dave Winfield
d. No Padre has ever led the league

Seattle Mariners
a. Jay Buhner
b. Ken Griffey, Jr.
c. Alex Rodriguez
d. Bret Boone

Toronto Blue Jays
a. Joe Carter
b. Jesse Barfield
c. Carlos Delgado
d. No Blue Jays has ever led the league

Colorado Rockies
a. Matt Holliday
b. Todd Helton
c. Larry Walker
d. Vinny Castilla

Florida Marlins
a. Gary Sheffield
b. Miguel Cabrera
c. Dan Uggla
d. No Marlin has ever led the league

Arizona Diamondbacks
a. Jay Bell
b. Luis Gonzalez
c. Matt Williams
d. No Diamondback has ever led the league

And, of course, no Tampa Bay player has ever led the league.

A: Who was the last member of each franchise to lead the league in RBIs?
Correct answer in italics

Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves
a. Chipper Jones
b. Eddie Mathews
c. Dale Murphy
d. Andruw Jones
Same deal as the home runs; Andruw led in both categories in ’05. Chipper has never led the league in the category, whereas Murphy led in both of his MVP seasons, ’82 and ’83. Eddie Mathews, oddly enough, never led the league.

Chicago Cubs
a. Billy Williams
b. Sammy Sosa
c. Derrek Lee
d. Andre Dawson
Sosa famously won the 1998 NL MVP because he led the league in RBI, despite the fact that Mark McGwire out-homered him and had the better overall year. (Also, Sosa’s team made the playoffs).
D-Lee hasn’t led the league, but that could change. Dawson led in his MVP campaign in ’87 (you’ll find that leading the league in RBI and winning the MVP have a pretty strong correlation). Williams never led the league in RBI, but Ernie Banks did in – big surprise – his two MVP years, ’58 and ’59. In fact, six of the last seven Cubs that led the league in RBI also took home an MVP. Sosa also led the league in 2001, but lost to the MVP to an all-around phenomenal year by Barry Bonds. Sosa finished 2nd.

Cincinnati Reds
a. Dave Parker
b. Johnny Bench
c. Adam Dunn
d. George Foster
Parker never led the league in HRs, but did win the RBI title in 1985 with the Reds, despite never leading the league in that category while in Pittsburgh (where he usually had better years).

Los Angeles Dodgers
a. Eric Karros
b. Shawn Green
c. Tommy Davis
d. Reggie Smith
It’s our old friend Tommy again, who led the NL back in 1962. That’s the longest ongoing drought for any major league franchise. Will Matt Kemp or James Loney be the ones to break it?

Philadelphia Phillies
a. Ryan Howard
b. Darren Daulton
c. Mike Schmidt
d. Chuck Klein
Howard again. All four players listed here did win at least one RBI title, but Ryan’s was most recent, in 2006.

Pittsburgh Pirates
a. Willie Stargell
b. Barry Bonds
c. Dave Parker
d. Roberto Clemente
Again, it’s surprising that no Pirate since Stargell has led the league since then. Bonds is the most likely candidate, but he was less of a slugger in Pittsburgh and more of a well-rounded athlete.

San Francisco Giants
a. Matt Williams
b. Barry Bonds
c. Darrell Evans
d. Jeff Kent
Bonds became more of a slugger in San Francisco, although his only RBI title didn’t come during his renaissance in the 2000s; it came in his first season with the club, 1993, an excellent year for both Bonds and the Giants that remains largely forgotten because their 102 wins was one short of the division lead (the Braves won 103).

St. Louis Cardinals
a. Jack Clark
b. Albert Pujols
c. Mark McGwire
d. Scott Rolen
Wow, has Albert really never won an RBI title? Competition is stiff in the NL. McGwire won it not in 1998, when he hit 70 HR, but in 1999, when he hit just 66. Before McGwire, the last Cardinal to lead the league in RBIs was Joe Torre in his 1971 MVP season. In between, the club was either bad (late 70’s and early 90’s) or run by Whitey Herzog (who relied more on speed players and base-stealers).

Baltimore Orioles
a. Frank Robinson
b. Cal Ripken, Jr.
c. Miguel Tejada
d. Eddie Murray
I totally and completely forgot that Tejada led the AL in RBIs while with the O’s. He did it in 2004, with 150 driven in. We seem to forget that when Tejada first arrived in Baltimore, he was still an MVP-caliber player. But he got old faster than the team expected, mainly because they weren’t aware of his actual age.

Boston Red Sox
a. David Ortiz
b. Jim Rice
c. Manny Ramirez
d. Fred Lynn
‘Nuff said. In the last 50 seasons, 11 Red Sox players have led the AL in RBIs or tied for the league lead. That’s less than one every five years. The list includes Ortiz (’05, ’06), Mo Vaughn (’95), Tony Armas (’84), Jim Rice (’78, ’83), Ken Harrelson (’68), Carl Yastrzemski (’67), Dick Stuart (’63), and Jackie Jensen (’58 and ’59). And from 1901-1957, the Sox had 11 more. Offense has rarely been the problem in Beantown.

Chicago White Sox
a. Robin Ventura
b. Dick Allen
c. Frank Thomas
d. Jermaine Dye
Again, much to my surprise, we have to get in the “way-back” machine to find a South-Sider leading the league, this time in RBIs. It’s Allen again, and he led the league in ’72, the same year (you guessed it) that he won the MVP.

Cleveland Indians
a. Albert Belle
b. Travis Hafner
c. Jim Thome
d. Manny Ramirez
The 1990’s saw a lot of runs scored and a lot of RBIs in Cleveland. Belle led the league three times, but Manny was the last player to do so, with 165 RBIs in 1999. It was the most RBIs by a player in either league since Jimmie Foxx knocked in 175 back in 1938. Manny was the most recent player to seriously challenge Lou Gehrig’s AL record of 184 RBI in a season (set in 1931).

Detroit Tigers
a. Al Kaline
b. Magglio Ordonez
c. Cecil Fielder
d. Kirk Gibson
Cecil led the AL for three straight seasons, from 1990-1992. The first year, 1990, was the year he hit 51 homers. Only in baseball: in 1989 Cecil was a castoff from the Toronto system playing in Japan. In 1990 he led the AL in homers and RBI and finished 2nd in the MVP voting (to Rickey Henderson).

Minnesota Twins
a. Kent Hrbek
b. Kirby Puckett
c. Harmon Killebrew
d. Justin Morneau
The Twins haven’t waited as long for an RBI man as they have for a home run leader. Puckett led the league with 112 knocked in in the strike-shortened 1994 season. Morneau has the potential to lead the league someday, provided the Twins can find someone else in the lineup to reach base besides Joe Mauer.

Oakland Athletics
a. Reggie Jackson
b. Mark McGwire
c. Jose Canseco
d. Jason Giambi
Oddly enough, neither McGwire nor Giambi ever led the AL in RBI. And Canseco only did it once, in 1988. The last A’s player to do it before him was Jackson, who led the league in 1973. Before Jackson, you have to move back 22 years and two cities to Gus Zernial, who led the AL in RBIs in 1951. He began the season with the White Sox, but was traded to Philadelphia mid-season.

New York Yankees
a. Alex Rodriguez
b. Tino Martinez
c. Don Mattingly
d. Bernie Williams
A-Rod led last year, with 156. I mentioned before that for all their offensive might, the dynastic Yankees of recent years rarely had a player lead the league in homers. The same is true for RBIs; the last Yankee to lead the league before A-Rod was Mattingly, with 145 driven in in 1985. And before Mattingly, you have to go all the way back to Roger Maris (142) in 1961.

Texas Rangers
a. Rafael Palmeiro
b. Alex Rodriguez
c. Ivan Rodriguez
d. Juan Gonzalez
A-Rod owns most single-season records for Texas. Although Josh Hamilton leads the league with 108 RBIs so far this season, and could threaten the club record with a late surge.

Los Angeles Angels
a. Garret Anderson
b. Vladimir Guerrero
c. Troy Glaus
d. Don Baylor
The Angels have had some sluggers since Baylor won the RBI title (and :sigh: the MVP) in 1979. They just have trouble getting their sluggers and contact hitters on the team at the same time.

New York Mets
a. Howard Johnson
b. Cleon Jones
c. Darryl Strawberry
d. Mike Piazza
Again, HoJo comes out of the blue with his 1991 season (117 RBI). In fact, he’s the only guy in club history to lead the league in RBI.

Houston Astros
a. Craig Biggio
b. Glenn Davis
c. Jeff Bagwell
d. Lance Berkman
Berkman led the league with 128 RBIs back in 2002. He’s close to the league lead in each Triple Crown category this year, although the current league leader in RBI is his teammate Carlos Lee.

Milwaukee Brewers
a. Prince Fielder
b. Gorman Thomas
c. Richie Sexson
d. Cecil Cooper
Cooper is one of those guys who doesn’t get remembered, although he was very good and played for some big-time teams such as the ’75 Boston Red Sox and the ’82 “Harvey’s Wallbangers” Brewers club. He was part of the famous Brewer infield with Jim Gantner, Robin Yount, and Paul Molitor. He’s not a Hall-of-Famer, but he had a career that was just as good as a guy like Mark Grace, but gets far less applause.

Kansas City Royals
a. Hal McRae
b. George Brett
c. Danny Tartabull
d. No Royal has ever led the league
This was a surprise answer for me, as “George Brett” is my default answer to most Royals questions. But full-time DH McRae led the AL with 133 RBI in 1982. No one else in team history has led the league in that category.

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
a. Rusty Staub
b. Gary Carter
c. Vladimir Guerrero
d. No Expo has ever led the league
My guess was (d), as I couldn’t see anyone driving in a lot of runs on a team like the Expos. But Montreal had a decent team in 1984, and Carter was able to tie Mike Schmidt for the league lead in RBIs with 106.

San Diego Padres
a. Fred McGriff
b. Gary Sheffield
c. Dave Winfield
d. No Padre has ever led the league
A lot of people forget that Winfield began his career as a Padre. Hell, Winfield himself would probably like to forget it. But he laid the foundation for a Hall of Fame career there, including driving in 118 runs on a 1979 squad that went 68-93. Winfield did not win the MVP that year (it was a tie between Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez), but in my opinion, he should have.

Seattle Mariners
a. Jay Buhner
b. Ken Griffey, Jr.
c. Alex Rodriguez
d. Bret Boone
Boone is the least likely of the four to pace the AL in RBIs, I think. But many fans forget the fine season he had in 2001, driving in 141 runs. Of course, a lot of people had great seasons in ’01, with several of them (including Boone, allegedly) helped along by performance-enhancing substances.

Toronto Blue Jays
a. Joe Carter
b. Jesse Barfield
c. Carlos Delgado
d. No Blue Jay has ever led the league
Delgado led the league with 145 RBIs in 2003. He didn’t win the MVP, but maybe he should have. The only other Toronto player to lead the league in this category was George Bell in 1987 (134), whose efforts got him an MVP award despite the fact that he was about the 30th-best player in the league. Sportswriter love them some RBIs!

Colorado Rockies
a. Matt Holliday
b. Todd Helton
c. Andres Galarraga
d. Vinny Castilla
Holliday led the league last year, with 137. But the three other guys listed here also led the NL in RBIs at some point.

Florida Marlins
a. Gary Sheffield
b. Miguel Cabrera
c. Dan Uggla
d. No Marlin has ever led the league
It was hard just coming up with three possible names.

Arizona Diamondbacks
a. Jay Bell
b. Luis Gonzalez
c. Matt Williams
d. No Diamondback has ever led the league
I threw them in on this one to throw you guys off.

Count up your scores. I got 39 out of a possible 90 questions. But then I didn't have multiple choice.
Tomorrow: Pitching stats.