“There’ll be two buses leaving the hotel for the park tomorrow. The 2 o’clock bus will be for those of you who need a little extra work. The empty bus will leave at 5 o’clock.”
— Dave Bristol, Milwaukee Brewers manager, 1972
WASHINGTON — Everyone needs extra work to prepare for the major league baseball season. So, name the player or players who:
1) Is the fourth (the others are Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays) with a career .300 average, 500 home runs and 100 stolen bases.
2) Played in the most wins.
3) Was the last to get 3,000 hits without winning a batting title.
4) Got 30 homers and 100 RBIs in a season for five different teams.
5) Struck out three times in a game just once in 13 seasons.
6) Hit .461 at home but .286 on the road.
7) Was the last person to enter September batting over .400.
8) Led his league in hits for three different teams.
9) Hit .408 in a season but lost the batting title.
10) Hit at least 40 doubles in 10 seasons.
11) Was the first 40-year-old with a 100-RBI season.
12) Is the most recent to win consecutive MVP awards.
13) Had the most career homers (399) without a 30-homer season.
14) Has the highest career batting average among players with at least 300 homers.
15) Is the only non-Yankee with 500 home runs and three championships.
16) Are the four right-handed hitters to lead the major leagues in hitting at least three times.
17) Are the two pitchers to have 300 more strikeouts than walks (not counting intentional walks) in a season.
18) Was the only batter to average 200 hits per season in his first 14 seasons.
19) Holds the career record for doubles.
20) Were the three pairs of rookies of the year who were later enshrined in Cooperstown.
21) Holds the record for most four-strikeout games.
22) Struck out in a record 37 consecutive games in a single season.
23) Was the first to win three MVP awards.
24) Are the two third basemen with 500 home runs.
25) Was the first to get 3,000 hits in the 20th century.
26) Had 999 walks with three starts to go in his career and did not reach 1,000.
27) Were the only two to bat cleanup in a World Series at age 20.
28) Led his league in RBIs in 2014 while batting second.
29) Although not in the Hall of Fame until 2017, reached base more than Jeff Bagwell, Roberto Clemente and Tony Gwynn and had five seasons with at least 30 doubles and 70 stolen bases (Ty Cobb had only three).
30) Was the only player with at least 100 triples, 150 homers and 600 stolen bases.
31) Was the only 300-game winner between the world wars.
32) Threw a no-hitter with no walks and 17 strikeouts.
33) Scored the most World Series runs.
34) Was the first White Sox player to be MVP.
35) Won 25 or more games three times in the 1960s but never won a Cy Young award.
36) Won the most ERA titles.
37) Is the only catcher to win three batting titles.
38) Led his league in batting average his first two seasons.
39) Had three seasons with 40 or more homers and fewer strikeouts than homers.
40) Was the Hall of Famer who hit into a record four triple plays.
Bonus question: What manager said, “Our phenoms aren’t phenomenating.”
Answers:
1) Albert Pujols
2) Pete Rose
3) Derek Jeter
4) Gary Sheffield
5) Joe DiMaggio
6) Larry Walker (1999, for the Rockies, of course)
7) George Brett (.407 in 1980)
8) Paul Molitor (Brewers, Blue Jays, Twins)
9) Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1911, when Ty Cobb hit his .420
10) Tris Speaker
11) Dave Winfield (Toronto, 1992)
12) Miguel Cabrera
13) Al Kaline
14) Rogers Hornsby (.358)
15) David Ortiz
16) Rogers Hornsby (four times), Napoleon Lajoie (four times), Roberto Clemente, Miguel Cabrera
17) Sandy Koufax (382/71 in 1965), Randy Johnson (372/71 in 2001)
18) Ichiro Suzuki
19) Tris Speaker (792)
20) Luis Aparicio and Frank Robinson (1956), Tom Seaver and Rod Carew (1967), Andre Dawson and Eddie Murray (1977)
21) Ryan Howard
22) Aaron Judge
23) Jimmie Foxx (1932, 1933, 1938)
24) Eddie Mathews, Mike Schmidt
25) Honus Wagner
26) Greg Maddux
27) Cobb and Cabrera
28) Mike Trout
29) Tim Raines
30) Tim Raines
31) Lefty Grove
32) Max Scherzer
33) Mickey Mantle (42)
34) Nellie Fox (1959)
35) Juan Marichal
36) Lefty Grove
37) Joe Mauer
38) Tony Oliva
39) Ted Kluszewski
40) Brooks Robinson
Bonus answer: Angels manager Lefty Phillips, 1971.
George Will’s syndicated column appears Thursdays and Sundays in the Tribune-Herald. His email address is georgewill@washpost.com.
