Each Thursday during the 2023 MLB season, we will have a trio of baseball trivia questions for you to mull over. It's a break from the norm in our fantasy baseball coverage, and we hope you will take part and enjoy every week.
At the start of play Wednesday, Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins was about as close to being a .400 hitter as we've seen in quite some time this late in the season, with a batting average of .39929 through 313 plate appearances. Just to show how hard it is to maintain such a level of excellence, Arraez went 1-for-5 on Wednesday night and his average "plummeted" all the way to .396 -- meaning he'd need six hits in his next 12 at-bats to climb back up to that elusive yardstick of batting excellence.
Yes, it's highly unlikely that Arraez will finish the season in the rarified neighborhood of Ted Williams, but hey, we just saw Domingo German throw the 24th perfect game in major league history, so you never know. In any event, we thought this might be a good time to reach back in time and see if you can recall a few other .400 flirters of the past.
As always, in the spirit of fun, three questions are before you. Three answers are required. We're on the honor system here, so please no searching the internet for the answers. You just might be surprised at how much you actually know!
Question 1
Since 1980, only one player has had a batting average over .380 (with a minimum of 400 plate appearances) for the first half of the season. Who was this hitter? (Hint: He played for the Angels at the time of this feat.)
Question 2
Since 1980, only one National League player (minimum 300 plate appearances) has managed to hit over .400 for the second half of the season. Who was this hitter?
Question 3
Since 1970, there have only been seven players to have hit .400 over any 100-game stretch (minimum 300 PA). Six of those players are George Brett, Ichiro Suzuki, Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, Larry Walker and Todd Helton. Name the last member of this exclusive club, who achieved the feat in 1993.
Take your time and think about your answers, and when you're ready to see if you're right, click here.