Are you ready to check your work? Here are the answers to this week's trivia questions. We'll be back next week with another trio of quizzical queries for you, so bone up on your research and get ready to get them all next time around!
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.)
ANSWER: DARIN ERSTAD
In 2000, Erstad hit .384 before the All-Star break. The next-closest batter in first-half batting average (meeting the stated minimum) was Miguel Cabrera (.365) in 2013. In 1983, Rod Carew hit .402 but that average came in only 254 plate appearances. It was Carew's age-37 season and he ended up batting .339 for the full season over 536 PAs. Erstad finished the 2000 season with a .355 batting average. It was the only season of his career in which he hit better than .300.
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?
ANSWER: JOEY VOTTO
While both George Brett (.421 in 1980) and Ichiro Suzuki (.429 in 2004) managed this feat in the AL, Votto is the only NL'er to have done this while meeting the stated minimum number of PAs. Votto hit .408 over his 314 post-ASG plate appearances in 2016, which likely went widely unnoticed as his first-half batting average was just .252 and he didn't get over the .300 line until Aug. 13. Ultimately, Votto finished at .326 on the year. Barry Bonds did hit .404 in 2002's second half, but he had only 265 PAs over that stretch.
Question 3
Since 1970, there have only been seven players to have hit .400 over any 100-game stretch (minimum 300 PAs). 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.
ANSWER: JOHN OLERUD
Olerud was batting .400 for the season as late as Aug. 2, but hit only .290 the rest of the way to finish off 1993 at .363, helping to earn himself third-place honors in AL MVP voting. Brett's .390 in 1980 and Gwynn's .394 in 1994 are the only times since 1970 a player has reached the .390 plateau for a season with over 200 PAs. You'd have to lower the bar all the way down to 123 plate appearances before finding another name to add to the ".390 club" -- in the form of 1999's David Dellucci (.394).