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 1900, there have only been 15 teams to hit at least 250 home runs in a single season -- and all of those instances have come since 1996. Which of those teams (team and year required) was the only one to have a losing record?
ANSWER: TEXAS RANGERS, 2005
Somehow, the 2023 Braves are only 18 home runs away from this milestone with 42 games left to play and they'd just about have to lose all of their remaining contests to drop below .500. That's not happening. However, 2005's Rangers finished the season at just 79-83 despite a whopping 260 HR for the year, led by Mark Teixiera's 43, Alfonso Soriano's 36 and David Dellucci's 29.
Question 2
This year's Braves already have seven players with at least 17 HR for the season. Having eight players with at least 17 has only been achieved 10 times and the record is nine, set in 2017 by the Texas Rangers. Can you name the three members of that 2017 team to finish the season with exactly 17 HR?
ANSWER: ADRIAN BELTRE, CARLOS GOMEZ, ROBINSON CHIRINOS
For the record, the other Rangers in that "elite group" of nine hitters were Joey Gallo (41), Rougned Odor (30), Mike Napoli (29), Shin-Soo Choo (22), Elvis Andrus (20) and Nomar Mazara (20). If the Braves are going to match this feat -- and it's probably a reach to think they will -- they'll need a little late-season pop from at least two of the trio of Orlando Arcia (13), Michael Harris II (11) and Travis d'Arnaud (9).
It should be noted that, with Josh Lowe's homer on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Rays currently have eight batters with at least 15 HR on the year. While getting them all to 17 is certainly plausible, either Harold Ramirez (9) or Christian Bethancourt (8) would have to have quite a power surge to get the team total to nine, matching the Rangers' feat.
Question 3
Amazingly, the Braves enter play Thursday slugging .501 as a team. If they keep this pace, they would become the first team in MLB history (since 1900) to top the .500 mark for a full season. Beyond that, Atlanta is currently just two steals shy of 100 for the season. Only one team since 1947 has slugged at a .480 or higher rate and stolen at least 100 bases for a full season. Name them (team and year required).
ANSWER: COLORADO ROCKIES, 2001
Only seven teams have ever had a slugging percentage of at least .480 for a "full season" (by which we mean a non-strike or COVID-impacted campaign). The 2019 Astros have the record for highest single-season slugging percentage of all time at .495, but they only stole 67 bases on the year. However, it's the 2001 Rockies (.483, 132 SB) who exhibited this unique power/speed combo. It didn't help then win, though, as they finished 73-89 and fifth in the NL West.
Special shout out to Cleveland's 1994 team, which slugged .484 with 131 steals -- an amazing SB total considering this occurred in only 113 games of a season that ceased play after August 10 due to the work stoppage that would not be resolved until 1995, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of the postseason and World Series.