Sporcle Saturday: Postseason dingers
Good morning!
It was on this date in 2005 that the White Sox played their first World Series game since 1959, winning a close one over the Astros, 5-3. Jose Contreras went seven innings, then Neal Cotts and Bobby Jenks recorded two scoreless innings with five of those six outs on strikeouts to close things out.
Ah, sweet postseason moments. In that game, the White Sox were also the beneficiary of two home runs, solo shots that I suppose one could argue were the difference in the score. Today, let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember other White Sox home runs of postseasons past. No, none of us remember those first two home runs in 1917 and 1919, but I reckon there’s a fair number of folks here who can remember the rest. In all there are 42 player entries: how many can you name? Good luck!
Quiz Parameters
- I’ve allotted 15 minutes for completion attempts.
- For hints, I’ve provided the date of the game and the position that player fielded during the game.
Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:
- The most postseason home runs by a White Sox player over their career is 7.
- I suppose this is probably more random chance than anything else, but catcher has the second-most home runs from the positions on this list with 6 (behind first base, 12).
- 23 of these home runs have come at home, while the other 19 have come on the road.
All data from stathead.com
42/42 with 10:07 left. Every single name on here is memorable for one reason or another beyond the postseason homers. (Well, the October 25, 2005 utilityman is memorable exactly for the postseason homer, which just may be my favorite at-bat in White Sox history.)
I think my favorite at-bat is Pods’ homer off of Lidge.
That was a spectacular “what did I just see?!” moment, yes. But it didn’t come 6 hours after the spouse and I checked into a New Zealand hotel for a prearranged vacation, I found the room had the game on satellite, and requested that we could go out to see the sights after the game ended. Little did we know what was to come, and the offensive futility was so prolonged that I yelled “just hit a home run!” about 5 seconds before it actually happened.
The good news is the time difference between Houston and Hanmer Springs meant we could have a good, reasonably-timed dinner to celebrate that win. Game 4 the next day took as much time as I had assumed Game 3 would go, and we celebrated the sweep basking in a thermal bath.
It was the slam for me. The El Duque inning was when I first thought “Wow, this could actually happen.” The slam was when I got to “This IS happening!”
41/42. Drew a blank on one of the 1993 outfielders.
I totally forgot 9/29/2020 OF home run happened
Typed Mazara for that one and then immediately chastised myself.
Paulie. Paulie. Paulie. Paulie.
Really fun one today, Ted!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Iguchi’s homer after Graffanino’s error epitomized the Sox in 2005!
I got the 1959 first baseman who hit 3 home runs. I am unwilling to admit how many attempts it took me to get the spelling right. My late Polish-speaking mom who’s maiden name began with the letters krzy would’ve been disappointed in me.
35/42 is the best I’ve done for one of these. Really helped how rarely they’ve made the playoffs.
41/42.
10/6/1917 was the only one I missed.
Same here. I gave up with 12 minutes left, but if I would have thought about it a little bit I might have gotten it.