Sporcle Saturday: Consecutive games with a home run
Good morning!
Luis Robert, Jr. recently finished quite the home run tear, going deep in four consecutive games. On the season, he’s already accumulated 12 dingers (one behind Adolis Garcia for the A.L. lead) while logging an .893 OPS and amassing 2.2 bWAR.
Looking back through recent White Sox history, this is the first time a White Sox batter has homered in at least four consecutive games since 2017; before that, the feat was accomplished in 2013. Suffice to say, this isn’t exactly a common occurrence for the franchise.
Today’s Sporcle will test you on other instances where a White Sox batter has gone deep in at least four consecutive games: in all, there are 29 player-seasons. How many can you name? Good luck!
Quiz Parameters
- I’ve allotted 10 minutes for completion attempts
- For hints, I’ve provided the season, the number of games in a row, and the position of the player.
Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:
- The average triple-slash of the players on this list is, as expected, robusto: .424/.484/1.299
- Just one player on this list also stole a base during their homer streak (2013).
- As you likely already know, the MLB record is 8 consecutive games with a home run, most recently accomplished by Ken Griffey, Jr., in 1993.
- Mike Trout is the most recent player to come closest to that eight-game mark, hitting a home run in seven consecutive games last season.
All data from stathead.com
Author
28/29 with 7:30 left. couldn’t get the last one. Thought of everyone else who played 3b/ss in 1970 except for the right answer. I can’t believe that guy hit homers in 4 straight games.
I also got 28/29, also missing the 1970 dude. Would never in a million years have guessed he was capable of that onslaught of power.
*Looks up his 1970 season* The rest of his season was about as accomplished as you’d expect from a member of the 1970 White Sox. But what a glorious week.
I guessed everyone I could think of- Alvarado, Richard, Leon, even Aparicio. But those first 3 guys probably never hit 4 in a season, let alone a week.
26/29. I knew the ’55 catcher but just had a total mental block on his name this morning. Also missed the ’77 catcher and the ’70 3B/SS.
I got the 1970 ss/3b. I remember thinking he was going to be something based on that streak. I was actually disappointed as a kid when the Sox traded him away in the 1971/72 off season in what turned out to an absolutely great trade for the Sox.
I missed the 2008 OF. I’ve missed him on other quizzes. I have trouble remembering him having any success with the Sox.
The trade I mentioned above of the 1970 ss/3b for Stan Bahnsen took place the same day as the Dick Allen/Tommy John trade at the 1971 winter meetings. (Weird that back then the Allen/John trade wasn’t the biggest trade of the winter meetings or even 2nd.)
Which trades were bigger?
The Astros/Reds trade when the Reds picked up Joe Morgan, Dennis Menke, Cesar Geronimo, and Jack Billingham for Tommy Helms and Lee May. The Reds had some pretty good teams in the 70’s with some contributions from the players they got.
The A’s/Cubs trade when the A’s picked up Kenny Holtzman for Rick Monday. The A’s had some pretty good teams after adding Holtzman to their rotation with Vida Blue and Catfish Hunter.
(As an aside, I thought it was odd that Holtzman was inducted to the Illini Athletic Hall of Fame this year. He only played for the Illini for one season.)
Yeah, I’d say the Reds did pretty good with that trade.
And of course, that was Tommy John 3 years before the surgery which changed the pitching profession.
27/29. Couldn’t come up w the ‘77 C (would have bet $500 it was Brian Downing based on the year & position 🤷), nor the 1970 player that we all seem to have missed besides JOS. This was a fun one!