Quiz – “We’ll root, root, root for the home team” |

Most of our quizzes are about unusual exploits of groups of players. This one is a bit different.

After the jump you’ll find lists of specific teams and seasons. There is something that all of these teams have in common. Your task is simple – find that common link.

Congratulations (again) to Richard Chester! He identified that in the years indicated for each franchise, that year’s team had the greatest number of players on its roster born in the team’s state (in the case of Toronto and Montreal, born in Canada). For ties, the year indicated is the most recent.

First, the AL since 1901. What do all of these teams have in common?

Year	Tm	Lg
1901	Cleveland Blues	AL
1939	Chicago White Sox	AL
1946	New York Yankees	AL
1951	St. Louis Browns	AL
1964	Boston Red Sox	AL
1975	Minnesota Twins	AL
1977	Kansas City Royals	AL
1981	Milwaukee Brewers	AL
1983	Detroit Tigers	AL
1983	Seattle Mariners	AL
1984	California Angels	AL
1986	Oakland Athletics	AL
1999	Toronto Blue Jays	AL
2000	Tampa Bay Devil Rays	AL
2011	Texas Rangers	AL

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/26/2012.

And, for the NL, also since 1901. These teams have the same thing in common as the AL teams.

Year	Tm	Lg
1904	Philadelphia Phillies	NL
1913	Cincinnati Reds	NL
1925	Boston Braves	NL
1942	St. Louis Cardinals	NL
1948	Chicago Cubs	NL
1956	Pittsburgh Pirates	NL
1983	San Francisco Giants	NL
1991	Los Angeles Dodgers	NL
1993	Montreal Expos	NL
1994	New York Mets	NL
2000	San Diego Padres	NL
2006	Colorado Rockies	NL
2007	Houston Astros	NL
2007	Milwaukee Brewers	NL
2008	Florida Marlins	NL
2010	Arizona Diamondbacks	NL

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 7/26/2012.

Hint: note that there is exactly one entry for each franchise

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John Autin

12 years ago

So far, I’m leaning towards “they all had a player no more than 3′ 7″ tall.”

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Doug

Reply to John Autin

Good catch, JA.

Just looked at the box score for Eddie Gaedel’s game. Equally obscure was the guy Gaedel pinch-hit for. Frank Saucier played the top of the 1st inning in the outfield, and Gaedel pinch-hit for him when Saucier was scheduled to lead-off the home first. Saucier had only 18 career PAs, all in 1951 and half of them as a pinch-hitter. So, it was regular outfielder Jim Delsing who pinch-ran for Gaedel and played the rest of the game in the field.

BTW, Frank Saucier is a clue, if you didn’t get that.

Reply to Doug

OK, Saucier is from Missouri and played for the Browns. Given the title, that could mean … something.

Indeed it may.

donburgh

I have no idea what it is, but the Brewers have apparently done it in both leagues.

Reply to donburgh

I’ve included Milwaukee twice, as I chose to consider them as separate franchises for their time in each league.

Here’s another hint: if I had considered Milwaukee as only one franchise, the AL entry would be the only entry you would see on the lists.

OK, so we’re looking at exactly one season of each franchise.

Correct.

Richard Chester

Is it something each team accomplished for the first time in their league?

Reply to Richard Chester

In a way, but probably not what you’re thinking of.

Think more about most of something.

Most of the NL teams were mediocre to poor, and none went to the postseason except the spectacular ’42 Cardinals.

On the AL side, we have one pennant (2011 Rangers), two ALCS losers (’77 Royals, ’81 Brewers), and of course, one team that sent a midget up to bat.

I’m not feeling anything here. 31 teams is a lot to sift.

Jeff P

I’m leaning toward franchise record for runs scored at home or something along those lines, though some of these seasons make me think that’s not quite right.

Reply to Jeff P

Not runs scored at home.

remember to call

– Unless I’m incorrect, each team is on here once, except the Brewers who are on once for each league. – Based on the title, I am led to believe it has to go with home/road splits. Because there are 2 in one season in one league, it can’t have to do with leading the league in something. – The 1964 Red Sox, interestingly, were 45-36 at home but 27-54 on the road. The 2010 Dbacks were 40-41 at home and 25-56 on the road. 2007 Brewers were 51-30 at home and 31-49 on the road. In these 3 cases,… Read more »

Insert Name Here

Reply to remember to call

Whoops! That was me posting there. I accidentally posted under a screen name I use at another website.

True that quiz is not titled arbitrarily.

False that the answer has to do with home/road splits.

The groups skew modern. 18 of the 31 teams come from the past 31 seasons (1981-2012).

Number of teams by decade (AL/NL):

1900s – 2 (1/1)
1910s – 1 (0/1)
1920s – 1 (0/1)
1930s – 1 (1/0)
1940s – 3 (1/2)
1950s – 2 (1/1)
1960s – 1 (1/0)
1970s – 2 (2/0)
1980s – 6 (5/1)
1990s – 4 (1/3)
2000s – 6 (1/5)
2010s – 2 (1/1)

da HOOK

I was about to say : Season in which the team’s single game attendance record was set. Then I looked at Cleveland 1902 and found only three games with attendance figures.

Reply to da HOOK

Or maybe it was 1901.

I’m taking a wild, or maybe not-so-wild guess. Those were the years in which each team had on its roster the greatest number of players who were born in the state in which the team was located.

Bingo! Richard does it again.

Well done.

Thanks Doug. Posts 11, 17 and 19 were a big help. Also when I looked at the 1946 Yankee roster I saw several New Yorkers.

Luis Gomez

I say it´s something that is related to the longest winning streak by a team.

So are there any players from DC who played for either the Minnesota Senators, Texas Senators, or Nationals?

Re: DC players

The most DC players for the old Senators was three in 1912. Johnny Klippstein is the last DC born player to play in DC, for the expansion Senator in 1961.