Quiz – special playoff edition |

Following are the only players since at least 1918 with an unusual, three-part accomplishment. What have these players done that distinguishes them from all of their brethren?

Player
Paul Goldschmidt
Buster Posey
Carlos Ruiz
Brian McCann
Chipper Jones
Walt Weiss
Wally Joyner
Gil McDougald
Lloyd Waner

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/8/2012.

Hint: a player active in 2012 is on track to join this list

Looks like HHS readers could solve only 2/3 of the puzzle. The three-part accomplishment for which the group above has exclusive domain reads like this:

played in the post-season of his rookie season (kudos to reader Josh)
had a hit streak of at least 4 games to start his post-season career (more kudos to reader RJ)
hit safely in each of the first two regular season starts of his rookie season (this was the stumper)

Congratulations to Yoenis Céspedes, who on October 10th joined this group with hits in his first four post-season games.

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Josh

12 years ago

One part is playing in the playoffs as a rookie I assume, right?

Author

Doug

Reply to Josh

That’s right.

Reply to Doug

And they all played every inning in their team’s postseason games in their rookie year.

Reply to RJ

I hadn’t noticed that, RJ.

Actually it looks like Paul Goldschmidt didn’t play in game 1 of the 2011 NLDS, gah!

Brian McCann also missed a game and Wally Joyner only played in three games of the ’86 ALCS, hmm.

Richard Chester

Is one of the three parts the fact that they all had at least one hit in their first post-season series games?

Reply to Richard Chester

Make that “their first three post-season series games”.

Almost right.

Had hits in their first four postseason games (even though this extends past rookie year for some)?

That is correct.

Insert Name Here

1. Played in playoffs as rookie
2. At least 1 hit in first 3 postseason games
3. Never substituted in or out of a game that postseason

Reply to Insert Name Here

Second point is true, but others not on the list may also have done this (and the other two things). Look again at post-season game logs.

Third point is not what I’m looking for.

GrandyMan

1) Played in postseason as rookie
2) Had at least one extra-base hit
3) ???

Reply to GrandyMan

Nope.

Comment 4 is very close as to the second criterion.

You have found the first two criteria.

1. Played in post-season as a rookie
2. Hit safely in first 4 career post-season games

Hint: third criterion is not about the post-season.

Is Zack Cozart the player on track to join this list?

Indeed he is, but he’s not the one I was thinking of. So, in fact, there are (at least) two players active this year on track to join this list.

Yoenis Céspedes the other one then.

Correct.

Brooklyn Mick

I got it Doug

1. Played in post-season as a rookie
2. Hit safely in first 4 career post-season games
3. Homered in first game of career

Chad

Reply to Brooklyn Mick

Goldschmidt did not homer his first game.

1. Played in post-season as a rookie
2. Hit safely in first 4 career post-season games
3. Did so for team that drafted/signed them?

No, I take that back. Was misreading the HR logs. Dang!

That #3 would have been a nice answer. Except, it isn’t true, for any of the guys on the list.

Doug: If a guy hit safely in his first 4 games doesn’t it mean he also hit safely in his first 3 games?

It does. But, I didn’t check any guys who didn’t hit safely in at least their first 4 post-season games. Ergo, there could be others that should be on the list if the requirement is reduced to 3 games.

Editor

John Autin

From the “since 1918” aspect, can we assume that the 3rd feat is a game-related feat?

Reply to John Autin

That we can.

Alright, now that I know this, here’s my new guess:

1. Played in playoffs during rookie season
2. Got a hit in first 4 postseason games
3. Got a hit in last game of regular season of rookie year, thus creating a hitting streak that starts in the regular season and ends in the postseason.

Inh, defnitely a more interesting answer than what I’m looking for. But, not something I checked for, so can’t say that it couldn’t also apply to others not on the list.

Alas, INH @29 is not correct — Walt Weiss, the first one I checked, did not have a hit in the last regular game of his rookie season.

I feel that Weiss is the key, somehow — the others are all pretty good hitters, or at least Cozart has some power.

Andrew

All of them got a hit in their next regular season game following their rookie post season campaign.

Cespedes now has a hit in his third postseason game. Cozart, however, went 0-4 tonight.

And, another hit today (Oct 10th), to join our group with hits in his first four post-season games.