Here’s an assortment of notable players, with a common thread connecting them. What is the career accomplishment of which each of these players can boast?
| Rk | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Thome |
| 2 | Brooks Robinson |
| 3 | Pete Rose |
| 4 | Steve Carlton |
| 5 | Tony Perez |
| 6 | Hank Aaron |
| 7 | Hal McRae |
| 8 | Eddie Mathews |
| 9 | Carlton Fisk |
| 10 | Enos Slaughter |
| 11 | Gary Sheffield |
Hint: the career accomplishment includes a particular feat that each player accomplished in his career, plus something else about his career that distinguishes the player from all others with the same feat.
Congratulations to John Autin! He correctly identified (with a little help) that these are the last active players to have homered in the traditional ballparks in use before the 1950s franchise relocations. The particulars are after the jump.
Here are the ballparks for each player and the number of years after the ballpark closed that the player remained active. In cases where there were multiple players active in the same final season, I went with the player whose last game came latest in the season.
| Park | Player |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Stadium (20) | Jim Thome |
| Griffith Stadium (16) | Brooks Robinson |
| Sportsman’s Park (20), Polo Grounds (23) | Pete Rose |
| Forbes Field (18) | Steve Carlton |
| Shibe Park (16) | Tony Perez |
| Ebbets Field (19) | Hank Aaron |
| Crosley Field (17) | Hal McRae |
| Braves Field (16) | Eddie Mathews |
| Yankee Stadium I (20) | Carlton Fisk |
| Baker Bowl (21) | Enos Slaughter |
| Comiskey Park (19) | Gary Sheffield |
Of course, we won’t know for some time who the answer will be for Fenway Park or Wrigley Field. For Tiger Stadium, the candidates include A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Paul Konerko, Raul Ibanez, Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez and Torii Hunter. At this point, my money would be on Hunter.
