Quiz – Coming Up Roses (solved) |

What is the career accomplishment that is shared only by these players since 1901?

Rk	Player
1	Pete Rose
2	Jim Gilliam
3	Gregg Jefferies
4	Don Buford
5	Bobby Adams
6	Scott Spiezio
7	Frank LaPorte

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/8/2014.

Hint: Jackie Robinson is the one HOFer who almost made this list

Congratulations to Artie Z.! He knew that these players always came up roses because they never came up short. Or, rather, as shortstop. The quiz players are part of a larger group of 63 players who all played 250+ games at both 2nd base and 3rd base since 1901, but only these seven never played a game at shortstop. Included in the larger group are 3 HOFers – Jackie Robinson who played shortstop once, and Paul Molitor and Frankie Frisch who both did so 50+ times. More after the jump.

Here is the whole group, sorted by career games played.

Rk ▴	Player	G	From	To	Age	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Pete Rose	3562	1963	1986	22-45	15890	2165	4256	746	135	160	1314	1566	1143	.303	.375	.409	.784	37549H/8
2	Paul Molitor	2683	1978	1998	21-41	12167	1782	3319	605	114	234	1307	1094	1244	.306	.369	.448	.817	D543/68H79
3	Frankie Frisch	2311	1919	1937	21-39	10099	1532	2880	466	138	105	1244	728	272	.316	.369	.432	.801	*45/6H
4	Jimmy Dykes	2283	1918	1939	21-42	9351	1108	2256	453	90	108	1069	958	850	.280	.365	.399	.764	*5436/H8719
5	Tony Taylor	2195	1958	1976	22-40	8501	1005	2007	298	86	75	598	613	1083	.261	.321	.352	.673	*45H/376D
6	Tony Phillips	2161	1982	1999	23-40	9110	1300	2023	360	50	160	819	1319	1499	.266	.374	.389	.763	47569D/8H3
7	Michael Young	1970	2000	2013	23-36	8612	1137	2375	441	60	185	1030	575	1235	.300	.346	.441	.787	654D3/H
8	Jim Gilliam	1956	1953	1966	24-37	8322	1163	1889	304	71	65	558	1036	416	.265	.360	.355	.715	*457H/983
9	Placido Polanco	1927	1998	2013	22-37	7887	1009	2142	348	32	104	723	429	538	.297	.343	.397	.740	*456H/7D3
10	Lenny Harris	1903	1988	2005	23-40	4289	460	1055	161	21	37	369	279	337	.269	.318	.349	.667	*H5497/36D81
11	Phil Garner	1860	1973	1988	24-39	6861	780	1594	299	82	109	738	564	842	.260	.323	.389	.711	*45H/6D
12	Marty McManus	1831	1920	1934	20-34	7565	1008	1926	401	88	120	992	675	558	.289	.357	.430	.787	*45/3H69
13	Jim Gantner	1801	1976	1992	23-39	6787	726	1696	262	38	47	568	383	501	.274	.319	.351	.671	*45/HD631
14	Tony Cuccinello	1704	1930	1945	22-37	6880	730	1729	334	46	94	884	579	497	.280	.343	.394	.737	*45/H6
15	Heinie Groh	1676	1912	1927	22-37	7034	918	1774	308	87	26	566	696	345	.292	.373	.384	.757	*54/H6
16	Craig Counsell	1624	1995	2011	24-40	5488	647	1208	218	40	42	390	589	663	.255	.342	.344	.686	465H/37
17	Billy Goodman	1623	1947	1962	21-36	6443	807	1691	299	44	19	591	669	329	.300	.376	.378	.754	435H/796
18	Ken Oberkfell	1602	1977	1992	21-36	5528	558	1354	237	44	29	446	546	356	.278	.351	.362	.713	*54H/36D
19	Edgardo Alfonzo	1506	1995	2006	21-32	6108	777	1532	282	18	146	744	596	617	.284	.357	.425	.782	*54/H6D3
20	Eddie Foster	1500	1910	1923	23-36	6328	732	1490	191	71	6	451	528	316	.264	.329	.326	.655	*54/H6
21	Buck Herzog	1493	1908	1920	22-34	6048	705	1370	191	75	20	445	427	331	.259	.329	.335	.664	456/73H9
22	Gregg Jefferies	1465	1987	2000	19-32	6072	761	1593	300	27	126	663	472	348	.289	.344	.421	.765	3745/HD
23	Heinie Zimmerman	1456	1907	1919	20-32	5740	695	1566	275	105	58	796	242	432	.295	.331	.419	.750	*54/638H79
24	Jerry Royster	1428	1973	1988	20-35	4732	552	1049	165	33	40	352	411	534	.249	.315	.333	.648	54H67/89D
25	Sparky Adams	1424	1922	1934	27-39	6175	844	1588	249	48	9	394	453	223	.286	.343	.353	.695	456/H79
26	Pete Suder	1421	1941	1955	25-39	5474	469	1268	210	44	49	541	288	456	.249	.290	.337	.627	*456/H39
27	David Bell	1403	1995	2006	22-33	5380	587	1239	267	18	123	589	428	687	.257	.320	.396	.716	*54/H637D
28	Jackie Robinson	1382	1947	1956	28-37	5804	947	1518	273	54	137	734	740	291	.311	.409	.474	.883	*4537/H69
29	Gil McDougald	1336	1951	1960	23-32	5398	697	1291	187	51	112	576	559	623	.276	.356	.410	.766	456/H
30	Andy High	1314	1922	1934	24-36	4969	618	1250	195	65	44	482	425	130	.284	.350	.388	.738	*54H/6
31	Bernie Friberg	1299	1919	1933	19-33	4798	544	1170	181	44	38	471	471	498	.281	.356	.373	.728	546/7H98321
32	Don Buford	1286	1963	1972	26-35	5347	718	1203	157	44	93	418	672	575	.264	.362	.379	.741	745H/89
33	Chone Figgins	1282	2002	2014	24-36	5360	708	1298	188	58	35	403	540	832	.276	.349	.363	.712	548/7H69D
34	Bobby Adams	1281	1946	1959	24-37	4530	591	1082	188	49	37	303	414	447	.269	.340	.368	.708	*54H/39
35	Hobe Ferris	1279	1901	1909	26-34	5107	472	1145	192	89	40	550	160	550	.239	.265	.341	.606	*45/6
36	Jamey Carroll	1276	2002	2013	28-39	4225	560	1000	148	27	13	265	410	581	.272	.349	.338	.687	*456H/79D81
37	Scott Spiezio	1274	1996	2007	23-34	4413	517	996	225	27	119	549	412	594	.255	.329	.419	.747	345H/D791
38	Randy Velarde	1273	1987	2002	24-39	4813	633	1171	214	23	100	445	463	853	.276	.352	.408	.760	456/7HD398
39	Frankie Gustine	1261	1939	1950	19-30	5040	553	1214	222	47	38	480	369	427	.265	.322	.359	.681	456/H23
40	Mark DeRosa	1241	1998	2013	23-38	4094	538	975	196	12	100	494	358	707	.268	.340	.412	.751	54H96/73D
41	Vance Law	1212	1980	1991	23-34	4298	453	972	193	26	71	442	408	602	.256	.326	.376	.703	*546/H38179D
42	Frank LaPorte	1194	1905	1915	25-35	4644	501	1185	198	78	16	560	288	367	.281	.331	.377	.708	*45/9783
43	Jim Delahanty	1186	1901	1915	22-36	4688	520	1159	191	59	19	489	378	368	.283	.357	.373	.730	457/39618
44	Nick Punto	1154	2001	2014	23-36	3714	419	794	141	25	19	262	385	646	.246	.324	.322	.646	456H/D8397
45	Don Gutteridge	1151	1936	1948	24-36	4577	586	1075	200	64	39	391	309	444	.256	.308	.362	.669	*45/H67
46	Danny O’Connell	1143	1950	1962	21-33	4597	527	1049	181	35	39	320	431	396	.260	.333	.351	.684	*45/6H3
47	Lenny Randle	1138	1971	1982	22-33	4427	488	1016	145	40	27	322	372	505	.257	.321	.335	.656	54H/87D692
48	Wayne Causey	1106	1955	1968	18-31	3722	357	819	130	26	35	285	390	341	.252	.333	.341	.674	645H
49	Juan Castro	1103	1995	2011	23-39	2849	253	601	123	13	36	234	149	472	.229	.268	.327	.595	*654H/37D
50	Don Zimmer	1095	1954	1965	23-34	3593	353	773	130	22	91	352	246	678	.235	.290	.372	.662	546H/279
51	Jim Morrison	1089	1977	1988	24-35	3695	371	876	170	16	112	435	213	521	.260	.305	.419	.724	*54H/6D7391
52	Odell Hale	1062	1931	1941	22-32	4126	551	1071	240	51	73	573	353	315	.289	.352	.441	.793	45H/6
53	Cookie Lavagetto	1043	1934	1947	21-34	4040	487	945	183	37	40	486	485	244	.269	.360	.377	.737	*54H/36
54	Bill Sweeney	1039	1907	1914	21-28	4262	442	1004	153	40	11	389	423	215	.272	.349	.344	.693	*456/3798
55	Abraham Nunez	1030	1997	2008	21-32	2804	286	601	88	19	18	209	250	447	.242	.313	.314	.627	H564/D71
56	Sibby Sisti	1016	1939	1954	18-33	3370	401	732	121	19	27	260	283	440	.244	.313	.324	.637	456H/9783
57	Alberto Callaspo	985	2006	2014	23-31	3676	371	886	162	14	51	354	319	330	.268	.330	.371	.702	*54H/D6379
58	Martin Prado	975	2006	2014	22-30	4017	485	1067	230	22	76	423	270	437	.291	.339	.427	.767	547/H369D
59	Rollie Zeider	941	1910	1918	26-34	3690	393	769	89	22	5	253	334	236	.240	.315	.286	.601	4563/H798
60	Garth Iorg	931	1978	1987	23-32	2615	251	633	125	16	20	238	114	298	.258	.292	.347	.639	*54H/73D68
61	Maicer Izturis	909	2004	2014	23-33	3350	406	810	159	17	39	334	267	355	.269	.331	.372	.703	546H/D78
62	Art Howe	891	1974	1985	27-38	2954	268	682	139	23	43	293	275	287	.260	.329	.379	.708	54H3/6
63	Jimmy Brown	890	1937	1946	27-36	3831	465	980	146	42	9	319	231	110	.279	.326	.352	.678	456/H

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/9/2014.

Lest you get the idea that also playing shortstop was common among this group, it wasn’t. Only 26 of these 63 (41%) played 100 career games at shortstop (green), while 29 (46%) had 50 games or less (black) and 19 (30%) had no more than 10 (red), including Odell Hale and Cookie Lavagetto who, like Jackie Robinson, played there for but a single game. (Note: the remaining players in blue type played 51-99 games at shortstop).

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John Nacca

10 years ago

Must have to do with something related to games played at 3B and 2B?

Author

Doug

Reply to John Nacca

Yes.

Artie Z.

I’m guessing that September 22nd 1953 cost Jackie Robinson his shot at this list.

It’s the only day he played shortstop in the majors – I . Interestingly enough, he never had an official AB as a shortstop – while he played a CG, he was 0-0 with 4 walks batting cleanup, scoring 1 run and stealing a base.

It looks like the 7 players on the list played 250+ games at 2B and 3B but 0 games at shortstop.

Reply to Artie Z.

Ding, ding, ding.

Well done, Artie.

mosc

what’s the most PA’s in a game without an AB? 6?

Richard Chester

Reply to mosc

It is 6, by Jimmie Foxx on 6-16-38 and Billy Urbansky on 6-13-34. Foxx received 6 BB and Urbanski had 4 BB and 2 SH.