If you don’t know Ian Stewart, he is a third baseman, playing mostly for the Rockies, but currently with the Cubs. He’s never had a qualifying season but has exceeded 400 PAs twice in his career. In the equivalent of 3 full-time seasons, he has career totals including 66 doubles, 10 triples and 59 homers. His career slugging percentage is almost 200 points higher than his batting average, and he has more strikeouts than hits in every season of his career.
Nondescript though that synopsis may be, Ian enjoys the distinction of achieving a certain offensive feat more often than every other major-leaguer who has played his entire career since 1916. What is this unusual feat?
It’s approaching midnight Eastern, 27+ hours after this quiz was posted, so I’m calling this one a stumper. The HHS readers were quick to identify that the quiz was about appearing in an opening day game on a player’s birthday, but failed to note the batting feat that Ian Stewart has achieved more often than any other player. That feat is to get a hit in an opening day game on your birthday, something that Stewart has done twice and 24 others have managed only once, including Daniel Murphy of the Mets this season.
For the record, Stewart homered for the Rockies in 2010, and tripled for the Cubs in 2012. Stewart is one of only four players who have even appeared in an opening day game on their birthdays more than once: Stewart, Lee Lacy and Tom Herr all twice; and HOFer Paul Waner thrice. Here are the 26 times a player has recorded a hit on his birthday on opening day.
| Rk | Player | Date ▾ | Tm | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | Pos Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Murphy | 2013-04-01 | NYM | SDP | W 11-2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2B |
| 2 | Ian Stewart | 2012-04-05 | CHC | WSN | L 1-2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3B |
| 3 | Jeff Mathis | 2011-03-31 | LAA | KCR | W 4-2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | C |
| 4 | Peter Bourjos | 2011-03-31 | LAA | KCR | W 4-2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CF |
| 5 | Ian Stewart | 2010-04-05 | COL | MIL | W 5-3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3B |
| 6 | Lastings Milledge | 2010-04-05 | PIT | LAD | W 11-5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | LF |
| 7 | Scott Rolen | 2000-04-04 | PHI | ARI | L 4-6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3B |
| 8 | Quilvio Veras | 2000-04-03 | ATL | COL | W 2-0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2B |
| 9 | Hal Morris | 1990-04-09 | CIN | HOU | W 8-4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1B |
| 10 | Tom Herr | 1989-04-04 | PHI | CHC | L 4-5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2B |
| 11 | Lee Lacy | 1980-04-10 | PIT | STL | L 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | PH |
| 12 | Bob Watson | 1980-04-10 | NYY | TEX | L 0-1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1B |
| 13 | Bert Blyleven | 1979-04-06 | PIT | MON | L 2-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | P |
| 14 | Jim Fregosi | 1974-04-04 | TEX | OAK | L 2-7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3B |
| 15 | Ray Fosse | 1974-04-04 | OAK | TEX | W 7-2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | C |
| 16 | Bernie Allen | 1972-04-16 | NYY | BAL | L 1-3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2B |
| 17 | Willie Davis | 1972-04-15 | LAD | CIN | W 3-1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CF |
| 18 | Ted Sizemore | 1972-04-15 | STL | MON | L 2-3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2B |
| 19 | Marty Pattin | 1971-04-06 | MIL | MIN | W 7-2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | P |
| 20 | Charlie Lau | 1966-04-12 | BAL | BOS | W 5-4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | PH |
| 21 | Don Mueller | 1953-04-14 | NYG | PHI | W 4-1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | RF |
| 22 | Solly Hemus | 1951-04-17 | STL | PIT | L 4-5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | SS |
| 23 | Eddie Mayo | 1947-04-15 | DET | SLB | W 7-0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2B |
| 24 | Paul Waner | 1935-04-16 | PIT | CIN | W 12-6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | RF |
| 25 | Al Nixon | 1928-04-11 | PHI | BRO | W 4-3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | LF |
| 26 | Charlie Pick | 1916-04-12 | PHA | BOS | L 1-2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3B |
