Think Baseball

Baseball trivia is the best.

Every day towards the end of MLB Now on the MLB Network, hosted most days by Brian Kenny, the show asks a question... Think Baseball.

Now, I wish I could say I have a good track record of getting the answers right, but, well, there's only about 150 years of trivia, and, with lots of questions involving analytics, I'm probably lucky if my batting percentage is somewhere near the Mendoza Line.

So, as I was getting myself ready to call it a day...at around 1:25 am, I had the MLB Network on and I heard the question of the day...

"Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles hit his 500th career home run on September 6, 1996...when hitting 500 home runs was hitting 500 home runs...(before steroids)...name the last player to hit his 500th HR before Murray."

OK, now I'm not sure if the above quote by Mr. Kenny is exactly word for word, but that was pretty close, I believe...it is, as I write this, 2:00 am on February 2nd.

OK...so, as I was walking around the house during the commercial break I'm hoping that somehow I can figure the question out before the show gets back...

(yes, this was me actually thinking out loud)

...let's see...1996...Eddie Murray...500 HRs...yes, I know he hit it vs my Detroit Tigers, I had just travelled to Maryland that night to visit my Uncle Bob...500 HRs when it meant something to hit 500 HRs...that's before steroids ruined the great game of baseball...OK, focus...was it Mike Schmidt vs the Pirates...1987?... maybe...sounds good...or, maybe it was Reggie Jackson...no, that was probably 1986, no, maybe 1984...wasn't Reggie playing for the old California Angels when he hit #500...OK...its Mike Schmidt, vs the Pirates, at Three Rivers Stadium... I can hear Harry Kalas on This Week in Baseball... that's my guess...Michael Jack Schmidt!

As I was walking back to the bedroom I got to my TV just in time...

Michael Jack Schmidt!!

I remember that great call by the late Phillies radio broadcaster Harry Kalas so well...it's great calls like that...they help jar the old memory bank...it's amazing how much useless information I have in my head...and yet, I can't remember something from two days ago that my wife told me, but hey... I got one right Mr. Brian Kenny!

...April 18, 1987... almost 58 years old, but not done yet... one more tick over the Mendoza Line.!

Play Ball! ⚾️