Quiz – Coming Up Roses (solved)

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

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
John Nacca
9 years ago

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

Artie Z.
Artie Z.
9 years ago

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.

mosc
mosc
9 years ago
Reply to  Artie Z.

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

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
9 years ago
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.