All-new Quiz!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I noticed that Wilmer Flores has been batting 8th in the lineup lately, and I wondered if by doing so he had set a club record. Had any Mets manager ever previously penciled a player into the 8th lineup position who had, going into the game, as many as 16 home runs?

The answer is yes. The record is actually 18. Which prompts this quiz. I'm going to list each lineup slot, and the number of home runs that represents the most, at the start of the game, that any Mets player has had who batted in that position. (I hope I'm explaining this well.)

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to guess which player holds each of the nine records and in which year the record was set. (There are a couple of ties, which I'll indicate.) Here's a hint: One player holds the highest home run total for three of the nine positions, and all three records were set in the same season.

I'll let everyone post their guesses for the next 24 hours and I'll post the answers around this time (4:30 p.m.) tomorrow.

1. (29 home runs)
2. (36 home runs)
3. (41 home runs)
4. (41 home runs)
5. (37 home runs, 2 players)
6. (34 home runs)
7. (36 home runs)
8. (18 home runs, 2 players)
9. (11 home runs)

[Edgy MD]

In seventh place, with 36 home runs, is... HOWARD JOHNSON 1987!

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'm not sure I follow, we list nine players who hit
that many home runs in that lineup spot and the year?
That's pretty hard except for the 41 in the four spot.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: One player holds the highest home run total for three of the nine positions, and all three records were set in the same season.

That can't be, at least not the way I'm reading it.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It's the number of home runs that the player had when he started the game. Wilmer Flores had 16 home runs when he batted eighth last night, but he didn't hit 16 home runs from the number 8 slot.

If Lucas Duda, for example, were to start in the 9th spot tonight, he'd immediately set the record for that slot with the 21 homers that he already has.

[Centerfield]

Wilmer Flores, 9th, 11 HR's.

[Centerfield]

Beltran at #3.

[Centerfield]

Hundley at #4.

[Chad ochoseis]

2nd-Beltran 2007

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

5: Carlos Skinny y Chocolate Strawberry

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

#5 - Dave Kingman

[Benjamin Grimm]

Some correct answers have been posted. (I'm going to assume that "Carlos Skinny" is "Carlos Delgado" for LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr's guess for the 5 spot.)

Carlos Beltran is not the correct answer for #2.

1. (29 home runs)
2. (36 home runs)
3. (41 home runs) Carlos Beltran, 2006 (Centerfield)
4. (41 home runs) Todd Hundley, 1996 (Centerfield)
5. (37 home runs, 2 players) Dave Kingman, 1976 (Rockin' Doc) Carlos Delgado, 2008 (LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr)
6. (34 home runs)
7. (36 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (Edgy MD)
8. (18 home runs, 2 players)
9. (11 home runs) Wilmer Flores, 2015 (Centerfield)

We're still looking for four more answers, one each for 1, 2, and 6 and two for 8. Remember, one of the players is represented on the list three times.

[Edgy MD]

Batting eighth, the right fielder, Derek Bell 2000.

[HahnSolo]

Is the leadoff guy Mike Cameron in '04?

[Guest d'Kong76]

I don't remember batting orders but can #2 be Beltran as well?
He did say there were multiple slots.
(I could never nail down a year too)

[Benjamin Grimm]

No to Derek Bell for 8 and Carlos Beltran for 2, but yes to Mike Cameron for 1.

1. (29 home runs) Mike Cameron, 2004 (HahnSolo)
2. (36 home runs)
3. (41 home runs) Carlos Beltran, 2006 (Centerfield)
4. (41 home runs) Todd Hundley, 1996 (Centerfield)
5. (37 home runs, 2 players) Dave Kingman, 1976 (Rockin' Doc) Carlos Delgado, 2008 (LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr)
6. (34 home runs)
7. (36 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (Edgy MD)
8. (18 home runs, 2 players)
9. (11 home runs) Wilmer Flores, 2015 (Centerfield)

[dgwphotography]

I'm going to take a shot, and say spots 2 & 6 were also HoJo in 87

[Edgy MD]

Batting eighth... um... Jos� Valentin, 2006.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm going to take a shot, and say spots 2 & 6 were also HoJo in 87

Correct!

Batting eighth... um... Jos� Valentin, 2006.

Correct!


1. (29 home runs) Mike Cameron, 2004 (HahnSolo)
2. (36 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (dgwphotography)
3. (41 home runs) Carlos Beltran, 2006 (Centerfield)
4. (41 home runs) Todd Hundley, 1996 (Centerfield)
5. (37 home runs, 2 players) Dave Kingman, 1976 (Rockin' Doc) Carlos Delgado, 2008 (LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr)
6. (34 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (dgwphotography)
7. (36 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (Edgy MD)
8. (18 home runs, 2 players) Jose Valentin 2006 (Edgy MD)
9. (11 home runs) Wilmer Flores, 2015 (Centerfield)

We just need one more, the guy who shares the 8 spot with Jose Valentin.

Hint: He came to the Mets in a trade that included two very prominent names.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Okay, quiz is over! Every slot was guessed correctly except for one. The other Mets player who was penciled into a starting lineup in the 8th slot having already hit 18 home runs that season is Ryan Thompson, in 1994. Thanks for playing, and drive home safely!

1. (29 home runs) Mike Cameron, 2004 (HahnSolo)
2. (36 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (dgwphotography)
3. (41 home runs) Carlos Beltran, 2006 (Centerfield)
4. (41 home runs) Todd Hundley, 1996 (Centerfield)
5. (37 home runs, 2 players) Dave Kingman, 1976 (Rockin' Doc) Carlos Delgado, 2008 (LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr)
6. (34 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (dgwphotography)
7. (36 home runs) Howard Johnson, 1987 (Edgy MD)
8. (18 home runs, 2 players) Jose Valentin 2006 (Edgy MD), Ryan Thompson, 1994
9. (11 home runs) Wilmer Flores, 2015 (Centerfield)