Immaculate Grid: Show Off Your Useless Baseball Depth Knowledge!

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I thought I might get a low percentage with my Cardinals 300 win choice but no, 22% (and not even the first of us to pick him). Turns out there just aren't a lot of options for any of the 300-win squares. Low percentages on any of them will be tough.

Spoiler

 

[Tony Pena's Gas Cloud]

I'm dumb and can't figure out how to use the spoiler option. Anyway, got a 28. That Orioles/Cardinals combo was surprisingly tough.

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

In the NHL grid today, anybody know what "games played => 82" means? I just assumed playing greater than 82 games (counting playoffs) in any season, which seems way too easy, but then again none of my guesses that should meet that criteria were deemed correct.

I’m pretty late on this, but because of the nature of the schedule, there are a handful of players that have played more than 82 regular season games after being traded mid-season.

 

[DeadlySplitter]

Red Sox row today!

Spoiler

 

[Laser Show]

I’m proud of this one. Rarity score 91.

Spoiler

 

[Brand Name]

Sweet 16...with bonus Red Sox not in Red Sox row!

Spoiler: Immac Grid 7-16-23

 

[mikeford]

got 4/9 as the #1 choice of the crowd. Can't believe I whiffed on getting the most popular Sox/Tiger though.

 

[Yelling At Clouds]

Spoiler

Obscurity score 31

 

[nayrbrey]

Spoiler: 9/9

I had to go with the sentimental choice for Red Sox Angels. Also anytime to revisit the Rich Rowland trade is a good time (sarcasm).
Couldn’t think of any CHW power hitter other than Frank.
Rarity 81

 

[Big Papa Smurph]

9/9 - rarity score 95

Spoiler

 

[Scott Cooper's Grand Slam]

Rarity score 30. Used a human cheat code in the center square. I'm surprised that my bottom-left pick was most popular. I would have thought that would be Jim Abbott or Bo Jackson

Spoiler

 

[Deweys New Stance]

Very nice job @Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

I crapped out today, 7/9 rarity 273

My 1st mistake: Bill Melton for bottom right. I knew he led the AL in home runs one year, I forgot not too many guys were hitting a lot of dingers in the early 70's.
My 2nd mistake: Dizzy Trout for center square. He pitched for the Tigers, his son pitched for the Cubs, neither pitched for both teams. D'oh!

Spoiler

 

[bosox188]

Pretty happy with my deep cut on Red Sox/Tigers for today. 74 is by far my best rarity score since I started playing.

Spoiler

 

[edoug]

8/9 but my lowest Rarity Score, 123

Spoiler

I thought Ron Kittle hit over 40 homers in a season and more obscure than Belle. I think Lee Smith would have been the Cubs/Angels pick. I like my Red Sox row but I should have picked Tony C, my mother's favorite Sox player.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

88 rarity score.

Spoiler

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

9/9
31

I think that's my 2nd best score. There was one with the 40+ homer category a couple of weeks ago and I struggled with it because it's pretty hard to do but yet not really distinctive enough to stand out. Kind of amazing the White Sox existed for 90+ years before anyone accomplished it. I wanted to guess Dick Allen but fortunately I knew the league leaders were pretty low in those years.

Also, it's some weird baseball card collecting nostalgia that led to my most unique answer also being the easiest for me.

Spoiler

 

[Whoop-La White]

This was the first time I realized that the player you use for the statistic has to achieve that statistic while playing for the team, it can't be someone who played for the team and achieved the statistic with another. I had a pretty nice grid going before I guessed George Bell for White Sox/40+ HRs.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

This was the first time I realized that the player you use for the statistic has to achieve that statistic while playing for the team, it can't be someone who played for the team and achieved the statistic with another. I had a pretty nice grid going before I guessed George Bell for White Sox/40+ HRs.

For season accomplishments, yes. If it's a career mark, they simply had to play for that team at some point during their career.

EDIT: Also, any earlier location of a franchise qualifies, so the Nationals also work as the Expos, the Orioles as the Browns, etc. I haven't tested anything really convoluted though, like is Early Wynn a Twins 300-game winner? I assume so, although it really doesn't sound right.

 

[DanoooME]

7/9 Rarity 283

Spoiler

Started the day off wrong by picking the wrong Tony Armas. Then had this crazy notion Don Baylor played for the White Sox. Couldn't think of Paul Konerko for the 40 HR White Sox guy, but by then I was frazzled enough. At least I was able to use the Rem Dog.

 

[Max Power]

I'm surprised any Red Sox fan didn't go for the sentimental pick in the upper left.

 

[Kliq]

The sneaky MVP of this game is Gaylord Perry. For starters, he isn't that well-known and doesn't come to mind immediately for most people, despite being a Hall of Fame player. He also played for a lot of teams, including some franchises with some less-than-glamorous histories that might be hard to name players for. He played for the Giants, Cleveland, Rangers, Padres, Yankees, Braves, Mariners and Royals. He also did basically every statistical measure you can think of for a pitcher, 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts, 20-win seasons, 200 strikeout seasons, 2 CYAs. I use him like, every other quiz, and he's never more than 10% of the answers.

 

[SoxJox]

9/9/174

I did not find today's grid particularly difficult, especially the 40+ HR season, as there were multiple choices.

Spoiler

 

[yeahlunchbox]

7/9 Rarity 283

Spoiler

View attachment 67535

Started the day off wrong by picking the wrong Tony Armas. Then had this crazy notion Don Baylor played for the White Sox. Couldn't think of Paul Konerko for the 40 HR White Sox guy, but by then I was frazzled enough. At least I was able to use the Rem Dog.

I made the same top right mistake as you and it threw everything off.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I'm on an eleven day 9/9 streak (including both on Tuesday). Keeping that alive has taken priority over the rarity score, but I still try to get a rare pick and a common one every day.

Spoiler

 

[YTF]

This morning I was thrilled to see the Sox logo as part of today's grid. I then promptly screwed the pooch by selecting Mark Bellhorn for square #4 and not understanding why it wasn't correct. I then selected Luis Aparicio for square #7 as I was 100% sure that he played for both Sox, just as I was 100% sure that Bellhorn played for Boston and the Cubs. Again I was denied. Surely there was something wrong with today's grid, there HAD to be. Then I realized that Cub and White Sox logos were beneath the Red Sox logo and not intersecting it. So much for doing this first thing in the morning in hopes of getting my lowest possible score.

 

[edoug]

I'm surprised any Red Sox fan didn't go for the sentimental pick in the upper left.

I'm interested who you mean. There are quite a few possibilities.

Spoiler

Tony C.
Fred Lynn
Jerry Remy
Mo Vaughn
Bill Buckner
Someone else?

 

[Tony Pena's Gas Cloud]

Spoiler: Spoiler

Pic isn't downloading but got a 20 with Luis Alicea, Todd Jones, Tony Armas, Mike Bielecki, Edwin Jackson, Dave Kingman, Jon Garland, David Wells, Adam Dunn

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

I'm interested who you mean. There are quite a few possibilities.

Spoiler

Tony C.
Fred Lynn
Jerry Remy
Mo Vaughn
Bill Buckner
Someone else?

Also,

Spoiler

Rick Burleson
Butch Hobson

 

[edoug]

Also,

Spoiler

Rick Burleson
Butch Hobson

Yeah, Hobson played like a football player. Burleson was tough and wasn'yt going to backdown from anything.

 

[Pablo's TB Lover]

I'm interested who you mean. There are quite a few possibilities.

Spoiler

Tony C.
Fred Lynn
Jerry Remy
Mo Vaughn
Bill Buckner
Someone else?

I actually went for the rarest of rare I remembered from the turn of the century and got me 0.1%:

Spoiler

Pat Rapp

But messed up the center square and got 8/9 159 rarity

 

[Max Power]

I'm interested who you mean. There are quite a few possibilities.

Spoiler

Tony C.
Fred Lynn
Jerry Remy
Mo Vaughn
Bill Buckner
Someone else?

I was thinking Remy, although Tony C could fit, too.

Do we really need spoiler tags here? You really shouldn't be looking at this thread before doing it each day.

 

[Rudi Fingers]

Easily my fastest 9/9 ever - took me less than 5 minutes. And just look at that center square - perfection!

Spoiler

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

One point off my best score with a 15. Being a charter member of the Dickie Thon Fan Club paid off today.

Spoiler

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Spoiler

 

[edoug]

I was thinking Remy, although Tony C could fit, too.

Do we really need spoiler tags here? You really shouldn't be looking at this thread before doing it each day.

I do it just in case. You never know.

 

[edoug]

8/9

Spoiler

 

[bsj]

I am terrible at this. Usually topping out at 5...maybe 6

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

I am terrible at this. Usually topping out at 5...maybe 6

Same. I got 8 once but I mostly get 5 or 6. I get most of the stats rows/columns, but very few of the team combos. And I'm similar in all the leagues except NBA, where I can only get 1 or 2. I've never played fantasy anything, which is probably a huge handicap. Most of my MLB answers are from when I was about 10 y/o.

 

[runnels3]

I am terrible at this. Usually topping out at 5...maybe 6

Likewise, but I am proud of my Red Sox/Angels square, Eddie Sadowski. Probably the only one who got him at .002!

 

[Deweys New Stance]

9/9 167 rarity score. Went with a few safe choices, including 2 of the most popular. I seem to be using Rusty Staub a lot; he's no Matt Stairs, but still a pretty good cheat code for oldsters with 70's baseball brains.

Spoiler

 

[cannonball 1729]

9/9 with a score of 80. I'm always surprised that more people don't answer the bad/forgotten return on infamously terrible trades (middle square).

Spoiler

View attachment 67483

Speaking of Ed Hearn and his terrible trade, a fun/random thing I remember about Ed Hearn:

There was a story in SI maybe 25 years ago about a guy who would sneak into sporting events, and he claimed to have snuck into all manner of Super Bowls and World Series and whatever else. So apparently, one time (according to the guy's story), he was hanging around the luxury box entrance at a baseball game, and a woman came up to the gate attendant and said, "Hi - I'm Ed Hearn's sister" and was shepherded in. A few minutes later, someone else came up and said, "Hi - I'm Ed Hearn's mother" and was waved inside. So the gate crasher guy walks up, says, "Hi - I'm Ed Hearn's brother" and is whisked on in.

Anyway, the article goes to print, and the following month, there's a letter to the editor that says (paraphrasing): "Dear editor: I'm a bit suspicious of this man's story. After all, I don't have a sister. Best, Ed Hearn."

So if nothing else, we know that he read SI and didn't have a sister.

(Sorry for the sidetrack - I always get excited when I remember a random story about a player...)

__________________________________

Also.....sometimes, this game seems like an exercise in "pick a couple of journeymen, memorize all of the teams they played on, and then see which of them fit on the grid." Today was DEFINITELY one of those days. All four of the "who played for these two teams" squares worked with journeymen I knew:

Spoiler

 

[Hendu1986]

Lurker here, but I'm enjoying seeing everyone play this. Seeing the really rare players people come up with is fun.

Also, I actually played this for the first time back in April. One of my friends in an online game I play is very good friends with the guy who created this grid and he knew I was a big baseball fan so he asked me back then if I was interested in trying this. I played every day through May but then let it slip and was pleasantly surprised to see how big it's become. I consider myself an early tester now.

And, no, I'm still not great at it. Usually get five or six every day. Today was particularly bad until I remembered that I could use Expos players for the Washington boxes and managed to snag Marquis Grissom as a Gold Glove winner.

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

Also, I actually played this for the first time back in April. One of my friends in an online game I play is very good friends with the guy who created this grid and he knew I was a big baseball fan so he asked me back then if I was interested in trying this.

Any idea how much the guy got paid for this? It has to be driving huge traffic as everybody is playing it.

 

[Max Power]

Lurker here, but I'm enjoying seeing everyone play this. Seeing the really rare players people come up with is fun.

Also, I actually played this for the first time back in April. One of my friends in an online game I play is very good friends with the guy who created this grid and he knew I was a big baseball fan so he asked me back then if I was interested in trying this. I played every day through May but then let it slip and was pleasantly surprised to see how big it's become. I consider myself an early tester now.

And, no, I'm still not great at it. Usually get five or six every day. Today was particularly bad until I remembered that I could use Expos players for the Washington boxes and managed to snag Marquis Grissom as a Gold Glove winner.

Yes, today's big help is that Expos count for the Nationals column. I forgot that before I screwed up the Nationals Gold Glove spot.

 

[Curt S Loew]

Happy to finish. Especially using the center square.

Spoiler

I also noticed today that they rotate photos. No Jerry Curl on Pedro in this one. Wonder how often they do that and why?

 

[Eric1984]

9/9, 136. Really helpful that Expos count as Nats. Didn't need to use Senators as Rangers.

Spoiler

 

[Curt S Loew]

I'm interested who you mean. There are quite a few possibilities.

Spoiler

Tony C.
Fred Lynn
Jerry Remy
Mo Vaughn
Bill Buckner
Someone else?

I actually picked Carney Lansford. That guy always sticks in my head.

 

[edoug]

I actually picked Carney Lansford. That guy always sticks in my head.

Playoffs, trades and free agent signings. The Red Sox and Angels have quite a bit of history involving pretty popular players. With Immmaculate Grid, all you have to figure out who is the most obscure.

 

[glennhoffmania]

This was one of the easier ones for me. The bottom right killed me score but I couldn't think of anyone else I was confident about.

Spoiler:

I forgot about the franchise moving rule thing. So Expos count as Nats, yes?

 

[Hendu1986]

Any idea how much the guy got paid for this? It has to be driving huge traffic as everybody is playing it.

I'm not sure. I didn't ask and my friend didn't say anything about it. My friend is on a camping trip at the moment so I can't ask him, but I'll try and remember when he comes back next week.

Amusingly enough, my online friend is also an acquintance of one of Isaiah Drake's older brothers. Isaiah Drake was the Braves' fifth round pick in the most recent draft and he attended the same High School as the Red Sox third round pick, Antonio Anderson. Even more interesting, Kenyon Drake (Alabama standout RB and NFL draftee of the Dolphins) is another brother of Isaiah Drake. I really do need to ask my friend how many other famous people he knows....