I read that Klein thrived in the Baker Bowl bandbox, but was just a pretty good player elsewhere

His ops at home 1.028, on the road .813. Probably an even bigger split in his years as a Phillies than in his years as a cub with much diminished overall numbers.

I just learned this today, and I think it's unprecedented in major league history....last season Raul Mondesi (son of the long time major leaguer of the same name) made his debut for the Royals...in the World Series.  He got one at bat as a pinch hitter, having never before played in a major league game.  I believe it is the only time that a player made his debut in the World Series, or indeed, in a postseason game of any kind.

Combined home runs while teammates: 

1. Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews - 863

2. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig - 859

3. Willie Mays and Willie McCovey - 781

4. Duke Snider and Gil Hodges - 744

italyprof, wow!  I would have bet the house on Ruth/Gehring being #1 in that department.  

It was close, but Aaron Mathews - and Mathews hit more HRs while they played in Milwaukee than Aaron did by the way - win it by a nose. Gehrig wasn't there for the first 5 years that Ruth was hitting a lot of HRs in NY.

Casey Stengel's first World Series game as a manager was game 1 of the 1947 World Series. 

Allie Reynolds and Don Newcombe both pitched brilliantly, the score 0-0 going into the 9th. The Yankees won on a Home Run by Tommy Henrich in the 9th. 

A reporter noted to Casey later that day that it was the first time a World Series game had been decided by a 1-0 score on a Home Run since 1923 when Casey won one with an inside-the-park homer. Amazing coincidence.

"But" said the reporter, "I think today's was more exciting because Henrich hit his in the 9th inning. Yours was hit in the 7th."

"Yeah" said Casey "I got nervous and couldn't wait."

Two remarkable...and remarkably similar seasons.

Not quite the triple crown, but....

Player 1 led his league in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, doubles, triples, RBI, and total bases.  He also led the league in steals.
Player 2 led his league in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, doubles, triples, RBI, and total bases.  He also led the league in runs.

Player 1 missed out on the triple crown by 2 HR.
Player 2 missed out on the triple crown by 1 HR.

Who were they?

Your hint is that the 2 seasons happened exactly 40 years apart.
Your second hint is that neither player's team made the postseason.

Answered correctly: Player 1 is Honus Wagner 1908; Player 2 is Stan Musial 1948.

Continuing with the triple crown theme, here's a few questions regarding players who actually won the triple crown.

For all of the questions below, we are only considering records since 1901...there are a couple of players who won the triple crown in the 19th century, but for various reasons I am not including them here.

In cases where there are discrepancies in statistics from various sources, www.baseball-reference.com is considered the definitive source for the questions below.

As correct answers come in, I will label them below.

1.) Considering only players who are eligible for the HOF, who is the only triple crown winner not in the hall of fame? Heinie Zimmerman (1912)
2.) Only switch hitter to win the TC? Mickey Mantle, 1956
3.) Only TC winner to also win a gold glove that season? Carl Yastrzemski, 1967
4.) Youngest TC winner? Ty Cobb 1909 (age 22)
5.) Oldest TC winner? Lou Gehrig 1934 (age 31...he was about 2 months older than Frank Robinson was when Robby won in 1966)
6.) Only once have there been 2 TC winners in the same season.  Name the year and the players. 1933, Chuck Klein and Jimmie Foxx
7.) Interestingly, there have been 5 occasions on which the TC winner did not win his league's MVP award (counting only seasons in which there was a formally accepted MVP award).  Name the years and the players (bonus points if you know who won the MVP in each case).
1947 Ted Williams (Joe DiMaggio)
1942 Ted Williams (Joe Gordon)
1934 Lou Gehrig (Mickey Cochrane)
1933 Chuck Klein (Carl Hubbell)
1912 Heinie Zimmerman (Larry Doyle)
8.) Only TC winner to also lead the league in SB that season? Ty Cobb 1909
9.) Who are the two players who won the TC more than once? Rogers Hornsby, 1922 and 1925; Ted Williams, 1942 and 1947
10.) Most HR by a player who won the TC? Least? MOST: Mickey Mantle, 52, 1956 LEAST: Ty Cobb, 9, 1909
11.) Most RBI by a player who won the TC? Least? MOST: Lou Gehrig, 166, 1934 LEAST: Heinie Zimmerman, 104, 1912
12.) Highest batting average by a player who won the TC? Lowest? HIGHEST: Nap Lajoie, .426, 1901 LOWEST: Frank Robinson, .316, 1966
13.) Three times the TC winner hit .400...name the seasons and the players Nap Lajoie, .426, 1901 and Rogers Hornsby, .401 in 1922 and .403 in 1925
14.) Only twice, believe it or not, has the TC winner played for a team that went on to win the World Series that season...name the years and the players.
1956 Mickey Mantle
1966 Frank Robinson
15.) On one occasion the TC winner played for a team with a losing record.  Name the year and the player. Chuck Klein, 1933 (Phillies finished 60-92)
16.) One of the TC winners never had another season in which he led in ANY triple crown category.  Name the year and the player. Frank Robinson won the TC in 1966, but never led the league in any of the TC categories other than that season.

Player 1 has to be either Honus Wagner or Ty Cobb I think. I don't know of anyone else who can have stolen base crown and all the rest. 

I am going to guess, without looking anything up, that the answer is: 

1. Either Wagner or Cobb 1908

2. Stan Musial 1948


2nd guess: 1. Honus Wagner 1901, Ted Williams 1941

As to the big list of questions. 

My first guess: 

1) Shoeless Joe Jackson?

2) Mickey Mantle

The professor nails it.  Wagner 1908 and Musial 1948.  Nicely done.

Mantle is the switch hitter, yes.

I will label the answers once people guess them correctly.

That might be all I got.

Shoeless Joe, interestingly, not only never won the TC, he never once led the league in any TC category.