XWord Muggles Forum

Hi all and welcome to the fifteenth installment of the MEOW! This puzzle was co-constructed with the uber-clever Old Judge.

Now that I've lured you all into a false sense of security with some easier puzzles the puma is back

The answer to this meta as a baseball player with a 7-letter surname. Good luck as always!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
http://crossword.info/madhatter5/Lookin ... Number_One

With the start of spring training I thought it would be fun to have a baseball themed meta. It was great working with Josh on this. Also, I’d like to thank Whimsy and Al for acting as test solvers and helping to make this puzzle a more polished product (notice, I didn’t say polished, just more polished). This is my first shot at a meta and I now can appreciate how important the test solvers are in the evolution of a puzzle. So I hope you all enjoy this but regardless, remember that “there’s no crying in baseball”.

Solved.

Great puzzle, Jay and Josh! As some of the clues suggest, I definitely learned some new things. And thanks for the larger type.

Cat's out of the bag!
I enjoyed the baseball theme, and learned a bit of baseball lore along the way (thanks Wikipedia!).
Thanks for the puzzle!

As newly famous Rhode Islander, Gina Raimondo, might say:
"Knock it off!" (Look, Ma - No more tears!)

20210310 MEOW 15 — Looking Up for Number One — Excel form

20210310 MEOW no15 Looking Up for Number One PDF from PUZ (one page)

The bag is but memory for the cat!

This one was right in my, ahem, wheelhouse. And a delight for this lifelong baseball fan to work through. Thanks to Josh and Jay for stirring up so many wonderful memories for me. Now let's ... PLAY BALL!

oldjudge wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:04 am This is my first shot at a meta

Congrats, Jay, on a Ted Williams-like rookie outing!

Thanks Chris! Interesting piece of trivia-William's first game was in April,1939 against the Yankees. It was the only game in which Williams and Lou Gehrig started against each other. Oh, and some ex-BoSox player was in the stands that day rooting for the Yankees. What was his name---err----Babe Ruth.

This one is probably out of my league without an Astros-style nudge as to what pitch is coming. The quote from 65A -- I heard it differently. He was asked about throwing at his mother (not grandmother), and his response was, "Mom always was a pretty good curve ball hitter." Apocryphal, but subtler.

My favorite Ted Williams story has to do with the last day of the 1941 season, when he hit .406. He entered the doubleheader just under .400, but it would have rounded up to .400, and his manager told him he could sit out the (meaningless) doubleheader and guarantee a .400 season. Instead, he played, and went 6-8, ending up at .406. Great account of the day here.

Cat’s out of the bag!
Nice job guys

After a long paws to complete the NE, I enjoyed the payoff of the work required for this elegant meta. Thanks!

Submitted - hopefully solved.

Confirmed the cat has left the bag/building. Nice puzzle which would have been easier had I paid attention.

This is a terrific puzzle. Clever. Great clues.
I stood there with the bat on my shoulder all day with no chance of making it to any bag. With the threat of being sent to the minors hanging over my head, the coaching staff mercifully came to my rescue, stole me some signs (felt like playing with the Astros or Red Sox), and got me home.
Thanks, Jay and Josh.

Cat's out of the bag.

Great trip down memory lane, although I had thought the quote about throwing at his grandmother sounded more like another dominating pitcher.

Great puzzle, Great Meta. Thanks for doing that for us.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:33 am My favorite Ted Williams story has to do with the last day of the 1941 season, when he hit .406. He entered the doubleheader just under .400, but it would have rounded up to .400, and his manager told him he could sit out the (meaningless) doubleheader and guarantee a .400 season. Instead, he played, and went 6-8, ending up at .406. Great account of the day here.

Great story, Al. Besides being an all time great ball player, Williams was a true American hero.

oldjudge wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:32 pm

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:33 am My favorite Ted Williams story has to do with the last day of the 1941 season, when he hit .406. He entered the doubleheader just under .400, but it would have rounded up to .400, and his manager told him he could sit out the (meaningless) doubleheader and guarantee a .400 season. Instead, he played, and went 6-8, ending up at .406. Great account of the day here.

Great story, Al. Besides being an all time great ball player, Williams was a true American hero.

My father was a huge Joe Dimaggio fan, and of course 1941 was also the year of his 56-game hitting streak. Being a Willie Mays fan, I used to torture him with "Yeah, but that was wartime pitching"... completely forgetting that we didn't get into the war until three months after the season ended.

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:42 pm

oldjudge wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:32 pm

Al Sisti wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:33 am My favorite Ted Williams story has to do with the last day of the 1941 season, when he hit .406. He entered the doubleheader just under .400, but it would have rounded up to .400, and his manager told him he could sit out the (meaningless) doubleheader and guarantee a .400 season. Instead, he played, and went 6-8, ending up at .406. Great account of the day here.

Great story, Al. Besides being an all time great ball player, Williams was a true American hero.

My father was a huge Joe Dimaggio fan, and of course 1941 was also the year of his 56-game hitting streak. Being a Willie Mays fan, I used to torture him with "Yeah, but that was wartime pitching"... completely forgetting that we didn't get into the war until three months after the season ended.

After DiMaggio's streak ended, he hit in 16 more straight games. He batted over .400 during the 56-game streak, but dropped to.357 by season's end. He beat out Williams for MVP. Now that had to be a tough call to make.