Breaking down the July 1 Immaculate Grid baseball game with players and connections for Grid 89 that involve the Diamondbacks, Astros, Giants, Pirates, and more.
Wake up, coffee, Immaculate Grid, and then get on with your life. That's been the routine for MLB fanatics everywhere as the game has taken a viral standing in the baseball world over the last several weeks.
The grid is closing in on its 100th daily game, and today featured an extra line of team connections rather than statistical achievement. The Diamondbacks, Astros, Giants, Rockies and Pirates were all involved, and the right-most vertical grid was for 100+ RBI season.
Let's take a look at some of the top answers and possible other answers you could have answered for today.
Immaculate Grid 88: Top answers and connections for each square (July 1)
Here are the top answers for today's game. Unsurprisingly, modern players make the cut with guys like Starling Marte, Paul Goldschmidt, Gerrit Cole, and Kris Bryant all making the top answers.
Barry Bonds shows up twice, which is no surprise considering he stands out as one of the best players of all time, especially when you're talking about San Francisco Giants' history.
- Diamondbacks/Rockies: Mark Reynolds
- Diamondbacks/Pirates: Starling Marte
- Diamondbacks/100+ RBI season: Paul Goldschmidt
- Astros/Rockies: Dexter Fowler
- Astros/Pirates: Gerrit Cole
- Astros/100+ RBI season: Jeff Bagwell
- Giants/Rockies: Kris Bryant
- Pirates/Giants: Barry Bonds
- Giants/100+ RBI season: Barry Bonds
5 players who played for Diamondbacks and Rockies
These five players played a heap of games with both teams:
- Gerardo Parra
- Mark Reynolds
- Quinton McCracken
- Daniel Descalso
- Royce Clayton
5 players who played for Diamondbacks and Pirates
Here's a look at players who made stops in Arizona and Pittsburgh:
- Tony Womack
- Jay Bell
- Rod Barajas
- Lyle Overbay
- Adam LaRoche
5 players who played for Astros and Rockies
A sampling of players that had a go with the Astros and Rockies:
- Willy Tavares
- Kazuo Matsui
- Todd Jones
- Brandon Barnes
- Ty Wigginton
5 players who played for Astros and Pirates
While Gerrit Cole was an obvious recent one for today's game, these are five alternatives:
- Phil Garner
- Daryl Ward
- Orlando Merced
- Jason Michaels
- Milt May
5 players who played for Giants and Rockies
This one is near and dear to me because Manwaring hails from the same hometown as yours truly. Here's Manwaring and four others that would have worked for this square:
- Kirt Manwaring
- Royce Clayton
- Javier Lopez
- Ellis Burks
- Kevin Pillar
5 players who played for Giants and Pirates
Along with the somewhat obvious Barry Bonds, there were plenty of other options for this square. Here is Bonds and four others:
- Barry Bonds
- George Van Haltren
- Freddie Lindstrom
- Dick Bartell
- Sid Gordon
Diamondbacks with 100+ RBI in a season
Paul Goldschmidt dominates this list, but he's joined by several others in the top-10 of single-season RBI for Arizona:
- Luis Gonzales (2001; 142)
- Matt Williams (1999;142)
- Paul Goldschmidt (2013, 2017, 2015; 125, 120 and 110, respecitvely)
- Eduardo Escobar (2019; 118)
- Luis Gonzalez (2000, 1999; 114 and 111, respectively)
- Jay Bell (1999; 112)
- Jake Lamb (2017; 105)
Astros with 100+ RBI in a season
The Astros have a load of players you could have chosen from here. Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman dominate the list, but here are the top 10 in single-season RBI for Houston:
- Lance Berkman (2006, 2002, 2001; 136, 128 and 126, respectively)
- Jeff Bagwell (1997, 2000, 2001, 1999 and 1996; 135, 132, 130, 126 and 120, respectively
- Moises Alou (1998; 124)
- Richard Hidalgo (2000; 122)
Giants with 100+ RBI in a season
This list is, shockingly, dominated by Mel Ott and not Barry Bonds. Here's a look at the top 10.
For what it's worth, more modern players fit the bill here though they don't crack the top 10. I had Buster Posey in my square, which worked. Posey had a 103 RBI season in 2012.
- Mel Ott (1929, 1934 and 1936, 151, 135 and 135, respectively)
- Orlando Cepeda (1961; 142)
- Wilie Mays (1962; 141)
- Johnny Mize (1947; 138)
- Barry Bonds (2001; 137)
- George Kelly (1924;136)
- George Davis (1897; 135)
- Irish Meusel (1922; 132)
