This MLB puzzle ran on Nov 6, 2026. The task was to connect Dan Quisenberry to Cal Ripken Jr. with a chain of real players. The objective: “Your chain must include a player with 500+ career home runs.” Par was 3 links.
Dan Quisenberry (RP) played in the MLB from 1979 to 1990. Career stops: the Royals (1979 to 1988), the Cardinals (1988 to 1989), and the Giants (1990). No college is on record for this player. As the Start of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) played in the MLB from 1981 to 2001. A one-team career, spent with the Orioles (1981 to 2001). Honors in the dataset: MVP and Rookie of the Year. As the Finish of the chain, a household name like this gives you a lot of teammates to branch from, which makes it a friendly place to begin.
Dan Quisenberry and Cal Ripken Jr. do not share a team or a college, so there is no direct link. You need at least one connector in between, and the objective decides which ones are allowed to count.
This was a stat milestone objective. At least one player in the chain has to have cleared the career or season mark named in the objective. Of the 11,807 players in the pool, 22 satisfy it. The best known are Hank Aaron (OF, 1954 to 1976), Ken Griffey Jr. (OF, 1989 to 2010), Reggie Jackson (OF, 1967 to 1987), Willie Mays (OF, 1951 to 1973), David Ortiz (OF, 1997 to 2016), and Frank Thomas (OF, 1990 to 2008).
6 of those players share a team or college with Dan Quisenberry, and 6 share one with Cal Ripken Jr.. Both ends are about equally connected, so either direction works.
One shortest chain found by searching the full player pool, preferring the best known names at every step:
Many other chains work. Scoring rewards lower-profile connectors, so the best-known route is rarely the highest scoring one.
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