Former Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland’s nickname is a “Jeopardy!” question

Former Red Sox star Mitch Moreland is a Jeopardy! question

Answer: This former first baseman for the Boston Red Sox is now the subject of a category on the long-running hit television show, Jeopardy!
Question: Who is Mitch Moreland?

During Tuesday night’s episode of Jeopardy!, one of the categories was sports nicknames and the $200 question featured Moreland.

"“Mitch Moreland, sometimes called ‘Mitchy Four Bags’ is a pro athlete in this sport.”"

The contestant delivered the correct response of “baseball.”  That was an easy one. Even if you’ve never heard of Moreland before, the nickname “four bags” should be enough of a hint. There were several ways of rephrasing the question to make it more challenging, such as asking the contestant to provide Moreland’s name instead of the sport he played. I thought Jeopardy! was supposed to be hard?

Perhaps they intentionally made the question straightforward. Asking for Moreland’s full name would be more challenging for non-Red Sox fans and there are too many variations of the nickname to require that as the answer.

Moreland joined the Red Sox in 2017 and quickly established himself as a fan-favorite. Jared Carrabis of the Section 10 Podcast made “Mitchy Two Bags” a trendy nickname on social media for Moreland’s penchant for racking up doubles. He tallied a career-high 34 doubles during his first season in Boston. Moreland even sported the “Two Bags” nickname on the back of his jersey during Players’ Weekend.

While “Two Bags” was his most commonly used nickname, Red Sox fans did extend it to “Four Bags” on occasion to celebrate a home run from the veteran first baseman. Moreland blasted 64 home runs over parts of four seasons in Boston so there were plenty of opportunities. “Three Bags” occasionally worked too, especially during the 2018 season when he hit a career-high four triples.

Moreland made his lone All-Star appearance as a member of the Red Sox in 2018. He got off to a strong start that year, hitting .278 with a .853 OPS, 11 home runs, 15 doubles and 46 RBI in 77 games before the break. Moreland faded significantly in the second half but bounced back with a solid postseason as the Red Sox went on to capture a World Series title.

The Red Sox were in the midst of a massive roster remodeling on their way to a last-place finish during the shortened 2020 season, leading them to become sellers at the trade deadline. Dealing Moreland to the San Diego Padres was an unpopular decision with fans who adored “Two Bags” but Boston received a pair of solid prospects — infielder Hudson Potts and outfielder Jeisson Rosario — for a player who wasn’t in their long-term plans.

Moreland ended up being a struggling platoon player during his brief stint in San Diego. The 35-year-old spent this year in Oakland but appeared in only 81 games with meager production.

His best days are behind him but the Red Sox arguably had Moreland at his best. At least he was good enough to earn a nickname that has now been immortalized on Jeopardy!