MONDAY
Q. Who was the first player to win both the Rookie of the Year award and Most Valuable Player award?
Hint: Only one player in the majors still wears his number 42.
Twint: In the major league games of April 15th of 2009 and 2010, ALL players wore his number.
A. Jackie Robinson (ROY 1947, MVP 1949; Mariano Rivera)
First Correct Respondent - Chuck Durantem, Dover, DE
TUESDAY
Q. Who won consecutive Most Valuable Player awards for the Big Red Machine?
Hint: For each of nine consecutive seasons, he stole 40 or more bases.
Twint: A Hall of Fame teammate said of him, “When he’s healthy, he’s the finest ballplayer I ever played with. He could win ballgames in more ways than anybody.”
Twint: He is the only player to homer twice on his 40th birthday.
Twint: Ten years after winning the All Star Game MVP, he won the National League “Comeback Player of the Year” Award.
A. Joe Morgan (MVPs 1975-76, SB 1969-77; Quote from Johnny Bench; Birthday HR 91‑Sep‑1983 off Dickie Noles and Lee Smith; ASG MVP 1972, CBPOY 1982)
FCR - Randall Chandler, Germantown, TN
TUESDAY TWICE
Q. Who was the first American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player?
Hint: His Hall of Fame manager said of him, “I don't think anybody, anywhere, is his equal on the artificial turf.”
Twint: Cal Ripken hit a chopper over the mound thinking he had his first big league hit, but this player’s incredible throw sent Cal back to the dugout shaking his head.
Twint: He holds his franchise record of eight Gold Gloves.
Twint: He spent all 18 years of his career with a single team.
A. Frank White (ALCS MVP 1980; Quote from Whitey Herzog; Ripken game 12-Aug-1981; Kansas City Royals; GG 1977-82, 86-87; 1973-90)
FCR - Blake Sherry, Dublin, OH
ELECTION NIGHT BONUS
Q. Who, despite being ranked by Bill James as the thirteenth best all time at his position, received only 2.9% of the vote his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame?
Hint: The second of his four daughters was born on the day he won his only World Series championship.
Twint: From April 1978 until he retired in 1995, he and his double play partner formed the longest lasting SS-2B combination in MLB history.
A. Lou Whitaker (HOF vote in 2001; daughter born 14-Oct-1984; DP combo with Alan Trammell)
FCR - Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, PA
WEDNESDAY
Q. A true believer that “you can’t walk off the island”, among his countrymen, which Dominican native had the fewest walks during a 30-HR season?
Hint: He started his professional career in Japan.
Twint: He was once traded for the reigning MVP.
A. Alfonso Soriano (23 BB 39 HR in 2002; started career in Hiroshima Toyo Carp Dominican academy and played briefly for the Carp in NPB; traded for Alex Rodriguez following the 2003 season)
FCR - Ira Kotel, Short Hills, NJ
THURSDAY
Q. Who was the only second baseman other than Chuck Knoblauch to win an American League Gold Glove award between 1991 and 2001?
Hint: He joined the Level of Excellence in 2008.
Twint: He was an All-Star and won a Gold Glove award every year he played for the Blue Jays.
A. Roberto Alomar (1991-96, 98-2001 AL GG @ 2B; Blue Jays Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre; AS & GG for TOR 1991-95)
FCR - Larry Farin, Plano, TX
IN MEMORIAM
Q. Who was the first manager to win a World Series Championship in both leagues?
Hint: When retired, he was third all-time in managerial wins.
Hint: He, Frank Chance and John McGraw are the only National League managers with consecutive World Series championships.
Hint: He was a coach for the expansion San Diego Padres in 1969.
Hint: He once said, "I only had a high school education and believe me, I had to cheat to get that."
Hint: He had a reputation for projecting Hall of Fame careers for middling major league prospects (e.g., Chris Pittaro, Barbaro Garbey).
Hint: He is the only Hall of Famer born in South Dakota.
Hint: He was the batboy for USC in the 1948 college World Series.
Hint: He was the first manager to win the Manager of the Year award twice.
Twint: He holds the record for most games played for major leaguers who played only one season.
Twint: He once said, "Me carrying a briefcase is like a hotdog wearing earrings."
Twint: He said, "I understand people who boo us. It's like going to a Broadway show. You pay for your tickets and expect to be entertained. When you're not, you have a right to complain."
Twint: He said, "My idea of managing is giving the ball to Tom Seaver and sit down and watch him work."
A. Sparky Anderson who passed away today http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101104/SPT04/311040114/Reds-great-Sparky-Anderson-dies (Cin. 1975, Det. 1984; 2,194 W; 1975-76; Coach; Bridgewater, SD; MOY 1984, 87; 152 G in 1959)
FCR - Alan Work, White Plains, NY
FRIDAY
Q. Who was the first non-US native to hit a home run for the American League in an All Star Game?
Hint: He and his double play partner were parodied by the popular movie titled “The Days of Wine and Roses”.
Twint: During his time with the Phillies he played at least one game at all nine fielding positions.
Twint: Despite his first name, he’s not a monster.
A. Cookie Rojas (1972 AS HR against Bill Stoneman; DP partner Bobby Wine)
FCR - Abbey Garber, Dallas
SATURDAY
Q. Who is the only player in the history of baseball with 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs?
Hint: His arm guard is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Twint: You could say that he and several of his Astros teammates were “Killer”.
Twint: He is the only player in MLB history to be elected to the All Star game at both catcher and second base.
A. Craig Biggio (arm guard in HOF for career HBP record; “Killer B’s” w/ Bagwell, Bell & Berkman; 1991 AS C, 1992, 94-98 AS 2B)
FCR - Bob Yahr, Milwaukee
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who broke up two Bob Feller no-hitters; one in 1939 and the other in 1946?
Hint: He retired from his 47-year professional baseball career after coaching the Blue Jays in 1981.
Twint: He was signed to pro ball by Eddie Collins on the same scouting trip that brought in Ted Williams.
Twint: Babe Ruth, referring to the Red Sox in 1946, said he—and not Ted Williams—was the number one player on the team.
A. Bobby Doerr (25-May-1939 & 31-Jul-1946)
FCR - Joe Merth, Grove City, OH
SUNDAY
Q. Which manager said of Ralph Kiner before Kiner ever played a game: “Kiner looks like he's going to be the best [outfielder] we’ve ever had.”?
Hint: As a player he struck out more than 18 times only twice during his 17+ season career.
Twint: He skipped the minor leagues, going straight from college to the majors.
A. Frankie Frisch (Kiner quote in 1946; K’ed 28 times in 1921, 24 times in 1924; went directly from Fordham to NY Giants in 1919)
FCR - Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, PA
WEEKLY THEME – Second basemen who homered in an All-Star game.
Big thanks to Gregg Gaylord, long-time reader from Chicago, for this week’s theme and questions. Gregg was certainly no one would decipher this week’s theme. Several people did.
Schoendienst off Ted Gray 1950
Soriano also homered in the 2007 game, but he had morphed into an outfielder by then.
*White was a pinch-hitter when he homered, but played 2nd base in the bottom of the same inning.
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Abbey Garber, Dallas (Friday morning)
No comments:
Post a Comment