Horsehide Trivia: December 2010

MONDAY

Q. Who was the first player to win a Most Valuable Player Award playing for a last place team?

Hint: It was his 12^th major league season, but his first with that team.

Twint: The team probably would have finished last without him.

A. Andre Dawson (MVP 1987 Cubs)

First Correct Respondent - Paul Vastola, Fanwood, NJ

TUESDAY

Q. What 300-game winner claims he learned his most famous pitch from journeyman pitcher Bob Shaw?

Hint: He won a Cy Young Award in the first full season he played for a certain team.

Twint: He was rebuffed by the makers of Vaseline about endorsing their product with a one-line postcard reading, "We soothe babies' backsides, not baseballs."

A. Gaylord Perry (The spitball; CYA 1978 Padres)

FCR - David Krassin, New York

WEDNESDAY

Q. Who, apart Murry Dickson, is the only National League pitcher to lead his league in losses for four consecutive seasons?

Hint: In one of those years, he also led in wins.

Hint: In three of those years, he led his league in innings pitched and hits surrendered.

Twint: His boyhood friend from Ohio is in the basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts.

A. Phil Niekro (Stats; John Havlicek)

FCR - John Rickert, Terre Haute

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q. Which Hall of Famer retired to manage a Louisiana rice plantation with his sister?

Hint: He holds the records for most career games pitched without ever striking 100 in a season.

Hint: His highest strikeout season was only 74, but he totaled over 1,000 for his career.

Twint: He appeared in relief in the first major league game he ever attended.

A. Ted Lyons (Sister Pearl "Polly" Lyons; debut 02-Jul-1923)

FCR - Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

THURSDAY

Q. Who is the only non-NY Yankee to collect 140 runs-batted-in in three consecutive seasons?

Hint: He was the last player to collect eight RBI in a game in the 20^th century.

Twint: He is the only American League player to come within 10 home runs of matching his team's win total.

A. Ken Griffey, Jr. (140+ RBI 1996-98; 8 RBI game 08-Jul-2000; 40 HR for 49-63 Seattle in 1994)

FCR - David Krassin, New York

FRIDAY

Q. Who has the most career games started in the American League among left-handed pitchers?

Hint: He was the starting pitcher in the first games ever played in Kingdome and in the first games ever played in the new Comiskey Park.

Hint: He threw shut-out victories in both games.

Hint: He and Rick Reuschel surrendered home runs to Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.

Twint: Chris Berman regularly appended “daiquiri” to his name, as spoken on the air.

Twint: Although born a Catholic, he converted to Protestantism after the death of Lyman Bostock.

A. Frank Tanana (587 AL starts; Kingdome opener 06-Apr-1977, Comiskey opener 18‑Apr‑1991)

FCR - Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, PA

SATURDAY

Q. Which flashy Dominican led American League shortstops in errors in consecutive seasons?

Hint: He collected 4,229 career hits as a professional. Only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb had more.

Hint: His two-out bad-hop grounder in the 9^th inning on 24-Sep-1988 deprived Dave Stieb of a no-hitter.

Twint: He managed the Gulf Coast League Mets in 2009.

A. Julio Franco (36 E 1984, 35 E 1985; Played for Chiba during 1995 strike; 2586 MLB hits, 618 minor league, 316 MX Lg, 286 Japanese Lg [NPB], 267 Dominican Winter Lg, 156 Korean BB Org)

FCR - Phil Oppenheim, Sacto

WEEKEND BONUS

Q. Whose record for consecutive saves converted did Eric Gagne break in 2003?

Hint: He pitched in 480 games after being told by the Red Sox there was an 80-85% chance he would never pitch again.

Hint: One season, he was Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year playing for three teams at three levels.

Twint: His son Dee is currently a shortstop in the Dodgers’ organization.

A. Tommy Gordon (1988 Class A Appleton Foxes, AA Memphis Chicks & AAA Omaha Royals; 54 SV streak 1998-99)

FCR - Dan McCourt, Port Chester, NY

SUNDAY

Q. Who was the last Yankee pitcher to hit a home run?

Hint: In his 16^th season as a major leaguer, he tied the Yankees’ record for saves in a season.

Hint: He scribed a newsletter for his church entitled "Pitching for the Master".

Twint: When he retired he trailed only Hoyt Wilhelm for most career pitching appearances.

A. Lindy McDaniel (HR 28-Sep-1972 off Mickey Lolich, 29 SV 1970, tying Luis Arroyo's 1961 total; 987 G)

FCR - Roger Erickson, Kansas City

WEEKLY THEME – Major leaguers logging more than 20 major league seasons without appearing in a World Series

Dawson 21

Franco 23

Griffey 22

Gordon 21

Lyons 21

McDaniel 21

Niekro 24

Perry 22

Tanana 21

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Jeff Miller, Brookeville, MD

MONDAY

Q. Who is the youngest player ever to appear in an All-Star game?

Hint: He struck out the first three batters he faced in his two innings of work, but surrendered hits to two future Hall of Famers in the next frame.

Twint: His nephew was a nine-time All-Star.

A. Dwight Gooden (ASG 10-Jul-1984; Tony Gwynn, Eddie Murray; Gary Sheffield)

First Correct Respondent – Dan Silverberg, Aventura, FL

MONDAY MONDAY

Q. Who has hit more home runs than any second baseman in history?

Hint: He had 90 runs-batted-in in each of nine consecutive seasons.

Twint: Some of his teammates have already been elected to the Hall of Fame. Many more are sure to follow.

A. Jeff Kent (351 HR; 1997-2005; Dave Winfield, Eddie Murray)

FCR - Lost due to the machinations of gmail, but YOU know who you are.

IN MEMORIAM

Q. Who was the first New York Yankee to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award?

Hint: He was the first rookie to hit a grand slam in a World Series game.

Hint: In his rookie season, he tied a major league record with six runs runs-batted-in in one inning.

Hint: He was the first American League player to win the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.

Hint: He guest starred on the TV’s Phil Silvers Show and made an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Twint: He was born in San Francisco, home town of his teammate Joe DiMaggio.

Twint: In the 1958 contest at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, he drove home the game-winning run with a sixth-inning single in a 4-3 American League win.

A. Gil McDougald (ROY 1951; WS GS Game 5 1951 3^rd inning off Larry Jansen, scoring Hall of Famers Berra, DiMaggio and Mize ahead of him; Gehrig Award 1958; Phil Silvers Show 01-Oct-1957; Sullivan Show, then known as “The Toast of the Town” 14-Oct-1951; 1958 ASG) He passed away on Sunday at age 82. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/sports/baseball/30mcdougald.html

FCR - Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

TUESDAY

Q. Who hit the first home run against the Washington Nationals?

Hint: He and Red Rolfe are the only 20th Century players to score a run in 18 consecutive games.

Twint: He was the last American League player to collect 75 stolen bases in a season.

A. Kenny Lofton (HR 5^th inning off Livan Hernandez 04-Apr-2005; R streak 15‑Aug thru 03‑Sep‑2000; 75 SB 1996)

FCR - Ira Kotel, Short Hills, NJ

TUESDAY BONUS

Q. Who was the first relief pitcher to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award?

Hint: He led his high school to four consecutive Nebraska state championships.

Hint: His wicked curve was called “Uncle Charlie”.

Hint: His only career hit was a home run, which came in his last career at-bat.

Twint: Drop a G and he becomes a catcher.

A. Gregg Olson (1989 ROY; Northwest HS in Omaha, NE; HR 7^th inning 20-Apr-1998, had 1 PA [BB] on 08-Sep-1999; Greg Olson was ML C for 5 seasons)

FCR - David Krassin, New York

WEDNESDAY

Q. Who replaced Sparky Anderson as the manager of the Tigers?

Hint: He was the second generation of a three-generation major league family.

Hint: Rico Carty, Frank Robinson and Leo Cardenas played with both him and his father.

Hint: Barry Larkin and Norm Charlton played with both him and his son Mike.

Twint: He also replaced Jim Leyland as Rockies manager.

A. Buddy Bell (replaced Anderson in 1996; son of Gus, father of David and Mike; replaced Leyland in 2005)

FCR - David de la Fuente, San Francisco

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q. Who is the only Kansas City Royals manager to win a Manager of the Year Award?

Hint: He was the Most Valuable Player of the 1986 Major League All-Stars exhibition series in Japan.

Hint: He often sat down on the job.

Twint: He, Joe Girardi and Don Mattingly were the final candidates to replace Joe Torre.

A. Tony Pena (MOY 2003; known for his seated catching stance)

FCR - Kevin Johnson, Broken Arrow, OK

THURSDAY

Q. Who broke his franchise’s 39-year-old season home run record by OVER 25%?

Hint: He fell 14 shy of breaking the franchise’s season RBI record, held by the same player.

Twint: It was only recently discovered that his RBI total that year led the league.

Twint: He makes no pretentions of being Jewish.

A. Jim Gentile (49 HR in 1961. Previous record of 39 by Ken Williams when the Orioles were the St. Louis Browns; 141 RBI same year—Williams still holds the franchise record at 155; A correction of the record put Gentile’s RBI total into a tie with Roger Maris for the ’61 season. He received a $5,000 bonus based on his contract at the time. No interest calculation was made.)

FCR - No one

THURSDAY BONUS

Q. Who was the youngest member of the 1984 US Olympic baseball team?

Hint: He was the second overall selection in the 1986 amateur draft.

Twint: Famously chubby as a young player, he was nicknamed Flounder after the Animal House character.

A. Greg Swindell (19 year-old Olympian; Jeff King chosen 1^st in 1986)

FCR - Rod Nelson, Detroit

FRIDAY

Q. Which player won the AL Rookie of the Year Award and his first Gold Glove Award in his 5^th Major League season?

Hint: He was part of the package that brought Rocky Colavito back to the Indians.

Twint: After joining his new team, he promptly broke his hand during spring training.

A. Tommie Agee (1966 ROY & GG after September call-ups from 1962-65; part of 3-way trade between Indians, White Sox and A’s 20-Jan-1965)

FCR - Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, PA

IN MEMORIAM

Q. Who was the first 10-year veteran to refuse a trade to another team?

Hint: His annual “Walk for Diabetes” has raised over $40,000,000 for diabetes research since its inception in 1979.

Hint: Although consistently supported among fans for election to the Hall of Fame, he has never received more than the 43.1% of the vote he received in 1998.

Hint: In spite of being an All-Star nine times, he never experienced postseason play.

Hint: As his team made a serious run at the 1969 pennant, he became known for his jubilant heel clicks.

Hint: He reportedly once hit a grand slam while having a diabetic reaction.

Hint: He had his left leg amputated below the knee following the 2001 season.

Twint: He was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 18.

Twint: He kept his diabetic condition from the team until he made his first All-Star game in his fourth season, 1963.

Twint: He was the first third baseman to hit 30 home runs and win the Gold Glove Award in consecutive seasons.

A. Ron Santo http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ron-santo-chicago-cubs-photos,0,5242250.photogallery (11-Dec-1973 refused to go to the Angels; GG 1964-67)

FCR - Ira Kotel, Short Hills, NJ

FRIDAY BONUS

Q. Who was the third baseman in the only Major League infield comprised of two sets of brothers?

Hint: He inadvertently voided his contract by getting injured in a pickup basketball game during the 2003 off-season.

Twint: This future National crushed the hopes of Red Sox Nation on 16-Oct-2003.

A. Aaron Boone (3B on 27-Sep-1998 with brother Bret at 2B, Barry Larkin at SS and Stephen Larkin at 1B; 11^th inning HR in Game 7 of 2003 ALCS to send Yankees to WS over Red Sox)

FCR - Diane Firstman, Queens, NY

SATURDAY

Q. What pitcher set the record for consecutive saves (since broken) on his 31^st birthday?

Hint: Although he was known as an elite closer, his fastball topped out in the mid-80s.

Hint: His father was a racecar driver.

Twint: At the time of his retirement he was the oldest player in the American League.

Twint: He was born on the day that the last episode of I Love Lucy aired on CBS.

Twint: He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

A. Doug Jones (14^th consecutive save on 24-Jun-1988; oldest AL player 2000; born 24-Jun-1957)

FCR - John Rickert, Terre Haute

WEEKEND BONUS

Q. Who broke up Johnny Podres’ no-hit bid in the 9^th inning on 04-Aug-1963?

Hint: He was involved in a play that resulted in first basemen being required to change mitts when switching positions.

Twint: His baseball career ended following a fight with fellow coach Reggie Otero.

A. Johnny Temple (changed positions with George Crowe 14-Jun-1958; fought Reds coach Reggie Otero in 1964)

FCR - Jerry Greene, Naples, FL

SUNDAY

Q. Who gave up Willie Mays’s only career extra-inning grand slam?

Hint: Eight years earlier, he had gvien up a grand slam to opposing pitcher Bob Grim.

Twint: He also gave up the first of the Twins’ record-setting two grand slams in the first inning on 18-Jul-1962.

A. Barry Latman (EIGSHR 13-Jun-1967; Grim GSHR 15-Apr-1959)

FCR - David de la Fuente; San Francisco

WEEKLY THEME – All-Stars who played for the Indians and the Astros during their careers

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Gregg Gaylord, Chicago

Horsehide Trivia

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Answers for the Week of December 6, 2010

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Answers for the Week of November 29, 2010