Sunday, December 12, 2010

Answers for the Week of December 6, 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 12th 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 20th 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 9th 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 16th 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

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