Monday, May 28, 2012

May 21-27, 2012 “There no ‘i’ in this team” Team


MONDAY
Q.         Who is the only batter to hit fifty doubles and fifty home runs in the same season?
Hint:     He probably hit fifty other things as well.
Hint:     He was the first player to earn $10,000,000 in a season.
Twint:    He had the longest active consecutive games played streak on the day Cal Ripken, Jr. finally sat out.
A.         Albert Belle (50 HR, 50 2b in 1995; Famous for his temper, he was known to strike objects and people; $11,000,000 in 1997; 327 consec. G as of 20-Sep-1998, finally did not play 11-Jun-1999 after 392 G)
FCR -    Dave Wise, Hyde Park, NY

TUESDAY
Q.         Before Josh Hamilton did it earlier this month, who was the last player to hit four home runs in a single game?
Hint:     His first home run that day was the 300th of his career.
Hint:     He was the first position player to earn $15,000,000 in a season.
Hint:     Among New York Mets, only Mike Piazza, Darryl Strawberry and David Wright have a higher career slugging percentage.
Twint:    He holds the all-time home run and RBI records among players born in Puerto Rico.
A.         Carlos Delgado (4 HR 25-Sep-2003; $19,400,000 in 2002; Mets slg. .506; 473 HR, 1,512 RBI, in both cases, breaking the record held by Juan Gonzalez)
FCR -    Larry Creeden, Boulder City, NV

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who was the first player to lead his league in triples for three straight years?
Hint:     It wasn’t achieved in the National League until 1979.
Hint:     He was finally elected to the Hall of Fame at age 87.
Twint:    His team turned down the opportunity to trade him directly for Ty Cobb.
A.         Elmer Flick (3b 1905-07, Gary Templeton 1977-79; HOF 1963)
FCR -    John Robertson, Cambridge, ON

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who was the first catcher to hit thirty home runs in a season?
Hint:     His crepuscular circuit clout off Mace Brown is one of the most famous home runs in baseball history.
Twint:    He won a league Most Valuable Player Award, but the only category he ever led his league in was strikeouts.
A.         Gabby Hartnett (37 HR in 1930; “Homer in the Gloamin’”; MVP in 1935, 77 K in 1925)
FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

THURSDAY
Q.         Whose most memorable All-Star at-bat was a strikeout?
Hint:     He received league Most Valuable Player votes in three consecutive seasons.
Hint:     Hardly anyone remembers the home runs he hit for the White Sox.
Hint:     He retired abruptly after raising his career batting average to .300.
Twint:    Among West Virginia natives, only Bill Mazeroski, George Brett and Toby Harrah have been on more All-Star teams.
Twint:    He frequently offers insightful, incisive comments on the game on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight”.
A.         John Kruk (K vs. Randy Johnson in 1993 ASG; MVP votes 1991-93; 2 CWS HRs 1995; Final H 30-Jul-1995)
FCR -    Matt Gibson, Barboursville, WV

FRIDAY
Q.         Whose basketball nickname “Shaker” carried over to his career in the majors?
Hint:     He once led the American League in triples.
Hint:     He was a mover too.
Twint:    He attended the same high school as Jackie Jensen, Chick Gandil and Bill Rigney.
Twint:    Not to mention Gertrud Stein, Jack London, David  Carradine and Ed Meese.
A.         Lloyd Moseby (15 3b in 1984; Oakland High School)
FCR -    Ira Kotel, Short Hills, NJ

END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS
Q.         Who is the only post-expansion player with over 400 games played to play his only American League game for the Yankees?
Hint:     Huh?  (Sorry about that wording.)
Hint:     His team won the World Series his first year in the majors, but he didn't make their postseason roster.
Twint:    His father Jim played in the Negro Leagues.
A.         Nate Oliver (NYY G 10-Apr-1969; 1963 Dodgers; Father Jim Oliver)
FCR -    No one (completely understandable)

SATURDAY
Q.         What former Badger and London native allowed the famous game-winning home run to David Ortiz in Game Four of the 2004 American League Championship Series, sparking the Red Sox to rally back from the brink of elimination?
Hint:     Ironically, he had been drafted by the Red Sox and began his major league career with them.
Hint:     He pitched for seven teams in his fourteen-year big league career.
Twint:    He has been a player and a coach for his native country in the World Baseball Classic.
A.         Paul Quantrill (Ortiz HR 17-Oct-2004, Boston avoided elimination, advanced and won its first World Series since 1918.; WBC 2005
FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who is the only 20th century player to collect seven hits in a nine-inning game?
Hint:     He had two hits in each of the first and fifth innings.
Hint:     His manager thought him so exhausted after this effort that he put in a pinch-runner for him after the 7th hit.
Twint:    He was a major plank in the Lumber Company, but never lived up to his career heights after leaving them for a free agency contract.
Twint:    Much of his compensation for his free agency contract was paid in the three years after he was released and out of the majors.
A.         Rennie Stennett (7 H 15-Sep-1975; Willie Randolph pinch-ran;
FCR -    Abbey Garber, Dallas

INDYCAR SPECIAL
Q.         Who was the first Blue Jays pitcher to strike out 100 batters in consecutive seasons?
Hint:     He was the victim of his brother’s first major league victory.
Twint:    He is the son of minor leaguer John Underwood and the husband of LPGA golfer Christine Morra.
A.         Tom Underwood (100+ K 1978-89; Brother Pat 31-May-1979)
FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute

SUNDAY
Q.         What active player is second all time for his former franchise in career runs, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, RBI, single and extra-base hits?
Hint:     He left them for a large free agent contract and has not been able to perform at nearly the same level.
Hint:     While attending Bowie High School, he signed a letter of intent to play to play football for the University of Texas as a wide receiver.
Twint:    He is the Honorary Commissioner of the Toronto Rookie League, a baseball league for underprivileged children.
A.         Vernon Wells (Blue Jays offensive stats)
FCR -    Ira Kotel, Short Hills, NJ


WEEKLY THEME – “There no ‘i’ in this team” Team.  The initials of this week’s answers proceed up through the alphabet, skipping i (and stopping short of x, y & z).



First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Arieh Siegal, Austin [after the Harnett question]


Horsehide Trivia blog has the questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/

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