Sunday, May 13, 2012

May 7-13, 2012 Bespectacled relief pitchers


MONDAY
Q.         What pitcher holds the record for the most saves in a season?
Hint:     A few weeks later after this accomplishment, he signed a three-year, $37 million contract with a new team.
Twint:    K-Rod
A.         Francisco Rodriguez (62 S in 2008 with the Angels; Signed with the Mets 10-Dec-2008; Nicknamed “Frankie” and “K-Rod”)
FCR -    Michael Daponde, Sacramento

TUESDAY
Q.         Who converted 84 consecutive save opportunities?
Hint:     He reached the career 100 saves plateau in fewer appearances than any other pitcher in history.
Twint:    He is the only pitcher to win the Cy Young Award while having a losing season.
A.         Eric Gagne (Between 28-Aug-2002 and 05-Jul-2004, he converted 84 consecutive save chances; 100th S 05-Sep-2003 in his 203rd career G; CYA 2003 w/ a record of 2-3)
FCR -    Tom Kennedy, Houston

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who edged out Dan Quisenberry and Kent Hrbek for major awards in the same season?
Hint:     His team’s dominance probably put him over the top.
Twint:    He was 1-9 in his only stint as a starter.
A.         Guillermo (“Willie”) Hernandez (1984 AL MVP & CYA; 1984 Tigers were 104-58; Started for the 1980 Cubs)
FCR -    J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who was the first pitcher to win a league Most Valuable Player Award with fewer than 20 wins?
Hint:     It was the only year in his eleven-year MLB career that he made the All-Star squad.
Hint:     He was teammates with Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Billy Herman and Bucky Walters during his career.
Twint:    He still whizzed them, or so his nickname would imply.
A.         Jim Konstanty (MVP 1950 w/16-7 record; 1950 ASG; 1950 Phillies nicknamed “The Whiz Kids”)
FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

THURSDAY
Q.         Who was known as “The Terminator”?
Hint:     Dennis Eckersley replaced him as the Cardinals closer.
Hint:     He claimed he was just a simple carpenter from Missouri.
Twint:    In his retirement from baseball, he is very involved in the Special Olympics.
A.         Tom Henke (1995-96 Cardinals)
FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

THURSDAY BONUS
Q.         What pitcher was the first to appear in 1,000 games without ever starting?
Hint:     Mariano Rivera passed him this year on a key leader board.
Twint:    He took over as the Pirates' closer after Rich Gossage signed with the Yankees.
A.         Kent Tekuve (1,050 G, 0 starts; Rivera logged his 1,051st G last Monday)
FCR -    Mark Jones, Birmingham, AL

FRIDAY
Q.         Who is the only active pitcher to win the Rolaids Relief Award in both leagues?
Hint:     Only Rollie Fingers, Lee Smith and Randy Myers have duplicated that feat.
Hint:     He holds his franchise’s record for consecutive shutout innings pitched.
Twint:    His nickname is “Papa Grande”, but you wouldn’t be wrong to call him Joe Greenvalley.
Twint:    In 2011, he was a perfect 49 for 49 in save opportunities.
A.         Jose Valverde (RRA 2011 w/Detroit & 2007 w/Arizona)
FCR -    Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, MD          

SATURDAY STARTER
Q.         Who delivered the line, “No matter how far out of first we are, it's cool.  You know, it keeps us from getting shut out at our favorite hotels and restaurant-type places.”?
Hint:     He wore #99 for the Indians.
Twint:    Life imitates art.
A.         Rickey Vaughn (Fictional pitcher in the movie “Major League”; Charlie Sheen portrayed him and has delivered quotes even more bizarre.)
FCR -    Abbey Garber, Dallas, TX

SATURDAY
Q.         Who holds the American League record for most wild pitches in an inning?
Hint:     It’s more than the most strikeouts he ever had in an inning.
Hint:     He earned a suspension for daring to pitch inside to Big Papi.
Twint:    The Florida Marlins set a record by having four different pitchers achieve at least thirty saves in a season for four consecutive seasons.
Twint:    His was the record-setting fourth.
A.         Kevin Gregg (4 WP 25-Jul-2004; Suspension 18-20-Jul-2011; 2004 Armando Benitez 47 S, 2005 Todd Jones 40 S,2006 Joe Borowski 36 S, 2007 Gregg 32 S)
FCR -    Joe Haardt, McLean, VA

SATURDAY SLEEPER
Q.         Which pitcher earned the victory in the All-Star Game even though he gave up a single to the only batter he faced?
Hint:     He threw the first no-hitter in Trenton Thunder history.
Twint:    He was the first National League reliever to earn ten decisions in his team’s first forty games.
Twint:    He ended the season leading that team in wins.
A.         Tyler Clippard (2011 ASG; No-hitter 17-Aug-2006, Thunder; 2010 Washington Nationals)
FCR -    Jesse-Douglas Mathewson, Greenbelt, MD

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Whose autobiography was entitled, “I Can See Clearly Now”?
Hint:     A baseball Hall of Famer was named for him.
Hint:     His Hall of Fame manager once said of him, “If he ever hit you in the head, you’d be in the past tense.”
Twint:    The Angels had hoped to make him the face of the franchise.
A.         Ryne Duren (Book; Ryne Sandberg, Casey Stengel; 1961 Angels)
FCR -    Brian Engelhardt, Reading, PA

SUNDAY
Q.         Who, after Paul Assenmacher in 1991, was the next Cubs reliever to strike out 100 batters in a season?
Hint:     It was the only season he reached that level.
Hint:     He landed on the DL after severely bruising and spraining his knee by kicking a fan.
Hint:     He is a member of a professional paintball team, the Tampa Bay Damage.
Twint:    He once landed on the Disabled List as a result of breaking up a dog fight.
Twint:    He attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, but did not play baseball for them.
A.         Kyle Farnsworth (107 K in 2001)
FCR -    No one


WEEKLY THEME – Bespectacled relief pitchers

Clippard            Pix
Duren               Pix
Farnsworth        Pix
Gagne              Pix
Gregg               Pix
Henke               Pix
Hernandez         Pix
Konstanty         Pix
Rodriguez         Pix
Tekulve             Pix
Valverde           Pix
Vaughn             Pix


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Arieh Siegal, Austin, TX

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