June 18-24, 2012 All-Star lefties who have pitched for the Rangers and Phillies

MONDAY

Q.         Who is the best starter in the majors without a victory this season?

Hint:     He was good enough last year to finish 3^rd in the Cy Young Award voting.

Twint:    He won a Cy Young Award in the other league, but that seems so long ago.

A.         Cliff Lee (0-3 as of Monday; CYA 2008)

FCR -    Michael Berry, Culver City, CA

TUESDAY

Q.         Who is the oldest major leaguer to get a run-batted-in?

Hint:     He’s also the oldest to get two such.

Twint:    He’s playing in the Orioles’ minor league system right now and doing OK.

A.         Jamie Moyer (RBIs 16-May-2012; 1-1 w/1.50 ERA)

FCR -    J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Whose intro music was from the three-chord recording hit of the group The Troggs?

Hint:     It was not at his request.

Hint:     A single pitch led to his trade for Jeff Juden and Doug Jones.

Hint:     He is currently a charismatic studio analyst for the MLB Network.

Twint:    He and the city of Philadelphia have kissed and made up (mostly).

A.         Mitch Williams (“Wild Thing”; Juden/Jones trade 02-Dec-1993)

FCR -    Bob Newton, Bethesda, MD

THURSDAY

Q.         Who was the first relief pitcher to win the American League Cy Young Award?

Hint:     He authored a very successful non-fiction book about a championship season.

Hint:     He has kept his facial hair style long after it passed from favor in professional baseball.

Twint:    He is the manager of the Patriots.

A.         Sparky Lyle (CYA 1977; “The Bronx Zoo”; Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League)

FCR -    Arieh Siegal, Austin

FRIDAY

Q.         Once the Fall Classic was underway, who was guaranteed a World Series championship ring in 2011, no matter which team prevailed?

Hint:     He was once ejected from a game for arguing after he was asked to remove his earring.

Hint:     His 20-year career in the majors might have been 21 had he not missed a full season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Twint:    It might also have only lasted 12 seasons without the surgery.

A.         Arthur Rhodes (Played for both the Cards and Rangers in 2011; Earring ejection 25‑Aug‑2001; Missed 2007 recovering from surgery)

FCR -    Kevin Johnson, Broken Arrow, OK

SATURDAY

Q.         Who was the first pitcher to appear in all seven games of a World Series?

Hint:     As a batter, he collected exactly one hit for five consecutive seasons.

Twint:    He is the author of the famous quote, "There isn't enough mustard in the world to cover that hotdog!"

A.         Darold Knowles (1973 WS; 1 H 1967-71; Quote refers to teammate Reggie Jackson)

FCR -    Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, MO

SUNDAY

Q.         Whose team won the World Series despite his ERA in that Series of 40.50?

Hint:     The next season, he became the first 20^th century player to collect a hit in the World Series after having no hits during that regular season.

Twint:    He was the last of the 1963 Colt 45’s to pitch in the majors.

A.         Joe Hoerner (1967 WS w/the Cardinals; Final game 05-Aug-1977;

FCR -    Randall Chandler, Germantown, TN

WEEKLY THEME – All-Star lefties who have pitched for the Rangers and Phillies

Pitcher            Rangers        Phillies

Hoerner        1976           1970-72

Knowles       1977           1966

Lee              2010           2011-

Lyle              1979-80       1980-82

Moyer          1989-90       2006-10

Rhodes        2011           2006

Williams       1986-88       1991-93

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Arieh Siegal, Austin (after the Williams question)

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

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia

June 11-17, 2012 Players who had a World Series teammate brother

MONDAY/ TUESDAY

Q.         Whose 43-year-old franchise never went to the postseason without him?

Hint:     They went seven times while he played for them.

Hint:     It’s been over 25 years.

Twint:    He won batting titles in three different decades*.

A.         George Brett (Royals last postseason appearance was in in 1985 when they won the World Series; Batting titles in 1976, 1980, 1990)

FCR -    Jason Schmidt, New York

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who pitched for his for his local high school team even though he had dropped out of school in the 4^th grade?

Hint:     His academic status didn’t prevent him from being featured on the cover of Time magazine.

Hint:     About school, he explained, "I got as far in school as the Second Reader, only I didn't learn it all."

Hint:     In the majors, he once pitched a three-hit shutout on the same day his rookie teammate brother pitched a no-hitter.

Twint:    He responded to critics of his vocabulary with, "A lot of folks that ain't saying ain't, ain't eatin’."

A.         Dizzy Dean (Time cover 15-Apr-1935; Paul Dean’s no-hitter 21-Sep-1934; Dizzy’s ShO)

FCR -    Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, MO

THURSDAY

Q.         Who was the first Pittsburgh Pirates player to win the league Most Valuable Player Award?

Hint:     He was the first 20^th century National League player to collect 200 hits in a season for four consecutive years.

Hint:     He also had 200 hits in four of the next seven seasons.

Twint:    He hit .401 for the San Francisco Seals in 1925.

A.         Paul Waner (200 H 1927-30)

FCR -    David Girdany, Bedford, PA

FRIDAY

Q.         Who was the first to collect 200 hits in a season for the Atlanta Braves?

Hint:     He managed an existing major league franchise to the best winning percentage in its history.

Twint:    He also guided the San Francisco Giants to the 2^nd best winning percentage in their history.

A.         Felipe Alou (218 H 1966; .649 for the 1994 Montreal Expos; .621 for the 2003 San Francisco Giants)

FCR -    Art Springsteen, Sunapee, NH

SATURDAY

Q.         What pitcher earned a World Series victory on the day his father died?

Hint:     He was the reigning league MVP at the time.

Hint:     Although Stan Musial hit .579 off him, he never had a home run in nineteen at-bats.

Twint:    He is the only pitcher to take the loss in consecutive All-Star games.

A.         Mort Cooper (WS W 06-Oct-1943; 1942 MVP; ASG losses 1943, 43)

FCR -    Tal Smith, Houston

SUNDAY

Q.         Who was the winning pitcher in the fastest nine-inning game ever played in major league history?

Hint:     Three years later, he no-hit the Phillies.

Hint:     He led the National League in losses for the Braves, was traded to the Giants where he led the league in wins and was traded back to the Braves where he once again led the league in losses.

Hint:     The second time he led the league in losses with the Braves, he also led the league in shutouts.

Twint:    His brother Clark pitched in the minor leagues.

A.         Jesse Barnes (Shortest game 28-Sep-1919 0h 51 min; No-hitter 07-May-1922; 1924 Braves 20 L 4 ShO

FCR -    Tom Kennedy, Houston

WEEKLY THEME – Players who had a World Series teammate brother

Player                   Brother         Year Team

Alou                 Matty          1962 Giants

Barnes              Virgil           1922 Giants

Brett                 Ken            1980 Royals

Cooper             Walker        1942 Cardinals

                                          1943 Cardinals

                                          1944 Cardinals

Dean                Paul            1934 Cardinals

Waner               Lloyd          1927 Pirates

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Arieh Siegal, Austin

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

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia

*By at least one commonly-accepted definition of a decade.

June 4-10, 2012 Players receiving 1,000 total Hall of Fame votes without being elected

04-Jun-2012

MONDAY

Q.         Who hit the first home run for the New York Metropolitans?

Hint:     He later managed them to World Series glory on an almost mythical level.

Twint:    He was Don Drysdale's first roommate with the Dodgers.

A.         Gil Hodges (HR 11-Apr-1962; 1969 WS Champs)

FCR -    Bob Newton, Bethesda, MD

TUESDAY

Q.         Who holds the National League record for the most consecutive games played?

Hint:     No first baseman posted a fielding average of 1.000 in a full season before he did it in 1984.

Hint:     Only he and two Hall of Famers can boast of being All-Star Game Most Valuable Players twice.

Twint:    One year, he began with a 21 game hitting streak and ended a 20 game hitting streak on the final day of the season.

A.         Steve Garvey (1,207 G 03-Sep-1975 thru 29-Jul1983 [the last G he played in ‘83]; 1.000 F% 1984; ASG MVP 1978 & 1984; Streaks 1978)

FCR -    Reif Faulkner, Lakewood, CO

TWOS-DAY

Q.         Of the 95 natives of the District of Columbia to play in the majors, only three ever made All-Star appearances.  Name the only one to do it seven times.

Hint:     He shattered one of baseball’s most sacred records.

Twint:    He was the first manager to guide a team against a team his son was on.

Twint:    Based on their scouting intel, the Topps baseball card company unwisely decided not to sign him to a contract.

A.         Maury Wills (AS 1961-66; 104 S in 1962 breaking Ty Cobb,47-year-old record of 96)

FCR -    Jim Casey, Savannah

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Nolan Ryan broke whose modern record of pitching 26 seasons in the majors?

Hint:     No left-hander in the modern era threw more career wild pitches.

Twint:    He surrendered the first home run at Anaheim Stadium.

Twint:    He still got the victory.

A.         Tommy John (26 yrs: 1963-74, 76-89, Ryan 1966, 68-93; 187 WP; HR to Rick Reichardt 19‑Apr‑1966)

FCR -    Frank DiPrima, Morristown. NJ

D-DAY SPECIAL

Q.         Who holds the America League record for most career putouts by a pitcher?

Hint:     He is the only American League pitcher to throw ten innings in a World Series Game Seven.

Hint:     He once pitched a 10-inning shutout, halting Don Mattingly's 24-game hit streak in the process.

Twint:    His American League record of 24 wild pitches in a season (while with a previous team) was broken by a (current) teammate.

A.         Jack Morris (387 PO; G 7 27-Oct-1991 => He is, however, only the most recent.  Here are the others:

Cy Young              1903    Boston

Eddie Cicotte        1919    Chicago

Stan Coveleski      1920    Cleveland

Hal Newhouser       1945    Detroit

Johnny Kucks        1956    New York

Bill Terrry               1962    New York

Mickey Lolich        1968    Detroit

Bret Saberhagen    1985    Royals

; SHO 27-Sep-1986 [It was also his 20^th win of the season.]; WP surpassed by Blue Jays Juan Guzman in 1993 w/26)

FCR -    Bob Newton, Bethesda, MD

THURSDAY

Q.         Even though he didn’t join them until 1952, who had the most at-bats for the Tigers in the 1950s?

Hint:     He later managed the Brewers to their lone World Series appearance.

Twint:    His right leg had been amputated just a few months before he took over the team.

A.         Harvey Kuenn (4,372 AB; 1982 Brewers; amputation Feb-1980)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

FURTHERS-DAY

Q.         Who was the last manager of the St. Louis Browns?

Hint:     As a position player, he finished 6^th on his team in batting average yet still won that year’s Most Valuable Player Award.

Hint:     Seven of his teammates also received MVP votes that season.

Twint:    He was considered a pioneer because he was tall for a middle infielder.

Twint:    He made the All-Star team seven times even though he never had a season where he hit over .280.

A.         Marty Marion (1953 Browns; 1944 NL MVP; 6’2”)

FCR -    Michael Frank, New York

FRIDAY

Q.         Who was the reigning American League MVP when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record?

Hint:     He appeared in more World Series than any other player in the 1960s.

Twint:    He turned down an athletic scholarship from the University of Oklahoma for a $5,000 signing bonus to play professional baseball close to home.

A.         Roger Maris (WS in 1960, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67 & 68; Signed with the Indians and played for the 1953 Fargo-Moorehead Twins)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS

Q.         Who set the American League record for hits by a rookie?

Hint:     He led the majors in hits that year and then led the AL in four of the next six seasons.

Hint:     After he was done leading the league in hits, he led it in slugging percentage.

Twint:    He was the first ever player to hit a home run as a designated hitter.

Twint:    He hit it off a Hall of Fame pitcher.

A.         Tony Oliva (217 H in 1964 [record now held by Ichiro with 242 in 2001]; SLG 1971 .546; DH HR 06-Apr-1973 off Catfish Hunter)

FCR -    P.L. Cohen, Brooklyn

SATURDAY

Q.         What ophidian slugger was the first position player to sign a $1,000,000-per-year contract?

Hint:     … not counting Moses Malone or Bobby Hull.

Twint:    He once had two 22-game hitting streaks in the same season.

Twint:    He won an MVP playing with a broken jaw.

A.         Dave Parker (“Cobra”; $5M 5-yr contract Jan 1979; Streaks, MVP 1978)

FCR -    Abbey Garber, Dallas

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         Whom did The Sporting News choose as the Pitcher of the Year notwithstanding the fact that Sandy Koufax beat him out for the Cy Young Award?

Hint:     He was a Flying Dutchman.

Twint:    His broadcasting career of over 22 years is still not as long as his playing career in the majors.

A.         Jim Kaat (TSN AL POY 1966, last year the CYA was awarded for both leagues; Hope College Flying Dutchmen; 25 yrs 1959-83)

FCR -    Gregg Gaylord, Chicago

SUNDAY

Q.         Fill in the blank:  Rollie Fingers, Jeff Reardon, ______________, Trevor Hoffman.

Hint:     He was scouted by Buck O’Neil.

Twint:    Until 2008 he held the all-time record for major league games finished by a pitcher.

Twint:    He is now third on that list.

A.         Lee Smith (Career saves leaders; 802 GF; Trevor Hoffman 856, Mariano Rivera 892)

FCR -    Jason Schmidt, New York

WEEKLY THEME – Players receiving 1,000 total Hall of Fame votes without being elected

Player       Votes     (From-To)

Garvey      2,312      (1993-2007)

Hodges     3,010      (1969-1983)

John         1,885      (2003-2011)

Kaat          1,591      (1989-2003)

Kuenn       1,502      (1977-1991)

Marion       1,010      (1956-1973)

Maris         1,642      (1974-1988)

Morris       2,588      (2000-2012)

Oliva         2,138      (1982-1996)

Parker       1,174      (1997-2011)

Smith        2,329      (2003-2012)

Wills          1,680      (1978-1992)

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Gregg Gaylord, Chicago

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

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia

May 28-June 3, 2012 NL batters who have had more than 10 World Series base hits this century.

MONDAY

Q.         Who was the first player to hit thirty home runs in each of his first ten major league seasons?

Hint:     He didn’t have 100 RBI every one of those years, but almost.  [Actually he did, but  finally missed in his 11^th year, when he ended at 99 RBI.)

Twint:    He is one of the few players to win both the Rookie of the Year Award and Most Valuable Player Award unanimously.

A.         Albert Pujols (2001-10; ROY 2001, MVP 2009)

FCR -    Jim Casey, Savannah

TUESDAY

Q.         Who held the switch-hitter record for doubles in a season until Brian Roberts broke it in 2009?

Hint:     The year he was the National College Player of the Year, he led his traditionally academic school to their first College World Series appearance.         

Twint:    On the wings of a Zephyr, this Owl became a Killer B.

A.         Lance Berkman (55 in 2001, Roberts got 56 in 2009; NCPOY 1997 for Rice University; Played briefly with the New Orleans Zephyrs, then with Bagwell & Biggio on the 1999-2005 Houston Astros.)

FCR -    Mike Stock, East Alton, IL

WEDNESDAY

Q.         What former Dodger is the son of an Olympian?

Hint:     He represented his country also, but in the Pan Am Games.

Hint:     He is one of only a handful of major leaguers whose grandfathers played in the majors.

Twint:    He represents his country today by playing for a team based in the nation’s capital.

A.         Jayson Werth (Played with the Dodgers 2004-05, Mother, Kim Schofield Werth, competed in the US Olympic Trials in the long jump and 100 meters; Junior Pan Am Games in 1995; Grandfather Dick Schofield; Washington Nationals)

FCR -    Stuart Levin, Sarasota

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         Who hit at least ten home runs a season for seven consecutive seasons for seven different National League teams?

Hint:     He broke up Pedro Martinez’ perfect game by being hit by a pitch then charging the mound.

Hint:     Jerome Walton promptly pinch-ran for him and reached third on a wild pitch.

Twint:    He boasted that he could easily steal against Randy Johnson if he could only get on base.

Twint:    In nine such career opportunities, he only stole once.

Twint:    In each of the National League seasons where he had ten home runs, he also had at least ten stolen bases.

A.         Reggie Sanders (10+ HR for CIN 1998, SDP 1999, ATL 2000, ARI 2001, SFG 2002, PIT 2003, STL 2004; Brawl 13-Apr-1994)

FCR -    Dave Williams, Glastonbury, CT

THURSDAY

Q.         Whose ninth-inning home run at Shea Stadium won the National League Championship Series for his team?

Hint:     He and his two brothers are the first since the Cruzes all to play the same position at the same time in the majors.

Hint:     He is contracted to make $14,000,000+ for each of the next six seasons, eclipsing each year the total he made in his first six years.

Twint:    He is the only person with his first name in the history of the majors.

A.         Yadier Molina (NLCS G 6 19-Oct-2006; Brothers Bengie and Jose, [Jose, Hector and Tommy Cruz)

FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

FRIDAY

Q.         Whose deft fielding play assured the majors’ second-ever postseason no-hitter?

Hint:     In 2011, he was ranked as the most underrated at his position in the majors by Jayson Stark, of ESPN.

Twint:    Chooch

A.         Carlos Ruiz (No-no by Roy Halladay 06-Oct-2010, who benefitted from Ruiz’ well-played assist on a dribbler from the speedy Brandon Phillips to end the game; “Chooch” is his nickname)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

SATURDAY

Q.         Who is the only player to win multiple Gold Glove Awards in each league as a first baseman?

Hint:     His finest defensive move on a baseball field, however, was not as a first baseman.

Twint:    His uniform number in his final season was 84, worn to honor the recent passing of his father.

A.         J.T. Snow (GG w/Angels 1995-96, w/Giants 1998-2000; He snatched 3-year-old batboy Darren Baker out of harm's way while scoring in G 5 of the 2002 WS; Father was NFL Pro Bowler Jack Snow.)

FCR -    Andy McCue, Riverside, CA

SUNDAY

Q.         What player received his native land’s highest honor, the "San Carlos Cross of the Order of the Great Knight"?

Hint:     He was also voted his country’s Man of the Year by "El Espectador".

Hint:     Both honors came well before he won his highest baseball honor.

Twint:    Because of his boyish features, he is sometimes called “The Barranquilla Baby”.

A.         Edgar Renteria (Colombia awards in 1997; WS MVP 2010; native of Baranquilla)

FCR -    Gregg Gaylord, Chicago

WEEKLY THEME –      National League batters who have had more than ten World Series base hits this century.

Berkman  16      (5 w/Houston in 2005; 11 w/St. Louis in 2011)

Molina     15      (7 w/St. Louis in 2006; 8 in 2011)

Pujols      14      (5 w/St. Louis in 2004; 3 in 2006; 6 in 2011)

Renteria   12      (5 w/St. Louis in 2004; 7 w/San Francisco in 2010)

Ruiz         12      (6 w/Philadelphia in 2008; 6 in 2009)

Sanders   12      (7 w/Arizona in 2001; 5 w/San Francisco in 2002; 0 w/St. Louis in 2004)

Snow       11      (11 w/San Francisco in 2002)

Werth       13      (8 w/Philadelphia in 2008; 5 in 2009)

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one