Sunday, February 10, 2013

February 4-10, 2013 Managers who won 75 games in the majors, but only managed one year.


By Barry Sparks, who has now become, it seems, a regular contributor.

IN MEMORIAM
Q.         What Paire was portrayed as a Peach?
Hint:     She was, however, a Millerette, a Daisy, and Belle and a Chick.
Hint:     She played on championship teams nine of the twelve years of the league’s existence.
Hint:     She is included in a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Hint:     Usually her team’s best athlete, she played shortstop and third base, but mostly catcher.
Hint:     The son of one of her teammates played for nine years in the majors.
Twint:    Geena Davis played her in the movie.
Twint:    There really IS crying in baseball, especially at times like this.  (If there’s no crying, then you’re not doing it right.)
FCR -    Bob Wilber, Spokane, WA

MONDAY
Q.         Who was the first player to play on four winning World Series teams?
Hint:     Connie Mack called him "the greatest shortstop there ever was".
Hint:     He missed the entire 1918 season because he joined the military to serve in WW I.
Twint:    He compiled a record of 616-150-6 for an .802 won/loss percentage during a 40-year college coaching career.
A.         Jack Barry (1910, 1911, 1913 and 1915; Holy Cross, 1921-1960).
FCR -    Ron Liebman, Flushing, NY

TUESDAY
Q.         Whose home run-turned-double turned Harvey Haddix' near-perfect game into a loss?
Hint:     He was the first player to hit a home run over the center field wall at the Polo Grounds?
Hint:     He once slugged the third in a series of back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs.
Hint:     When he retired in 1966, he had the fifth most career home runs for a first baseman.
Twint:    Despite his 336 career homers, he was only named as an All-Star one year.
A.         Joe Adcock (Haddix G 26‑May‑1959; Polo Grounds HR 29‑Apr‑1953; 4 HR 7th inning @ Cincinnati 08‑Jun‑1961: Aaron, Mathews, Adcock & Frank Thomas; Foxx [534]; Gehrig [493]; Hodges [370]; Mize [359]; Adcock [336]; AS 1960)
FCR -    Chuck Durante, Dover, DE

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who was the first pitcher to toe the mound the day Yankee Stadium opened?
Hint:     He returned to throw out the first ball in remodeled Yankee Stadium in 1976.
Hint:     His 15 strikeouts in a game was a team record for 59 years.
Twint:    His nicknames included "Sailor Bob" and "Bob the Gob."
A.         Bob Shawkey (18‑Apr‑1923; 15‑Apr‑1976; Struck out 15 Athletics 27‑Sep‑1919, record was broken by Ron Guidry with 18 Ks vs. California, 17‑Jun‑1978).
FCR -    Tim Phares, Laurel, MD

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who was the first player to sign with the expansion Los Angeles Angels?
Hint:     He was their Opening Day catcher.
Hint:     He caught Don Cardwell's no-hitter while with the Cubs.
Twint:    He was Bob Buhl's personal catcher with the Braves.
A.         Del Rice (11‑Apr‑1961; Cardwell’s No-no: 15‑May‑1960)
FCR -    Chuck Durante, Dover, DE

THURSDAY
Q.         Who has the lowest career batting average of any major leaguer with more than 5,000 at-bats?
Hint:     He received votes for the Chalmers Award in 1911, 12, 13 and 14 despite never batting more than .235 in any those seasons.
Hint:     He was nicknamed "Pinch" for his ability to hit in the clutch.
Twint:    He was the Washington Senators regular shortstop from 1908-16.
A.         George McBride (.218 in 5,526 AB; Chalmers Awards 1911, 1912, 1913 & 1914)
FCR -    Tom Zocco, Rocky Hill, CT

FRIDAY
Q.         Whom did Ty Cobb describe as "the best catcher to ever wear shoe leather"?
Hint:     He received a U.S. patent in 1908 for an inflatable, contoured chest protector.
Hint:     He caught three balls thrown from the Washington Monument by pitcher Ed Walsh as a publicity stunt in 1910.
Twint:    He and his son became the first father-son combination to appear in the World Series.  Not the same Series.  That would be a record.
FCR -    Rick Fink, Edison, NJ

SATURDAY
Q.         Who lost his starting shortstop position to Robin Yount in 1974?
Hint:     He never hit a home run in 1,408 plate appearances during his seven-year major league career.
Twint:    He is a native of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Twint:    He was named the American Association Manager of the Year in 2012.
Twint:    His past came to light slowly.
A.         Tim Johnson (AA MOY; Came forth about the source of his player-inspiring stories.)
FCR -    Saul Wisnia, Newton Center, MA

SUNDAY
Q.         Who was, following three separate seasons, named The Sporting News' Minor League Manager of the Year?
Hint:     He won the Junior World Series as manager of the American Association's Indianapolis Indians.
Hint:     Although he was known by his middle name, his first name was "Major".
Twint:    He was Roger Maris' first major league manager.
A.         Kerby Farrell (1954, 1956 and 1961; 1956; Cleveland Indians 1957)
FCR -    Al Blumkin, Brooklyn, NY


WEEKLY THEME – Managers who won 75 games in the majors, but only managed one year.

Barry            1917 Boston Red Sox            90-62      Bio
Johnson       1998 Toronto Blue Jays          88-74      Bio
Shawkey      1930 New York Yankees         86-68      Bio
McBride       1921 Washington Senators     80-73      Bio
Sullivan        1909 Chicago White Sox         78-74      Bio
Farrell           1957 Cleveland Indians           76-77      Bio
Adcock        1967 Cleveland Indians           75-87      Bio
Rice             1972 California Angels            75-80      Bio

N.B. Cookie Rojas managed the 1988 California Angels to a 75-79 record, but he also managed one game for the 1996 Florida Marlins

First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeSteve Schwartz, Chico, CA (after the Adcock 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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