Sunday, March 23, 2014

March 17-23, 2014 Walk-off home runs surrendered by Hall of Famer pitcher Dennis Eckersley, who coined the term

MONDAY
Q.        Which player made the Hall of Fame with the lowest percentage of votes awarded any first-ballot electee?
Hint:     He won an MVP playing shortstop and another playing centerfield for the same team nine years later—the only player to win the award playing positions so diverse.
Hint:     He and George Brett, often linked together, played their final game 03‑Oct‑1993.
Twint:  His brother is the only major league player to appear in a game without ever actually appearing in a game.
A.         Robin Yount (77.46% was 0.04% lower than Jackie Robinson’s 77.50%; MVP 1982 SS, 1989 CF; older brother Larry Yount officially announced as the pitcher was hurt while warming up, pulled and only “officially” appeared because he had been announced though he never threw a pitch)
FCR -  Alex Griffel, Great Neck, NY
Incorrect answers:  Paul Molitor

TUESDAY
Q.        Who is the only player first to lose two World Series with the Indians and then win two World Series with the Red Sox?
Hint:     He the major league career postseason home run record holder.
Hint:     He is also in the career postseason top ten list for games played, at-bats, plate appearances, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, runs-batter-in, singles and bases-on-balls.
Hint:     He finished second to Bob Hamelin for American League Rookie of the Year without getting a single first place vote.
Twint:  He once planted a flag by the Green Monster while receiving a standing ovation for becoming an American citizen.
A.         Manny Ramirez (CLE WS 1995, 1997, BOS 2004, 2007; Postseason offensive leaders list; 1994 ROY vote; 11‑May‑2004 standing ovation at Fenway)
FCR -  Tim McCarthy, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers:  David Ortiz

WEDNESDAY
Q.        Who replaced Donnie Baseball?
Hint:     That same year he won the first of his four rings in five World Series trips.
Hint:     He finished second for AL MVP to former teammate Ken Griffey, Jr.
Twint:  He was the Mariners only first-round draft pick in the 1988 June amateur draft.
Twint:  He comes from tobacco, not from Tobacco Road.
A.         Tino Martinez (1996 1B after Mattingly retired following the 1995 season; WS 1996, 98, 99 & 2000, losing only in 2001; 1997 MVP vote; 14th pick; His family are multi-generation cigar makers.)
FCR -  David Krassin, New York, NY
Incorrect answer:  Paul O’Neill

THURSDAY
Q.        Whose career home run total trails only those of Jeff Bagwell and Richie Hebner among Massachusetts natives?
Hint:     He is one of only two Royals to lead the American League in strike outs.
Hint:     The other one is Bo Jackson.
Hint:     He hit a single right after the famous 1985 World Series Denkinger safe call at first base.
Twint:  He was only the second player in major league history to strike out in nine consecutive plate appearances.  (position player)
Twint:  With a middling total of 181 career round-trippers, his nickname nevertheless mirrors a home run call.
A.         Steve Balboni (Bagwell 449 HR, Hebner 203 HR, Balboni 181 HR; 1985, 166K; G 6 1985 WS, Jorge Orta mistakenly called safe to lead off the 9th inn.; 9 Straight Ks 20-, 21- & 22‑Aug‑1984; Nicknamed "Bye Bye")
FCR -  David Krassin, New York, NY
Incorrect answers:  Hal McCrae, Amos Otis, George Brett, Carlos Pena, Lonnie Smith, Dan Iorg

FRIDAY
Q.        Who was the first visiting player to score a run at Mile High Stadium?
Hint:     He played for the Rockies the very next year.
Hint:     He tore cartilage in his knee while shoveling snow just after signing a contract with the Reds.
Hint:     He never played another game in the majors.
Twint:  After retiring from the majors, he became a scout for the Padres.
Twint:  He holds MLB record for most pinch hits in a season.
A.         John Vander Wal (1st R 09‑Apr‑1993; Reds contract SDP scouts; 28 pinch hits, 1995)
FCR -  Matt Dicker, Arlington VA
Incorrect answers:  Dwight Gooden, Dante Bichette, Walt Weis, Eric Young

SATURDAY
Q.        What long-time former White Sox player was their hitting coach during their 2005 World Series winning year?
Hint:     He is currently the Braves batting coach.
Hint:     In 1985 he led the majors with 163 games played even though his team's won/loss record that year was 85-77.
Twint:  A native of Douglas, GA, he had four years of Coffee before having his first "cup of coffee" in 1982.
A.         Greg Walker (CWS Hitting coach 2003-2011; Braves 2012-current; There was a 4-4 tie vs BOS 31-Jul-1985 which MLB doesn't count in the standings but does count for stats; attended Coffee High School, Douglas, GA)
FCR -  Mark Linneman, Sacramento, CA
Incorrect answers:  Harold Baines, Tony Fernandez, Alex Rios, Ron Kittle, Scott Fletcher, Ron Karkovice

SUNDAY
Q.        Who is the only player with 100 career pinch hints to hit a home run in his first World Series at-bat?
Hint:     He was hitting .319 when his league folded in 1990.
Twint:  He hit an impressive .452 in July 1983.
Twint:  He only went to the postseason once in his eighteen-year, seven-team major league career, but earned a World Series ring for his efforts.
A.         Jim Dwyer (1983 WS G1, 1b, 1 out, 103 PH;  Hit .319 for the 1990 Sun City Rays of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.)
FCR -  Michael Berry, Culver City, CA
Incorrect answers:  Manny Mota, Gates Brown, Rusty Staub, Matt Stairs, Cliff Johnson, Pete LaCock, Amos Otis, Chuck Essigian, Jose Offerman, Julio Franco

WEEK-ENDING, GAME-ENDING BONUS
Q.        Who was the first Detroit Tigers player to join the 20/20 club?
Hint:     He was among those declared no-risk free agents as a result of the Players' Association collusion suit against the owners.
Twint:  "I don’t believe what I just saw!"
Twint:  His career highlight moment has been voted the greatest moment in Los Angeles sports history.
A.         Kirk Gibson (1984 27 HR/27 SB; Collusion case 1985; Walk-off home run G 1 1988 WS, Jack Buck with the famous radio call.)
FCR -  David Krassin, New York, NY
Incorrect answers:  Gates Brown, Ron LeFlore, Tony Phillips, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammel, Bobby Higginson, Harvey Kuenn, Chet Lemon, Curtis Granderson. Lee Lacy


WEEKLY THEME – Walk-off home runs surrendered by Hall of Famer pitcher Dennis Eckersley, who coined the term “Walk-Off Home Run”



First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Paul Moehrigner, Flanders, NJ (after the Wed Q.)

Batter           Date                Inning
Balboni         29‑Jul‑1988     10th
Dwyer          06‑Sep‑1987   9th
Gibson          15‑Oct‑1988    9th
Martinez       24‑Sep‑1995   9th *
Ramirez       16‑Jul‑1995     12th
Walker          01‑Jul‑1987     10th
Yount            03‑Sep‑1991   9th

*I was there!  This was the only game I ever attended live in the Kingdome.  Indoor firework immediately ensued.


Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday
               -  Players who never played in the minors
               -  Career grand slam leaders
               -
Wednesday    
               -  First-round draft picks
              
Thursday
               -  Players with an American League home run titles
               -  Silver Slugger winners who went to high schools named after presidents


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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