Sunday, April 27, 2014

April 21-17, 2014 Pitchers who surrendered 400 home runs

MONDAY
Q.         Who was the first left-hander to win the Cy Young Award?
Hint:     He led the National League in victories an amazing eight times.
Hint:     He led the National League in complete games an ever more amazing nine times.
Twint:    No National League pitcher hit more career homers.
A.         Warren Spahn (CYA 1957; 35 HR)
FCR -    Frank DiPrima, Morristown, NJ
Incorrect answers:  Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, Carl Hubbell, Lefty Grove, Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts, Whitey Ford, Walter Johnson, Roy Halladay

MONDAY MAXIMUS
Q.         Who is a Hall of Famer whose last name is the first name of another Hall of Famer and matches the hints?
Hint:     In one major league game, they actually formed the starting battery.
Twint:    He is the only pitcher to strike out nineteen batters in a game he did not win.
A.         Steve Carlton (Carlton Fisk [It turns out there were many other who qualified by their names:
They all match up by name but didn’t play together.  Unfortunately, they sneaked in there ahead of our proofreaders.

Battery G 12‑Aug‑1986; 19-K G 15‑Sep‑1969)
FCR -    Paul Hirsch, San Diego, CA
Incorrect answers:  Hank Aaron, Tommy John, Nolan Ryan, Elston Howard, Dizzy Dean

TUESDAY
Q.         What starting hurler IS POPULARLY BELIEVED TO HAVE never missed a turn in the pitching rotation during his 23-year major league career?
Hint:     He has been an Atlanta Braves broadcaster for over twenty years.
Hint:     He surrendered the first career home runs of pitchers Nolan Ryan, Carl Morton and Fergie Jenkins.
Twint:    He was born to sharecroppers in a tar-paper shack in Alabama.
Twint:    He frequently discusses his pastime passions of golf and wine on the air during games.
A.         Don Sutton ([Baseball historian Bill Deane clarifies, " Contrary to his Hall of Fame plaque, and as covered in Baseball Myths, Don Sutton did miss turns in the rotation.  He was out for ten days with a broken toe in August, 1980, spent 41 days on the DL before his final big league start in 1988, and had a dozen other gaps of at least a week between starts (disregarding rainouts or All-Star breaks)."; b. Clio, AL; 1,354 NL AB; HR to Ferguson Jenkins, 23-Apr-1966; Carl Morton 21-Jul-1970; Nolan Ryan 12-Apr-1980)
FCR -    Paul Theberge, Andover, MA
Incorrect answers:  Phil Niekro, Ernie Johnson, Greg Maddux, Gaylord Perry, Roger Craig

TUESDAY WELD
Q.         What five-time All-Star pitcher led the National League in losses four times during his career?
Hint:     He did it in four consecutive seasons.
Hint:     He led in games started the same four seasons and in games finished in three of those four.
Twint:    Growing up, he played various sport with his boyhood friend NBA Hall of Famer John Havlicek.
A.         Phil Niekro (4 L 1977-80; Havlicek)
FCR -    Matt Dicker, Chicago, Il
Incorrect answers:  Joe Niekro, Robin Roberts, Walter Johnson, Gaylord Perry, Roger Craig, Bob Friend, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Fergie Jenkins, Derek Lowe, Wilbur Wood, Don Drysdale

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who was the first Houston Astros pitcher to record four consecutive shutouts AT HOME?
Hint:     He became the first pitcher to win both games six and seven in a World Series on consecutive days.
Twint:    Poof! … goes the intruding avian presence.
A.         Randy Johnson (ShOs 07-Aug-, 12-Aug-, 28-Aug- and 07-Sep-1998; WS Ws 03‑04‑Nov‑2001; Bird bang 24-Mar-2001)
FCR -    Jeff Freedman, Los Angeles, CA
Incorrect answers:  Curt Schilling, Dave Giusti, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Andy Pettitte, Joaquin Andujar, Roger Clemens, Brad Lidge, Doug Drabek, Roy Oswalt, Larry Sherry, Larry Dierker

IN MEMORIAM
Q.         Who threw out the first pitch at the exhibition game played between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban national team at Latin America Stadium in Havana?
Hint:     After his ceremonial first pitch, he refused to leave the mound until he had pitched to the game’s lead-off batter, Brady Anderson.
Hint:     He was the last living Cuban major leaguer from pre-revolution Cuba.
Hint:     He debuted in the majors at age 38, but lived to almost age 103, enjoying a nearly 60‑year retirement after his playing days.
Hint:     He credited his longevity to his daily consumption of fine Cuban cigars.
Twint:    He was the first native of Cuba to be selected to a major league All-Star team as a pitcher.
Twint:    A visit with him was the highlight of the annual pilgrimage to Havana by a Cubaball, a group of North American baseball historians and fans.
A.         Connie Marrero (Exhibition G vs. O’s in Cuba in 28-Mar-1999, AS 1951; Debut 21‑Apr‑1950; Cigars; Cubaball group led by Kit Krieiger)
FCR -    Charlie O'Reilly, Rutherford, NJ
Incorrect answers:  Fidel Castro, Pedro Ramos, Sandy Conseguera, Luis Tiant, Minnie Minoso

THURSDAY
Q.         What pitcher has the most career victories among those born outside the United States?
Hint:     He was the first post-expansion pitcher to surrender two inside-the-park home runs in the same game.
Hint:     Adding insult to injury, it was the same player who hit both.
Twint:    Everybody knew when he had to be home.
A.         Bert Blyleven (287 W; 2 IPHRs 31-Jul-1972 by Dick Allen; Chris Berman called him "Bert 'Be-home' Blyleven".)
FCR -    Ken Auerbach, Bronxville, NY
Incorrect answers:  Fergie Jenkins, Luis Tiant, Juan Marichal, Jim Kaat, Phil Niekro, Fernando Valenzuela, Orlando Cepeda, Steve Rogers

FRIDAY
Q.         Who surrendered Bill Mazeroski's first career home run?
Hint:     He once gave up a lead-off home run and then retired the next 27 batters in a row.
Hint:     He threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays.
Hint:     Four times was he voted Coach of the Year in his college conference.
Twint:    He received MVP votes in every of seven consecutive seasons, even though his team only once in that span finished above third place.
A.         Robin Roberts (Maz’s HR 16-Aug-1956; According to SABR:  No-no in 1946 vs. the Keane, NH Blue Jays, pitching for the Twin City Trojans of the Northern League; Sun Belt Coach of the Year four times - 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1982; Lead-off HR 13-May-1954 HR to Bobby Adams of the Reds; MVP votes 1950-57)
FCR -    Makoto, Ozawa, Scarsdale, NY
Incorrect answers:  Vinegar Bend Mizell, Ralph Terry, Phil Niekro, Nolan Ryan, Sam McDowell, Don Newcombe

JUMP-STARTING-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who was the first pitcher to leave the game with 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 bases-on-balls?
Hint:     He won twenty games for six consecutive seasons for a team that never won its division.
Twint:    He completely dominated the once and future World Series champion team one year, going 5-0, with a 0.60 ERA, with five complete games and two shutouts in five starts.
A.         Fergie Jenkins (Final G 26-Sep-1983: 3,192 Ks & 997 BBs [It’s now a "Club”, with Greg Maddux (3,371/999), Pedro Martinez (3,154/760) & Curt Schilling (3,116/711) as members; Dominant year 1974 against OAK)
FCR -    Mark Hayne, Dumfries, VA
Incorrect answers:  Pedro Martinez, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Jim Bunning, Don Mattingly, Greg Maddux

SATURDAY
Q.         Who was the first post-expansion AMERICAN LEAGUE pitcher to surrender home runs to brothers in the same game?
Hint:     It was in the same inning.
Hint:     They were former teammates of his.
Hint:     Coaches tried to get him to lose weight, but he claimed he pitched better with some padding.
Hint:     His record seems to indicate he knew what he was talking about.
Twint:    He was the first in the modern era to pitch a game in which every member of the opposing team went 0-3.
A.         David Wells (5th inning 15-Sep-1990 HRs by Cal and Billy Ripken FUTURE teammates on the 1996 BAL; Perfect game 17-May-1998, Minnesota did not use a pinch hitter.  HOWEVER, Kenny Rogers accomplished this feat 4 years earlier, 28-Jul-1994)
FCR -    Josh Sullivan, Tomball, TX
Incorrect answers:  Mickey Lolich, Larry Jackson, Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia, Rick Reuschel, Carlton Willey, Gaylord Perry, Wilbur Wood, Fernando Valenzuela,

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who led the American League in ERA, Shutouts and ERA+ in a season where he finished ninth in Cy Young Award voting and received not a single vote for MVP?
Hint:     His more famous rotation mate, a future Hall of Famer, might have unintentionally stolen some of his well-deserved acclaim.
Twint:    He was the starting pitcher in the first games ever played in both the Kingdome and new Comiskey Park.
Twint:    The visiting starter, he threw shutouts in both games.
Twint:    He is still active in the annual Detroit Tigers fantasy camps in Florida.
A.         Frank Tanana (1977 ERA 2.54, 7 ShO, ERA+ 154; Teammate Nolan Ryan; Kingdome debut 06-Apr-1977, Comiskey II 18-Apr-2014; Tigers Fantasy camps)
FCR -    Don Masi, San Antonio, TX
Incorrect answers:  Curt Schilling, Dave McNally, John Smoltz, Dizzy Trout, Mickey Lolich, Nolan Ryan, Rick Reuschel, Roy Halladay, Kevin Brown, Jamie Moyer, Steve McCatty, Mike Mussina

SUNDAY
Q.         Which first baseman was the Florida Tech team MVP in consecutive seasons when Bob Martinez was governor?
Hint:     He owns the career home run record for Florida Tech.  Fitting.
Hint:     He was hit by a car when jogging near his home one year during the off-season.
Twint:    He was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, winning once.
Twint:    He retired six victories shy of passing Roger Clemens and Cy Young.
A.         Tim Wakefield (Florida Tech [FIT] MVP 1987-88; Florida governor Bob Martinez; 40 HR; Auto/pedestrian accident 05-Jan-1996; RCA 2010; 186 career W for BOS, Clemens & Young w/192 ea.)
FCR -    Andrew Distler, New York, NY
Incorrect answers:  Roy Campanella, Tino Martinez

END-OF-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         What pitcher was in the sixth year on his sixth major league team before became a twenty-game winner?
Hint:     The year he led the majors in winning percentage, he split time between two teams.
Hint:     Never quite a quinquagenarian player, he still had great durability.
Twint:    He was released by six different major league teams.
Twint:    In Km, excellent.  In MPH, not so much.
A.         Jamie Moyer (20—6 in 2001 w/SEA; .813 in 1996:  7-1 w/BOS & 6-2 w/SEA; Played for 8 teams over 25 seasons; Mariners promotion)
FCR -    Josh Sullivan, Tomball, TX
Incorrect answers:  Rick Sutcliffe


WEEKLY THEME – Pitchers with four hundred home runs surrendered

Pitcher                HRs
Blyleven             430
Carlton               414
Jenkins               484
Johnson             411
Moyer                522
Niekro                482
Roberts              505
Spahn                 434
Sutton                472
Tanana               448
Wakefield         418
Wells                   407


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Makoto, Ozawa, Scarsdale, NY (after the Blyleven Q.)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday
               -  Pitchers who played on the same team in more than one city
               -  Left-handed pitchers who have won the Cy Young Award
                  Something about lefties
               -  Lefties that lead their league in games started in consecutive seasons
               -  Hall of Famers who retired from Organized Baseball then resumed playing
               -  Lefthanded pitchers with the most wins
               -  Pitchers with over 5,000 career innings in the live ball era.

Tuesday  
               -  Hall of Fame pitchers with 20+ years in the big leagues
               -  Hall of Fame pitchers whose last names end in N
               -  Top ten all-time leaders in NL games started.
               -  Pitchers with 240 or More Career Losses
               -  Winningest South paws
               -  Weekly theme, pitchers with over 5,000 innings in their careers.
               -  Pitchers with over 300 wins
               -  300 game winners in the post war era
               -  Pitchers with more than 100 wins after age 35
               -  Hall of Famers who pitched for the Braves
               -  300 game winners who never won a Cy Young award
               -  Opposing pitchers with the most lifetime wins at Wrigley Field

Wednesday
               -  300 game winners who gave up 350 or more home runs
               -  300 game winners who gave up 300 or more home runs
               -  Players who played into their 40s
               -  300 game winners

Friday
               -  3,000 K Club

Sunday
               -  Oldest players to win 20 games in a season




We archive our questions here:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/


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