Monday, May 19, 2014

May 12-18, 2014 Walk-off home runs that completed a cycle

MONDAY
Q.         Who is the only player to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average in the American League?
Hint:     He was the first player to hit for the cycle in SkyDome (now Rogers Centre)?
Hint:     His brother preceded him to the majors.
Twint:    He has the most career hits of any third baseman in major league history.
Twint:    He was a high school teammate of All-Star Scott McGregor.
A.         George Brett (3,154 H, 317 HR, .305 BA, all for KCR; Cycle 25-Jul-1990; Brother Ken Brett; 3,154 H; W/McGregor at El Segundo High in California)
FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Dayton, MD
Incorrect answers:  Derek Jeter, Roberto Alomar, Dave Winfield, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount, Carlos Delgado, Paul Molitor, Cal Ripken, Joe Carter, Kirby Puckett, Moises Alou

Reader Mark DeLodovico from Rockville, MD, sent in the following item: 
"There was a story on MLB network last week that suggested that Greg Maddux first came up with the idea of talking into their gloves when the catcher came out to the mound.  This was after Wil Clark hit a grand slam off him in the 89 playoffs.  He thought Clark read his lips when Girardi went out to talk to him.http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9589483/the-history-glove-talking-baseball
This predates the information Horsehide Trivia had on Darren Daulton.  Thank you for that alert find.

TUESDAY
Q.         What seven-time All-Star third baseman was signed as a pitcher by the Cardinals?
Hint:     He garnered five Gold Gloves for his play at third.
Hint:     He was only the 3rd third baseman to hit thirty home runs in a season.
Hint:     His brother preceded him to the majors.
Twint:    His father, his son, his nephew and six (6!) brothers played professional baseball, he and two brothers reaching the majors.
Twint:    For four consecutive seasons, he had the exact same home run total.
A.         Ken Boyer (Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent 1949; Brother Cloyd Boyer debuted in 1949, Ken in ’55; 24 HR 1961-64)
FCR -    Bob Kimball, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers:  Scott Rolen, Clete Boyer, Lindy McDaniel, Ted Simmons, Joe Torre

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who is the only player to homer on the very first pitch of the season?
Hint:     After nineteen years, eight Gold Glove Awards, two Silver Sluggers, three All-Star appearances and four team MVPs with one team, he disappointed many by finishing his career elsewhere.
Hint:     He hit more home runs than any other American Leaguer 1981-90.
Twint:    At his last stop in the minors, he was the league’s MVP.
A.         Dwight Evans  
FCR -    Doug Greenwald, San Francisco, CA
Incorrect answers:  Eddie Murray, Paul Molitor, Wade Boggs, Gary Gaetti, Ken Griffey, Jr., Dave Winfield, Robin Yount, Dale Murphy, Jim Thome, Harmon Killebrew

THURSDAY
Q.         Who managed to complete his fourth consecutive 20/20 season in 2013 in spite of playing only nineteen games with 41 plate appearances after the All-Star break?
Hint:     Stevedores lade him into the hold.
Hint:     He stalwartly disaffirms sporting eponymous dungarees.
Twint:    He is one of the six different players in his franchise’s short 22-year history to win a National League batting title.
A.         Carlos Gonzalez (Nickname "Cargo"; Cargo pants:   He claims never to have worn them in a mock interview with Ryan Spilborghs; Colorado Rockies batting titles:
1993  .370   Andres Galarraga
1998  .363   Larry Walker
1999  .379          "
2001  .350           "
2000  .372   Todd Helton
2007  .336   Matt Holliday
2010  .336   Cargo
2013  .331   Michael Cuddyer)
FCR -    Eric Stone, Los Gatos, CA
Incorrect answers:  Carlos Lee, Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun, Alfonzo Soriano, Curtis Granderson

FRIDAY
Q.         What lone player prevented Yastrzemski’s MVP vote from being unanimous?
Hint:     He never won the award, but received votes that year and in each of the following four.
Hint:     His first name translates to "tsar" (царь) in Russian.
Twint:    The value of his one strikeout while pitching is slightly diminished because of who it is he struck out.
Twint:    In five separate games he was the only player on his team to get a hit.
A.         Cesar Tovar (1967 MVP vote; MVP votes 1967-71; Struck out Reggie Jackson, the all-time strikeout leader 22‑Sep‑1968.  It was the 207th K of Jackson’s eventual 2,597. Tovar also did a couple other things in that game; 5 only-hitters:
Date                   Off…                 Of…     Inning
30-Apr-1967        Barry Moore       WSA     t 6th, 2 out
15-May-1969       Dave McNally     BAL      t 9th, 1 out
10-Aug-1969       Mike Cuellar        BAL      t 9th, 0 out
13-Aug-1970       Dick Bosman      WSA     t 1st, 0 out (1st batter, bunt single)
31-May-1975       Catfish Hunter     NYY     b 6th, 2 out
FCR -    Josh, Sullivan, Tomball, TX
Incorrect answers:  Harmon Killebrew, Norm Cash, Zoilo Versalles, Bill Freehan

END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS
Q.         What slugger was quarterback of a high school football team that lacked football prowess to such a degree that not only did they not win a game;… not only did they not score a point;… they didn’t get past the 50-yard line until the last half of the season's final game?
Hint:     Although he hit 95 home runs over the previous four seasons, he's now playing for his fourth team since 2012.
Twint:    He admitted to having some concerns about handling the first-base duties, saying, "It's baseball, man.  Everything concerns me.  We’ve got such a great infield.  These guys can put the ball right on the money, so I'm just going to put my glove out there and let them hit it."
FCR -    Sean Tuber, Granada Hills, CA
Incorrect answers:  Mark Reynolds, Jose Bautista, Raul Ibanez, Cody Ross, Drew Stubbs, Kevin Youkilis

SATURDAY
Q.         What Hall of Fame starting pitcher was credited with two victories on 09-May-1984?
Hint:     He struck out 200 batters per season for a record nine years in a row.
Twint:    Only he has stuck out ten consecutive batters.
A.         Tom Seaver (Box scores: G begun on 08-May went 17 innings before being suspended and complete the following day.  Then 09-May-1984 win ensued; 200 K yrs:  1968-76; 10 straight Ks 22-Apr-1970, final 10 batters)
FCR -    Dave Wise, Hyde Park, NY
Incorrect answers:  Nolan Ryan, Gaylord Perry, Don Sutton, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Phil Niekro, Smokey Joe Williams

WEEKEND BONUS
This gem was passed along Saturday at the SABR chapter meeting in Philadelphia by SABR member and Horsehide Trivia reader Bob Bogart:
Q.         There are some current, active batters who are first or second on their franchise’s career home run lists.  How many you got?
Hint:     All but one have played for only one team in the majors.
Hint:     They all played Saturday.
Twint:    Two of the teams they play on are from the "original" 16.
A.        
Ryan Howard w/318 behind Mike Schmidt w/548

Paul Konerko w/428 behind Frank Thomas /448

3.) Mets
David Wright w/224 behind Darryl Strawberry w/252

4.) Rays
Evan Longoria w/166 behind… Nobody!
FCR -    Timothy Kearns, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers:  Ryan Braun, Giancarlo Stanton, Ryan Zimmerman, Edwin Encarnacion, Troy Tulowitzki, Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Bautista, Derek Jeter

SUNDAY
Q.         What was the score of the 01-Oct-1961 game when Roger Maris hit his record-breaking 61st home run?
Hint:     Bill Stafford, Hal Reniff and Luis Arroyo pitched for the Yankees that day.
Twint:    It matched the date.
A.         One-zero [At least after he hit it.] (01-Oct-1961)
FCR -    Mark Hayne, Dumfries, VA
Incorrect answers:  5-3

END-OF-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who are the only two Kansas City A’s who managed to hit more than thirty home runs in a season?
Hint:     There were never teammates.
Twint:    C if you can figure it out.
A.         Bob Cerv              38 in 1958
            Rocky Colavito     34 in 1964
FCR -    Bill Lewers, McLean, VA
Incorrect answers:  Gus Zernial [who did hit 30 in 1955, but never "more than"], Reggie Jackson, Vic Power, John Mayberry, Amos Otis, Steve Balboni, Jose Tartabull, George Brett, Roger Maris, Jim Gentile, Sal Bando


WEEKLY THEME – Walk-off homers that completed a cycle.  (Thanks to David Vincent for confirming this data.)  Applies only to the weekday questions this week.

Boyer        14-Sep-1961
Brett          28-May-1979
Evans       28-Jun-1984
Tovar        19-Sep-1972



First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Dave Washburn, Marietta, GA (After the Evans Q.)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday
               -  Hall of Famers with All-Star siblings
               -  Yankee killers
               -  Left-handed hitters in the 20-20-20 Club
               -  Famous HR's vs. the Yankees

Tuesday
               -  Third basemen with MLB-playing brothers
                    -   MVP third basemen who have hit for the cycle
               -  Third basemen whose brothers played in the majors
               -  3rd basemen who had relative (brother, father, etc.) precede them in the majors
               -  Brothers - only one of whom is in the HoF.
               -  Brothers to play major league baseball and the younger brother made the hall of fame
               -  3rd basemen who had a brother that played in the Majors
               -  3rd basemen whose last names began with "B"
               -  3rd basemen who played for Missouri teams and had a bro that played in the Bigs
               -  HOF Younger Brothers
               -  Third basemen who had brothers that also played in the major leagues before them


Thursday
               -  Guys who hit HR's to clinch their team heading to the World Series

Sunday
               -  Grand slams in the World Series


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





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