Sunday, June 1, 2014

May 26-Jun1, 2014 Leadoff Home Run Leaders

MONDAY
Q.         Who went 0-7 in the longest postseason game ever?
Hint:     He was the first player with 55 doubles in a season since the beginning of the expansion era.
Twint:    He's famous for making the All-Star Game at different positions.
A.         CRAIG BIGGIO (In fairness—he did walk and score a run:  G 4, NLDS 2005; 56 2b 1999; AS @ C 1991, @ 2b 1992, 1994-98)
FCR -    Makoto Ozawa, Scarsdale, NY
Incorrect answers include:  Robin Yount, Albert Belle, Pete Rose, Lance Berkman, Matt Carpenter, Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs, Jeff Bagwell, Paul Molitor

TUESDAY
Q.         Who was the first player to post 30-30 seasons with two different teams?
Hint:     In fact, he did it five times, playing for five different franchises.
Twint:    His sons also did it for two different teams.
A.         BOBBY BONDS (30-30 in 1969 & 1973 for SFG, 1975 for NYY, 1977 for CAL, 1978 for CWS & TEX [He also came within 5 HR for doing it again for CLE in 1979.]; Son Barry did it for PIT in 1990 & 1992 and then for SFG in 1995 & 1996)
FCR -    Victor Piacentile, Yorktown Heights, NY
Incorrect answers include:  Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Dwight Evans, Paul Molitor

TUESDAY LATE
Q.         Which player ended the season with a 36-game hitting streak intact and extended it the following Opening Day?
Hint:     The year after that, he was voted MVP.
Hint:     According to his general manager, he's a five-ten guy, though the program lists him shorter than that.
Twint:    He was a Jet, as were Willie Stargell, Dontrelle Willis and Tommy Harper.
A.         JIMMY ROLLINS (Streak 2005-06; MVP 2007; Players with five years with the same major league team and ten years in the majors are exempt from trades without their consent, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. interviewed today; Encinal High School, Alameda, CA)
FCR -    Thomas Latchford, Omaha, NE
Incorrect answers:  Dustin Pedroia, Paul Molitor, Benito Santiago

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who is the only rookie to lead the majors in All-Star voting?
Hint:     After an outfield throw of his nailed a runner at third, his teammate mused, "When he made that throw my arm twitched.  I've got to go ice it now, just thinking about that throw."
Hint:     His teammates report that his English is much better, but he’ll still only speak to the media through interpreters.
Twint:    He broke Wade Boggs' American League mark for singles in a season by a rookie.
A.         ICHIRO SUZUKI (3,373,035 votes to be a starter [CF] in the 2001 ASG; Quote from Jay Buhner after Ichiro threw out Terrence Long on 11-Apr-2001 [Ichiro’s 8th G in MLB] YouTube of throw:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYAxk01E404; 192 1b in 2001. Boggs had 98 in 1982)
FCR -    Howard Mazin, Teaneck, NJ
Incorrect answers:  Yasiel Puig, Roberto Clemente, Raul Mondesi, Jose Canseco, Carlos Beltran, Tony Oliva, Mark McGwire

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Whose hitting streak was so popular that it spawned a nickname?
Hint:     He had 666 at-bats one season.
Hint:     He was scouted by former major leaguer Dee Fondy.
Twint:    Only he and Albert Pujols have had five hits in a World Series game.
A.         PAUL MOLITOR ("Molly-Watch" 39-G streak in 1987; 666 AB 1982; 5 H in WS G: 1982 G 1
FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Dan Diego, CA
Incorrect answers:  Ken Landreaux, Pete Rose, Dave Cash, Joe DiMaggio

THURSDAY
Q.         What Milwaukee Brewer hit three grand slams in one calendar month during the final season of a seventeen-year major league career?
Hint:     His career stolen base percentage is the highest in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hint:     He was the only member of the Arizona Diamondbacks with at least eighty RBI one season.
Hint:     Only four players from his country have ever played in the majors.
Twint:    He once stayed in the clubhouse finishing a phone call when the game started, forcing his team to begin the game without a centerfielder.
A.         DEVON WHITE (GS 10-, 15- & 20-May-2001; SB % 84.56; 85 RBI in 1998; Jamaica natives in MLB; Phone game 25-Jun-1988)
FCR -    John Michael Pierobon, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Incorrect answers:  Luis Gonzalez, Paul Molitor, Mike Cameron, Gorman Thomas, Cecil Copper, Lyle Overbay, Ben Ogilvie

THOROUGHLY THURSDAY
Q.         Who is the only Chicago White Sox player to score over 120 runs in a season more than once?
Hint:     He scored the record-breaking 21st run in an All-Star game.
Hint:     His first career hit was a bunt on Opening Day.  It was his team’s first hit of the season.
Twint:    Following a season of OPS+ of 113 in 128 games, he had no offers of employment and retired after fourteen seasons in the Bigs.
A.         RAY DURHAM (126 R in1998, 121 R in 2000; 1998 ASG; Debut 26-Apr-1995; Final year: 2008)
FCR -    Timothy Kearns, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers:  Nellie Fox, Lance Johnson, Ozzie Guillen, Minnie Minoso, Tim Raines, Robin Ventura, Scott Podsednik, Luis Aparicio, Frank Thomas

TGIF SPECIAL
Q.         What Christmas gift did Chicago give Oakland?
Hint:     (We’ll publish how many people got this right without a further hint.)
Twint:    Sorry.  You’re on your own with this one.
A.         RICKEY HENDERSON (B. Chicago, IL 25-Dec-1958, grew up in Oakland, CA)
FCR -    Frank Workman, Lake Forest Park, WA
Correct answers:  35
Incorrect answers:  Frank Thomas, Gio Gonzales in return for Nick Swisher, Bill Veeck, Dennis Eckersley, Ken Holtzman, Dave Kingman           , Charlie Finley, Tony LaRussa, Billy Williams

FRIDAY
Q.         Who is the all-time leader in www.baseball-reference.com‘s Power/Speed ranking for the Milwaukee/St. Louis/Baltimore AL franchise?
Hint:     Ken Williams and George Sisler rank a distant 2nd and 3rd.
Hint:     He is also first in hit-by-pitch and outfield games played.
Hint:     Not to mention second in career strikeouts and stolen bases.
Twint:    He was the first American League player to be hit-by-pitch twice in one inning.
A.         BRADY ANDERSON (2 HBP 1st inning 23-May-1999)
FCR -    Rich Klein, Plano, TX
Incorrect answers:  Frank Robinson, Paul Blair, Eddie Murray, Don Baylor, John McGraw

DAWN-OF-THE-WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who was the first player to receive a $10,000,000 arbitration settlement?
Hint:     He lost the arbitration!
Hint:     He’ll make almost twice that this year.
Hint:     Being a former All-Star Game MVP didn’t hurt his case.
Twint:    His first major league hit was a walk-off home run against a veteran All-Star reliever.
A.         ALFONSO SORIANO (Arbitration 2006 w/WSN; 2014 salary $13+M; ASG MVP 2004; 1st H 24-Sep-1999 off Norm Charlton)
FCR -    John Reimer, Wauwatosa, WI
Incorrect answers:  Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Carl Crawford

SATURDAY
Q.         Who could be accurately described as "Long horn, short arm"?
Hint:     He beat out a future MVP, a future ERA leader, a future four-home-runs-in-one-game batter and a Cleveland Indians Team Hall of Fame member for Rookie of the Year honors.
Twint:    He was the first designate hitter to bat leadoff for an American League team in the World Series.
Twint:    Brian Kingman once pondered aloud, "If Rick Ankiel and ____ played catch, would it make a sound?"
A.         CHUCK KNOBLAUCH (Attended Texas A & M and NOT the University of Texas, but still often short-armed his throws from 2b to 1b; ROY in 1991, ahead of Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Guzman, Mark Whiten & Charles Nagy; WS DH leadoff game: 21-Oct-2000)
FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR
Incorrect answers:  Greg Luzinski, Roger Clemens, Kevin Mitchell, David Clyde, Don Baylor, Spike Owen, Herb Score, Joe Charboneau, Tony Kubek, Al Rosen

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Until Hanley Ramirez won it in 2006, only one shortstop had ever won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.  Who was that?
Hint:     In his third season, he showed off his foot speed with three triples in one game.
Hint:     Tommy John surgery effectively ended his career
Twint:    He is one of only fifteen players in major league history with an unassisted triple play.
A.         RAFAEL FURCAL (ROY 2000 [Alvin Dark won while playing SS for the Braves, but he won it for MLB, not the NL,]; 3 3b 21-Apr-2002; Surgery; UTP 10-Aug-2003)
FCR -    Dave Washburn, Marietta, GA
Incorrect answers:  Alvin Dark, Gary Templeton, Dick Groat, Mickey Mantle, Bill Russell, Sonny Jackson

SUNDAY
Q.         Who was the first player to hit for the cycle for the A's after they left Philadelphia?
Hint:     He played professional baseball well into his fifties.
Twint:    When a major star was acquired by his team, that star requested to wear this guy’s uniform number.
Twint:    In response, he stated that he was going to switch to a number that nobody would ever ask for again.
Twint:    He wore # 73 that season, even after being traded.
A.         TONY PHILLIPS (Cycle 16-May-1986; Last played in 2012 @ age 53; Albert Belle got #8 on the White Sox [Even Belle knew he wasn’t going to get that number with his last team.] Phillips traded from CHW to ANA 18-May-1997)
FCR -    Josh Sullivan, Tomball, TX
Incorrect answers:  Enos Slaughter, Julio Franco, Elmer Valo, Rickey Henderson, Minnie Minoso, Vic Power, Bert Campaneris, Reggie Jackson, Freddie Patek


WEEKLY THEME – Players with 30 career leadoff home runs.  [Another record Henderson holds that will never be threatened.]

         Player          HR      Gs led off
1.     Henderson      81       2,875
2.     Soriano           54          768
3.     Biggio            53       1,560
4.     Rollins            45       1,418
5.     Anderson        44       1,294
6.     Suzuki            37       1,764
7.     Bonds            35          913
8.     Durham           34          975
8.     White              34          960
10.   Molitor            33       1,570
11.   Knoblauch      31       1,289
12.   Phillips           30       1,381
12.   Furcal             30       1,381


Derek Jeter would be next to join this group with 29, but he has led off in only one game this season and did not homer.

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Makoto Ozawa, Scarsdale, NY (After Rollins)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Players between 3000 and 3100 hits
               -  Players with 7 or more seasons of 40+ doubles, or players with 2 or more seasons of 50+ doubles

Tuesday   -  Post-expansion players with most runs scored in a season
               -  Players on the 2014 HoF Ballot suspected of using PEDs
               -  Players with 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases
               -  Players who did 30-30 more than twice
               -  MVPs not to be an all-star during his MVP season
               -  MVPs not to be an all-star during the following season when reigning MVP

Wednesday
               -  Players with at least 35 stolen bases but less than 5 times caught stealing in one season

Thursday  -  Players with 30+ game hitting streaks
              


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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