August 18-24, 2014 Most strikeouts by a pitcher in his first 100 career starts

MONDAY

Q.        Whose record for the most career American League no-hitters did Nolan Ryan break on 01-Jun-1975?

Hint:     When he set the new record, he broke a tie between two other Hall of Famers.

Twint:  He used to have a statue outside Jacobs Field.

A.         BOB FELLER (Ryan’s 4^th, Feller had 3 (Cy Young and Addie Joss had two, including a perfect game for each); The statue remains, but Jacobs Field became Progressive Field in 2008

FCR -  David Eisenberg, Royal Palm Beach, FL

Incorrect answers:  Allie Reynolds, Randy Johnson, Virgil Trucks, Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, Lefty Grove

TUESDAY

Q.        Who was the first left-handed throwing pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year Award in either league?

Hint:     In his sophomore season, he had more strikeouts than did any other pitcher in a season in that decade.

Twint:  His broadcasting career lasted over four times longer than his playing career.

A.         HERB SCORE (1955 AL ROY; 263 K in 1956; Played 1955-1962 = 8 yrs, At the mic 1964-1997 = 34 yrs.)

FCR -  Kevin Johnson, Broken Arrow, OK

Incorrect answers:  Sam McDowell, Steve Carlton, Vida Blue, Whitey Ford, Gary Peters, John Matlack, Fernando Valenzuela

WEDNESDAY

Q.        What American League hurler had the most strikeouts in a season in the 1960s?

Hint:     Only Sandy Koufax had a better season in the majors in that span.

Hint:     After eleven years of service with his original team, including being an All-Star six times, he was traded for a future Hall of Famer.

Twint:  He got his nickname suddenly.

A.         SAM McDOWELL (325 K in 1965 [Koufax w/382 in ‘65]; Traded in 1971 for Gaylord Perry [& Frank Duffy]; Nickname “”Sudden Sam”)

FCR -  Neil Cohen, Brooklyn, NY

Incorrect answers:  Rick Wise, Whitey Ford, Wilbur Wood, Luis Tiant, Jim Lonborg, Dean Chance, Jim Kaat, Bob Feller, Mickey Lolich

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.        What pitcher accumulated 1,248 strikeouts from 1980 through 1985, the most in the majors over that period?

Hint:     He never reached triple-digits in any other season of his twelve-year career.

Hint:     Four times was in the top ten in Cy Young Award voting, once finishing second.

Twint:  He once was suspended for five days for shoving umpire Steve Rippley, arguing a call that eventually went his way.

Twint:  He was the first Cincinnati Reds pitcher to surrender four home runs in a single inning.

A.         MARIO SOTO (Career 1977-88; 5-day suspension for actions in G 27-May-1984; 4 HR 29-Apr-1986, 4^th inn. by Expos Andre Dawson, Hubie Brooks Tim Wallach & Mike Fitzgerald

FCR -  Richard Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD

Incorrect answers:  Fernando Valenzuela [1,032], Dave Stieb [980], Luis Tiant [146], Mike Scott [423]. Rick Reuschel [405], Len Barker [796], J.R. Richard [119], Nolan Ryan [1,174], Mark Langston [286], Steve Carlton [1,237], Bert Blyleven [793], Bret Saberhagen [258], Dennis Eckersley [635], Randy Johnson [0],

THURSDAY

Q.        Who was the first pitcher to collect 200 strikeouts in each of his first three seasons in the majors?

Hint:     He holds the record for most career balks in All-Star competition.

Twint:  He has a nephew in the 500 home run club.

A.         DWIGHT GOODEN (Ks 1984: 276, 1985: 268, 1986: 200; Gary Sheffield 509 HRs; AS balks 1986, 1988)

FCR -  Cappy Gagnon, South Bend, IN

Incorrect answers:  Clayton Kershaw, Stu Miller, Steve Carlton, Hideo Nomo, Tom Seaver

FRIDAY

Q.        Who is the only pitcher to throw no-hitters both before and after he was with the New York Mets, but not while?

Hint:     He is the only rookie to lead his league in strikeouts in the 1990s.

Twint:  He was the first to hit Ichiro Suzuki with a pitch in the majors.

A.         HIDEO NOMO (No-hitters 17-Sep-1996 & 04-Apr-2001, w/NYM 1998; 236 K in 1995; Ichiro HBP 02-May-2001)

FCR -  Rich  Klein, Plano, TX

Incorrect answers:  David Cone, Tom Seaver, Pedro Martinez

END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS

Q.        Who, at the tender age of twenty, gave what many baseball historians consider the greatest single-game pitching performance of all time?

Hint:     His name became an unfortunate sentence for the opposing team.

Hint:     He still holds the record for most total strikeouts by a pitcher in consecutive games.

Twint:  He was the run-away winner for Rookie of the Year Award.

Twint:  He and Nolan Ryan each once came within one strikeout of having twice as many strikeouts as hits allowed in a season.

A.         KERRY WOOD ([06-May-1998, 9-inning, 1-hitter] 5^th MLB start; Kerry Wood = "Carry wood" […your bats, back to the bat rack]; 1998 NL  ROY; BB/H ratio 1998 233/117, Nolan Ryan 1991 102/203)

FCR -  David Girdany, Somerset, PA

Incorrect answers:  Carl Spooner, Dwight Gooden, Bob Feller, Vida Blue, Addie Joss, Sandy Koufax, Clayton Kershaw, Early Wynn

SATURDAY

Q.        Against what hurler did Adam Dunn tie and then break the single-season record for strikeouts by a batter?

Hint:     He was drafted out of high school by the Yankees as compensation for their being unable to sign Tyrell Godwin.

Twint:  He and Kerry Wood accompanied Adam Greenberg to the Cubs' training room to watch over him after Greenberg suffered a concussion when he was hit in the back of the head with the first pitch he saw in the majors.

A.         MARK PRIOR (Dunn Ks 30-Sep-2004; Godwin; Greenberg story)

FCR -  No one

Incorrect answers:  Adam Wainwright, David Price, Tim Lincecum, Jaba Chamberlain, Stephen Strasburg

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.        What rookie pitcher, on a dare by his teammates, walked on his hands from the pitchers' mound to the centerfield fence, not faltering the whole way?

Hint:     He still regularly does standing back-flips in the clubhouse.

Twint:  Four years after leading his league in winning percentage, he led the league in losses.

A.         TIM LINCECUM (2008 18-5, .783, 2012 10-15)

FCR -  No one

Incorrect answers:  Jarrod Dyson, Rob Summers, Huston Street

SUNDAY

Q.        Who gave up smokeless tobacco after his Hall of Fame coach succumbed to its ravages?

Hint:     He was the subject of one of the most devastating benchings in recent memory.

Twint:  He started today and got a no-decision as Nats won.  (I was there!)

A.         STEPHEN STRASBURG (Tony Gwynn coached Strasburg at San Diego State.  Gwynn died from complications arising from cancer; Strasburg was taken out of the rotation at the end of the 2012 season; Today’s box:  http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_08_24_sfnmlb_wasmlb_1&mode=box

FCR -  Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, MO

Incorrect answers:  Justin Mortenson, Mike Trout, Dan Uggla, Josh Beckett, Chuck Schilling

WEEKLY THEME – Most strikeouts by a pitcher in his first 100 career starts (top 10)

Lincecum        755

Gooden           749

Nomo              742

Prior                734

Wood               717

Score              716

McDowell        705

Feller               699

Strasburg        690

Soto                 688

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Steve Bonfield, Calgary, AB

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday

               -  20-game winning Indians pitchers who led the league with the most strikeouts but in different seasons that they led the league in strikeouts

               -  Cleveland Indian pitchers who led the league in strikeouts

Thursday - Youngest players to reach 500 strikeouts

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