Sunday, August 31, 2014

August 25-31, 2014 Hall of Fame players who had more triples than doubles in a full season

This week's theme and (most of the) questions were submitted by reader Jim McCoy of Melrose, Mass.

MONDAY
Q.        Who was the first of three teammates to be mentioned in the 1910 poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" by Franklin Pierce Adams?
Hint:     Prior to the poem's publication, he was the starting shortstop on consecutive world championship teams.
Tint:  You wouldn't try to fine-tune his abilities as a tin-smith.
A.         JOE TINKER (The Poem; Starting SS on 1907 & 1908 CHC; "Tinker" is another name for a tin smith and also means to make small adjustments.)
FCR -  Art Springsteen, Sunapee, NH
Incorrect answers:  Sam Crawford, Frank Baker, Johnny Evers

TUESDAY
Q.        Who hit the first major league home run ever surrendered by Walter Johnson?
Hint:     He had more RBIs than teammate Ty Cobb for four consecutive seasons.
Hint:     His hometown was his nickname.
Twint:  He had the most at-bats in the first decade of the twentieth century.
A.         SAM CRAWFORD (HR 02-Aug-1907; RBI total's over Cobb 1912-15; B. Wahoo, NE; AB 1901‑10 = 5,670)
FCR -  Michael Newman, Fairfield, CT
Incorrect answers:  Frank Baker, Harry Heilman, Al Simmons

WEDNESDAY
Q.        Who was the second National Leaguer after Frank Chance to win a ring as a player/manager?
Hint:     He was a colonel before he was a captain.
Twint:  He was a player/manager longer than anyone in history.
A.         FRED CLARKE (Won the 1909 WS [John McGraw did not play in the 1905 WS.]; Louisville Colonels before being known as "The Captain"; Player/manager for 19 yrs. from 1897 to 1915 [only managed in 1912] w/1,602 W, 18th all-time)
FCR -  Cappy Gagnon, South Bend, IN
Incorrect answers:  Frankie Frisch, Earle Combs, Pee Wee Reese, Lou Boudreau, Joe Tinker, Gabby Street

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.        At 6'3", whose imposing presence was the primary inspiration for the New York Gothams first being referred to as the Giants?
Hint:     He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee after years of lobbying by HOF umpire Bill Klem.
Twint:  It was his record for career home runs that Babe Ruth broke.
A.         ROGER CONNOR ("Giants" first used in 1885; HOF 1976; 138 HR)
FCR -  Richard Nicholson, Richmond, VA
Incorrect answers:  King Kelly, High Pockets Kelly, George Kelly, Jim Mutrie, John Montgomery Ward

THURSDAY
Q.        Of whom did the major leagues' winningest manager say, "He was the greatest second baseman who ever lived."?
Hint:     The second winningest manager in major league history added, "I doubt if anyone will dispute my selection of [him] as the greatest second baseman of all time."?
Hint:     MLB's seventh-winningest manager had a nice quote too:  "He was the greatest second baseman I had ever seen.  Plays which were difficult for even a finished infielder were made to seem easy."
Twint:  Quoth Bill James, "His was the most valuable career that any second baseman ever had."
A.         EDDIE COLLINS (Managers:  1st Connie Mack; 2nd John McGraw; 7th Bucky Harris)
FCR -  Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR
Incorrect answers:  Rogers Hornsby, Nap Lajoie, Johnny Evers, Sparky Anderson, Charlie Gehringer

FRIDAY
Q.        Who had the lowest American League-leading batting average before 1968?
Hint:     The season after that, he led the league in games, at-bats, runs, triples, and steals.
Twint:  Cleveland refused to trade him for the young Ty Cobb when Detroit offered.
A.         ELMER FLICK (.308 in 1905; Trade talks 1907)
FCR -  Rich Klein, Plano, TX
Incorrect answers:  Snuffy Stirnweiss, Vern Stephens, Carl Yastrzemski, Pete Runnels, Sam Crawford

END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS
Q.        Whose record for RBI in a season by a switch-hitter did Mark Teixeira break in 2005?
Hint:     He is third all-time in stolen bases among shortstops, trailing only Honus Wagner and Bert Campaneris
Twint:  He was the first Hall of Famer to have appeared as a position player for the Cleveland Spiders, but entered the Hall as a New York Giant.
Twint:  Was he gorgeous?  You be the judge.
A.         GEORGE DAVIS (Teixeira had 144 w/TEX; 619 SB [Wagner 723, Campy 649]; HOF 1998; Was called "Gorgeous George".)
FCR -  Richard Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD
Incorrect answers:  Luis Aparicio, Frankie Frisch, Maury Wills, Ozzie Smith, Mickey Mantle

SATURDAY
Q.        Which Hall of Famer outfielder also played second base, third base and shortstop even though he threw left-handed?
Hint:     Although a Brooklyn native, the son of a horse-drawn trolley conductor, he came to prominence in Baltimore.
Hint:     He ended up playing for New York for what was then the highest salary in the history of the majors.
Twint:  Pete Rose tied one of his most cherished records.
Twint:  He still owns the record for the most hits in a season without hitting a home run.
A.         WILLIE KEELER (Made $10,000 in each of 1903 & 1904; Keeler & Rose share the NL record for longest hitting streak at 44; 1897 – 239 H & 0 HR)
FCR -  Rich Klein, Plano, TX
Incorrect answers:  Bobby Wallace, John McGraw, Babe Ruth, King Kelly

BOWIE BONUS
Q.        Who got 119 hits in a season where he only played in 83 games?
Hint:     It was in the Players League.
Hint:     He is credited with inventing the pregame clubhouse meeting.
Twint:  He was a wagon driver for Maddox & Hobart in Cincinnati, driving a team of four horses six days a week.
A.         BUCK EWING (1890)
FCR -  Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR
Incorrect answers:  Monte Ward, Joe Tinker, Frank Chance

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.        Who was the only player to collect a hit against Addie Joss in Joss's debut in the majors?
Hint:     He began his pro career as a pitcher, but won three batting titles in the Bigs.
Hint:     He is one of the few professional baseball players who has ever been a double slash.
Twint:  He coached the Holy Cross baseball team from 1917-20.
A.         JESSE BURKETT (Joss debut 26-Apr-1902 [With today's replay capabilities, this might have been rules a catch and Joss's game a no-hitter.]; Won batting titles .405 in 1895, .410 in 1896 and .376 in 1901; He was the owner/player/manager when he purchased the Worcester Busters in 1906, playing there until 1913 & managing until 1915.)
FCR -  Max Burgess, Houston, TX
Incorrect answers:  Napoleon Lajoie, Jimmie Foxx

SUNDAY
Q.        What former home run champion has held the career record for putouts by a second baseman for 125 years?
Hint      He had to be convinced multiple times that his future lay in playing ball and not in bookkeeping.
Hint:     He ranks impressively in the all-time top twenty among career triples hitters.
Twint:  His fielding prowess in his rookie season helped his team become the first champions of a new major league.
A.         BID McPHEE (Passed Jack Burdock with his 3,072nd PO in 1889.  His seemingly unbreakable record stands at 6,552; Ranks 11th in triples w/189; Rookie year 1882 with the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the newly formed American Association)
FCR -  Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI
Incorrect answers:  Eddie Collins, Jimmy Ryan, Roger Connor, Napoleon Lajoie, Rogers Hornsby

AND FINALLY…
Q.        Which Hall of Famer was given "Pass No. 1" by the National League, a free pass to any game he wished to attend?
Hint      His fielding ruse in 1870 led to the adoption of the infield fly rule.
Hint:     He once hit two home runs off a future Hall of Famer in a single inning.
Twint:  His brother was Harry, but they were both hairy.
A.         GEORGE WRIGHT (IFR adopted 15-Jun-1870; 2 HR off Candy Cummings 26-Jul-1873;  Brother Harry Wright)
FCR -  No one
Incorrect answers:  Cal McVey, Billy Hamilton, Bobby Lowe

WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Fame players who had more triples than doubles in a full season

Player         Year       2B      3B
Burkett        1900       11       15
                    1905       12       13

Clarke         1896       15       18

Collins         1916       14       17

Connor        1888       15       17

Crawford    1902*      18       22
                    1903*      23       25
                    1914*      22       26
                    1916       11       13

Davis          1893       22       27

Ewing          1883       11       13
                    1884       15       20
                    1892       10       15

Flick            1907*      15       18

Keeler         1899       12       13

McPhee      1890       16       22
                    1891       14       16

Tinker         1904       12       13

Wright         1874*      10       15

*Led the league in triples


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

Incorrect theme guesses:

Sunday      -     Players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee

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




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