February 16-22, 2015 MLB Hall of Fame Players who also played in the Negro Leagues.

MONDAY

Q.         Which player had the most total home runs for the 1950s and 1960s combined?

Hint:     Beginning with the first year the Gold Glove was awarded, he won twelve straight.

Hint:     He played in 24 All-Star games, all consecutive.

Twint:    Only Stan Musial matches that career All-Star record.

Twint:    In 99 postseason plate appearances, he hit but a single home run.

A.         WILLIE MAYS (600 HR 1951-69; 1957-1968 GG winner; AS 1954-73 including the two/year games 1959-62;  HR G 2 1971 NLCS)

FCR -    Tommy Garber, Austin, TX

Incorrect answers:  Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Stan Musial, Mike Schmidt

TUESDAY

Q.         Who holds the career records for most runs batted in and total bases?

Hint:     He once said “I never worried about the fastball. They couldn’t throw it past me. None of them.”

Hint:     He has more 30-home run seasons than any other player.

Twint:    Once he corrected his childhood batting grip, he began to hit home runs and became (ahem!) quite proficient at it.

A.         HENRY AARON (2,297 RBI career leader, 6,856 TB; Full quote "I looked for the same pitch my whole career, a breaking ball. All of the time. I never worried about the fastball. They couldn't throw it past me, none of them.”; 15 seasons with at least 30 HR; A Braves scout corrected his cross-handed position after observing him in batting practice, and he hit two HR that very day)

FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

Incorrect answers:  Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds

WEDNESDAY

Q.         What Hall-of-Famer-to-be player chose retirement rather than accept a trade to his team’s decades-old rival?

Hint:     He led the National League in stolen bases and sacrifice hits as a rookie.

Hint:     Of fielding his position, he once said "Pop flies, in a sense, are just a diversion for a second baseman.  Grounders are his stock trade."

Twint:    A Hall of Fame teammate described him this way. "He was the greatest competitor I've ever seen.  I've seen him beat a team with his bat, his ball, his glove, his feet and, in a game in Chicago one time, with his mouth."

A.         JACKIE ROBINSON (Was traded to the Giants after the 1956 season for Dick Littlefield and $30,000; Quote by Duke Snider; 29 SB, 28 SH)

FCR -    Blake Sherry, Dublin, OH

Incorrect answers:  Craig Biggio

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         Who holds the record for home runs in a season by a National League shortstop?

Hint:     An unfortunate set of circumstances surround his last will and testament.

Hint:     He switched positions two years after winning the NL Gold Glove Award at shortstop.

Twint:    He skipped the minors and started in the majors 9 days after an early September signing.

Twint:    His roommate was the player originally slated to start at short, but due to an injury the roomie became the second baseman two days later – forming the first African-American double play combo in the majors.

A.         ERNIE BANKS (47 HR in 1958, played all 154 G @ SS;  GG in 1960, 1B in ‘62; Will controversy:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-ernie-banks-will-met-20150217-story.html; Signed 09‑Sep‑1953, started at short 18-Sep-1953; Banks was brought up to room with Gene Baker who was supposed to be the first black player or the Cubs.  Baker suffered an injury, and Banks took over @ SS.  Banks was moved to 2^nd.)

FCR -    Jake Hopper, Houston, TX

Incorrect answers:  Cal Ripken

THURSDAY

Q.         Who is the only Dodger to win the National League MVP Award more than once?

Hint:     He once replaced his ejected manager in the middle of a minor league game with his team down by three runs.

Hint:     His team won a come-from-behind victory in no small part due to his decision to use a pitcher as a pinch hitter.

Hint:     The result was a game-tying two-run homer.

Twint:    Some say if not for his injury, the Giants may not have gone on to “win the pennant”.

A.         ROY CAMPANELLA (Won three MVPs 1951, ’53 and ‘55; He took over for manager Walt Alston in a Nashua Dodgers game in 1946 making him the first African-American to manage an integrated team in “organized baseball”.  His choice of pitcher Don Newcombe to pinch-hit was clever.  Newk homered; Campy was out of the “shot heard around the world” game and there is speculation that if he had played, Branca would not have thrown that second weak fastball to Bobby Thompson [Seriously—who speculates more than Brooklyn Dodger fans?])

FCR -    Dave Johnson, Swarthmore, PA

Incorrect answers:  Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, Steve Garvey, Duke Snider, Maury Wills, Pee Wee Reese

FRIDAY

Q.         Of all the Major League managers born in South Carolina, who had the lowest winning percentage?

Hint:     He is, however, the only one in the Hall of Fame.

Hint:     Trying to place things into perspective, he once said, "Part of history?  I have no notions about that.  I just want to play baseball."?

Twint:    The last time the Indians won the World Series, he had the highest series batting average (minimum 20 AB).

A.         LARRY DOBY (CWS manager 1978 2^nd of 2 went 37-50, the others being Willie Randolph and Marty Marion; HOF 1998; Frist black player in the AL; .318, 7 H/22 AB 1948 WS)

FCR -    Richard Marston, Newport Beach, CA

            Incorrect answers:  Lou Brisse, Frank Robinson, Jim Rice, Early Wynn, Willie Randolph

SATURDAY

Q.         Which 32-year-old player stole home in the first inning of his first World Series game?

Hint:     He had two steals for the Series.  No other member of his team had any.

Hint:     In addition, he compiled the highest batting average in that Series.

Hint:     In spite of that performance, he was not named the World Series MVP.

Twint:    His batting average dropped by more than 250 points for his next World Series, but this time, his team won.

Twint:    In addition to his well-deserved place in Cooperstown, he has been inducted into halls of fame in both Cuba and Mexico.

Twint:    He is the oldest living African American major league veteran.

Twint:    Hall of Famer Effa Manley lent him the down payment on his first house.

A.         MONTE IRVIN (SB G 1 1951 WS; BA .458, 1954 WS NYG topped CLE, Went 2/9 BA .222; WS MVP first awarded 4 yrs. later, in 1955; B. 25-Feb-1919, 95 years old)

FCR -    Mike McCroskey, Sugar Land, TX

Incorrect answers:  Jackie Robinson, Brad Fullmer, Enos Slaughter, Maury Wills, Sandy Amoros, Frankie Frisch, Rickey Henderson, Rod Carew

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         In Bob Feller’s final World Series appearance, which pitcher came in and “stopped the bleeding” facing only two batters to get the final two outs, ending a six-run rally?

Hint:     The first of those two batters had a Hall of Fame career.

Hint:     …as did he.

Twint:    He learned to pitch while “enrolled” in reform school at age 12, about which he said "You might say I traded five years of freedom to learn how to pitch."

A.         SATCHEL PAIGE (Game 5, 1948 WS, he was the 4^th pitcher of the 7th inning and the only one not charged with a run; Batter Warren Spahn hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly; Taught mechanics by Edward Byrd while serving time for petty theft at the Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs, AL)

FCR -    Tom Hablitzel, Hudson, OH

Incorrect answers:  Hal Newhouser, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon

SUNDAY

Q.         Who hit the only inside-the-park home run ever given up by Hal Newhouser?

Hint:     It was the only home run of his Major League career.

Hint:     Yet he was nicknamed “Home Run”.

Hint:     He was released from that team after 21 days of service.

Hint:     He claimed, probably correctly, that his MLB team could beat the Negro League he then joined “ …only if we was all asleep.”

Hint:     He would later hit 27 homers one year in the Puerto Rican Winter League – a record that stands today.

Twint:    He twice won the Puerto Rican League Triple Crown.

A.         WILLARD BROWN (HR hit pinch hitting, b 8 13-Aug-1947 to secure a 6-5 win, Newhouser allowed 136 career HR; Brown only played in 21 games but his homer was the first by an African-American in the American League; A powerful hitter, he was given the nickname by Josh Gibson after out-slugging Josh Gibson in several HR hitting events; He rejoined the Kansas City Monarchs after being released from the St. Louis Browns, with the full quote “The Browns couldn’t beat the Monarchs no kind of way, only if we was all asleep. That’s the truth. They didn’t have nothing. I said, ‘Major league team?’ They got to be kidding.”; PRWL HR records Brown1947-48 season 27, two years later 23 – Reggie Jackson and Jose Hernandez tied for 3^rd with 20 each; PRL TC 1947-48 & 1949-50)

FCR -    Bill Deane, Cooperstown, NY

Incorrect answers:  Frank Baker, Grant Johnson

WEEKLY THEME –  MLB Hall of Fame Players who also played in the Negro Leagues.

Player            HOF        Career, Negro Leagues included

Aaron            1982        1952 – 1976

Banks            1977        1950 – 1971

Brown            2006        1933 – 1956

Campanella    1969        1937 – 1957

Doby             1998        1942 – 1962

Irvin               1973        1937 – 1957

Mays             1979        1948 – 1973

Paige             1971        1927 – 1966

Robinson       1962        1945 – 1956

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Ken Bell, Miami, FL

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday   -  Hall-of-Famers born in the 1930s

               -  600 HR club

               -  All time [HR | RBI | Total base] leaders

               -  Hall of Famers born in Alabama

               -  Guys from Alabama

               -  Black outfielders born in Alabama

               -  Total bases leaders

Wed.       -  Black Hall of Famers

               -  Negro Leaguers who made the HOF based on their play, at least mostly, in MLB

               -  Players with 3,000 hits, 300 HR's and 300 SB's

               -  First black HOFamer elected for each team

               -  Players who played in the Negro Leagues before they came to the Majors

               -  Hall of Famers who played in the Negro Leagues

               -  Last active Major league players that also played in the Negro Leagues that are in the Hall of Fame

               -  January 31 birthdays

               -  Greatest African American players of all time

               -  Players who were all-stars in both the Negro and major leagues

               -  Negro League alumni who were NL MVP's

               -  Major League MVPs who played in the Negro Leagues

               -  MLB Hall of Famers who began their pro careers in the Negro Leagues

Thursday  -  NL MVP's of the 50's

               -  MLB Hall of Famers who won MVP awards and began their pro careers in the Negro Leagues

               -  Black MVPs in the 1940-1950s

               -  Black hall of famers who won MVP awards

               -  First black players elected to the hall of fame based on their accomplishments in the Major Leagues.

Friday      -  Players who were on Negro League championship teams and World Series winners

Saturday  -  Former Negro League players who eventually played in a the World Series

Horsehide Trivia blog has the questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia