July 20-26, 2015 Pitchers who threw complete-game shutouts against the Rockies in Colorado

MONDAY

Q.         What pitcher accumulated the most victories since Warren Spahn retired?

Hint:     His brother preceded him into the majors.

Twint:    He is the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award four years in a row.

A.         GREG MADDUX

- Spahn retired in 1965 w/363 W, Maddux played 1992-20008 w/355 W

- Brother Mike‘s debut 03-Jun-1986 Greg 3 months later

- CYA’s 1992 w/CHC, 93, 94, 95 w/ATL

FCR -    Kevin Epstein, San Antonio, TX

Incorrect answers:  Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan, Phil Niekro

MONDAY BONUS

Q.         Whose 2000 season is deemed by the MLB network in their “Prime Nine” series as the best year by a pitcher in the modern era?

Hint:     His brother preceded him into the majors.

Twint:    If it weren’t for finishing second to Roger Clemens one year, he’d have won four Cy Young Awards in a row.

A.         PEDRO MARTINEZ

- Prime Nine

- Brother Ramon came to the majors in 1988, Pedro in 1992

- Won CYA’s in 1997 for MON, 1999 & 2000 for BOS, but Clemens won in 1998 for TOR)

FCR -    Joe Merrill, Montpelier, VT

Incorrect answers:  Eric Gagne

TUESDAY

Q.         Who is the only pitcher to have the lowest ERA in the majors (among qualifiers) for four (4!) consecutive seasons?

Hint:     If he is to do it for a fifth straight time, it appears that it will be his own teammate he’ll have to best.

Hint:     He challenges more than batters.  He challenges you!

Twint:    If it weren’t for finishing second to a knuckleballer one year, he’d have won four Cy Young Awards in a row.

A.         CLAYTON KERSHAW

- MLB ERA leader 2011-14

- Current ERA leader is Zack Greinke

- Kershaw’s Challenge

- Finished 2^nd to R.A. Dickey in 2012 CYA voting but won in 2011, 2013 & 2014

FCR -    Jake Hopper, Houston, TX

Incorrect answers:  Sandy Koufax, Greg Maddux, Bronson Arroyo

TUESDAY BONUS

Q.         Who threw no-hitters before and after but not while he played for the New York Mets?

Hint:     He was nicknamed "Tornado" due to his pitching motion.

Hint:     Two dozen reporters followed him into a bathroom at an All-Star Game.

Twint:    Until Clayton Kershaw, he was the last Dodger to lead the NL in strikeouts.

A.         HIDEO NOMO

- No-hitters 17-Sep-1996 & 04-Apr-2001; Played for NYM 1998

- Reporter posse at 1995 All-Star game, which Nomo started & pitched 2 scoreless innings

- Led NL in K’s his rookie year, 1995

FCR -    Rich Klein, Plano, TX

Incorrect answers:  David Cone, Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who pitched in the majors for 20 years, was only selected to the All-Star team once, but was the National League starting pitcher for that game?

Hint:     At the end of his rookie season, he once alertly threw his mitt, with the ball wedged in it, to the first baseman in time for the out.

Hint:     It wasn’t enough since he was the losing pitcher in that game.

Hint:     He was the winning pitcher in the only World Series game Mitch Williams ever saved.

Twint:    Only two players in history played for more teams in the majors than he did.

A.         TERRY MULHOLLAND

- 1993 ASG

- Mitt/glove combo thrown to Bob Brenley to put out Keith Hernandez 03-Sep-1986

- 1993 WS G 2 17-Oct-1993

- Played for 11 teams, Octavio Dotel & Mike Morgan each played for 12

FCR -    Doug Greenwald, San Francisco, CA

Incorrect answers:  Curt Schilling, Jamie Moyer

WEDNESDAY BONUS

Q.         Who was the first pitcher to win fifty career games for the Colorado Rockies?

Hint:     In his major league debut, pitching for the Dodgers, he rack up ten strikeouts and pitched a complete-game shutout against the Phillies.

Twint:    He was the last 20^th century pitcher to gain seventeen victories, but finish the season with an ERA over 5.00.

A.         PEDRO ASTACIO

- 50^th COL W 22-Apr-2001

- MLB debut 03-Jul-1992

- 17 W, 5.04 ERA in 1999

FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

Incorrect answers:  Mike Hampton, Jason Jennings, Hideo Nomo, Kevin Ritz

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         Who surrendered Mark McGwire’s 500^th career home run?

Hint:     Five innings later, he surrendered his 501^st but still won the game.

Hint:     Trevor Hoffman got his 220^th save in that same game.

Hint:     In the 4^th inning of his second career start, he threw an “immaculate inning”, fanning three.

Twint:    In the 1990’s, no pitcher had a complete game with fewer pitches thrown than he did.

Twint:    Pedro Astacio was the loser in that game.

A.         ANDY ASHBY

- McGwire HR’s 05-Aug-1999

- Immaculate inning: 4^th on 15-Jun-1991, K’d Hal Morris, Todd Benzinger & Jeff Reed all swinging

- 75 p on 05-Jul-1998, Bob Tewksbury also did it in 75 p on 29-Aug-1990

FCR -    Bob Flynn, Chandler, AZ

Incorrect answers:  Steve Trachsel, Jake Peavy

THURSDAY

Q.         What former Cowboy was the losing pitcher in the only postseason game he ever played?

Hint:     Although he had ten years of major league service, he didn’t get a single Hall of Fame vote.

Hint:     Vanna should have sold him another vowel.

Twint:    His brother Doug was drafted by the Astros and played several seasons in the minors.

A.         DAVE MLICKI

- Attended Oklahoma State University, 2001 NLDS G 2 10-Oct-2001

- In the majors 1992-2002 (missed all of 1994)

- Doug Mlicki in pro ball 1992-99

FCR -    Don Wells, Bartlett, TN

Incorrect answers:  Eli Grba, Scott Baker, Kent Hrbek

THURSDAY BONUS

Q.         Who owns the record for the most consecutive hits surrendered in an All-Star game?

Hint:     He took the loss for the game.

Hint:     Five years later he set the record for most bases-on-balls surrendered in a National League Championship Series game.

Twint:    No one can say that he Left Early (but he did, if only by a little).

A.         TOM GLAVINE

- 7 straight H 1^st inning of 1992 ASG

- 7 BB in 1997 NLCS G 6

- 305 career wins (Hall of Famers EARLY Wynn and LEFTY Grove each had 300 exactly

FCR -    Mark Jones, Birmingham, AL

Incorrect answers:  Atlee Hammaker, Steve Avery, Ryan Dempster, John Smoltz, Mitch Williams, Burt Hooton, Roger Clemens

FRIDAY

Q.         Who is the most seasoned Nashville Sound this year?  (No, we’re not talking about Connie Britton.)

Hint:     He has not on only pitched in THE World Series but in the Colt World Series, the Palomino World Series and the Connie Mack World Series.

Hint:     Few players have ever parlayed hardware into financial comfort as well as he did.

Twint:    He has been known to carry satin pillows on road trips.

Twint:    He has also been known to buy back his own autographed baseball cards on eBay.

A.         BARRY ZITO

- 2015 Nashville Sounds

- 2012 MLB WS, 1994 Colt WS, 1995 Palomino WS & 1996 Connie Mack WS

- Won 2002 AL CYA; Signed with SFG for $126 million over 7 years in 2007, but underperformed for virtually the entire life of the contract

FCR -    Eric Stone, Los Gatos, CA

Incorrect answers:  Marco Scutaro, Rick Aguilera, Phil Coke

END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS

Q.         Who is the only former major leaguer with a cameo appearance in the 2008 movie “Sugar”?

Hint:     He was the youngest player in either league when he broke into the majors.

Hint:     In his final season, he won the Tony Conigliaro Award.

Twint:    He was a pivotal part of one of the most storied postseason upsets of the playoff era.

Twint:    He was also named the MVP of that series.

A.         JOSE RIJO

- Sugar

- 18 yrs. 328 days

- 2002 Tony C. Award, given to the players who overcome obstacles and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage.

- 1990 WS, the Reds upset the heavily favored A’s 4 G to 0

FCR -    John Wilson, Mesa, AZ

Incorrect answers:  Alfonso Soriano, Byron Browne

SATURDAY

Q.         Who was the last pitcher to have consecutive 20-win seasons in the majors?

Hint:     His career record against the Cincinnati Reds is better than any other pitcher’s in their 146-year history.

Twint:    Though he never won 20 games in a season again, he did manage to get 20 sacrifice hits the following year.

Twint:    In so doing, he led the league and tied the record for most sacrifice hits by a pitcher in one season.

A.         ROY OSWALT

- 20-10 in 2004, 20-12 in 2005

- 25 career decisions:  22-3) 22 wins and his .880 W-L% (min 5 decisions)

- 2006 20 SH tied with Javier Vasquez (2009), Steve Rogers (1983) and Urban Shocker (1926-7)

FCR -    Dan Silverberg, Aventura, FL

Incorrect answers:  Adam Wainwright, Roy Halladay, Randy Johnson, Kurt Schilling, Greg Maddux, Joey Jay, Jack McDowell, Tom Glavine     

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         Who is the only pitcher in the last 25 years to lead his league in ERA despite a losing season?

Hint:     It is he whose no-hitter was the result of ten strikeouts, 108 pitches, and a first inning dinger by Ricky Ledee.

Hint:     He is one of three pitchers with the same first name to no-hit the same franchise.

Twint:    He was the starter in the Seattle Mariners combined no-hitter.

A.         KEVIN MILLWOOD

- 9-11 in 2005 w/ 2.86 ERA

- No-hit SFG 27-Apr-2003

      Kevin Gross no-hit SFG 17‑Aug‑1992

      Kevin Brown no-hit SFG 10‑Jun‑1997

- 08-Jun-2012 W 1-0 over LAD, 6 innings pitched followed by

      Charlie Furbush,

      Stephen Pryor,

      Lucas Luetge,

      Brandon League &

      Tom Wilhelmsen, who got the save

FCR -    Joe Thompson, Splendora, TX

Incorrect answers:  Nolan Ryan, Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, Phil Niekro

SUNDAY

Q.         After the Marlins had existed as a franchise for five seasons, who held their career pitching records for games started, wins and strikeouts?

Hint:     In spite of the team’s dreary record early on, he is still the only Marlins pitcher to lead the National League in losses.

Hint:     His record of 14-7 represented the only winning season of his ten-year career in the majors.

Twint:    He is Nolan Ryan’s father.  Really.

Twint:    When informed of this, Nolan Ryan signed the birth announcement.

A.         PAT RAPP

- 1997:  117 GS, 37 W & 384 K’s

- 1996, 8-16

- 14-7 in 1995         

- He named his son Nolan Ryan Rapp, sent birth announcement to HOF’er Ryan

- His hero signed it and sent it back.

FCR -    Bradley Curtis, Roseville, CA

Incorrect answers:  

WEEKLY THEME – Pitchers who threw complete-game shutouts against the Rockies in Colorado

Pitcher                    Date             Winner    Score     Venue

Mulholland       29-May-1993       PHI          6-0      Mile High

Astacio              18-Sep-1993        LAD        9-0      Mile High

Rijo                    25-Sep-1993        CIN          6-0      Mile High

Rapp                  22-Jul-1994         FLA         4-0      Mile High

Maddux             11-Aug-1994        ATL       13-0      Mile High

Glavine              16-Jun-1995        ATL         2-0      Coors

Rapp                  17-Sep-1995        FLA       17-0      Coors

Nomo                17-Sep-1996        LAD        9-0      Coors

Glavine              18-Apr-1997        ATL       14-0      Coors

Martinez             29-Jul-1997         MON       3-0      Coors

Mlicki                18-Jun-1998        LAD        5-0      Coors

Ashby                04-Jul-1999         SDP       11-0      Coors

Oswalt               06-Sep-2008        HOU        2-0      Coors

Zito                    09-Apr-2012        SFG         7-0      Coors

Millwood          18-May-2012       SEA         4-0      Coors

Kershaw             02-Jul-2013         LAD        8-0      Coors

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Hall of Fame Pitchers whose brothers also pitched in MLB

               -  Hall of famers who followed their brothers’ MLB debuts

               -  Pitchers whose season ERA was the lowest in proportion to the league ERA

               -  1990s NL Cy Young Winners

               -  2010s Hall of Fame Inductees

               -  Cy Young Award winners whose surnames begin “Ma”

Tuesday   -  Multiple Cy Young Winners

               -  Unanimous Cy Young Award Winners

               -  Pitchers since 1920 who have had 2 or more seasons with an ERA under 2.00

               -  Pitchers who have won consecutive Cy Young awards

               -  Pitchers who led the league in ERA and had the largest margin over the second place finisher

               -  starting pitchers with more than 1 season of an ERA under 2.00

               -  Players who threw no-nos for the Dodgers

Wed        -  Pitchers with over 1,500 strikeouts

               -  Pitchers with over 2,000 strikeouts

               -  Pitchers to start one career All-Star game

Questions archived here:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/

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

July 13-19, 2015 Select players who attended Jesuit colleges

MONDAY

Q.         What pitcher set a record with seven consecutive World Series victories?

Hint:     Had he won an eighth, he’d have an additional World Series ring.

Hint:     He was the first pitcher to no-hit the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Hint:     He won fourteen games for his hometown team while in the minors.

Twint:    He once pitched an “immaculate inning”.

A.         BOB GIBSON (7 straight WS W’s 1964, 67, 68; 8^th would have won the 1968 WS; No-hitter:  14-Aug-1971; 14 W’s for the Omaha Cardinals 1957-59; II: 12-May-1969 7^th in.)

FCR -    Bob Flynn, Chandler, AZ

Incorrect answers:  Lew Burdette, Whitey Ford, Christy Mathewson

TUESDAY

Q.         Who was the first 2^nd baseman to win the BBWAA Most Valuable Player Award?

Hint:     In college, he was the captain of the baseball, football and basketball teams.

Hint:     He liked his nicknames, but not every one of them.

Twint:    He was the first player to score two runs in an inning in a World Series game.

Twint:    As a radio play-by-play announcer, his trademark was worrying about pitchers walking batters.

Twint:   His vocal dissent on this topic often took the form of his famous: "Oh, those bases on balls!"

A.         FRANKIE FRISCH (NL MVP 1931, the first year of the award; Nicknames:  “Fordham Flash”  [liked], “Muscles” [Preferred], “Ducky” [NOT liked], “The Old Flash” [Not so much]; “Fritz” [Not so much]; 1921 WS G 2 7^th in. He scored the first and eighth runs in an eight-run inning.)

FCR -    Bill Deane, Cooperstown, NY

Incorrect answers:  Jackie Robinson, Joe Morgan, Charlie Gehringer, Joe Gordon, Lou Boudreau, Red Schoendienst, Ryne Sandberg, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Evers, Eddie Collins

ASG BONUS

Q.         Whose 1.82 is the lowest career ERA in the history of the majors?

Hint:     He once lost 20 games and still led the league in ERA.

Hint:     He finished second in the Chalmers Award voting in the first two years the award was, you know… awarded.

Twint:    His son pitched in the big leagues for four seasons.

A.         ED WALSH (1910:  18 W, 20 L, 1.27 ERA; Chalmers:  Finished behind Ty Cobb in 1911 and behind Tris Speaker in 1912; Son also named Ed Walsh [They are sometimes called “Big Ed’ and “Little Ed”.])

FCR -    Jeff Epstein, Dallas, TX

Incorrect answers:  Robin Roberts, Addie Joss, Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who is the only pitcher to throw complete game shutouts in four separate decades?

Hint:     It probably isn’t who you think it is unless you attended the SABR convention in Chicago last month.

Hint:     He once started a game and allowed thirteen hits without striking out or walking a single batter or surrendering a home run.

Hint:     He is the only Seattle Mariner pitcher to win more than 20 games in a season.

Twint:    He is the only Seattle Mariner pitcher to win 20 games in a season more than once.

A.         JAMIE MOYER (ShO’s:  16-Aug-1986, 06-Jul-1993 [+3 more in 1998], 10-Jun-2002 [+ 3 more in the 00’s] & 07-May-2010; 13-H G: 14-Sep-2005 [He did not get a decision.]; 21-7 in 2003; Also 20-6 in 2001)

FCR -    Mark Mapes, Madison, WI

Incorrect answers:  Randy Johnson, Early Wynn, Gaylord Perry, Jeff Fassero

THURSDAY

Q.         Who was the first player to be the catcher for three Red Sox no-hitters?

Hint:     He is the first native of the state of Maine to receive a Hall of Fame vote.

Hint:     He became a successful as a movie theater owner.

Twint:    He is the only manager to lead the Red Sox to back-to-back World Series titles.

Twint:    Babe Ruth said he was the best manager he’d ever played for.

A.         BILL CARRIGAN (Caught the no-hitters of Smokey Joe Wood 29-Jul-1911, Rube Foster on 21-Jun-1916 & Dutch Leonard on 30-Aug-1916; First HOF vote 1937 [Still not in yet today.]; WS 1915 & 16)

FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

Incorrect answers:  Jason Varitek, Carlton Fisk, Bob Tillman, Rich Gedman

THURSDAY BONUS

Q.         Who is the only Milwaukee Brewer to lead the National League in saves?

Hint:     He replaced a legend in the closer’s role.

Hint:     His home town was once attacked by the U.S. Army.

Twint:    The many variations of his pilose countenance make it hard for fans to recognize him.

Twint:    He converted 49 consecutive save opportunities in 2011 and early 2012, the fourth-longest streak in the history of the save statistic.

A.         JOHN AXFORD (46 Saves in 2011 [Tied with Craig Kimbrel], Brewers became NL in 1998; Replaced the soon-to-retire Trevor Hoffman; Port Dover, Ontario was attacked by U.S. troops 14-May-1814, provoking the British to raid and burn Washington, DC; Looks:  Van Dyke, Goatee, Fu Man Chu; Handlebar; Full beard, Clean-shaven, Short hair, Shoulder-length, Growing back and, finally, contemplating next look)

FCR -    John Michael Pierobon, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Incorrect answers:  Francisco Rodriguez, Dan Plesac, Trevor Hoffman, Clay Carroll, Rollie Fingers

FRIDAY

Q.         Who is the only left-handed throwing, right-handed hitting batting champ in history?

Hint:     There’s a good chance he also threw something besides baseballs.

Hint:     Although he was a Homer, only once did he homer more than 10 times a season in his 15-year career.

Twint:    Many of his peers, including Cy Young and Babe Ruth, called him the best first baseman they had ever witnessed.

Twint:    His SABR biography calls him, “…the most notoriously corrupt player in baseball history.”

A.         HAL CHASE (.339 in 1916 for CIN; Widely acknowledged to have thrown games; Full name Harold Homer Chase; SABR Bio)

FCR -    Joe Haardt, McLean, VA

Incorrect answers:  Pete Rose, Mickey Vernon, Rickey Henderson, Joe Jackson

SATURDAY

Q.         What pitcher’s streak of five consecutive complete-game shut-outs did Don Drysdale break?

Hint:     He had the highest winning percentage on the team nicknamed “The Hitless Wonders”.

Hint:     Despite that, he was only third in wins for them.

Hint:     That same year he pitched a complete game to clinch the World Series.

Twint:    His off-season profession may have been useful had he smacked a player in the choppers.

A.         DOC WHITE (5 CG SH 1904, Drysdale had his 6^th 04-Jun-1968; 1906 CHW .W-L% .750;  W-L 18-6, bested by Frank Owen 22-13 and Nick Altrock 20-13; CHW beat the CHC 4-2 in the 1906 WS with his 8-3 CG victory; He graduated from college in 1902 with a dental degree, thus his nickname.)

FCR -    Richard Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD

Incorrect answers:  Billy Pierce, Don Sutton, Mordecai Brown, Ed Walsh, Ed Reulbach, Nick Altrock, Robin Roberts, Orel Hershiser, Claude Osteen

WEEKEND BONUS

Q.         Who is the only Chicago Cub to hit for the cycle twice?

Hint:     He is the only BRTL player to lead the majors in home runs.

Hint:     The first documented instance of an intentional base-on-balls with the bases full was first employed with him at bat.

Twint:    The year he hit his first cycle he also went 4-0 as a pitcher and, despite only pitching in 8 games, he led the league in games finished.

Twint:    Two years prior he also led his league in games finished though he only pitched in 5 games.

A.         JIMMY RYAN (Cycles 28-Jul-1888 vs Wolverines, and 01-Jul-1891 vs Spiders; Next Cub cycle wasn’t until Hack Wilson 23-Jun-1930; 5 GF 1888 tied with two others; 16 HR in 1888 led both leagues (NL and AA).  The only other BRTL to lead in HR was Hal Chase who only took the Federal League crown with 17 in 1915, while Gavvy Cravath [BRTR] was hitting 24 with PHI; IBB 1896 NYG team captain Kid Gleason ordered P Jouett Meekin to walk Ryan.  Meekin then struck out George Decker to end the inning and the threat.)

FCR -    Jim Bernardinucci, Sewell, NJ

Incorrect answers:  Cap Anson, Ernie Banks, Babe Herman, Jimmie Foxx

SUNDAY

Q.         Who surrendered Mickey Lolich’s only career home run?

Hint:     It would be another 25 years before a “Red Bird” starter would lead the flock.

Hint:     In the World Series that season he won his team's only victory by someone who never played for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Hint:     Like his winning teammate’s three victories, his win was also a complete game gem.

Twint:    He yielded the only home run ever hit by Mickey Lolich – a run that earned Lolich his first WS win.

A.         NELSON BRILES (1967 WS Bob Gibson – who had once played with the Globetrotters – who went 3-0, all CG, while Briles won game 3 going 9 full innings; WS 1968 Game 2. Lolich hit a solo shot that gave his team a 2-0 lead with the final score 8-1)

FCR -    Ron Kaufman, Thornhill, ON

Incorrect answers:  Ray Washburn, Bob Gibson, Jim Lonborg, Ray Sadecki, Dick Hughes

WEEKLY THEME – Select players who attended Jesuit colleges

Axford        Canisius College

Briles          Santa Clara

Carrigan      Holy Cross

Chase         Santa Clara

Frisch         Fordham

Gibson       Creighton

Moyer         St. Joe’s

Ryan           Boston College

Walsh         Fordham

White          Georgetown

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara, CA

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Folks with ties to Nebraska in the Hall

Tuesday   -  MVPs for St. Louis Cardinal’s World Series winning teams

Wed        -  Players with at least one putout in every inning of a World Series game

Saturday  -  BR-TLs with the most games

Questions archived here:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/

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