Monday, October 31, 2016

October 24-30, 2016 First-round draft picks made under the direction of Pat Gillick

MONDAY
Q. What 5-time MLB All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove Award winner and Silver Slugger Award winner was the first to excoriate the rudest fan in Canada when that fan threw a full glass of beer onto the field in the Rogers Centre in this year’s AL Wild Card game?
Hint: He was drafted out of high school as a pitcher, but said he would rather play every day and so was moved to shortstop, yet has only played outfield and DH in the majors.
Hint: Along with NFL star Ray Lewis, he was a major force for settling down an angry local population when civil unrest broke out.
Hint: He signed the largest contract in Orioles history.
FCR - Paul Goodson, Cheyenne
Incorrect answers:  Troy Tulowitzki, Chris Davis, Nelson Cruz

TUESDAY
Q. Who tied Rusty Staub for their franchise’s record of reaching base in consecutive games?
Hint: His grandfather, father, step-father and uncle all played professional baseball.
Hint: His baseball earnings to date come to over $100,000,000 more than their combined total.
Hint: His total of doubles one season is still in the all-time Top Ten for a 120+ year-old franchise.
Hint: Only once in the past 8 seasons has his doubles total dropped under 20.
- Streak of 46 games lasted from 20-Jun- to 19-Aug-2016
- 46 doubles in 2010 for PHI
- 16 doubles in 2015 for WSN
FCR - Samuel Olken, Chicago
Incorrect answers:  David Wright, Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Dwayne Murphy, Bret Boone, Jose Altuve, Moises Alou

WEDNESDAY
Q. What Arkansas native was the centerfielder in what many sportswriters at the time called the “best outfield in baseball” in the 1980’s?
Hint: His nickname was a leftover from his high school basketball days.
Hint: An All-Star and a Silver Slugger Award winner, he was twice named the annual “Most Improved Player” for his team.
Hint: His home team stadium announcer seemed able to milk 5-6 syllables from his one-syllable first name.
- “Shaker” was said to stem from his ability to elude opponents in basketball.
- Most Improved Blue Jay 1983, 87.  SS in 1983; AS in 1986.
- “LLLLLLLO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-D-D-D M-M-M-M-M-O-O-O-O-O-Z-BEE”!  (Try it.)
FCR - Adrian Fung, Toronto
Incorrect answers:  Torii Hunter, Dwayne Murphy, John Boccabella, Jesse Barfield, Bake McBride, Rickey Henderson

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. What Cy Young Award winner was denied a chance for a second one because a teammate also had an outstanding season?
Hint: He is nevertheless comforted by his two World Series Championship rings.
Hint: Owner of a significant catalog of injuries, he became the first pitcher ever to start on Opening Day and then miss the entire rest of the season.
Hint: Twice did he win the Comeback of the Year Player Award.
- CYA in 2005, then, in 2009, he and his teammate Adam Wainwright both had outstanding years, but “split the vote” allowing SFG’s Tim Lincecum, the 2008 winner, to emerge to win the award.
- Won the World Series with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011
- 2007, Started Opening Day 01-Apr-2007.
FCR - Rick Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD
Incorrect answers:  Adam Wainwright, Curt Schilling, Francisco Liriano, Don Drysdale, Tim Lincecum, Jimmy Key, Roy Halladay

THURSDAY
Q. What former Cardinal was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame?
Hint: Sean Casey, Mike Hargrove, Charley Keller, Steve Blass, Grady Little and Clyde King, among others, have also been similarly honored.
Hint: He was the #3 overall pick in the 1979 draft but also the #1 overall pick in the 1984 draft.
Hint: He is currently a high school coach in St. George, Utah.
- KPBHOF; Played for the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals in 1994
- 1979 MLB draft #3.  Brief baseball career followed: 1980-83.  Drafted by the Washington Redskins in the FIRST ROUND ( “#1 overall” cited in hint was incorrect) of the 1984 NFL draft.
- He is currently the quarterbacks coach at Desert Hills High School in St. George, Utah
FCR - Scott Matteson, Shawnee, KS
Incorrect answers:  Shawn Abner, Jesse Barfield, Andy Van Slyke, Cory Snyder, Willie McGee, Ryan Ludwig, John Tudor

FRIDAY
Q. Who is the all-time Dodgers/Robins/Superbas/Bridegrooms/Grooms/Grays/Atlantics record holder for home runs in a single season?
Hint: He was the first player to have a 30/30 season for his franchise.
Hint: He owns the record for longest consecutive-game hitting streak for the same franchise.
Hint: Only he and Frank Robinson have had 120-RBI seasons for teams in both leagues.
- 49 HR in 2001 for LAD
- 30/30 for TOR in 1998 (Actually 35/35)
- 28 G in 1999 for TOR
- 123 RBI in 1999 for TOR, 125 RBI for the 2001 LAD; Robinson had multiple 120+ RBI seasons for each of CIN & BAL.
HOWEVER, Thanks to several readers whose research helped us, we now know that the following players also had seasons in each league with 120+ RBI:
- Jake Beckley… in addition to which...
- Mark McGwire (1997),  Manny Ramirez (2008) and Mark Teixeira (also 2008) each had multiple 120+ RBI seasons at least 1 of which was a split season between leagues.
FCR - Alex Remington, Washington, DC
Incorrect answers:  Kirk Gibson, Adrian Beltre, Raul Mondesi, Eddie Murray, Duke Snider

SATURDAY
Q. Who was the first American League player to hit a pinch-hit home run in his first World Series at-bat?
Hint: It turned out to be, at that point, the most important home run in the history of his franchise.
Hint: He has an interesting link with Hank Greenberg and Lance Parrish
Hint: He is the only person to win consecutive MLB World Series championships as well as consecutive NCAA baseball championships, both as a player.
- WS PH HR 18-Oct-1992
- HR put TOR ahead to stay in G #2, giving the expansion Canadian franchise the confidence to know they could compete at this level, having lost G #1.
- Sprague, Greenberg & Parrish all wore uniform #5 for the Pirates for one season.
- Won NCAA Baseball Championship with Stanford 1987-88; Won WS with Toronto 1992-93.
FCR - Richard Lerner, Silver Spring, MD
Incorrect answers:  Bill Freehan, Al Weis, Shane Spencer, AL Rosen, Dave Winfield, Brady Anderson

SUNDAY
Q. What Blue Jays announcer died on the last game of the regular season?
Hint: Ironically, he was the first Blue Jays pitcher to win a game in Sky Dome.
Hint: He once picked off a baserunner unassisted.
Hint: Ironically, that baserunner was Joe Carter.
- D. 03-Oct-2004
- W @ SkyDome 07-Jun-1989, 3rd game in the stadium
- Caught Carter between bases 25-May-1986
FCR - Ron Kaufman, Thornhill, ON
Incorrect answers:  Tom Cheek; Jim Clancy


THEME FOR THE WEEK - First-round MLB Draft picks made under the direction of

Player Year Pick Team

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Nary a soul

Incorrect theme guesses:
Tuesday   - 1st round amateur draft picks that transitioned from infielders to outfielders in the minor leagues.
- Players who went on to be All Stars at their outfield position and have at least one season of 30 homers or more.