Q. Who was the
first (and for a long time, only) American League switch-hitter to win a
batting title?
Hint: He had
numerous regrets, but always said his greatest one was that he didn’t hit .300
for his career.
Hint: Nobody has
hit more career World Series home runs.
- Hit .353 in 1956—his
Triple Crown year and his only batting title even though he hit .365 the next season. Since then Willie Wilson (.332 in 1982),
Bernie Williams (.339 in 1998) and Bill Mueller (.326 in 2003) are
the only others.
- Ended his brilliant
18-year career at .298.
- 18 WS HR. Babe Ruth is 2nd w/15; Yogi 3rd
w/12.
FCR - Eugene Schwartz,
Weston, Connecticut
Incorrect guesses: Reggie
Jackson
MONDAY REPRISED
Q. Who was the third outfielder from an
expansion team to win an MVP?
Hint: His brother played seven years in the
majors, but they were never teammates.
Hint: He had 25-home-run seasons for each of two
major league teams in a city with large body parts.
- AL MVP for TOR in 1987; 1st
OF MVP from an expansion team = Jeff Boroughs for TEX in 1974;
Don Baylor for CAL in 1979.
- Brother = Juan Bell played for 5 teams, but
none in Toronto or Chicago. They did
play against each other twice in
1993: 15-Jul & 16-Jul.
- 25 HR for CHC in 1991; 25
HR for CHW in 1992. Chicago is sometimes called the “City with (or
‘of the’) Big Shoulders”, cited in Carl Sandburg’s poem “Chicago”.
FCR - Jerry Miller, Liberty Hill, Texas
Incorrect guesses: Andre Dawson Juan Gonzalez, ,Vladimir
Guererro
TUESDAY
Q. Who was the first player to exceed 20
home runs, but bat under .200 in the same season?
Hint: Not surprisingly, he led the majors in
strikeouts, but with a total that would have only been tied for 5th
in 2018.
Hint: He is the all-time TTO leader
- In 1991 w/DET, Deer hit .179
while hitting 25 HR
- His 178 K’s that year seem almost quaint by
today’s standards
- Three
True Outcomes explained here=> TTO (Turns out he’s been passed by Adam Dunn as
career TTO leader.)
FCR - Robert Osman, Great Neck, New York
Incorrect guesses: Gorman
Thomas, Willie Kirkland (almost), Mark Reynolds, Mark McGwire, Ryan Howard,
Dave Kingman, Adam Dunn, Dave Nicholson, Joey Gallo
TUESDAY CODA
Q. Whose home runs and spontaneous
cartwheels in the women’s professional baseball league of the 1940s helped to
earn her the nickname “All the Way”?
Hint: She was the inspiration for the character
played by Madonna in the 1992 movie A
League of Their Own.
Hint: She was the first in the league to hit two homers
in one game.
Hint: She stole 108 bases in 1948.
Hint: Her fiancé died in World War II and she
never married.
- All six teams of the league shown here.
FCR - Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Incorrect guesses: Mae Mirabito, Lavonne “Pepper” Paire-Davis,
Penny Marshall, Jim Piersall,
N.B. We note and mourn the amazing coincidence of
the passing of Penny Marshall. This question was written considerably before
we were aware.
TUESDAY CODICIL
Q. Whose major league record for saves in a
season, since saves became an official stat, did the Tigers’ John Hiller break
the only year he led the league in that category?
Hint: For his efforts, he (not Hiller) was named The Sporting News “Fireman of the Year”.
Hint: Although he moved with his team once, he
became an important cog with another outfit.
- Carroll had 37 S in 1972. Hiller had 38 in 1973. Neither would have even as many as half that many for the rest of their 15-season
careers.
- Hiller won the award in 1973.
- Moved with the Braves from MLN to ATL in 1966.
FCR - Mike Caragliano, Flushing, New York
Incorrect
guesses: Mike Marshall, Sparky Lyle,
Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Joe Page,
Ron Perranoski, Wayne Granger, Jack Aker, Willie Hernandez
WEDNESDAY
Q. What thrice-drafted righty finally
signed and was voted Pitcher of the Year in the Texas League?
Hint: He later became the player who signed the first
ten-year major league contract after the advent of free agency.
Hint: With his new team, though, he promptly led
the league in losses.
Hint: He was release after 5 seasons, and the
team still honored the financial terms of his contract.
- Was drafted by PIT in the 5th round of
the 1968 MLB June Amateur Draft out of high school. Then by STL in the 1st round
of the 1969 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase from community college. Finally by BAL in the 1st round
of the 1969 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase from the same community college. Was POY with the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs
in 1971.
- Signed a $2.3 million 10-year contract @ age
25 after his 4th and only winning season w/BAL.
- 13-19 in 1977
- They paid him $210,000 per year 1982-86.
FCR - Vince Guerrieri, Elyria, Ohio
Incorrect
guesses: Dave McNally, Andy
Messersmith, Ross Grimsley, Chan Ho Park
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. What rookie played some promising
outfield for the Rockies in 2018?
Hint: Speed is his specialty, but not quite
enough to prevent him from playing for
Hint: He has been an Isotope, a Quake (not
Quaker), a Yard Goat, an Indian and a Shark.
Hint: He already has stats posted for 2019. [??]
- Had SB totals of 15, 35, 38, 31. Has shown he could steal. Only twice were his CS numbers in double
figures.
FCR - Phillip Ross, Denver
Incorrect
guesses: David Dahl
THURSDAY
Q. What Hall of Fame pitcher holds the
career record for fewest bases-on-balls per nine innings pitched?
Hint: He, according to baseball lore (and his
descendants), originated the curveball.
Hint: He had only six seasons in the majors and
receives zero (0!) votes the first time he was on the ballot, but three years
later was put in by the Veterans Committee.
- His amazing total career average of 0.4731
walks per nine inning sits atop the list.
- Cummings is in the Hall for (IMHO)
for no other reason than this putative claim.
Recent research has revealed that A.) He may not have been the first and B.)
Lobbying by his family contributed considerably to his reputation.
- No votes in 1936; elected and inducted in
1939.
FCR - Maureen Walsh, Tallahassee
Incorrect
guesses: Greg Maddux, Addie Joss, Mordecai
"Three Fingers" Brown, Al Spalding
THURZTHDAY’S THEHCANT
ONE
Q. What player called “Big Daddy” had a
season where he led his league in hits, doubles, runs-batted-in, batting
average and led the majors in total
bases and WAS NOT voted his league’s MVP that year?
Hint: He made the “Top 100 Highest-Paid Athletes”
in Forbes Magazine.
Hint: Among active players, only Yadier Molina
has played more postseason games.
FCR - Mike Rainey, South Jordan, Utah
Incorrect
guesses: David Ortiz, Cecil Fielder,
Vlad Guerrero Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, Lorenzo
Cain, Leon Wagner
FRIDAY
Q. Who was part of the staff of pitchers to
led his underdog team to a World Series championship upset, sweeping a powerful
opponent in 4 games?
Hint: They won 2 games apiece in the Series,
beating a staff with 3 Hall of Fame pitchers, including one who would win his 300th
game shortly thereafter.
Hint: He tied his teammate moundsman with 26
pitching victories and were the team’s top 2 in WAR that season.
Hint: A few years later, he sat down on the mound
during a game to protest an umpire's call, earning himself an ejection.
Hint: After his 13-year major league pitching
career, he owned a minor league team, was partner in a mortuary, ran the
concessions at Yankee Stadium and returned to his college alma mater to coach
freshman baseball.
- James’s WAR = 8.6; Rudolph’s 6.4
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses: Dave McNally, Lefty Tyler. Bill
James, Dizzy Dean, Paul Dean, Jim Palmer, Ed Walsh, Rube Marquard, Sal
Maglie
END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS
Q. Who was the first first baseman to earn
a Gold Glove for two different National League teams?
Hint: He was the first National League batter to
achieve 200 career home runs who ha hit a home run in his first at-bat.
Hint: He had other, more important firsts too.
Hint: He wasn’t, however, the first to be
replaced at his position by a Hall of Famer when he entered military service.
- GG w/STL 1959-65; w/PHI 1966. [Vic Power did it for CLE & MIN in the
AL.]
- White is the first man of color to be
president of the NL. Elected in 1989 to replace Bart Giamatti who had
been promoted to MLB commissioner. White
served in the position until 1994.
- Replaced as the Giants’ 1st baseman
by 2nd-ever unanimous ROY,
Orlando Cepeda
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses: Keith
Hernandez, George Scott
SATURDAY
Q. What Pirates’ rookie went 4-for-5
including a triple, two runs and two walks in his first two major league game
under manager Clint Hurdle?
Hint: Although he’s been on the field in games already
two major league teams, he still hasn’t used up his rookie eligibility.
Hint: No one else native to his home continent
has ever played in a major league game before.
- Career-to-date” 42 G, 82 PA, 72 AB
- He was born and raised in the Republic of South Africa.
FCR - Preston Salisbury, Starkville, Mississippi
Incorrect
guesses: Rennie Stennett
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. What reliever joined the Braves shortly
after they landed in Milwaukee, but was out of the majors just after they won
their only World Series championship there?
Hint: Two eventual Hall-of-Fame teammate and a
future World Series MVP were the only players whose WAR topped his in his first
full season with the big club.
Hint: He learned to throw the knuckleball from
another Hall of Fame teammate.
- His MLB career was played entirely w/MLN
1953-57.
- Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette
were the only players measurably more valuable to the 1954 Braves than he was.
- He and Hoyt Wilhelm were both professional
rookies at Class D Mooresville of the North Carolina State League
1946 & 47. (I’m guessing the irony of naming the team
The Moors was lost on team owners.)
FCR - Dave Serota, Kalamazoo
Incorrect
guesses: Ernie Johnson, Ray Crone, Warren
Hacker, Don McMahon, Hoyt Wilhelm, Don Liddle, Red Murff, Gene Conley
SUNDAY
Q. What BLTR future Dragon was awarded the first annual Harry
Agganis Memorial Award?
Hint: Ted Williams was in agreement with the
choice, calling him, “…one of the greatest little competitors I ever played
with, in a congratulatory telegram.
Hint: With slightly less fanfare his little
brother made it to the majors as well.
- The
Boston baseball writers gave him the HAMA in 1956. Billy Batted Left and Threw
Right.
FCR - Larry Hayes, San Francisco
Incorrect
guesses: Tony Conigliaro, Johnny Pesky,
Denny Doyle, Dom DiMaggio, Don Blasingame, Nellie Fox
WEEK’S
FINAL QUESTION
Q. What teammate of Ty Cobb fits in nicely
with this week’s theme?
Hint: The Tigers showed them a tap to get him.
Hint: Although his major league stay was brief,
he racked up more than 160 wins in minor league, finishing with a .500+ record.
- [I’m sure you’ve caught on to the theme by
now.]
- Had a record
of 166-162, including 8 straight seasons w/10+ wins.
FCR - Josh Murphy, Cedar Rapids
Incorrect
guesses:
WEEKLY THEME – “Season’s
Greetings” inspired by the card I received from the Hall of Fame. Look carefully […with apologies to J.T. Snow, Steve Christmas, and
any other appropriate soul who didn’t make it into the collage.]
Hang
your stockings from the Mantle.
It’s
charming to hear Bells at this
time of year.
It’s
believed by some that a team of Deer pull
Santa’s sleigh through the night.
Of all
of Santa’ reindeer, it’s clear that Dancer was a
team player and possibly the lithest.
You
can hear a Christmas Carroll
almost anywhere this time of year.
It’s a
rare retail establishment sans Garland from
about Black Friday on.
Dentists
worry about the amount of Candy
available to everyone. Hey! It’s festive!
You
can’t deny it’s a Holliday, no
matter which one appeals to you the most.
Former
Angels’ owner introduced us to Rudolph, now
the most famous reindeer of all.
Many
people in the Northern Hemisphere hope for a White
Christmas.
It’s
rare if one does not receive at least one Gift this
time of year.
You
always hear Burl Ives wishing us a “Holly, Jolly
Christmas”.
No
matter how naughty, we still want that visit from Santa Klaus,
n’est-ce pas?
Sure
there was a snowman named “Frosty”, but isn’t
that like naming your dog “Rover”?
First
Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Jerry
Miller, Liberty Hill, Texas
(after
Deer)
