MONDAY — 22-Feb
Q. Who was the
catcher for David Cone's perfect game?
Hint: #1 He
once turned down the volume on a famous teammate’s boombox in the clubhouse. It was considered an act of bravery.
Hint: #2 He
started where most advertisers on Madison Avenue want to start.
A. JOE GIRARDI [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Cone’s perfecto 18-Jul-1999.
- #1 When Girardi played for the Cubs, Sammy
Sosa was famous for blasting his music in the Cubs’ old cramped Wrigley Field
clubhouse. Most teammates just tolerated
it. However, one day in 2002 Girardi
turned down the volume on Sosa’s boombox and raised the volume on the main
clubhouse stereo. There were reports
that the two then had to be separated. But
later they said there was no trouble and Girardi said they have a “fine”
relationship.
- #2 Girardi was born and raised in Peoria,
Illinois, a city long held by marketing executives to best represent and, in a
sense, speak for, the American consumer (“Will it play in Peoria?”). Girardi attended high school at Spalding Catholic, to date, its only MLB
alum.
FCR - Tara Krieger,
New York City
Incorrect guesses: Jorge
Posada, Jim Leyritz, Don Slaught
TUESDAY — 23-Feb
Q. Who is the only World Series MVP to be
traded for a pitcher who threw a perfect game? (This question is chronology-free.)
Hint: #1 He grew up in Milwaukie, but lived in
Oregon.
Hint: #2 The first time he was ever in a major league
stadium was as a major leaguer.
Hint: #3 He replaced Monday’s answer as a manager.
A. SCOTT BROSIUS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Brosius
was WS MVP in 1998 when NYY swept SDP. He had
been traded the year before for Kenny Rogers whose perfect game was 28-Jul-1994.
- #1 Milwaukie (note spelling) is in Oregon, a suburb south of Portland.
- #2 Debut
07-Aug-1991. Had
simply never attended an MLB G.
- #3 Brosius
replaced Girardi as manager of Team USA attempting to qualify for the
Olympics in Tokyo.
FCR - Michael Temple, Chicago
Incorrect guesses: Boone, Aaron Boone, Ralph Terry
WEDNESDAY — 24-Feb
Q. Who is the only Yankee to lead the American
League in RBI while hitting fewer than twenty home runs that same season?
Hint: #1 The previous year, he had led the league in
home runs with fewer than twenty-five.
Hint: #2 He began and ended his MLB career in
Philadelphia, but with different teams in different leagues.
A. NICK ETTEN [B-R Bio]
- Ans. In
1945 hit 111 RBI and 18 HR.
- #1 Hit
22 HR in 1944.
- #2 Began
his career playing for PHA in 1938-39, teams that lost 99 & 97 G. Finished playing for PHI in 1947. They
only lost 92 G.
FCR - David Serota, Kalamazoo
Incorrect
guesses: Vic Power, Bob Meusel, Home Run
Baker
MIDWEEK BONUS — 25-Feb
Q. Which Phillies outfielder hit the first
home run the Washington Nationals ever surrendered.
Hint: #1 During his first five full seasons in the
majors, he led the league in stolen bases, but it wasn’t until the year after
that string that he led in times caught stealing.
Hint: #2 He shoved Fernando Vina the day after Albert
Belle had flattened Vina with a forearm shiver to break up a double play.
A. KENNY LOFTON [SABR Bio]
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- Ans. 1st
WSN HR given up 04-Apr-2005. It was
1 of only 2 Lofton hit that year.
- #1 Led
in SB 1992-96, even leading MLB every year of that streak but 1995. CS 20 X in 1997 led the majors
in that category for his only time in his 17-year, 622-SB career.
- #2 Belle
got Vina
on 31-May-1996 because… Lofton’s action the following day 01‑Jun‑1996 was while emotions were still raw.
FCR - Lee Dembart, Hollywood, California
Incorrect
guesses: Eric Young, Sr., Michael Bourn,
Shane Victorino
THURSDAY —
25-Feb
Q. Who threw the first pitch at night in a
game at Sportsmans Park?
Hint: #1 The first batter he ever pitched to in a
major league game was Babe Ruth. He
struck him out on four pitches.
Hint: #2 He developed a submarine delivery after
injuring his arm as a quarterback playing football in college where his
nickname was Big Six.
A. ELDEN AUKER [SABR Bio]
- Ans. 1st
night G at Sportsmans Park 24-May-1940. His
opposite number that night was Bob Feller who hit the 1st of his 8 career HR
off Auker in the 3rd.
- #1 Auker
describes his 1st batter 10-Aug-1933. [OK, here’s the truth: Auker NEVER struck out Ruth in 8 career MLB
PAs. In fact, Ruth “owned” Auker going
5-7 (.714) with 2 HR. Auker didn’t even
face NYY in his ML debut. The above audio
interview is an incorrect remembrance. Maybe he faced The Babe in an exhibition
game when he fanned him, but never did so in the regular season.]
- #2 Played
football for Kansas Agricultural and Mechanical College (today Kansas State University). Hurt his arm in the 1st G in 1928 playing QB, but persevered and in 1931 as a
halfback was voted All-Big Six Conference, hence his nickname.
FCR - Terry Sloope, Cartersville, Georgia
Incorrect
guesses: Mort Cooper, Christy Mathewson,
Johnny Vander Meer, Bob Feller, Ewell Blackwell, Walter Johnson
FRIDAY — 26-Feb
Q. Which Tri-Cities native was the winning
pitcher of the first World Series game played at night?
Hint: #1 He once lost his bid for a no-hitter when a
player doubled with one out in the ninth inning.
Hint: #2 His nickname has a double origin.
A. BRUCE KISON [SABR Bio]
- Ans. After
PIT starting P Luke Walker gave up 3 R in the 1st inning of G 4 of the 1971 WS, Kison entered & pitched 6⅓ scoreless
innings. Was Born in Pasco, Washington,
which with the cities of Kennewick & Richland form the area known as the Tri-Cities.
- #1 That
double was by Ken Landreaux on 23-Apr-1980.
Incidentally, it was the 1st G of Landreaux’s 31-G hit streak,
the longest one in the majors that year.
- #2 He
was called “Buster” honoring silent-film physical comedian Buster Keaton and
the fact that he did not like batters to crowd the plate and would “bust” them
inside, especially early in his career.
FCR - Jim Casey, Savannah
Incorrect
guesses: Bill Bevens, Johnny Vander Meer,
Dave McNally, Vinegar Bend Mizell, Kent Tekulve, Bruce Alison
T.G.I.F. SPECIAL — 26-Feb
Q. Which catcher was knocked out by a
basket of produce thrown from the upper deck during the Tigers-Indians game?
Hint: #1 When Bob Feller struck out eighteen
in a single game only he and one other teammate escaped the dreaded K.
Hint: #2 He was the first native of his state
to receive a Hall of Fame vote.
A. BIRDIE TEBBETTS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Tebbetts
was not in the game but in the bullpen on 27-Sep-1940 when a fan, wanting to
hide tomatoes, eggs, etc., from stadium police who were combing the stands for
unruly fans throwing things, filled a basket with the garbage and threw it over
a railing. It landed on Tebbetts' head
and knocked him cold. When the police
identified the culprit to Tebbetts he said he would handle the matter
himself—and busted the fan in the nose!
- #1 On
02-Oct-1938(1) DET came to play CLE. Ace Bob Feller racked up 18 strikeouts,
breaking his own Tribe 1-G record set 2 years earlier. Roy Cullenbine and Tebbetts not only did not
strike out but they were mostly responsible for the Tiger victory that day.
- #2 Born
in Vermont (although he spent most of
his years growing up in neighboring New Hampshire) , he received 8 HOF votes in
1958 and another 1 vote in 1960.
FCR - Mark Pattison, Washington, DC
Incorrect guesses: Mickey Cochran, Rudy York, Ray Hayworth, Matt
Batts
SATURDAY — 27-Feb
Q. Which catcher/pinch-hitter’s lone hit deprived
a future Hall of Famer of a no-hitter in his major league debut?
Hint: #1 He was double Del’ed before he reached the
majors.
Hint: #2 In the majors, he played for one manager who
took his team to the World Series every season he played for him
Hint: #3 His primary manager, however, managed 4 teams
over 26 years yet never managed a single World Series game.
A. CLAY DALRYMPLE [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Juan
Marichal’s first game as a big leaguer was at Candlestick Park on a cool
evening on 19-Jul-1960. Marichal got his
no-no on 15-Jun-1963, almost exactly 3 years after his near-miss
debut.
- #1 NL
champs MLN invited Dalrymple to their 1959 spring
training camp where he received catching tips from veteran catchers Del Crandall and Del Rice.
- #2 He
played under Gene Mauch PHI/1960-68 and for Earl Weaver BAL/1969-71.
FCR - Bill Deane, Cooperstown
Incorrect
guesses: Del Unser, Del Crandell, Elston
Howard, Smoky Burgess, Gus Triandos, Moe Berg, Johnny Blanchard
WEEKEND BONUS —
27-Feb
Q. Who recently became the first (and still
only) player in Cleveland Indians history to reach a combination of
1,000 hits, 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases?
Hint: #1 In his sixth season in the majors, his team
made it to the World Series only to face the team he grew up cheering for.
Hint: #2 He regularly sings between pitches when he’s
on defense in the field.
A. JASON KIPNIS [B-R Bio]
- Ans. His
final CLE totals are 1,120 H, 123 HR & 135 SB.
- #1 In
the 2016 WS, the Indians faced the Cubs.
Kipnis’ devotion to the Cubs as a fan was so strong, had to issue public
statements assuring teammates, fans, friends and CLE management that he was
completely focused on beating CHC. Although
the Indians lost the Series, he was true to his word and held his own, hitting
.290 with a Series-leading 5 extra base hits and 18 total bases.
- #2 He
has a fondness for the songs of British songstress Adele and says that singing
them helps him relax during the heat of competition.
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses: Michael Brantley, Kenny Lofton,
Joe Carter, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana
SUNDAY — 28-Feb
Q. What pitcher set the record for innings
pitched in relief when he relieved the starter with two outs in the first
inning of a game and worked the next eighteen plus innings?
Hint: #1 The effort essentially cost him his career.
Hint: #2 He was a Double Unique for exactly 298 days.
- Ans. He beat
Brooklyn & got his 5th W of the 1915
season on 17-Jun by pitching the final 18⅓ innings.
- #1 After
that game, Zabel only had a handful of start in the majors as he had begun to
experience arm trouble as a result of that game.
- #2 He
debuted in 1913, but Zip Collins came along the very next year. Double-Uniques listed here.
FCR - Luis Belman, East Bernard, Texas
Incorrect
guesses: Ernie Shore, Eddie Rommel, Zip
Zane
WEEK’S FINALE
— 28-Feb
Q. Whose sterling (platinum?) career MLB
batting average of 1.000 came at the expense of All-Star Milt Pappas?
Hint: #1 He was kept on the roster for an entire season
to keep him from being drafted by other MLB teams.
Hint: #2 An unspecified injury cut short his career.
- Ans. On 20-Jun-1964, Gray entered the G in the 5th
& pitched through the end of the G, except for 1 batter whom teammate Pete
Charton came in & induced a fly out to CF.
- #1 It,
1964, was his only season in the majors, kept on BOS under the terms of the Bonus Rule then in force.
- #2 Classmates
from high school referred to how together they, “…agonized over the injury that
forced him out of baseball.”
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect
guesses: John Paciorek, Jeff Banister,
Frank Leja
WEEKLY THEME – Players
whose college mascot was a wildcat.
Auker.................. Kansas
State
Brosius............... Linfield
University
Dalrymple........... Cal
State Chico
Etten................... Villanova
University
Girardi................. Northwestern
University
Gray.................... Weber
State University
Kipnis.................. University
of Kentucky
Kison.................. Central
Washington University
Lofton.................. University
of Arizona
Tebbetts.............. University
of New Hampshire
Zabel................... Baker
College
“Wildcat” was a Broadway
musical starring Lucille Ball. It was her only Broadway show.
First
Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – David Washburn, Marietta, Georgia
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Monday - Big 10
alumni who became managers
- Catchers
who became Managers of the Year
- Former
catchers who managed after their career
Tuesday - Three
World Series wins, one all star appearance
- Yankee
managers born in the 2nd half of the 20th Century
- 1998
Yankees opening day starting lineup
Wed - Yankees,
only one All Star appearance
Sunday - One
shot wonders
- Something
to do with the Cubs
- Something
to do with Harry Cary
- Something
to do with Chicago
- Sweet
Home Chicago
- Guys
with sports equipment in their name
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