This week’s questions and theme were submitted by Patrick Ray, Paradise Valley, Arizona.
MONDAY —14-Jun
Q. What great two-way player once won over twenty
games and scored over forty runs in the same year?
Hint:
#1 Seven years later he led the majors
in batting, hits, triples, RBIs, total bases, slugging, OPS & OPS+. He also led the National League in doubles.
Hint:
#2 He is the only player not named Ruth
to finish his career with at least 50 home runs and 50 pitching wins.
A. CY SEYMOUR [SABR Bio]
- Ans. In 1898 Seymour, playing for NYG, had a
pitching record of 25-19 & scored 41 times on 82 H and 9 BB.
- #1 In his
career year of1905, playing for CIN, he batted .377, had 219
H, 21 3B, 121 RBI, 325 TB,
slugged .559, had an OPS of .998 and an OPS+ of 181. His 40 2B trailed the 47 that Harry
Davis had w/PHA to lead MLB.
- #2 Career
HR = 52; career W = 61.
FCR - Glenn Guzzo, Ponte
Vedra Beach, Florida
Incorrect guesses: Albert
Spalding, Rick Ankiel, Charlie Root, George Sisler, Earl Wilson, Joe Wood, Bullet
Rogan, Smokey Joe Wood
TUESDAY —15-Jun
Q. What future Hall of Famer used his father's
lathe to craft his own bat in the minor leagues, and then used it to hit .438
one season?
Hint: #1 He was forced to change teams as the result
of an injunction by a state supreme court.
Hint: #2 A statue of his likeness stands in his
hometown, funded by donations from local residents
A. ELMER FLICK [SABR Bio]
- Ans. For the Youngstown Puddlers of the Inter-State League in 1896,
Flick pounded the ball for a .438 batting average with 5 doubles, 9 triples &
6 HR among his 57 H.
- #1 In
1902, he jumped to PHI’s intracity rivals, PHA, with whom he saw action in only
11 games before joining the Cleveland Blues/Bronchos. This latter change of scenery occurred because
Flick wanted to avoid the legal ramifications of PHI’s court injunctions prohibiting
3 of his teammates who had jumped to the Athletics the previous year, from
playing in the state of Pennsylvania for any team except the Phillies. Flick was not named in the injunctions, but
the results affected him. The move cost
Flick a chance to play on a pennant winner with the Athletics, but Cleveland
was glad to have a local boy to boost attendance, and Flick was delighted to
have his home field in a city a mere 10 miles from where he was born.
- #2 On
25-Sep-2013 a bronze statue of Flick was unveiled in his hometown of
Bedford, Ohio. The Flick statue was created by noted local artist Ron Dewey and
is permanently displayed in the Bedford town square.
FCR - Vince Guerrieri, Elyria, Ohio
Incorrect guesses: Hugh Duffy, Tip O’Neil, Nap Lajoie, Buddy
Burbage, Joe Jackson, Willie Keeler, Jimmy Collins
WEDNESDAY —16-jUN
Q. What future Hall of Famer debuted in
centerfield at the age of 18, three weeks after his mother killed his father?
Hint: #1 In that debut performance he doubled in his
first at bat against another future Hall of Famer.
Hint: #2 As a manager, he led his team to five
consecutive winning seasons.
- Ans. On
08-Aug-1905, Cobb's mother fatally shot his father with a pistol that his
father had purchased for her. The jury
thought she was within her rights thinking it was a prowler.
- #1 3
weeks later, Cobb debuted in CF for DET. On 30-Aug-1905, in his 1st major league at bat, he
doubled off Jack Chesbro of NYY.
- #2 As
Player-Manager for Detroit, 1922 (79-75); 1923 (83-71); 1924 (86-68); 1925
(81-73); 1926 (79-75)
FCR - Jeff Kallman, Las Vegas
Incorrect
guesses: Casey Stengel
MIDWEEK BONUS —17-Jun
Q. What former Cardinal began in Cincinnati and
ended his playing career as a Yankee?
Hint: #1 He was the first player in major league
history to lead both leagues in a certain major offensive category
Hint: #2 Also the first player in The Bigs to lead any
league in a different certain major offensive category for four consecutive
years.
Hint: #3 Despite his accomplishments, he only
appeared in one All-Star game (the same year he received his lone MVP vote).
A. LANCE
JOHNSON [BR Bio]
- Ans. Born
06-Jul-1963 in Cincinnati, OH. Debuted
w/STL 10-July-1987. Last MLB G w/NYY 27-May-2000 where he played ½ inning of D.
- #1 1st
to lead both leagues in H (186 for CHW in 1995 and 227 for NYM in 1996).
- #2 1st
to lead any league in 3B for 4 consecutive years (1991-1994).
- #3 The
1996 mid-summer classic was Johnson's only ASG. Had a
lead-off 2B & had 2 more H. He was
18th in MVP voting that year.
FCR - Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan
Incorrect
guesses: Miller Huggins, Johnny Mize, Paul
O’Neill, Enos Slaughter
THURSDAY —17-Jun
Q. What Hall of Famer was invited to
throw out the first ball at the last game played at Crosley Field?
Hint: #1 Over an 18-year career he never struck out
more than 25 times in a season.
Hint: #2 He sat out an entire season over a salary
dispute.
- Ans. Considered
the greatest player in Reds' history at the time, Roush was invited to throw
out the 1st ball at the last game at Crosley Field on 24-Jun-1970.
- #1 In
his career Roush struck out 260 times in 7,373 ABs. (Note that in 2009 Mark Reynolds struck out
223 times in 578 ABs.)
- #2 During
his playing career, Roush was known for his numerous disputes over salary. Roush generally skipped spring training, using
a holdout as the excuse to report just before the season began. In 1922 he held out all the way until July. He sat out the entire 1930 season in another
salary dispute, then returned to the Reds for one final season in 1931.
FCR - Justin Seibel, Irvine, California
Incorrect
guesses: Curt Flood, Nellie Fox, Ernie
Lombardi, Lloyd Waner
FRIDAY —18-Jun
Q. What future Hall of Famer “retired” from major
league baseball, only to join a minor league team and lead them to win league
championships twice?
Hint: #1 He was a star athlete in high school,
leading his team to two consecutive state football championships.
Hint: #2 He was the first modern player to lead both the
American League and the National League in home runs.
A. SAM
CRAWFORD [SABR Bio]
- Ans. After
being released by DET in 1917 Crawford joined the minor league Los
Angeles Angels
of the Pacific Coast League, helping them to win
league championships in 1918 and 1921.
- #1 According
to a biography from the Nebraska Hall of
Fame Crawford
was a star athlete at Wahoo High School, leading the team to two state football
championships in 1896 and 1897.
- #2 With
CIN, he led the majors in HR in 1901 w/16. (Only 4 were of the over-the-fence kind.) With DET in 1908, his 7 HR led the AL. (This time, 5 sailed over the fence. Of those, 3 were off future Hall of Fame
hurlers.)
FCR - Robert Reuther, Pittsburgh
Incorrect
guesses: Hal Chase, Buck Freeman
SATURDAY —19-Jun
Q. What future Hall of Famer was hitting north of
.400 during his rookie major league season before breaking his ankle sliding
into home?
Hint: #1 He suffered a fractured skull and other
injuries from a crash into an outfield wall.
Hint: #2 After his permanent retirement from his
post-playing career in coaching, be became his home state’s banking
commissioner.
A. EARLE COMBS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. In
his rookie season, 1924, Combs played center field and hit .400 before
breaking an ankle at CLE's Dunn Field
on 15-Jun.
- #1 Combs
had a another serious accident in July 1934. On a 100°+-day in St. Louis at Sportsman's Park, he crashed into the
outfield wall going for a fly ball, sustaining a fractured skull, a broken
shoulder and a damaged knee. He was
reportedly near death for several days, and was hospitalized for more than two
months. The next season, he attempted a
comeback but suffered another serious injury. That injury, coupled with the knowledge that
the Yankees were set to bring up rookie outfielder Joe DiMaggio the next
season, likely influenced Combs' decision to retire at the age of 36.
- #2 After
retiring from baseball in 1954, Combs returned to his 400-acre farm in Madison County., Kentucky. He served as the state banking commissioner
during Governor (and former Baseball Commissioner) A. B. 'Happy' Chandler's 2nd administration
(1955–1959).
FCR - Bob Trostler, Norwich, Connecticut
Incorrect
guesses: Pete Reiser, Casey Stengel, Ty
Cobb, Bob Hazle, Ross Youngs
SATURDAY SLEEPER —19-Jun
Q. Who was the first player named MVP from a team
with a losing record?
Hint: #1 He was the oldest player to die while still
an active player in the majors.
Hint: #2 Only Eddie Collins had more career sacrifice
hits.
Hint: #3 He was awarded a posthumous Gold Glove.
A. JAKE
DAUBERT [SABR Bio]
- Ans. NL MVP (Chalmers) in 1913 for BRO who finished 6th that year with a
record of 65-84-3.
- #1 Daubert
died 09-Oct-1924 at the age of 40 after hitting .281 for CIN, from conditions attributed to the lingering
effects of a beanball (and an undetected hereditary condition involving the
spleen) on 28-May of that season.
- #2 Finished
w/392 Sac H in 15 seasons. Collins played 25 years to accumulate his 512.
- #3 He never
fielded below the .989 mark. When SABR &
STATS,
Inc.
decided to award retroactive Gold Gloves for decades prior to when the award
started in 1957, Daubert won for the 1910s for 1B in the NL.
FCR - Joe O’Neill, London, Ontario
Incorrect
guesses: Ernie Banks, Roberto Clemente, Hank
Sauer, Lou Gehrig
SOLTICE SPECIAL —19-Jun
Q. Which right fielder had one of the greatest
minor-league seasons of the Deadball Era, leading the PCL in batting average,
hits, home runs, total bases and slugging?
Hint: #1 He played for four different franchises over
his eight-year major league career, but never placed in the top 10 for MVP.
Hint: #2 He was known for powerful throwing arm and
in his rookie year set the league record for assists by an outfielder.
A. MIKE
MITCHELL [SABR Bio]
- Ans. In
1906, he won the PCL batting championship with a .339 BA, 35 2B,
11 3B, league-leading totals of 7 HR & 285 TB while slugging .466
to help Portland cop the pennant.
- #1 CIN
1907-1912 (12th in NL MVP voting in 1911, 1st year of the Chalmers Award as
an MVP), CHC 1913, PIT 1913-14, WSH in the AL in 1914.
- #2 39
assists in 1907 still 2nd all-time for a single season among modern
outfielders behind Chuck Klein’s 44 in 1930.
FCR - Ken Kirk, Corning, New York
Incorrect
guesses: Jigger Statz, Ike Boone, Tillie
Walker, Gavvy Cravath, Lefty O'Doul, George Stone, Orator Shafer
SUNDAY —20-Jun
Q. What player’s World Series home run
immediately preceded a scoreless innings record that lasted for 43 years?
Hint: #1 He holds the record for fewest RBI to lead
the league in a modern, full season.
Hint: #2 His
unusual running style presaged a Seinfeld episode.
- Ans. In G 2 of the 1916 WS, Myers hit an inside-the-park
home run in the 1st inning off BOS lefty Babe Ruth. Ruth would not allow another R in the WS for another
29⅔ innings (a WS record broken by Whitey Ford’s 33⅔-inning WS scoreless streak
in 1961).
- #1 His
73 RBI in 1919 led the NL. Babe Ruth &
10
other ALers
each had more that year.
- #2 Although
one of the fleetest runners in the majors, Myers ran with his arms straight
down at his sides as though he were carrying 2 heavy objects. See Seinfeld: Season 8; Episode
22,
Original air date: 15-May-1997.
FCR - Bill Henry, East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Incorrect
guesses: Babe Ruth, Ron Cey, Willie
McCovey, Keith Hernandez
WEEKLY
THEME
– Players, 30 years of age or older, who hit at least 21 triples in a season in
the modern era.
Player Triples Year Age Team Games Hits 2B HR SO BA
Cobb..................... 24..... 1917...... 30...... DET...... 152..... 225....... 44...... 6....... 34... .383
Combs................... 22..... 1930...... 31...... NYY...... 137..... 183....... 30...... 7....... 26... .344
Crawford................ 21..... 1912...... 32...... DET...... 149..... 189....... 30...... 4....... 32... .325
" 23..... 1913...... 33...... DET...... 153..... 193....... 32...... 9....... 28... .317
" 26..... 1914...... 34...... DET...... 157..... 183....... 22...... 8....... 31... .314
Daubert.................. 22..... 1922...... 38...... CIN....... 156..... 205....... 15.... 12....... 21... .336
Flick...................... 22..... 1906...... 30...... CLE....... 157..... 194....... 34...... 1....... 65... .311
Johnson................. 21..... 1996...... 32...... NYM...... 160..... 227....... 31...... 9....... 40... .333
Mitchell................. 22..... 1911...... 31...... CIN....... 142..... 154....... 22...... 2....... 34... .291
Myers.................... 22..... 1920...... 31...... BRO...... 154..... 177....... 36...... 4....... 54... .304
Roush.................... 21..... 1924...... 31...... CIN....... 121..... 168....... 23...... 3....... 11... .348
Seymour................ 21..... 1905...... 32...... CIN....... 149..... 219....... 40...... 8....... 29... .377
Lowering the triples number to 20
would include seasons by Buck Freeman, Joe Jackson, Rabbit Maranville, Bill
Terry and Honus Wagner.
First
Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Tuesday - Most
hits in the decade of 1900-09.
- Players
whose actions/accomplishments/stories are part of Roy Hobbs’ mythic narrative
in Bernard Malamud’s “The Natural”.
Wed - Batters
who hit over .400 for a season
- Most
triples in a season by a left-handed batter since 1900
- Players
who, in one season, led the league in BA, SLG and OPS, but not OBP
- Players
who led the league in a category and were also managers
Thurs - Players
with over 20 triples in a season
- Most
career triples for a left hander since 1900
Sat - Most
triples in a career by an outfielder
- 1962
Hall of Fame inductees
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