Monday, September 6, 2021

2021-08-30 Ford Frick Award winners who had played in the majors

MONDAY  —30-Aug

Q.  Who hit more triples in a season than any other catcher in the Modern Era?

Hint: #1    He was hot when he scored the winning run in his first All-Star game.

Hint: #2    The AA stadium where he played in the minors has been re-named for him.

Hint: #3    His first career grand slam was of the inside-the-park variety.

A. TIM McCARVER  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans. Hit 13 3B in 1966, leading the majors.

-   #1   Winning R in 1966 ASG in St. Louis.  Heat on the field at 1st pitch was 106° F.

-   #2   The Memphis Chicks play in Tim McCarver Stadium.  McCarver is a Memphis native.  (No!  Not the one in Egypt.)

-   #3   GS = 09-Jun-1963, 2nd career HR.

FCR -  Jerry Miller, Liberty Hill, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  John Wathan, Benito Santiago, Gary Carter, Jason Kendall, Mickey Cochrane, Ted Simmons, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Dan Wilson, John Stearns, Thurman Munson, Manny Sanguillen

 

TUESDAY  —31-Aug

Q.  Who was the youngest New York Yankee player to win the Rookie of the Year Award?

Hint: #1    He homered in his last at-bat in the majors.

Hint: #2    In four out of his first five seasons he had at least 10 sacrifice hits, leading the league in that category in his third year.

Hint: #3    He was on the way to the hospital when Mazeroski homered.

A. TONY KUBEK  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.      ROY in 1957 at age 21.  Dave Righetti & Derek Jeter and were the next youngest, both 22 at the time.

-   #1   Final HR = 9th inning 03-Oct-1965 off BOS’s Dick Radatz.  Neither NYY nor BOS reached the postseason that year, so both were headed home the next day.

-   #2   Led the AL in SH w/13 in 1959.

-   #3   In the 7th G of the 1960 WS, Kubek was bending down to field a grounder hoping to double up Bill Virdon when the ball struck a pebble and struck Kubek in the throat.  As he was on his way to be treated, the Pirates won the Series in dramatic fashion.

FCR -  Steve Murfin, Olney, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Thurman Munson, Tom Tresh, Stan Bahnsen, Gil McDougald, Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Bobby Richardson

 

WEDNESDAY  —01-Sep

Q. Who was the youngest player in the history of the AA Columbus Red Birds?

Hint: #1    Looking back at his career, he once observed, “It’s not a record, but being traded four times when there are only eight teams in the league tells you something.  I thought I was modeling uniforms for the National League!”

Hint: #2    A Hall of Fame manager once told him, “When the story is told of all the great catchers… you’ll be there listening.”

Hint: #3    He is one of just two National League catchers to have four hits in a single World Series game.

A. JOE GARAGIOLA  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.     Played for Columbus at age 17 (& 18)

-   #1   Known for his quick with and self-deprecating humor, he was frequently on television as a guest and host after his playing days.  He did play for 4 NL teams but was only actually traded twice.

-   #2   Source of the quote is reputed to be Casey Stengel.

-   #3   He went 4-for-5 in G 4 of the 1946 WS as a rookie.  The other catcher was Frank Snyder of NYG who did it in G 3  of the 1921 WS.

FCR -  Michael Craig, Gilbert, Arizona

Incorrect guesses:  Bob Uecker, Ed Bailey, Tim McCarver

 

THURSDAY  —02-Sep

Q.  Who was the next Red Sox player to lead the American League in RBI after Yastrzemski’s Triple Crown season?

Hint: #1    The commissioner talked him out of retirement.

Hint: #2    When he finally retired for good, it was to pursue a career as a professional golfer.

A. KEN HARRELSON  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.     Led the AL and MLB w/109 RBI the very next season, 1968.

-   #1   Harrelson announced his retirement the day after he was traded by BOS to CLE.  Following conversations with commissioner Bowie Kuhn and others and a contract adjustment by the Indians, he ended his first retirement a few days later.  He was not yet 30 years old.

-   #2   Retired mid-season 1971.

FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Fred Lynn, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, Nomar Garciaparra, Rico Petrocelli

 

FRIDAY  —03-Sep

Q.  Which broadcaster stepped down from the booth to replace a major league manager?

Hint: #1    He played in a World Series in his rookie season and in his final season.

Hint: #2    As an announcer, he once made the call, “Thomas is racing for it, but McCovey is there and can't get his glove to it.  That play shows the inexperience, not on Thomas’ part, but on the part of Willie McC…well, not on McCovey’s part either.”

Hint: #3    Is also responsible for the call, “Larry Lintz steals 2B standing up--he slid, but he didn't have to.”

Hint: #4    He said this too:  “Boros is not with the team today because he's attending his daughter's funeral.  Oh, wait, it's her wedding.”

Hint: #5    …and this:  “Ozzie Smith just made a play that I have never seen before.  And he's done it more times than anyone else.”

A. JERRY COLEMAN  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.     He took the place of Roger Craig as SDP manager the day after the 1979 season ended and piloted the team for the 1980 year.

-   #1   Played in WS in 1949 (W) & 1957 (L) and in between saw action in the WS in 1950, 51, 56 (Ws) & 1955 (L).

-   #2-5  He makes Yogi sound like Winston Churchill, n’est-ce pas?

FCR -  Cappy Gagnon, South Bend

Incorrect guesses:  Larry Dierker, Ken Harrelson, Charlie Grimm, Fred Haney, Lou Boudreau, Bob Brenly, Bobby Brown, Harry Doyle, Mike Shannon

 

SATURDAY  —04-Sep

Q.  Who was the first major leaguer to host Saturday Night Live?

Hint: #1    He was the only Milwaukee native to play for the Milwaukee Braves.

Hint: #2    George Brett might have had an even more accurate reference.

A. BOB UECKER  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.     SNL Season 10: Episode 2, 13-Oct-1984.  Billy Martin, Derek Jeter and Deion Sanders are the other major leaguers who have hosted the show, now in its 47th season.

-   #1   B. 26-Jan-1934 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Played for MLN 1962- 63.  The Braves’ domicile was Milwaukee 1953-65.

-   #2   George Brett was given credit for popularizing the term “The Mendoza Line” based on the gossamer-light career hitting of Mario Mendoza.  Mendoza’s career batting average was .215.  Uecker ended his 6-year career with a batting average of exactly .200.

FCR -  John Kleeb, Reston, Virginia

 

SUNDAY  —05-Sep

Q.  Which Hall of Famer wrote the book “Games, Asterisks and People; Memoirs of a Lucky Fan”?

Hint: #1    He once paid for a destitute former player’s funeral.

Hint: #2    He pioneered the first radio show devoted to sports news.

A. FORD FRICK  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.     The book explains much about his relationship with Babe Ruth and his time as commissioner.

-   #1   During his tenure as National League President, Frick saw to the funeral for the destitute Hack Wilson who died holding the record for most home runs in a season by a National League player..

-   #2   Frick developed the format in 1931 while working as a sportscaster for WOR Radio in New York City.

FCR -  Andy McCue, Riverside, California

Incorrect guesses:  Bill Mazer, Joe Garagiola, Ty Cobb

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Ford Frick Award winners who had played in the majors

 

Player                     Frick Year          WAR

Coleman...................... 2005.......... 6.5

Garagiola..................... 1991.......... 8.1

Harrelson..................... 2020.......... 6.6

Kubek.......................... 2009........ 18.4  The first analyst-only honoree.

McCarver..................... 2012........ 28.3

Uecker......................... 2003......... -1.0

 

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Michael Green, Las Vegas (After Kubek)

 

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Monday  -  Position players who played in 4 decades

 

Tuesday -  Baseball players who became broadcasters after their retirement

               -  MLers who became broadcasters

               -  World Series winners who were World Series broadcasters

               -  All-Stars who became broadcasters

               -  Players who won a world series and announced world series on national tv

               -  NBC Game Of The Week broadcasters

               -  Player who became broadcasters and hit World Series homers

 

Wed        -  players who became announcers and worked on Game of the Week

               -  Former announcers on the Game of the Week

               -  They became announcers for their original ball club and then on national TV scene, probably all did world Series gigs on TV

               -  Players who at one time were NY Yankees announcers

 

Thurs      -  Men who played in and broadcast a World Series

               -  Ford Frick award winners

               -  Broadcaster week

               -  Broadcasters who played in a world series for or against St. Louis

 

Friday     -  Played in WS and had 20 plus year broadcasting careers

 

Sat          -  Broadcasters who were once All-Stars

               -  Broadcasters who played in a World Series

 

 

 

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