MONDAY —12-Dec
Q. Ernie
Banks did it in the National League but who was the first American League
shortstop to win more than one Most Valuable Player award?
Hint: #1
He was the last twentieth century American League player to collect six hits
in one game.
Hint: #2
Who was the first American League player to have 650 at-bats in a season
without stealing a single base.
- Ans. AL MPVs = 1983, 1991. Shortstop Robin Yount was AL MVP in 1982 and won it again, but
was a CF the 2nd time around in 1989.
- #1 6
H = 13-Jun-1999
- #2 1993
= 663 AB, 0 SB in 1983. Don Mattingly,
J.J. Hardy & Robinson Cano have duplicated the feat since then.
FCR - Evan
Thompson, Mesa
Incorrect guesses: Nomar Garciaparra, Lou Boudreau, Alex
Rodriguez, Dustin Pedroia, Robin Yount, Derek Jeter
TUESDAY —13-Dec
Q. Who has been a
contestant in the modern version (since 1985) of the Home Run Derby more than any
other player?
Hint: #1 He was the first
thirty-year-old player to collect eight runs batted in in a single game in the 2000s.
Hint: #2 At select
home games, he came to bat to the sounds of ”Sirius” by the Alan Parsons
Project.
- Ans. Griffey was a contestant in the HRD in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 &, 2000, winning it thrice, in
1994, 1998 & 1999. Both are records.
- #1 8 RBI = 08-Jul-2000. Age 30 +230 days
- #2 Listen here. Any connection to any basketball team,
college or pro, is merely coincidental.
FCR - Keith Sims, Bloomington,
Indiana
Incorrect guesses: Albert
Pujols, Shawn Green, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Robinson Cano
IN MEMORIAM —14-Dec
Q. Who was the last
surviving “Whiz Kid”?
Hint: #1 He is one
of only two major leaguers born in Egypt.
Hint: #2 He was the
National League’s starting pitcher in two All-Star Games.
Hint: #3 In high
school, he pitched his teams to three straight high-school championships and
two American Legion state championships.
Hint: #4 News of the
young lefthander’s exploits reached Phillies owner Bob Carpenter. In 1947, Carpenter arranged an exhibition
game between his Phillies and an all-star team comprised of Lehigh Valley high
school players.
Hint: #5 He (Not
Carpenter) surrendered Willie Mays's 400th career home run in the
majors. Two years later he gave up Ernie
Banks’s 400th career home run.
Hint: #6 Many people
felt that he was talented enough to go to the Hall of Fame, but an ill-fated
accident befell him one afternoon as he was engaged in yard work.
Hint: #7 During his
unfortunately timed military service, he missed his franchise’s first World
Series in a generation.
Hint: #8 Justice of
a sort was had when he and his new teammates beat the Yankees in the World
Series fourteen years later.
A. CURT SIMMONS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. The 1950
Philadelphia Phillies were nicknamed the “Whiz Kids” because of the youth of
their stars and mimicking the name of a radio show in the U.S. called “Quiz Kids” popular in the 1940s
& 50s.
- #1 Simmons was born in Egypt, Pennsylvania and Bob McClure were born in Egypt, Texas. Egypt, PA is northwest of Allentown.
- #2 NL AS starting P in 1952 & 1957.
- #3 Attended Whitehall
High School in nearby Whitehall, Pennsylvania.
- #4 In front of 4,500 people at the grand opening
of Egypt’s Memorial Park, Simmons struck out 11 Phillies in a game that ended
in a 4-4 tie.
- #5 Mays’s 400th = 27-Aug-63. Banks’s 400th = 02-Sep-1965.
- #6 On 05-Jun-1953, Simmons had a record of 7-1
and wanted to try out his recently purchased power lawnmower. Unfortunately, he slipped and his left foot
went under the mower with bad results. Read
more here.
- #7 PHI’s 1st modern WS was 1915 when they ran
into the powerhouse Babe Ruth and the Red Sox.
For the next 34 seasons, they averaged more than 92 losses per year (w/12
100-L seasons). They averaged (averaged!)
36 G out of 1st place & 7th in the standings. Then in 1950, they edged out BRO for the NL
flag while Simmons was serving* his country.
His National Guard unit was called up because of the conflict in Korea. Without him, PHI got swept by NYY.
- #8 Three days after PHI released Simmons in
1960, he was signed by STL and with his help, they defeated NYY in the 1964 Fall
Classic.
FCR - Len Levin, Providence
Incorrect guesses: Curt Schilling, Bobby Shantz, Robin Roberts
WEDNESDAY —14-Dec
Q. Who
was the first Atlanta Braves pitcher to have three consecutive twenty-win
seasons in the Expansion Era?
Hint: #1
He won the Cy Young Award in a year where he had fewer first-place votes
than the runner-up.
Hint: #2
Facing his league’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, he left his major
league debut with two outs in the fourth inning having given up five walks, ten
hits and six earned runs with an ERA of 14.73.
A. TOM GLAVINE [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1991, 1992 & 1993,
Glavine’s record was 20-11, 20-8 & 22-6.
-
#1 CYA in 1998. Shows Glavine w/11 1st-place
votes and Trevor Hoffman w/13.
-
#2 His Braves went down 11-2 to HOU’s
Mike Scott & his superb 8-inning 2 H, 0 BB & 10 K effort.
FCR - Chandler
Vinson, Knoxville
Incorrect guesses: Greg Maddux, Phil Niekro, Joe Niekro
THURSDAY —15-Dec
Q. Which
Hall of Famer’s first World Series at-bat resulted in a home run off another future
Hall of Famer, immediately after his teammate, another first-ballot Hall of
Famer, had already homered?
Hint: #1
No player in major league history played more seasons for one team.
Hint: #2
As a boy, he operated the scoreboard at a field in his hometown and then
began his playing career there. That
field is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
A. BROOKS ROBINSON [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Robinson homered off Don
Drysdale on 05-Oct-1966 in the top of the 1st
after the 2-R HR by Frank Robinson.
-
#1 His 23 seasons w/BAL is tied with
Carl Yastrzemski’s 23 w/BOS.
-
#2 Lamar Porter
Field on the NRHP in Little Rock, is a point of immense civic
pride.
FCR - David
Raglin, McLean, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Carl Yastrzemski, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, Ty
Cobb, Stan Musial, Andruw Jones, Willie Mays
FRIDAY —16-Dec
Q. Which
former Mustang was the first National League shortstop to win the Gold Glove
and Silver Slugger awards in the same season?
Hint: #1
More than ninety players from his home state have been major league
All-Stars.
Hint: #2
His migration from birth state to baseball excellence followed a trajectory
not unlike those of Walter Johnson, Jackie Robinson, Frank Robinson, Rickey
Henderson, Willie Stargell, Reggie Smith, Tommy Harper and Chet Lemon.
A. OZZIE SMITH [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. GG + SS (Not ss.) =
1987. It was Smith’s only SS. Played for the California Polytechnic State
University (Cal Poly) Mustangs
-
#1 Smith (with 15) trails only
Hank Aaron (25) & Willie Mays (24) in All-Star appearances by Alabamians.
-
#2 All these players as did Ozzie
Smith, were born in other states but had their secondary education in the state
of California. There were no doubt
others.
FCR - Bruce
McClure, New London, New Hampshire
Incorrect guesses: Barry Larkin, Jay Bell, Robin Yount
SATURDAY —17-Dec
Q. Who,
after his wife was slapped by a White Sox fan, said, “Don't put him in jail. Bring him to me in the dugout.”?
Hint: #1
He is the last player to hit one hundred doubles to lead the majors over
two consecutive seasons with at least fifty doubles each year.
Hint: #2
During one stretch, he led the league in plate appearances five out of eight
seasons, twice leading the majors.
A. CRAIG BIGGIO [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. The slap occurred during G 2 of the 2005 WS. The quote is at least what Biggio said
he had told the authorities.
-
#1 In 1998 & 1999, Biggio hit
51 then 56 2B.
-
#2 From 1992 through 1999, he
averaged some 696 PA and that included 2 seasons marred by work stoppages
FCR - Rick
Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Ty Cobb, Billy Herman, Al Simmons, Edgar
Martinez, Joe Medwick
WEEKEND 1 —17-Dec
Q. Which Hall of
Famer struck out more than any other batter against Randy Johnson?
- Ans. 85 PAs, 30Ks
FCR - Bruce McClure,
New Hampshire
Incorrect guesses: Derek
Jeter, Mike Piazza, Larry Walker, Jim Thome, Ivan Rodriguez, Fred McGriff
WEEKEND 2 —18-Dec
Q. Which is the only
former major league franchise to win a thousand games before its demise?
A. The Baltimore Orioles of the American Association
& National League
- Ans. 1,133 from 1882 to 1899. The Chicago American Giants & Kansas City
Monarchs also won more than 1,000 games each.
FCR - Jason Winston,
Riverside, California
Incorrect guesses: Louisville,
Boston Beaneaters, Montreal Expos, Washington Senators, Providence Grays
WEEKEND 3 —17-Dec
Q. Who is the only
pitcher to log ten years each with a team in each league?
- Ans. 11 years LAD; 11 years TEX (He had 2 additional stints: 2 seasons each w/LA
& CHW)
FCR - Andrew Milner , Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Incorrect guesses: Cy
Young, Jim Bunning, Mike Mussina, Jamie Moyer, Nolan Ryan
WEEKEND 4 —18-Dec
Q. What was the
second name of the stadium known as Oracle Park?
A. SBC PARK
- Ans. Named after Southwestern Bell Corporation 2004-2005. Succeeded Pac Bell Park.
FCR - Lee Dembart,
Hollywood, California
Incorrect guesses: AT&T
Park, Pac Bell Park, Polo Grounds, 3Com Park
WEEKEND 5 —18-Dec
Q. Name the Hall of
Famers inducted in the second class in 1937.
A. 1937 HoF
Class: MORGAN
BULKELEY, BAN
JOHNSON, NAP LAJOIE, CONNIE
MACK, JOHN McGRAW, TRIS SPEAKER, GEORGE
WRIGHT & CY YOUNG
- Ans. There were 3 separate elections:
19-Jan-1937 = Lajoie, Speaker & Young (BBWAA)
07-May-1937 = McGraw (Veterans)
07-Dec-1937 = Bulkeley, Ban Johnson, Mack, George Wright
(Centennial)
FCR - Joe O’Neill,
London, Ontario
Incorrect guesses: Pete
Alexander, Eddie Collins, Christy Mathewson, George Sisler
WEEKEND 6 —18-Dec
Q. Who pinch ran for
Ray Chapman when Chapman was hit by pitch in his last at-bat?
A. HARRY LUNTE
- Ans. On 16-Aug-1920, Chapman was hit in the temple
with a pitch and died the
following day.
FCR - Sarah Grynpas,
Toronto
Incorrect guesses: Joe
Sewell
WEEKEND 7 —18-Dec
Q. Who
is the only pitcher in the last half of the twentieth century to throw eighteen
innings in one game?
A. VERN LAW
-
Ans. 19-Jul-1955. Making an emergency start on short rest, Law went the
equivalent of two complete games. Unfortunately,
although the Pirates were victorious, Law did not get the W.
FCR - Andrew
Milner , Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Incorrect guesses:
WEEKLY THEME – Former MLB players currently serving on the
Board of Directors of the Hall of Fame
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan
(After Brooks)
Biggio................................. 65.5
Glavine............................... 80.7
Griffey................................ 83.8
Ripken................................ 95.9
Robinson............................. 78.5
Smith.................................. 76.9
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Mon - This
week: HOFers who won an MVP with another HOFer as the runner-up.
Tues - Hall of Famers who are Jr.'s.
Wed - Hall
of Famers starting the 1992 All-Star Game
-
First ballot Hall of Famers with over 90%
Sat -
Graduates from SMU in MLB
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