2023-11-20 Hit into game ending triple plays

 MONDAY  — 20-Nov

Q.  Who is the only third baseman who had to share his postseason most valuable player trophy with teammates?

Hint: #1  He once set the major league record for the most runs batted in in any month of April.

Hint: #2  He’s often recognized by his avian gait.

A.  RON CEY  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  In a 3-way tie, Cey, OF Pedro Guerrero & C Steve Yeager shared the World Series MVP for 1981.  (They each received a trophy.)

-  #1  He had 29 RBI in April 1977.  The current record is 35 RBI by Juan Gonzalez in 1998.

  #2  It is said he resembles a penguin walking.  His nickname is “Penguin”.

FCR -  Brett Moore, Studio City, California

Incorrect guesses:  Greg Nettles, Joe Medwick

 

 

TUESDAY  — 21-Nov

Q.  Who is the only Cincinnati Reds third baseman to win the Rookie of the Year Award?

Hint: #1  He had considerable promise as a hockey player, but chose college baseball instead.

Hint: #2  In the majors, he had one of the best performances ever.

A.  CHRIS SABO   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Sabo was voted NL ROY in 1988, finishing ahead some future stars:  e.g., Mark Grace, Ron Gant, Roberto Alomar & Gregg Jefferies.

-  #1  Sabo was a key component on a strong U. of Michigan team that finished 3^rd in the College World Series in 1983.  Sabo was joined as a starting infielder by future CIN teammate Barry Larkin.  That season, Sabo earned first-team All-American honors from The Sporting News and Baseball America.  As a high-school goalie, Sabo played hockey on two national championship age-17-and-under team

-  #2  CIN upset & swept the 1990 OAK team in the WS.  Sabo had a tremendous WS, batting .563 (9^th all-time) with 9 H in 16 AB, including 2 HR & 5 RBI & 2 BB.

FCR -  Dave Williams, Glastonbury, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Scott Rolen, Jonathan India, Pete Rose, Steve Yeager, Tommy Helms

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 22-Nov

Q.  Who hit into the only National League game-ending unassisted triple play in the Modern Era?

Hint: #1  He was inducted with the first-ever class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

Hint: #2  He is the lead television analyst for the team he played for the most.

Hint: #3  In his twelve seasons in the majors, he played for eight teams and played and either with or for…Eight Hall of Famers, thirteen MVPs and seven Cy Young Award winners.

A.  JEFF FRANCOEUR   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  On 23-Aug-2009, playing for NYM, Francoeur lined out to PHI 2^nd baseman Eric Bruntlett who then stepped on 2^nd base, getting the runner who left too early & tagged out the runner coming from 1^st, also too early.  Watch the whole thing here.

-  #1  GA HS FHOF in 2022.

-  #2  Behind the TV mic for ATL for  whom he  played 2005-09.

-  #3  Check here for complete list.

FCR -  Dan Schoenholz, Walnut Creek, California

Incorrect guesses:  Jason Varitek, Josh Reddick

 

THURSDAY  — 23-Nov

Q.  Who tied Cy Williams for most career pinch-hit home runs?

Hint: #1  Not a pitcher, but he grew up on The Hill.

Hint: #2  He has a Similarity Score of 948.5 with 2023 American League Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson.

A.  BOBBY HOFMAN   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The MLB career mark for pinch hit HR was 9 and Hofman reached it on 27-May-1955 with his 3^rd PH HR of the year, this one off BRO’s Carl Erskine.  The current career record holder is New Brunswick’s own Matt Stairs with his 23 PH long balls.

-  #1  “The Hill” is a neighborhood of St. Louis where Hofman grew up playing baseball with boyhood friends Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra.

-  #2  See similarity scores here (scroll down)

FCR -  Rick Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Yogi Berra, Smokey Burgess, Babe Ruth, Willie McCovey, Matt Stairs, Joe Garagiola

 

 

FRIDAY  — 24-Nov

Q.  Who was the Cardinals’ reliable, multiple-position pinch hitter as they won three National League pennants?

Hint: #1  His brother had a tiny sip of coffee in the majors.

Hint: #2  A famous teammate of his (not the brother’s) on St. Louis, had also been a teammate of his on their high school baseball team.

A.  PHIL GAGLIANO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Galgliano help STL to win NL pennants in 1964, 1967 & 1968.

-  #1  Brother Ralph Gagliano’s entire MLB career on 21-Sep-1965, was being placed on 1^st base as a 9^th‑inning pinch runner & then being put out before he reached 2^nd when the next batter, a pinch hitter, grounded into a fielder’s choice out.

-  #2  Tim McCarver had attended and played for Christian Brothers High School & American Legion baseball in Memphis at the same time as did Gagliano.

FCR -  Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Incorrect guesses:   Dick Schofield, Dane Iorg, Vada Pinson, Garth Iorg, Matt Carpenter

 

 

IN MEMORIAM — 25-Nov

Q.  Who is the only player to win a Most Valuable Player honor and a Cy Young Award in the same season coupled with receiving no votes at all for either award at any other time in his thirteen-season major league career?

Hint: #1  Four other players who go by the first name have been league MVPs.

Hint: #2  He was a true workhorse of his league that season, leading not only his league but heading up the majors in appearances and games finished.

Hint: #3  He had thrown four scoreless hitless World Series innings just the year before for a team in the other league.

Hint: #4  He earned the saves at home in each game that clinched the division, pennant and the World Series in one year.

Hint: #5  He appeared in relief of Ferguson Jenkins in the game where Jenkins secured his three thousandth career strikeout.

A.  WILLIE HERNANDEZ   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Hernandez was the AL’s MVP & CYA in 1984, pitching in relief for the dominant Detroit Tigers.  Hernandez is one of just eleven pitchers to complete this major award parlay. 

-  #1  MVP Willies = Mays (1954, 65); McCovey (1969); Stargell (1979); & McGee (1985).

-  #2  In 1984, he had 80 pitching appearances 68 G finished.

-  #3  Pitched in 3 G for a total of 4.0 innings in the 1983 WS for PHI.

-  #4  His clinching saves were on 18-Sep (AL West);  05-Oct (ALCS) & 14-Oct (WS).

-  #5  CHC’s Jenkins struck out Garry Templeton in the 3^rd on 25-May-1982 for his 3,000^th K. Jenkins had 3 more K before being relieved in the 8^th by Hernandez.

FCR -  Sean Moore, Hollis, New Hampshire

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Konstanty, Rollie Fingers, Denny McLain

 

SUNDAY  — 26-Nov

Q.  Which future manager, while a player, was ejected from a game he wasn’t even playing in, based on a sartorially moistened request?

Hint: #1  During his eleven-year major league career, he played for seven of the eight National League clubs.

Hint: #2  His unusual death while on a scouting trip was well-known in baseball circles.

Hint: #3  Two cousins and a son of his played a total of twenty-four seasons in the majors.

A.  JOE SCHULTZ   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  On 16-Jun-1925 in 90°F heat in St. Louis, Shultz pled from the bench to home plate ump Cy Pfirman to let PHI starting P, Jimmy Ring, have enough time to switch his sweat-drenched undershirt for a dry one.  [Read details here. (6^th inning)].  Pfirman couldn’t find any such thing in the rule book; Deemed Schultz’s earnest entreaties on behalf of Ring to be wholly unwanted; & threw Schultz out of the G he wasn’t in.  It was the only ejection in Schultz’s entire MLB playing career.

#1  Schultz played for all NL teams but NYG.  Following his playing days, he managed & scouted in the minors, eventually becoming the PIT farm director in 1939.

#2  In April 1941, en route to visit one of the PIT farm clubs in Moultrie, GA, Schultz was stricken with acute toxic hepatitis, caused by ptomaine poisoning.  He died in Columbia, SC at age 47.  His son, Joe Jr., a backup C for PIT, took the field in an exhibition match shortly before his father's death.

-  #3  Son Joe, Jr. played 9 years; cousin Hans Lobert put in 14 quality seasons; and cousin Frank Lobert had a cup of coffee in the Federal League.

FCR -  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Bottomley

 

WEEK’S THEME – Hit into a triple play that ended the game.

 

Batter                 Date                 Team            Opp                           Play

Cey...................... 12-Apr-1978......... LAD................ HOU............................. 3-6-3

Francoeur........... 23-Aug-2009........ NYM............... PHI............................. 4-4-4

Hofman................ 25-Sep-1955(2)..... NYG............... PHI............................. 6-4-3

Gagliano.............. 30-May-1967........ STL................ CIN............................. 6-4-3

Sabo.................... 08-Sept-1991....... CIN................. MON............................. 6-4-3

Schultz................ 06-Sept-1924(2).... PHI................. NYG............................. 2-2-1

*Unassisted TP by 2^nd baseman Eric Bruntlett

 

 

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2023-11-13 League home run champions who later managed in the majors in the Modern Era — Redux!

MONDAY  — 13-Nov

Q.  Who was the first player to go directly to the majors from the Negro leagues following the signing of Jackie Robinson by the Dodgers?

Hint: #1  He was the first native of South Carolina to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Hint: #2  He played basketball at the highest levels.

A.  LARRY DOBY   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Doby, the AL’s first Black player, was on the Newark Eagles when he signed with Bill Veeck to play for CLE.

-  #1  Inducted into the Hall in 1998.  Ben Taylor & Jim Rice are the other SC natives in the Hall.

-  #2  A 4-sport athlete in high school, Doby signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Long Island University.  He was the first African-American player to play professional basketball in the ABL, a precursor to the NBA.

FCR -  David Murphy, Marietta, Georgia

Incorrect guesses:  George Crowe, Dan Bankhead, Bob Gibson, Ernie Banks, Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson

 

 

TUESDAY —— 14-Nov

Q.  Who was the first post-World War-II player to hit three triples in a nine-inning game and do it in his MVP season?

Hint: #1  That was the season of his lowest home run total in any year during the sixteen full seasons of his nineteen-year career in the majors.

Hint: #2  Initially more interested in softball than baseball, he was signed to his first professional contract by another eventual Hall of Famer.

A.  ERNIE BANKS   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 11-Jun-1966, Banks tripled thrice, in the 4^th, 5^th & 9^th innings, each time off a different pitcher (Bob Bruce, Gary Kroll & Aurelio Monteagudo) & each time driving in Ron Santo.

-  #1  He had 15 HR in 1966.  He exceeded that total three more seasons before retiring.

-  #2  Banks was signed by Cool Papa Bell to play for the Kansas City Monarchs 1950-53, which was by then an independent team as most of the previous Black franchises/leagues had effectively ceased operating after about 1950.

FCR -  Ken Kirk, Corning, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Wille McCovey, Bert Campaneris, Jim Wynn

 

 

TUESDAY TUE-ICE  — 14-Nov

Q.  Who was the next American League batter to win a Triple Crown after Nap Lajoie did it in 1901?

Hint: #1  He retired from the majors for fear of dropping below .300.

Hint: #2  He hit at least one home run every year for twenty-four consecutive seasons.

A.  TY COBB  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Cobb led the AL in RBI 4 X& in batting avg. 12 X, including 9 a row, but he only led the league in HR 1 X.  In 1909 his 9 HR were enough to top the leader board & when added to his 107 RBI & .377 BA, he won his only T.C.

-  #1  Cobb worried that his season BA wouldn’t stay above .300 and he knew he was slowing down after 24 years.  He needn’t have worried.  He hit .323 in his final season.

-  #2  Hit a HR in every year of his MLB career, 1905-1928.  His record was tied by none other than Rickey Henderson who then added a 25^th.

FCR -  Adrian Fung Toronto

Incorrect guesses:  Sam Crawford, Carl Yastrzemski, Lou Gehrig, Frank Robinson, Jimmie Foxx

 

 

WEDNESDAY  —— 15-Nov

Q.  Who was the first person to get twenty five hundred hits in the American League?

Hint: #1  He started and ended his career in the same city, but in separate leagues.

Hint: #2  The batting average in his best season has been raised twice as thorough researchers found multiple transcription errors.  The final, verified result is very impressive.

A.  NAP LAJOIE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Lajoie finished with 2,522 H in the AL.  Add to that his 721 in the AL & he had 3,243 H total.  That total was 2^nd all-time when he retired in 1916 & is now 15^th.  Only Cap Anson & Honus Wagner had 3,000+ H at that time.

-  #1  He broke in with the Philadelphia Phillies & finished his 21-year career with the Philadelphia Athletics.

-  #2  His original hit total was 220 instead of 229,which put his BA at .405.  It was later changed to .422, before finally being revised again to .426, the best single-season BA in the Modern Era.

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins, Al Simmons, Sam Crawford, Babe Ruth, George Sisler, Cap Anson, Jimmie Foxx

 

 

THURSDAY  — 16-Nov

Q.  Who was the manager of the Indians for their first pennant?

Hint: #1  So dominant is his record for career outfield assists that the player who is 2^nd on that list (also a 1^st-ballot Hall of Famer) would have had to increase his output by 63% just to tie for 1^st.

Hint: #2  His fielding glove was known as the place “where triples go to die”.

A.  TRIS SPEAKER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Also their 1^st WS championship = 1920.

-  #1  Speaker’s OF assists = 448, towering over Ty Cobb’s already impressive 275.

-  #2  Speaker also holds career records for double plays & unassisted double plays (6) by an OF.  The quote has been said of many fleet ball hawks, but old timers and baseball researchers agree that there has never been another like Speaker.

FCR -  Dan Lee, Pickerington, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Larry Doby, Roger Peckinpaugh

 

 

FRIDAY — 17-Nov

Q.  Who was the first player to lead his league in home runs for four consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1  He played on a team that won the pennant five times and the World Series thrice while he was on the team.

Hint: #2  He had fifteen teammates who are now in the Hall of Fame.

A.  HARRY DAVIS   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Led the AL on HR in 1904 (10), 1905 (8), 1906 (12) & 1907 (8) for PHA.  Others to do this have been Home Run Baker (1911-1914); Babe Ruth (1918-21, 26-30); Josh Gibson (1933-1939 & 1943-1946); & Ralph Kiner (1946-52).

-  #1  Was on PHA when they won the AL pennant in 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913 & 1914.  They won the WS in 1910, 11 & 13.

-  #2  Davis’ teammates who went to the HOF:  Home Run Baker, Jake Beckley, Charles Bender, Fred Clarke, Eddie Collins, Jimmy Collins, George Davis, Elmer Flick, Nap Lajoie, Connie Mack, Herb Pennock, Eddie Plank, Amos Rusie, Rube Waddell & Honus Wagner.

FCR -  Dave Serota, Kalamazoo

Incorrect guesses:  Home Run Baker, Babe Ruth, Sam Crawford, Lou Gehrig, Ralph Kiner

 

 

SATURDAY— 18-Nov

Q.  Who was the first player in the Modern Era to hit two bases-loaded, bases-clearing doubles in a game?

Hint: #1  He was the first player to lead the majors in home runs for three consecutive seasons in the Modern Era.

Hint: #2  Babe Ruth broke his MLB career record for most home runs by an active player.

A.  GAVVY CRAVATH   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 08-Aug-1915, Cravath had 4 doubles, 2 of them with the bases loaded.

-  #1  Cravath led the Bigs in Big Flies 1913, 1914 & 1915 (19,19, 24).  He only missed having a 5-year run by trailing the 1916 leaders by a single HR because he led again in 1917 (In a tie w/12).

-  #2  By the end of 1920, Cravath had hung onto his lead among those still playing at 119 HR.  Ruth left that & many other records in his rearview mirror beginning with the 1921 season.

FCR -  Kevin Epstein, San Antonio

Incorrect guesses:  Home Run Baker, Jimmie Foxx, Roger Connor, Andre Dawson

 

 

SUNDAY— 18-Nov

Q.  Who led his league's first basemen in errors seven times, but was considered by contemporary observers to be the best-fielding first baseman ever?

Hint: #1  He was the first player in Yankees history to hit three triples in one game.

Hint: #2  Of the over one hundred candidates who received votes in the first ever Hall of Fame election, he was one of only three California natives to receive votes.

A.  HAL CHASE   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  A contradiction in many ways, Chase’s fielding at first base was, “as slick as oil” according to  one correspondent, a hyperbole he was not afraid to use, because describing Chase’s flair with the glove was well known and well publicized.  Knowing this, Chase often went too far and missed the main purpose of the play.  Among all MLB first basemen, only Mo Vaughn and Dick (“Dr. Strangeglove”) Stuart led their leagues in errors as many times as did Chase.

-  #1  On 30-Aug-1906(2), playing for the then Highlanders, Chase tripled thrice off Washington pitching.  Earle Combs and Joe DiMaggio are the only others to match Chase’s deed. 

-  #2  CA natives receiving votes in 1936 Hall voting were:  Frank Chance* (Fresno, 5); Hal Chase (Los Gatos, 11); & Bill Lange (San Francisco, 6).

*HOF in 1946

FCR -  Max Weder, Vancouver

Incorrect guesses:  Lu Gehrig, Piano Legs Hickman, Wally Pipp, Zeke Bonura, Keith Hernandez, Dick Sisler, Frank Chance

 

 

SUNDAY BONUS — 18-Nov

Q.  Who was the first American League home run champion to later manage a team to a World Series title?

Hint: #1  The year before his Word Series win, he had retired from baseball in favor of a career in banking.

Hint: #2  He was the first American League player to be hit by pitch 20 times in a season.

A.  JAKE STAHL   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Stahl was the AL HR champ with a symmetrical 10 in 1910 for BOS.  Then, as their manager, he led them to a WS victory over the powerful NYG in 1912, the last WS win (their 2^nd)for BOS before Ruth arrived.

-  #1  He missed 1911 but was persuaded to  return to the game n 1912.

-  #2  He was HBP 23 X in 1908 for BOS.

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Bill Carrigan, Lou Boudreau

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 19-Nov

Q.  Before Ralph Kiner, who was the last player to lead his league in home runs in his first year in the majors?

Hint: #1  He led the league in triples that same year.

Hint: #2  He is the only person left in this week’s theme (which no one has identified).

A.  HARRY LUMLEY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1904, Lumley hit 9 HR for BRO to lead the NL.

-  #1  His 18 3B did likewise.

-  #2  See below

FCR -  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Incorrect guesses:  Sam Crawford, Tim Jordan, Mark McGwire, Josh Gibson, Wally Berger 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – League home run champions who later managed in the majors in the Modern Era—REDUX !

 

Player                HR Titles Yr               Managed                           Career WAR

Banks........... 1958, 60 (47, 41)............. CHC (1973**)....... 67.7

Chase.................. 1915 (17)................... NYY (1910-11)...... 23.0

Cobb.................... 1909 (9).................... DET (1921-26)..... 151.5

Cravath........ 1913-15,17-19***............. PHA (1919-20)...... 33.0

Davis......... 1904-07 (10, 8, 12, 8)............ CLE (1912)......... 38.3

Doby............. 1952, 54 (32, 32).............. CHW (1978)........ 56.8

Lajoie................. 1901 (14)................... CLE (1905-09)..... 106.9

Lumley................ 1904 (9)...................... BRO (1909)......... 14.7

Speaker.............. 1912 (10)................... CLE (1919-26)..... 134.9

Stahl.................. 1910 (10*).................. WSH (1905-06)...... 16.6

.............................................................. BOS (1912-13)

*Tied

** 08-May-1973 (Managed 1 G)

***(19, 19, 24, 12*, 8, 12)

For complete list (Modern Era) add this week to the week of October 30-November, 2023.

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tue      -  Future Hall of Famers who barnstormed as the Jackie Robinson All Stars

            -  Players who hit for over 300 in the Negro leagues & in the major leagues

            -  First black players to play MLB who also made the HOF

            -  From Negro Leagues to MLB without stopping in the minors

            -  Players that have a stateroom on the USS Cooperstown named after them

 

Thur     -  Top players in Cleveland history by WAR

-   First Hall Of Fame Induction 

 

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