2023-12-25 Veterans who retired after playing the first season of a 1960s expansion franchise

MONDAY  — 25-Dec

Q.  Which player racked up more hits than any other in the decade 1950-1959?

Hint: #1  He helped his team stay respectable even if they didn’t reach the playoffs but once during that span.

Hint: #2  His reward for winning one of his franchises' first-ever team MVP served as a metaphor for its inaugural season.

A.  RICHIE ASHBURN   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ashburn led MLB in H in the decade w/1,875.  He led in 1951 (221) & 1958 (215) & led the NL in 1953 (205).  Over the course of his entire career (1948-1962), no player had more total hits than his 2,574 during this specific 15-season span (Stan Musial was 2^nd with 2,549).

-  #1  The 1950 PHI won 91 G, the NL pennant & played NYY in the WS.  The Phillies’ aggregate W-L% for the 1950s was a mediocre .498, but that far surpassed its marks for the preceding three decades of futility: 1940s (.380 W-L%), 1930s (.381) & 1920s (.370).

-  #2  Ashburn was voted team MVP for the woeful expansion 1962 NYM who finished with a Modern Era record 120 losses.  For his efforts, he was gifted a motorboat which sank soon after Ashburn launched it.  The boat never made it out of the harbor.

FCR -  Tom Cleary, Macungie, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Nellie Fox, Stan Musial, Willie Mays

 

 

TUESDAY  — 26-Dec

Q.  Which pitcher holds the major league* record for highest winning percentage in a season?  (Min13 decisions)

Hint: #1  Trevor Hoffman broke his record for most career relief appearances for one club.

Hint: #2  Following his baseball career, he served as the carpentry foreman at a psychiatric hospital.

*American League/National League

A.  ROY FACE   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Face’s record in 1959 was 18-1, .947.

-  #1  Face had 775 relief appearances for the PIT from 1953-68.  Hoffman ended with 1,035 for SDP, passing Face in 2006.

-  #2  He was head carpenter at the Mayview State Hospital in South Fayette Township, Pennsylvania, not far from Pittsburgh.

FCR -  Art Mugalian, Minneapolis

Incorrect guesses:  Vern Law, Pete Ladd, Bruce Sutter, Goose (sic) Gossage, Mike Marshall, Phil Reagan, Spud Chandler, Bob Friend

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 27-Dec

Q.  Which righty led the majors in ERA and ERA+ in his rookie season but was only tied for fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in his own league?

Hint: #1  That season was the start of nine consecutive years with at least ten wins.

Hint: #2  Approaching his next-to-last season in the majors, he sliced off the tip of his pitching index finger & also underwent an emergency appendectomy.

A.  MIKE GARCIA   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  After a 2-inning sip of coffee in 1948, Garcia had an ERA of 2.36 & ERA+ of 170 to go with his 14-5 record.  He received only a single ROY vote.

-  #1  From 1949 through 1957, Garcia averaged more than 15 W per season with a high of 22 W in 1952.

-  #2  Along with those health issues, a line drive that broke his leg & his advancing age, he turned in 2 very mediocre seasons at the end.

FCR -  Mike McCroskey, Sugar Land, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Felix Hernandez, Wally Bunker, Mike Mussina, Jamie Moyer, Bob Feller, Dean Chance, Billy Loes

 

 

THURSDAY  — 28-Dec

Q.  Who is the only Brooklyn Dodger pitcher to win the deciding game of a postseason series?

Hint: #1  Six years after the above heroics, he led all qualifying pitchers in the National League with a win-loss percentage of .783.

Hint: #2  Embracing the local culture, he was poolside at his hotel in Los Angeles when he met his wife-to-be.

A.  JOHNNY PODRES   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In the the1955 WS, Podres won G #7 , a complete G shutout.  He was also the winning P in G #3 that year.  By the next time the team won a deciding postseason game, a game, they had become, of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Incidentally, Podres was the starter of that G.,

-  #1  His record was 18-5 in 1961, the best of his career.

-  #2  Podres and professional ice skater Joan Taylor were married in 1966.  She continued to skate & performed for ten years for the Shipstad and Johnson Ice Follies.

FCR -  Lincoln Mitchell, New York City

Incorrect guesses:  Carl Erskine. Don Drysdale, Padres,

 

 

FRIDAY — 29-Dec

Q.  Who was the first person to catch a perfect game wearing the uniform of the Oakland A’s?

Hint: #1  It was not, however, the first time he caught a no-hitter in the majors.

Hint: #2  His name, eventually pronounced correctly by a famous Italian-American broadcaster, caused pronunciation issues later on for the same announcer.

A.  JIM PAGLIARONI   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Catfish Hunter’s perfect game on 08-May-1968 had Pagliaroni behind the plate.

-  #1  Pagliaroni caught the no-hitter of Red Sox teammate Bill Monbouquette on 01-Aug-1962.  More than 60 catchers have caught more than one no-hitter.

-  #2  Phil Rizzuto at the mic for NYY eventually became comfortable with the last name of his fellow Italian-American, Pagliaroni.  However, when Mike Pagliarulo joined NYY in 1984, Scooter struggled at first.

FCR -  Anthony Biats, Willoughby, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Gene Tenace, Chris Canizzaro Jim Payton, Ray Fosse, Phil Roof, Rene Lachemann, Dave Duncan

 

 

SATURDAY — 30-Dec

Q.  Who was the first player to homer in the same game he received four intentional walks?

Hint: #1  He homered twice in his first World Series game.

Hint: #2  His middle name was Bernard, but everyone knew him by his nickname.

A.  TED KLUSZEWSKI   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans. 4 IBB + HR = 07-Sep-51.  Then, ½ century later, add Manny Ramirez 05-Jun-2001.  Both of these games were 18-inning affairs.

-  #1  In G #1 of 1959 WS, hit HR in 3^rd & 4^th innings.

-  #2  He was “Klu” or “Big Klu” to everyone.

FCR -  Gary Moore, Walker, Michigan

Incorrect guesses:  Barry Bonds, Willie Aikens

 

 

SUNDAY — 31-Dec

Q.  Who is the only Modern Era player to win a batting title and lead the majors in batting and have a WAR that year of less than 3.0?

Hint: #1  He was the first Red Sox player to receive any Rookie of the Year votes.

Hint: #2  Following retirement from baseball he went to work at his wife’s antiques store.  It was conveniently located just

A.  BILLY GOODMAN   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Goodman led MLB in avg in 1950 w/.354.  His WAR was 2.7.  He played 73 G for BAL in 1957.

-  #1  A rookie in 1948, Goodman finished tied for 4^th in MLB’s 2^nd-ever ROY vote.

-  #2  The antiques store had opened in Sarasota,  FL, the spring training home of BOS during his decade with them.  The store was fortunately close to BOS’ Payne Park, site of their spring training facilities at the time.

R -  Rich Lerner, Silver Spring, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Pete Runnels, Carl Yastrzemski

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE (YEAR’S too!) — 31-Dec

Q.  Which one-time Pirates’ sidearm relief pitcher began and ended his major league career on different teams in the same city in the same league?

Hint: #1  He missed out on the chance for a twenty-win season one year by being ejected from his last start.

Hint: #2  He earned one of the first official saves in baseball history.

A.  DAVE WICKERSHAM   [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  KCA & KCR are, of course, both AL teams.  Wickersham pitched in 11 G for PIT in 1968.

-  #1  Pitching for DET vs. NYY on 01-Oct-1964(1), he was ejected by 1^st base umpire Bill Valentine.  Details.

-  #2  Earned KCR’s 1^st-ever save on 12-Apr-1969, pitching for KCR vs. NYY.  Only 5 other AL pitchers had earned saves before Wickersham's.

FCR -  Bill Deane, Cooperstown

Incorrect guesses:  Kent Tekulve, Pete Mikkelsen

 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Veterans who retired after playing the first season of a 1960s expansion franchise.  Their dawn/his sunset.

 

Veteran        Expanding Team                   Record              Career WAR

 

Ashburn............1962   New York Mets............... 40-120............................. 64.3

 

Face.................1969   Montreal Expos.............. 52-110............................. 20.6

 

Garcia............. 1961   Washington Senators..... 61-100............................. 30.4

 

Goodman........ 1962   Houston Colt 45s............. 64-96............................. 27.2

 

Kluszewski...... 1961   Los Angeles Angels........ 70-91............................. 31.4

 

Pagliaroni........ 1969   Seattle Pilots.................. 64-98-1............................. 15.8

 

Podres............. 1969   San Diego Padres.......... 52-110............................. 29.8

 

Wickersham.... 1969 Kansas City Royals.......... 69-93............................. 7.5

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Ken Kirk, Corning, New York (After Face)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Offensive HOFers with the fewest career home runs

 

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2023-12-18 Consecutive games played streaks 500-512

 

MONDAY  — 18-Dec

Q.  Who was the first player to reach base in an All-Star game?

Hint: #1  He became, shortly thereafter, the first player to steal a base in an All-Star game.

Hint: #2  His first manager in the majors was Ty Cobb.

A.  CHARLIE GEHRINGER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In the first AL/NL All-Star game 06-Jul-1933, Gehringer was walked by NL starter Bill Hallahan in the 1^st inning with 1 out.

-  #1  The next batter was Babe Ruth who struck out while Gehringer stole second.

-  #2  Cobb managed DET 1921-1926.  Gehringer broke in with DET in 1924.

FCR -  Tom Veal, Spanaway, Washington

Incorrect guesses:  Al Simmons, Chick Hafey, Harry Heilmann

 

 

TUESDAY  — 19-Dec

Q.  Which batter did Sandy Koufax strike out than any other?

Hint: #1  He is the first player in the majors to have played Babe Ruth League baseball.

Hint: #2Three other players from his high school became All-Stars in the majors.

Hint: #3  This Double-Unique Gold Glove winner and four-time All-Star had two hundred or more hits in a season four times.  Ten times his hit total exceeded one hundred fifty.

A.  VADA PINSON   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Pinson had 34 K vs. Koufax.  The others who went down 30 or more times against Koufax are Wally Post (32) & Ernie Banks (31).

-  #1  The Babe Ruth League Official Magazine of 1965 lists him as an alum.

-  #2  Ernie Lombardi, Frank Robinson and Curt Flood also attended McClymonds HS in Oakland, California.

-  #3  Pinson stats here.

FCR -  Thomas Nester, Ft. Myers, Florida

Incorrect guesses:  Wally Post

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 20-Dec

Q.  Who hit twenty-five home runs before the All-Star Game one year, all left-handed, then hit his first right-handed homer of the season in that Game?

Hint: #1  He is a winner of the Dick Howser Trophy.

Hint: #2   No other batter in major league history has hit home runs from each side of the plate in the same game more times than he has.

A.  MARK TEIXEIRA   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  In the 2005 season, Teixeira hit 25 HR off 22 different right-handed pitchers (Only 9 of which ever were All-Stars), the 25^th coming 2 days before the 2005 ASG.  In that G, he homered off lefty Dontrell Willis in the 6^th inning.  The  big 1^st baseman hit another 18 the rest of the season.  His 43 was 4^th in the AL that year.

-  #1  Teixeira won the Dick Howser Trophy in 2000 as the National Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year playing for Georgia Tech 1997-2000.

-  #2  Teixeira homered from each side of the plate in a major league game 14 times, the 14^th coming on 31-Jul-2015.  His record was equaled 3 weeks later by former teammate Nick Swisher on 22‑Aug‑2015.

FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Ken Caminiti, Eddie Murray, Chipper Jones, Robin Ventura, Jason Varitek, Mickey Mantle

 

 

THURSDAY  — 21-Dec

Q.  Who led the American League and the majors in stolen bases in back-to-back seasons at the height of Ty Cobb’s career, setting the all-time single season record for steals in the Modern Era?

Hint: #1  He was the runner on third base when teammate Germany Schaefer, who had safely reached second base, broke from second for… um…  first!

Hint: #2  He played for sixteen years and then coached for seventeen years for the same team.

A.  CLYDE MILAN   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Milan would lead MLB in SB in 1912 (88) & 1913 (75).  Cobb led 2 of the season before & 3 of the 4 seasons after Milan’s peak.  Milan’s 88) only stood until Cobb broke it in 1915 with 96.  That record lasted until 1962 & Maury Wills.

-  #1  In a G on 04-Aug-1911(1), in the bottom of the 9^th of a scoreless tie, Schaefer stole 2^nd, hoping to draw a throw from CHW C Fred Payne, allowing—in theory—teammate Milan, who was on 3^rd with the potential winning run, to steal home.  When that didn’t happen, Schaefer ran back to 1^st without a throw.  Read details here.  [In 1991 in an interview for “The Glory of Their Times”, a retired Davy Jones refers to an earlier instance where Schaefer pulled the same stunt with Jones on third.  Jones was unable, however, to provide documentation, or even a date.]

-  #2  Milan played for and coached the Washington Senators.

  FCR -  Joe Haardt, McLean, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Eddie Collins, Nellie Fox, Max Carey, Davey Jones, Sam Crawford

 

 

FRIDAY — 22-Dec

Q.  What pinch-hitter made the last out in the inaugural All-Star game?

Hint: #1  In his last year as a player, he lost the closest race in history for the American League batting average title.

Hint: #2  As a player in fifteen seasons, more than seventeen hundred games and almost seven thousand plates appearances, he was tossed out of a game exactly once.  It was for arguing a call on balls and strikes.

Hint: #3  In twenty-one years as a major league coach, he was ejected exactly once, and that was for a catch/trap call.

A.  TONY CUCCINELLO   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1933 at the first (of what would become annual) MLB All-Star game, Cuccinello was inserted to replace pitcher Carl Hubbell.  Cuccinello fanned against Lefty Grove, who picked up the retroactively-awarded first save in ASG history. 

-  #1  Cuccinello lost the batting title to NYY’s Snuffy Stirnweiss by 0.000086 or 0.308544 to 0.308458.  Both were among the smallest men in the game:  Cuccinello was 5’7” to Stirnweiss’ 5’8”; 160 to 175 lbs.  Read more in the bio above.

-  #2  With an unheard of low level of on-field disagreement, Cuccinello must have had true baseball equanimity.  Voice of Tony Cuccinello here.

-  #3 Umpire  & former teammate Lon Warneke was responsible for the 1^st ejection  The 2^nd & final ejection was at the hands of Beans Reardon.

FCR -  Dave Williams, Glastonbury, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Joe DiMaggio, Earl Averill, Pie Traynor

 

 

SATURDAY  — 23-Dec

Q.  Which former Chicago Cub had at least a hundred runs batted in per season in ten out of twelve consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1  No American League batter has hit more career three-home run games.

Hint: #2  He emphasized orange and black on his way out.

A.  JOE CARTER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  From his 121 in 1986 w/CLE to his 102 in 1997 w/TOR, he only missed twice.  Carter played for CHC in 1983, but only had 1 RBI for them.

-  #1  Carter hit 4 for CLE & 1 for TOR.  He is tied at 5 G by ALers Mookie Betts, Carlos Delgado & Alex Rodriguez

-  #2  His last two stops in the majors were BAL for 85 G and SFO  for 41 G, both in 1998.

FCR -  Tom McLaughlin, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Carlos Delgado, Jimmie Foxx, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa

 

 

SUNDAY  — 24-Dec

Q.  Who was the first twentieth-century major leaguer to steal at least seventy bases in three consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1  He partially overlapped that stretch by leading the league three straight seasons in caught stealing.

Hint: #2  He still holds the all-time mark for number of outs made in a single season.

A.  OMAR MORENO   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1978-80, Moreno safely stole 71, 77 & 96* bases respectively.

-  #1  In 1980-82, he was caught 33, 13 & 36 X.

-  #2  For PIT in 1980, Moreno made 560 outs, breaking the record of 545 set just the year before b erstwhile teammate Frank Taveras.  [Note how many leaders for this stat are BB.]

* MON’s Ron LeFlore stole 97 that year for the NL lead.  The redoubtable Rickey Henderson stole 100 for OAK to lead MLB.

FCR -  Warren Kent, Whitehall, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Clyde Milan, Vince Coleman, Germany Schaefer, Maury Wills, Max Carey, Lou Brock

 

WEEK’S THEME – Consecutive games played streaks 500-512.

 

 

Gs      Player                         From                          To          WAR

511..... Gehringer................... 03-Sep-1927..... thru..... 07-May-1931... 84.8

504..... Gehringer................... 05-Jun-1932...... thru..... 11-Aug-1935... 84.8

 

508..... Pinson........................ 26-Sep-1958..... thru..... 30-May-1962... 54.1

 

507..... Teixeira...................... 21-May-2004..... thru..... 08-Jun-2007... 50.6

 

511..... Milan.......................... 12-Aug-1910..... thru..... 03-Oct-1913... 40.0

 

504..... Cuccinello.................. 9-Jul-1930......... thru..... 24-Aug-1933... 33.8

 

507..... Carter......................... 13-Sep-1988..... thru..... 08-Apr-1992... 19.5

 

503..... Moreno....................... 19-Jun-1979...... thru..... 04-Sep-982..... 9.6

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  HOFers who bat Left and throw Right

 

 

Wed     -  Players born on the 11th of a specific month:  Gehringer May 11, Pinson Aug. 11, Teixeira April 11

 

Fri        -  Players who had a consecutive game streak of more than 500 and less than 510

 

Sun      -  511 or less consecutive games played

 

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