Sunday, May 26, 2024

2024-May-20 Players, wo when mentioned, call to mind the well-known women in their lives

MONDAY  — 20-May

Q.  Who was the first Red Sox player to hit fifty or more doubles in a season more than once?

Hint: #1  He is tied for second behind DiMaggio for the second longest hitting streak in Boston Sox history.

Hint: #2  In his fourteen years in the majors, the one-time Oakland A’s player, hit .300 or more nine times, twice winning the batting title.

A.  NOMAR GARCIAPARRA   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 2000,  Garciaparra hit 51 2B, in 2002, 56.

-  #1  Garciaparra’s 30-G hitting streak in 1997 (Setting the AL record for rookies) tied the 30 that Tris Speaker had in 1912.  They both trail Dom DiMaggio’s 34-gamer in 1949.

-  #2  His career stretched from 1996 to 2009.  In 1999 he hit .357, in 2000, .372.  He spent his final season with OAK.

FCR -  Tony Monti, Whitestone, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Tris Speaker, Carney Lansford, Dave Henderson, Wade Boggs, Ellis Burks, Tommy Tucker

 

 

TUESDAY  — 21-May

Q.  Whose famous avian nickname was the result of his gait and confidence?

Hint: #1  He was voted "baseball's most popular player" in a Chicago newspaper poll.

Hint: #2  He voluntarily shortened his career because of his love of theater and acting.

Hint: #3  He hit .340 for the American League Baltimore Orioles in their debut season, playing with four future Hall of Famers.

A.  MIKE DONLIN   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Donlin’s nickname was “Turkey”.

-  #1  The Sean Casey of his day the New York Giants’ Donlin was voted "baseball's most popular player" in a 1908 Chicago newspaper poll, beating Honus Wagner by a large margin.

-  #2  Donlin entertained wherever he was, amusing teammates but not always amusing management.

-  #3  Donlin was a member of the AL team in Baltimore (BLA) in 1901.  Player/manager of that team was John McGraw.  Even with Roger Bresnahan, Joe McGinnity & Wilbert Robinson, they were only able to manage a 5th-place finish in the newly-formed AL.

FCR -  Bill Henry, East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Incorrect guesses:  Ron Cey, George Kell, Ken Harrelson, Georg Kell, Johnny Damon, King Kelly

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 22-May

Q.  Who would be known as the player completing the second ever World Series triple play had the current system of review been available at the time?

Hint: #1  He was recruited to play football at Oklahoma by Coach Barry Switzer.

Hint: #2  His World Series ring arrived two years after he received his Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

A.  KELLY GRUBER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Replay shows that he clearly tagged Sanders in the 3rd G of the 1992 WS.

-  #1  Gruber excelled in football & baseball at Westlake HS (Texas).

-  #2  Got GG & SS in 1990.  Won WS with TOR in 1992.

FCR -  Gilles Renaud, Long Sault, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Darin Erstad, Ed Sprague, Devon White, Bill Wambsganss

 

MIDWEEK BONUS — 22-May

Q.  Which infielder granted free agency by his team less than three weeks after he was named World Series MVP?

Hint: #1  He replaced a legend at third base.

Hint: #2  He played for five teams in the majors in his thirteen-year career and did ten years as an on-air analyst for yet a sixth team.

A.  RAY KNIGHT   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing for NYM, Knight was named the 1986 WS MVP on 27-Oct then essentially released on 12‑Nov1986.

-  #1  Knight took over at 3B for CIN fill-time in after Pete Rose departed for PHI in 1978.  Knight had already played there for CIN since 1974.  When Rose went full-time to outfield positions, Knight became their regular Hot Corner guy.  From 1979-1981, Knight averaged 139 G at 3B per season for CIN.

-  #2  Knight played for CIN, HOU, NYM, BAL & DET from 1974, 1977-1988 and was an analyst for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network's coverage of WSN from 2007 to 2018.

FCR -  Michael Ageno, Alamo, California

Incorrect guesses:  Doug DeCinces

 

 

THURSDAY  — 23-May

Q.  Which one-time Cincinnati Reds shortstop is the only manager to win 500 games with each of three different teams in the same league?

Hint: #1  He appeared as himself on numerous television shows.

Hint: #2  He was the first player to wear uniform #7 for the New York Yankees.

A.   LEO DUROCHER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Durocher won 738 w/BRO; 637 w/NYG; & 535 w/CHC.  When he retired, his total of 2,008 wins was second only to John McGraw’s 2,763 in NL wins.  Durocher has since been passed in NL W’s by Walter Alston & Bobby Cox.  Durocher played for CIN 1930-33.

-  #1  Durocher on TV:    - Hosted the TV series “Double Play” with his wife in 1953.

- Was a mystery guest on “What's My Line” on 31-May-1951.*

- Was himself on “The Beverly Hillbillies” on 10-Apr-1963.

- Was himself on “Mr. Ed” on 29-Sep-1963.

- Was himself on “The Munsters” on 08-Apr-1965.

- Etc.

*His wife Laraine Day was on the celebrity panel that day.

-  #2  Durocher wore #7 for NYY in 1929, the first season the team put numbers on all uniforms, the first team to do so.

FCR -  Vince Guerrieri, Elyria, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Casey Stengel, Billy Martin

 

 

FRIDAY — 24-May

Q.  Who is in his sixth season managing minor league teams in the Toronto Blue Jays organization?

Hint: #1  As a player, he used to “ski” down the aisle of the team's chartered plane on a serving tray.

Hint: #2  His total major league postseason experience was a single plate appearance, but in college, he was on a team that won the NCAA D-1 national championship.

A.  CASEY CANDAELE   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Candaele’s four most recent seasons (including 2024) have been at the AAA level.

-  #1  Astros’ management 1988-93 must have been unusually patient.

-  #2  Candaele played for the University of Arizona which won the college World Series in 1980.

- Candaele bonus video

FCR -  Scott Morissey, Hamilton, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Jon Schneider

 

 

SATURDAY — 25-May

Q.  Who is the only major leaguer to be on two MLB World Series-winning teams, two College World Series-winning teams and a Gold Medal winning team for his country in the Olympics?

Hint: #1  Only he, Hank Greenberg and Lance Parrish all wore uniform #5 for one season for a certain franchise, a major league franchise that’s now more than a century and a quarter old.

Hint: #2  His father played in the majors and never saw any postseason action, but played with fourteen Hall of Famers.

A.   ED SPRAGUE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  MLB = TOR in 1992, 1993; NCAA = Stanford in 1987, 1988; & Gold Medal in the Olympic Games in 1988 (Seoul).

-  #1  Each wore #5 in their lone season with the Pittsburgh Pirates after lengthy careers with other teams.

-  #2  His father, also named Ed Sprague pitched for OAK (Fingers, Hunter, Jackson, La Russa); CIN (Anderson, Bench, Morgan, Perez); STL (Brock, Gibson, Simmons, Torre); & MIL (Aaron, Yount). 

FCR -  Scott Morissey, Hamilton, Ontario Dick Hall

Incorrect guesses:  David Ross, Ian Kinsler, Bill Madlock, Jason Varitek, Dick Hall, Kirk Gibson

 

SUNDAY  — 26-May

Q.  Which former Tiger was only the second overall number one pick in the draft to start and win his first game in the majors?

Hint: #1  In college, he received the Baseball America College Player of the Year award, one of only three pitchers to win the award and be drafted number one overall.

Hint: #2  His sole career home run in the majors was off former teammate Pedro Martinez.

A.  KRIS BENSON   [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Benson was selected in the 1st Round (#1 overall) of the 1996 MLB June Amateur Draft.  Played for the Clemson Tigers in college.  Benson won his MLB debut G 09-Apr-1999.

-  #1  Won the BACP POY in 1996.  The other #1-pick pitchers to win:  Be McDonald in 1989 & Stephen Strasburg in 2009.

-  #2  Benson’s HR+  17-Jul-2006.

FCR -  Doug Greenwald, San Francisco

Incorrect guesses:  Mark Fidrych, Tim Belcher, David Price

 

WEEK’S THEME – Players, wo when mentioned, call to mind the well-known women in their lives

 

 

Candaele................... Son of Helen Callaghan St. Aubin played for the All-American Girls PBL

Gruber....................... Son of Gloria (Hunt) King who was Miss Texas

Benson...................... Married to Anna Adams Benson

Durocher................... Married to Laraine Day

Donlin........................ Married to Mabel Hite

Knight........................ Married to Nancy Lopez

Garciaparra............... Married to Mia Hamm

Sprague..................... Married to Olympic gold medalist Kristen Babb-Sprague

 

 

Some (among many others) who would qualify

Joe DiMaggio – Married to Marylin Monroe

Justin Verlander -  Married to Kate Upton

Alex Rodriguez – Arm candy of Jennifer Lopez

Jackie Robinson – Married to Rachael Robinson

Roberto Clemente – Married to Vera Clemente

David Justice – Married to Halle Barry

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tue      -  Players married to famous women

            -  Players with wives more famous than they are

 

Thur     -  MLB player with celebrity wives

 

Fri        -  Players who were married to star athletes or actresses

 

If you know someone who would enjoy receiving daily Horsehide Trivia questions, they need only drop an email message to horsehidetrivi@aol.com.

 

Click here => FULL WEEK to see this week’s quiz, compete with questions, answers and even the incorrect guesses.

 

Scroll back to see previous Horsehide Trivia posts as far back as 2010.  Quizzes before that may also be available upon request.

 

 

Horsehide Trivia encourages independent research.  ⚾️

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment