MONDAY — 05-Aug
Q. Who won
a season batting average title with the highest average ever recorded in major
league history?
Hint: #1
He was the first player to have a string of more than five consecutive seasons
with at least 100 RBI?
Hint: #2
A Hall of Fame manager once said about him, “He plays the outfield
carrying a crystal ball. He is always
there to make the catch.”
A. HUGH DUFFY [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Duffy hit .440* (Not a typo)
in 1894 with Boston’s National League team, ATL today.
-
#1 Duffy did it 7 times in a row. From 1893-99 he registered 118, 145, 100, 113,
129, 108 & 102 respectively. He
didn’t lead the league even once in that run even though he had in 1891
with 110.
-
#2 Cap Anson, player/manager of the
Chicago Colts, Cubs today. His comment
is ironic since Anson was the one who rejected Duffy earlier because he, “…looked more like a batboy than a player.”
FCR - Jim
Casey, Savannah
* Please read the introduction here.
Incorrect guesses: Hugh Kelly, Ty Cobb, Josh Gibson, Willie Mays,
Nap Lajoie, Oscar Charleston, Rogers Hornsby, Bill Terry
TUESDAY — 06-Aug
Q. Whose record for most total bases in one National
League game did Chuck Klein break?
Hint:
#1 He led the National League in OPS and
OPS+ for six straight years.
Hint:
#2 He served as a night watchman &
press box attendant at the Polo Grounds after he retired.
A. DAN BROUTHERS [Wiki Bio]
- Ans. Brouthers
had 15 TB in a G on 10-Sep-1886. Klein
racked up 16 in a G on 10-Jul-1936.
- #1 Look
for the black ink here.
- #2 At
least it kept him close to the game.
FCR
- Victor Piacentile, Yorktown Heights,
New York
Incorrect guesses: Rogers Hornsby, Jesse Burkett, Wee Willie
Keeler, Mel Ott Jim Bottomley, Frankie Frisch, Zack Wheat, George Burns
TUESDAY
TWICE — 06-Aug
Q. Which
BBTL corner infielder had his twenty-three-year old career home run record
broken by an erstwhile Boston pitcher?
Hint: #1
He was the first player to win a game with a grand slam with two outs in
the bottom of the ninth inning.
Hint:
#2 He purchased a minor league team
after his playing days.
A. ROGER CONNOR [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Connor retired in 1897 with
138 career HR. Babe Ruth’s 139th
was hit on 18-Jul-1921. Brouthers’ 58th had passed the
career total of Harry Stovey. Connor was
a switch-hitter
and threw lefty.
- #1 On
the 10-Sep-1881
- #2 He bought
the Waterbury team of the Connecticut League.
FCR
- Gabe Kinstlinger, Reisterstown,
Maryland
Incorrect
guesses: Gavvy Cravath, Frank Baker, Socks Seybold, Rabbit Benton
WEDNESDAY — 07-Aug
Q. Which first baseman hit at least nineteen
triples each year six years in a row.
Hint:
#1 He umpired one major league game
toward the end of his career.
Hint:
#2 He was known to hide the baseball
under a base in order to entice a runner to take a lead.
A. JAKE BECKLEY [SABR Bio]
- Ans. With
22 n 1890 and 19 each 1891-1895, every year but 1 in the Top 5.
-
#1 Showing he much he was
universally trusted, he was the home plate ump on 09-Sep-1906(2) between his Cards & CIN. The latter prevailed.
-
#2 According to Baseball, the Biographical Encyclopedia, Beckley “developed a hidden ball trick that was all his
own: he hid the ball under a corner of the base, and when the runner took a
lead, Beckley quickly reached under the base, grabbed the ball, and tagged the
runner out. One day he reportedly lifted the wrong corner of the bag, and Honus
Wagner zipped down to second, laughing all the way.” Much thanks to 25-year Horsehide Trivia
reader Bill Deane for that research morsel.
It comes directly from Bill’s book, Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015).
FCR
- Jon Symons, Winnipeg
Incorrect
guesses: Hal Chase, Cap Anson, Frank
Chance, Charles Comiskey, Sam Crawford, George Sisler, Cy Young
MIDWEEK
BONUS — 07-Aug
Q. Which
member of the pitching staff of the St. Louis Browns had a career year with sixty-four
starts and sixty-four complete games with an ERA under 2.00 yet didn’t get a
single vote for the Cy Young Award?
Hint: #1
His team captured the league crown that year with ninety-two wins,
forty-five of which were his.
Hint:
#2 He never attended a baseball game
after he retired at age twenty-nine.
A. SILVER KING [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1888 for STL in the AA. CYA not awarded until 1955. Not aware of any similar recognition for
excellent pitching. Silver King
passed away in 1938.
-
#1 STL was in the American Association, a major league 1882-1891.
-
#2 The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
said in 1918, Silver King—Charles Frederick Koenig—had not attended a baseball
game since his career ended 20 years earlier.
FCR - Richard
Klee, North Hollywood, California
Incorrect
guesses: George Bradley, Bob Caruthers,
Nim Goggin, Charles Radbourn,
THURSDAY — 08-Aug
Q. Who
is the only player to lead his league in home runs and triples in the same
season twice?
Hint:
#1 He changed his name so his mother
would not see his name in box scores.
Hint:
#2 He retired with more runs scored than
games played.
A. HARRY STOVEY [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. As a rookie with the 1880 Worcester Ruby Legs, Stovey led the NL with 14 3B & 6 HR. Eleven years later with the 1891 NL Boston team, Stovey again led in both. That year he had 20 3B & 16 HR.
-
#1 Stovey’s mother, like many people
of her time, considered it unsavory to be a ballplayer. Stowe was the family name
-
#2 Played in 1,489 G; scored
1,495 R. This feat has only been
duplicated by his contemporaries, Billy Hamilton and George Gore.
FCR
- Richard Klee, North Hollywood,
California
Incorrect
guesses: Jim Bottomley, Harry Lumley
FRIDAY — 09-Aug
Q. Which
rookie led the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS+?
Hint:
#1 During games he refused to slide and
often stood perched on one leg.
Hint: #2
He named each of his bats and kept hundreds of them in his mother’s
basement.
Hint: #3
He was unnecessarily incarcerated in an insane asylum after his
retirement.
A. PETE BROWNING [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1882 in the Louisville franchise
of the American Association, hit .378, had an OBP of .430
& managed an OPS+ of 223!
He outhit the NL’s Dan Brouthers in all 3 categories.
-
#1 He was well-known for his frequent
odd behavior.
-
#2 He led a life littered with
eccentricities.
- #3 Browning
suffered from mastoiditis, a painful condition that left him nearly deaf. Undiagnosed, it led to frequent
misunderstandings.
FCR
- Daniel Wilson, St. Paul, Minnesota
Incorrect
guesses: Jimmy Piersall, Tony Oliva,
Hughie Jennings, Joe Sewell
SATURDAY
— 10-Aug
Q. Who was the first player to lead his league in
RBI hitting fewer than five home runs that same season?
Hint: #1
The award given annually by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to the
top Canadian in baseball is name for him.
Hint: #2
In his best season he hit .492.
A. TIP O’NEILL [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1886, O’Neill had 103
RBI but only 3 HR for the AA’s STL.
-
#1 Click for the Tip O’Neill Award.
-
#2 However, that was in 1887 when
walks were tabulated as hits. Adjusted
to today’s standard, he still hit .435, 2nd highest all-time (see
Monday’s question).
FCR - Tom
Willoughby, Elkridge, Maryland
Incorrect
guesses: Jack Graney, Ross Barnes, Dan
Brouthers,
WEEKEND
BONUS — 10-Aug
Q. Who
was the first player to homer in five consecutive games?
Hint: #1
In the course of his career he played every position on the diamond.
Hint: #2
He did Mickey Mantle one better.
A. HARDY RICHARDSON [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. Richardson went deep in each
of the G on 10-, 11-, 12-, 15- & 15-Jul-1890 playing for the Players League
Boston Reds. This was again brought the
public’s attention when Richardson’s feat was tied by Babe Ruth 10-14-Jun-1920,
30 years later.
-
#1 He caught 6 X and even pitched
5 X.
-
#2 Richardson’s career BA was
.299. Mantle’s was .298.
FCR
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Incorrect
guesses: Cesar Tovar, Jimmie Foxx, Delahanty,
Harry Wright, Bert Campaneris
SUNDAY
— 11-Aug
Q. Which
player became a noted surgeon, practicing at the Mayo Clinic, among other
hospitals?
Hint: #1
He sued the St. Louis franchise owner for false arrest after being held
overnight on a complaint filed by that same owner.
Hint: #2
His nickname was “I am loyal”.
A. MARK BALDWIN [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. He quit baseball at age 29
to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a doctor
& studied at Johns Hopkins & Belville Medical College.
-
#1 St. Louis Browns owner Chris
Von Der Ahe, a gentleman of questionable repute at the best of times, had
Baldwin arrested for conspiring w/O'Neil to sign players from St. Louis to
Pittsburgh shortly thereafter. The
charges were dropped & Baldwin sued von der Ahe for false imprisonment.
After years of litigation, Baldwin won a judgement of $2,525 (equivalent to
$92,000 in 2023) against him in 1897.
-
#2 His nickname, “Fido”,
literally means “I am loyal” or merely “faithful” in Latin.
FCR
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Incorrect
guesses: Bobby Brown, Jimmy Howick
WEEK’S
FINALE — 11-Aug
Q. Which pitcher won his league’s Win-Loss% title
in his one full year in the majors?
Hint:
#1 He played in three major leagues
without changing his city.
Hint:
#2 He never owned a major league team.
A. BILL DALEY [Wiki Bio]
- Ans. Daley
had a record of 3-3 in his brief time w/Boston in the NL in 1889. He
-
#1 In 1889, he played with the
Boston Beaneaters who finished 2nd in the NL. In 1990, he had his best year, playing for
the Boston Reds of the PL. In 1991, his
team was The Boston Reds of the AA.
-
#2 His namesake, William R. Daley
was a businessman & owned two AL franchises. He owned the Cleveland Indians, 1956–1962
& was co-owner of the Seattle Pilots, 1969.
FCR - John Ford, Greenwich, Connecticut
Incorrect
guesses: Jocko Flynn
WEEK’S THEME – Statistical
Leaders for the 1890 Players’ League.*
Opposed to baseball's reserve clause &
a growing movement led by Albert Spalding to cap players' salaries, John
Montgomery Ward & other players in 1885 formed the first players’ union in
baseball—the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players.
These are therefore the
one-season & career leaders of the Players’ League*.
* The apostrophe is
mine. Sorry. I can’t help myself.
Leader Stat # Team Career WAR
................................... W.......... 33........... CHI................... 19.3
................................... G........... 58
................................... CG........ 53
BECKLEY................. 3B......... 22.......... PLP.................. 61.2
BROUTHERS............ OGP... .466......... BOS................. 78.7
Browning.................. BA....... .373......... CLE.................. 40.4
................................... 2B......... 40
CONNOR................... SLG.... .548......... NYI................... 84.3
................................... OPS.... .998
Daley......................... W%..... .720......... BOS................... 1.9
DUFFY....................... R......... 161......... NYI................... 43.1
................................... H......... 191
................................... G......... 137*
King........................... WAR... 12.4......... CHI................... 50.4
................................... ERA.... 2.69
................................... ERA+.. 162
................................... GS........ 56
................................... SHO...... 4
O’Neill........................ G......... 137*........ CHI................... 25.4
Richardson............... HR........ 16.......... BOS................. 41.0
................................... RBI...... 152
................................... TB....... 291
Stovey....................... SB........ 97.......... BOS................. 41.0
ALL
CAPS
= HOF
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent III, Whitehall, Michigan
(After O’Neill)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Mon - Boston
players that have tied for an RBI title
Tues - Players inducted to HOF in 1945
-
HOFers to play in the Players League
-
HOFers that were born in 19th century and played
at one time or another for Phillies
-
Players with 100 or more home runs in 19th century
-
First players to hit 100 career home runs
Wed - Linear
All-time HR Champions
-
Played for a 19th century “world series” winner
Thur - Highest
career WAR for players who played in the Players League
Sat - 19th
century leaders in WAR
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