2024-09-02 Notable pitchers who hit walkoff home runs

MONDAY  — 02-Sep

Q.  Who was the first member of the Gas House Gang to grace the cover of Time magazine?

Hint: #1  He is the last National League pitcher to win thirty games in a season.

Hint: #2  He is the only pitcher to get two hits in one inning in a World Series game.

A.  DIZZY DEAN  [SABR Bio].

-  Ans.  Dean’s smiling face appears on the cover of the15-Apr-1935 issue of Time magazine (Vol. XXV, no. 15).  [They got his middle name wrong on the cover:  “Herman” instead of “Hanna”]

-  #1  His record in 1934 was 30-7 & was named NL MVP.

-  #2  In the 3^rd inning of G 7 of the 1934 WS, Dean had hits off Elden & Elon; specifically off DET’s Auker & Hogsett, a 2B & 1B respectively.

FCR -  Stuart Klugman, St. Charles, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Jerome Dean

 

 

TUESDAY  — 03-Sep

Q.  Which pitcher lost the league most valuable player award to a teammate in spite of having more first place votes and the highest WAR in the majors?

Hint: #1  His efforts helped his franchise win a historic pennant.

Hint: #2  There exists a treasure trove of stories about him, most of which, however, are of questionable authenticity.

Hint: #3  His son, also a major leaguer, was a presenter at SABR’s national convention #45 in Chicago.

A.  DIZZY TROUT   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In the 1944 AL MVP vote, Trout had 10.0 1^st-place votes to Hal Newhouser’s 7.0.  Trout’s WAR in 1944 was 10.9.

-  #1  Although they had won 7 AL pennants, 1945 was only DET’s 2^nd WS win.

-  #2  All, notwithstanding, are very entertaining to read.  Begin with the SABR Bio (above) then advance to 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

-  #3  Some photos of SABR 45.

FCR -  Jason Winston, Riverside, California

Incorrect guesses:  Bob Gibson, Steve Bedrosian, Roger Clemens, Yogi Berra, Bill Lee, Bucky Walters, Robin Roberts

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 04-Sep

Q.  Which Hall of Famer , a one-time Red Sox hurler, took a no-hitter into the 8^th inning against the Phillies in his major league debut?

Hint: #1  He had six seasons with twenty games won and won twenty-five or more three times.

Hint: #2  In his storied sixteen-year major league career, he not only never won a Cy Young Award, he received a total of exactly one (1!) CYA vote and that was after his Hall of Fame credentials were well established.

A.  JUAN MARICHAL   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Marichal broke in with a bang on 19-Jul-1960, in the 48^th G ever played at Candlestick Park.  Clay Dalrymple got the lone Phillies hit with 2 outs in the 8th.  Marichal pitched for BOS in 1974.

-  #1  The Dominican Dandy’s record here.

-  #2  Marichal received the singular CYA vote that placed him tied for 8^th place, in the 1971 ballot.

FCR -  Tom Bowen, Dallas

Incorrect guesses:  John Smoltz, Luis Tiant, Pedro Martinez

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  — 04-Sep

Q.  Which pitcher has the highest batting average in major league history?  (500 AB min)

Hint: #1  His twenty-one career triples is tied for third most among twentieth century pitchers.

Hint: #2  His only World Series experience was as a twenty-two year-old second-year player.

A.  GEORGE UHLE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1,365 AB over 17 seasons, Uhle hit an impressive .289.

-  #1  Since 1900, Walter Johnson hit 41 triples; George Mullin had 23; & Uhle is tied w/Carl Mays at 21.

-  #2  Uhle pitched in Gs 2 & 3 of the 1920 WS.  He surrendered no R over 3 innings with only 1 batter reaching base.

FCR -  Bill Carle, Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Incorrect guesses:  Wes Ferrell, Carl Mays, Cy Young, Bullet Joe Bush, Don Newcombe, Jim Kaat

 

 

THURSDAY  — 05-Sep

Q.  Which San Francisco Giants reliever trails only Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm in number of pitching victories as a reliever?

Hint: #1  He was the first Yankee pitcher to bat in a game after the advent of the designated hitter.

Hint: #2  He also qualifies for last week’s theme.

A.  LINDY McDANIEL   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Wilhelm had 124 relief W; McDaniel had 119, just ahead of Rich Gossage’s 115.

-  #1  On 25-Sep-1973, McDaniel came to bat 2 X.  He struck out in the 10^th & 13^th innings.  MIL beat NYY in the next inning w/McDaniel on the mound.

-  #2  McDaniel finished with KCR in 1974 & 1975.

FCR -  Jay Kriegel, Oklahoma City

Incorrect guesses:  Rich Gossage, Dave Righetti, Ken Brett, Gaylord Perry, Firpo Marberry

 

 

FRIDAY — 06-Sep

Q.  Who set a post-World-War-II appearance record for Pirates’ pitchers that does not now even crack the team’s top fifty?

Hint: #1  In his first year with the Dodgers, he led the league in pitching wins and helped the team win their first pennant in more than two decades.

Hint: #2  He wrote an autobiography in his years after baseball.  It was one of many attempts to help keep the household finances in the black.

A.  KIRBY HIGBE   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Higbe started 8 G for PIT in 1948 & finished 31, but all told, he appeared on the mound for them 56 times.  Their current record is 94, set by Kent Tekulve in 1979 & tied by Salomon Torres in 2006.

-  #1  Higbe joined BRO in 1941, had a record of 22-9 as the Bums won their 2^nd Modern Era pennant, the 1^st since 1920.  His own teammate, Whitlow Wyatt, tied with a team & league high 22 W.

-  #2  His book was called “The High Hard One”  In it, Higbe is frank about his career & his life after baseball.  The latter portion is perhaps a little too frank.

FCR -  Michael Green, Las Vegas

Incorrect guesses:  Clem Labine, Preacher Roe, Roy Face, Hugh Casey, Vinegar Bend Mizell

 

 

SATURDAY — 07-Sep

Q.  Which one-time Oriole reliever added nine wins to his major-league-leading eighty-three pitching appearances one season?

Hint: #1  His career WAR is the best of any major league pitcher born in Germany in the twentieth century.

Hint: #2  He was the winning pitcher in the championship game when his college became D‑1 NCAA champions.

Hint: #3  He was once hit in the leg with a live batted ball during a major league game as he sat in the bullpen.

A.  CRAIG LEFFERTS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1986, his 4^th season in MLB, Lefferts had 9 wins among his all time Padres’ record of 83 appearances.  He played for the O’s in 1992.

-  #1  Lefferts was born on 29-Sep-1957, in Munich.  His US Air Force father was stationed there at the time.  Full list.

-  #2  He was the winning pitcher in the 1980 College World Series title game, leading the University of Arizona Wildcats to a 5-3 victory over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. He was named to the 1980 College World Series all-tournament team.

-  #3  Dugout incident.

FCR -  Anthony Zydlewski, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Moe Drabowski, Edwin Jackson, Tim Stoddard, Hoyt Wilhelm, Will Ohman

 

SUNDAY  — 08-Sep

Q.  Who pitched in eight seasons in The Bigs with twenty-five percent plus of his starts resulting in complete games?

Hint: #1  He was the Opening Day starting pitcher the very next spring after accounting for twenty of the teams 94 losses season the previous campaign.

Hint: #2  He worked in his local Roller Derby Association.

A.  GLEN HOBBIE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Hobbie had 170 GS in 1957-1964 of which 45 were CG.

-  #1  Hobbie had 20 pitching losses in 1960 for CHC, but was their Opening Day pitcher in the 1961 season in Cincinnati.

-  #2  After retiring from baseball, Hobbie worked as a supervisor for the Roller Derby Association in Litchfield, Illinois.

FCR -  Rick Fink, Edison, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Dick Ellsworth, Eddie Harris

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 08-Sep

Q.  Which former Tiger played for the Yankees and  Braves but did not go to the postseason with either, instead was on another team that won three consecutive pennants with a Hall of Fame manager?  That manager was in that position for 18 seasons, never managing for any other major league team.

Hint: #1  In his third season in the majors he was the pitcher in one of his franchise’s most dominant one-sided victories ever.

Hint: #2  Remove his first name and add a g at the end and you’ve got a U.S. president.

Hint: #3  Seven of his teammates and two of his managers in the majors are now enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame

A.  JIM HARDIN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Hardin played 1972 w/ATL; 12 G in 1971 w/NYY; but 1967 to 1971 was with BAL,  including their AL pennants in ’69, 70 & 71 & WS title in 1970.  HOF Manager Earl Weaver was BAL’s skipper from 1968 to 1982 & 1985-86.  In college, Hardin played for the University of Memphis Tigers.

-  #1  On 27-Jul-1969 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, the Orioles, with Hardin on the mound, dominated CHW 17-0.  He gave up  2 H but no R.

-  #2  James Warren Hardin would become Warren Harding.

-  #3  Hardin’s MLB HOFers:  Hank Aaron, Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda., Eddie Mathews, Phil Niekro, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson & Earl Weaver.

FCR -  Nicholas Miller, Deerfield Beach, Florida

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Notable pitchers who hit walkoff home runs

 

Pitcher          Date                Off                      Career HR      &                  WAR

DEAN........... 06-Aug-1935........ Emmett Nelson................ 8............................. 46.2

Hardin.......... 10-May-1969........ Moe Drabowsky.............. 3.............................. 4.7

Higbe............ 11-Sep-1947........ Johnny Sain.................... 3............................. 17.7

Hobbie......... 25-Aug-1960........ Vinegar Bend Mizell........ 4.............................. 5.9

Lefferts......... 25-Apr-1986......... Greg Minton.................... 1.............................. 8.9

MARICHAL.. 21-Sep-1966........ Roy Face......................... 4............................. 62.9

McDaniel...... 06-Jun-1963........ Billy Pierce...................... 3............................. 28.2

Trout............ 24-May-1947........ Gordon Maltzberger...... 20............................. 49.9

Uhle.............. 25-May-1926........ Win Ballou....................... 9............................. 55.5

 

ALL CAPS = HOF

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Jesus M. Hills, Seoul, Korea

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Grammatically challenged players who became famous announcers

            -  Most wins for a pitcher through age 30 and no wins after that

            -  Players who went on to be announcers

            -  Players known by a name not truly their own

 

Tues    -  Players with vertiginous nicknames

 

Wed     -  Players with (more) famous nicknames who were also snubbed for awards

 

Thur     -  Pitchers who won at least 26 games in a season after 1920

 

 

 

 

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