MONDAY — 09-Sep
Q. Which
former Cy Young Award winner signed what was then the largest major league
contract ever given to a pitcher to change teams, but stayed in his same
television market?
Hint: #1
His new team won the world Series twice when he was there.
Hint: #2
His father composed for Duke Ellington and conducted the London Symphony
Orchestra.
A. BARRY ZITO [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Zito won the CYA in 2002 w/OAK & signed a
7-year deal w/SFG before the w2007 season for $126 million, plus an $18
million option for 2014 with a $7 million buyout, the highest for any pitcher
in MLB history at the time.
-
#1 SFG won the WS in 2010 & 2012. Zito didn’t play in the 2010 postseason &
while he only pitched 5⅔ innings in 1 G of the 2012 Series, his ERA was an
impressive 1.59.
-
#2 Zito had a complicated relationship
with his father, Joe Zito, but Barry inherited a
good portion of musical
talent from him.
FCR - D.J.
Pisano, Cape Town, South Africa
Incorrect guesses: David Cone, Dwight Gooden, Kevin Brown, Andy
Messersmith
IN MEMORIAM — 09-Sep
Q. Who
holds the record for most games played in a New York Mets uniform?
Hint: #1
He was the first New York Mets player to hit one hundred career home
runs.
Hint: #2
He owns the highest single-season batting average for a pinch-hitter.
(Min. 30 AB)
Hint: #3
He was the only Mets position player to be named to an All-Star team,
but never saw any All‑Star playing time.
Hint: #4
When he first came up, he was the youngest player in the majors and only
dropped to 3rd youngest in his second season.
Hunt: #5
He was the first major leaguer to appear on "Saturday Night
Live".
-
Ans. Kranepool played in 1,853 G,
well ahead of 2nd-place David Wright’s 1,585.
-
#1 Kranepool hit the 100th
of his career 118 HR on 03-Aug-1976.
-
#2 He hit .486 in 1974 as a pinch
hitter.
- #3 He made the 1965 NL AS squad, but did not
play.
- #4 He joined the Mets 22-Sep-1962 at 17 years & 318
days old as a left-handed pinch hitter for future Hall of Famer Gil Hodges. He was part of the team’s 116th
loss that year.
- #5 Kranepool never hosted the show, but on 07-Apr-1979,
Season 4, Episode 16,he appeared in an SNL skit during spring training, where
former “Met great” Chico Escuela (Garrett Morris) was attempting to return with
the Mets after writing his tell-all memoir, Bad Stuff About The Mets.
FCR - Douglas
Greenwald, San Francisco
Incorrect guesses: Rusty Staub
TUESDAY — 10-Sep
Q. What pitcher
holds the record for the most strikeouts in a season by a twentieth-century National League
righty?
Hint: #1
He was the first pitcher since Luis Tiant in 1969 to allow ten
extra-base hits in one game.
Hint: #2
“Sports Illustrated” magazine once called him the “Father of the Year”.
A. CURT SCHILLING [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Schilling’s 319
K in 1997 for PHI led MLB.
-
#1 10 EBH on 10-Aug-2006. Tiant had done it on 18-Apr-1969. Jake Peavy tied the mark in 2016.
-
#2 SI article.
FCR - Tony
Hughes, Woodbridge, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Jim Bunning, Pedro Martinez, Nolan Ryan,
Roger Clemens, Tom Seaver, J.R. Richard, Phil Niekro
WEDNESDAY — 11-Sep
Q. Which
one-time Colorado Rockies pitcher surrendered Don Mattingly's record-breaking sixth
grand slam of the 1987 season?
Hint: #1
In his second year with only his second team in the majors, he led the
league in complete games. The next
season he tied for the lead the majors in shutouts.
Hint: #2
He became the first pitcher of the DH Era to strike out thirteen while
allowing only one hit.
A. BRUCE HURST [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Mattingly’s 1987 6th
grand slam was on 29 Sep, just 4 days after his 5th. Mattingly hit no grand slam in any
other season of his 14-year MLN career. Hurst
pitched for COL for 8⅔ innings over 3 G in 1993.
-
#1 W/SDP, Hurst had 10 CG
in 1989 (tied with LAD’s Tim Belcher) & 4 SHO in 1990 (in a
4-way tie w/Dave Stewart, Mike Morgan & Roger Clemens).
-
#2 On 10-Apr-1979, in only his 2nd
start wearing any other uniform than that of BOS, he had 13 Ks and gave up only 1H. It hadn’t been done since Bob Gibson did it in
1970.
FCR - Michael
Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware
Incorrect guesses: Bret Saberhagen, Jose Mesa, Pat Perry
MIDWEEK BONUS — 11-Sep
Q. Who
played for the Israeli national baseball team in the Olympics and was Team
Israel's manager in the World Baseball Classic?
Hint: #1
He is a four-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner and has a World
Series title ring.
Hint: #2
He twice had a 30/30 season.
A. IAN KINSLER [B-R Bio]
-
Ans. He played for the Israeli in the 2020 Summer Olympics. He was the manager of Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
-
#1 Kinsler was AS 3 X for TEX
& once for DET. His GG were 1 X for
DET & 1 X for LAA. He was with BOS
in 2018 when they won their 4th WS this century.
-
#2 Kinsler was 30/30 for TEX in 2009
(31/31) & 2011 (32/30).
FCR - Adam
Balutis, Arlington, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Gabe Kapler, Brad Ausmus, Shawn Green
THURSDAY — 12-Sep
Q. Which
centerfielder, along with Billy Hamilton and Harry Stovey, retired with more
runs scored than games played? (Min.
1,000)
Hint: #1
In his sophomore season in the majors, he led the National League in batting
average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS and OPS but none of it was official.
Hint: #2
He is recorded as the first holdout in major league history.
A. GEORGE GORE [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Hamilton (1,591 G, 1,690 R);
Gore (1,310 G, 1,327 R); Stovey (1,486 G, 1,492 R)
-
#1 Gore’s 1880 year w/CHC was one
for the ages. His BA (.360);
OBP (.399); SLG (.463); OPS (.862);
& OPS+ (185) led the NL & therefore the majors. Batting averages weren’t official until 1887. The others followed at various dates.
-
#2 Prior to the 1879 season
Chicago owner Albert G. Spalding offered Gore a contract for $1,200. Gore countered with $2,500 and became a
“hold-out” by refusing to play or report to team facilities until the contract
was properly negotiated. Eventually the 2 sides agreed to $1,900 for that year.
FCR - Bill
Carle, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Incorrect guesses: Honus Wagner, Willie Keeler, Edd Roush, Tim
Raines, Curt Flood, Sam Thompson
FRIDAY —
13-Sep
Q. Who
went from being drafted by the Mets in the thirteenth round to going first pick
in the first round (first overall) three years later?
Hint: #1
He spent those three seasons playing college baseball and college
football.
Hint: #2
He is the first player to win a Gold Glove at different positions.
A. DARIN ERSTAD [Wiki Bio]
-
Ans. NYM drafted 357th,
the 9th pick of the 13th round in 1992. In 1995, he was drafted #1 overall
by the Angels & received a
signing bonus of $1,575,000.
-
#1 Erstad attended & played
for the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
In baseball, he set the school’s career record for hits with 261, became
co-Player of the Year in the Big Eight Conference & was named a First Team
All-American by Collegiate Baseball. In
football, he was the starting punter on the Cornhuskers football team in 1994, the year of their
National Championship. He averaged 42.6 yards per punt, the 14th
best mark in the country.
-
#2 Erstad was named an outfield Gold
Glove winner in 2000 & 2002. He won
the award again, but at 1st base in 2004.
FCR - Adam
Foldes, Arlington, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Robin Yount, Placido Polanco, Adley Rutschman,
Roger Clemens
SATURDAY — 14-Sep
Q. Whose
cousin had a sip of coffee with the White Sox then two cups with the Indians?
Hint: #1
This former Padre was the last to pitch three complete game victories in
a single World Series.
Hint: #2
He was born right-handed, but once held the career record for strikeouts
by a left-handed pitcher.
A. MICKEY LOLICH [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Lolich’s cousin Ron didn’t do
quite as well as his cousin Mickey.
-
#1 Lolich started and completed G
2, 5 & 7 in the 1968 Fall
Classic. He pitched for SDP
in 1978 & 1979.
-
#2 A falling motorcycle fell on
his 2-year-old clavicle, ironically, his left one. Rehab strengthening was so good, he became a
lefty in sports. A sports writer wrote
of the 23-year-old Lolich, "He now eats, writes and bats right-handed,
pitches left-handed and thinks sideways."”
FCR - Greg
Gits, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Incorrect guesses: Billy Wagner, Sandy Koufax, Lew Burdette, Corey
Kluber
WEEKEND BONUS — 15-Sep
Q. Which
player born outside the United States, was the first native of Hawaii to
receive a Hall of Fame vote?
Hint: #1
He was the first major league pitcher to throw a regular season pitch in
America’s twenty-seventh state.
Hint: #2
He was the only starting player who didn’t get a hit in the Marlins
first ever major league win.
A. CHARLIE HOUGH [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Hough, born in Honolulu
05-Jan-1948. On 21-Aug-1959, President
Eisenhower signed the proclamation that admitted Hawaii as the 50th
U.S. state. Hough received only 4 HOF
votes (8.%) in the HOF vote of
2000 & so has not appeared again on a HOF ballot.
-
#1 See #2 below.
-
#2 Hough was the starting &
winning P in the Florida Marlins’ (Miami Marlins since 2012) 1st
G on 05-Apr-1993, beating his old team,
LAD, 6-3.
FCR - Doug
Greenwald, San Francisco
Incorrect guesses: Kevin Brown, Livan Hernandez, Ron Darling,
Sid Hernandez
SUNDAY — 15-Sep
Q. Who is
the only lefty hurler in the (nearly) century and a half-old history of the
Chicago Cubs to twice lose twenty games in a season?
Hint: #1
He was the last pitcher to give up a home run in Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum.
Hint: #2
Two baseball Hall of Famer greats were also alumni of his high school.
Hint: #3
His son got the chance to play for one of his major league teams.
-
Ans. He’s also the only Cub lefty
to do it even once: 9-20 in 1962 & 8-22 in 1966.
-
#1 LAD’s C, Norm Sherry hit the
13th of his 18 career HR off Ellsworth in the Coliseum’s final MLB
game on 20‑Sep‑1961.
-
#2 Fresno HS, California graduated
both Frank Chance & Tom Seaver.
-
#3 Ellsworth’s son Steve pitched in 8 G for BOS
in 1988.
FCR - Elliott
Frankfother, Rock Falls, Illinois
Incorrect guesses: Erie Broglio
WEEK’S FINALE — 15-Sep
Q. Which
BRTL holds the record for pitchers with the most RBI in World Series play?
Hint: #1
He threw a complete-game shutout in his first major league start.
Hint: #2
As a seventeen-year-old Legion Baseball pitcher, he once struck out
twenty-seven batters in a game.
A. DAVE McNALLY [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. McNally had 2 RBI in G #5 of the 1969 WS & a
grand slam in G #3 in the 1970 WS. In the latter he might have even been a
reasonable candidate for WS MVP were it not for the otherworldly defense of Brooks
Robinson. McNally bats
right and throws lefty.
-
#1 First MLB start: 26-Sep-1962, his only G of
1962. The 19-year-old McNally blanked
the A’s 3-0.
-
#2 Legion ball was huge in his
home state of Montana. "We’d draw
4,000 to 5,000 people a game.” McNally
played on the 1958 club that went to the national Legion World Series, the 1959
club that lost in the regional & the 1960 club that reached the national
finals. In 1960 McNally finished 18-1, his only loss came in the final G, when
he was beaten by a New Orleans club that included Rusty Staub.
FCR - Scott
Morissey, Hamilton, Ontario
Incorrect guesses:
WEEK’S THEME
– The most eligible Hall of Fame
candidate from each state with no native enshrinee
State Player State Pop. Rank Next Up*
Alaska............. Schilling........ 733,406........ 49th........ ~
Arizona........... Kinsler....... 7,431,344........ 14th........ Cody Bellinger
Hawaii............ Hough......... 1,435,138........ 41st........ Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Maine.............. Gore........... 1,395,722........ 43rd........ ~
Montana.......... McNally...... 1,132,812........ 44th........ Grant McCray
N. Dakota........ Erstad........... 783,926........ 48th........ Matt Strahm
Nevada............ Zito............. 3,194,176........ 33rd........ Bryce Harper
Oregon............ Lolich......... 4,233,358........ 27th........ Adley Rutschman
Utah................ Hurst.......... 3,417,734........ 30th........ Drew Thorpe
Wyoming........ Ellsworth....... 584,057........ 50th........ Brandon Nimmo
*
Players active in 2024 most likely next eligible
~
No currently active player from that state
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (after
Gore)
Incorrect
theme guesses:
Tues - Pitchers
who lead the league with 20+ wins but didn't throw a shutout all year
Thur - Players
with the highest WAR in their birth state
Sun - Guys to win and lose 20 games in a season
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