2024-09-09 he most eligible Hall of Fame candidate from each state with no native enshrinee

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 3^rd youngest in his second season.

Hunt: #5  He was the first major leaguer to appear on "Saturday Night Live".

A.  ED KRANEPOOL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Kranepool played in 1,853 G, well ahead of 2^nd-place David Wright’s 1,585.

-  #1  Kranepool hit the 100^th 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 116^th 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 6^th grand slam was on 29 Sep, just 4 days after his 5^th.  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 2^nd 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 4^th 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 357^th, the 9^th pick of the 13^th 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 14^th best mark in the country.

-  #2  Erstad was named an outfield Gold Glove winner in 2000 & 2002.  He won the award again, but at 1^st 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 50^th 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) 1^st 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.

A.  DICK ELLSWORTH  [SABR Bio]

-  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 13^th 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........ 49^th........ ~

Arizona........... Kinsler....... 7,431,344........ 14^th........ Cody Bellinger

Hawaii............ Hough......... 1,435,138........ 41^st........ Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Maine.............. Gore........... 1,395,722........ 43^rd........ ~

Montana.......... McNally...... 1,132,812........ 44^th........ Grant McCray

N. Dakota........ Erstad........... 783,926........ 48^th........ Matt Strahm

Nevada............ Zito............. 3,194,176........ 33^rd........ Bryce Harper

Oregon............ Lolich......... 4,233,358........ 27^th........ Adley Rutschman

Utah................ Hurst.......... 3,417,734........ 30^th........ Drew Thorpe

Wyoming........ Ellsworth....... 584,057........ 50^th........ 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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