Sunday, May 25, 2025

202-05-19 Oldest players to win World Series MVP

MONDAY  — 19-May-2025

Q.  Which Hall of Fame pitcher became a professional photographer after retiring from baseball?

Hint: #1  He finished in the Top Three in Cy Young Award voting an impressive nine times

Hint: #2  He was the first to surrender a home run to a player who used a pink bat.

A.  RANDY JOHNSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Johnson immersed himself in his lifelong passion of photography, founding Randy Johnson Photography.  He has done professional work shooting NCAA football games, concerts & wildlife in Africa.  He’s been on the sidelines at the Super Bowl & on tour with acts like Metallica.

-  #1  Johnson won the CYA 5 X:  1995 w/SEA then 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002* for ARI.  He finished.

2nd in 1993;

3rd in 1994;

2nd in 1997; &

2nd in 2004.

-  #2  On Mothers’ Day, 14-May-2006, Oakland CF, Mark Kotsay homered with a legal bat colored pink in the 1st inning off Johnson, NYY starter.  The bat’s color was as part of MLB’s “Go to Bat Against Breast Cancer” promotion.  *Unanimous vote.

FCR -  Tom Howel, Reno

 

 

TUESDAY  — 20-May-2025

Q.  Who was the first Latin player inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame?

Hint: #1  He led his team to two World Series championships, but won a Most Valuable Player Award in a season his team finished third in the final standings.

Hint: #2  He was once presented with a scroll signed by ten per cent of his native country's population.

A.  ROBERTO CLEMENTE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Clemente was inducted into the HOF without the usual waiting period following his untimely death in a tragic aviation mishap on New Year’s Eve 1972.

-  #1  PIT were WS champs in 1960 & 1971.  Clemente was NL MVP in 1966.

-  #2  Realizing that it’s likely to ignite a lengthy conversation by calling Puerto Rico a “country”, nevertheless… the scroll of 300,000 signatures was a heart-felt tribute from the people of Puerto Rico to him for

1. His athletic excellence, (notably reaching 3,000 career hits at the end of the 1972 season);

2. His humanitarian efforts, including advocacy for civil rights & aid to Latin American & Caribbean communities; and

3. His role as a cultural ambassador for Puerto Rico on the world stage.

FCR -  Brian Barris, Oneida, New York

Incorrect guesses:  David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, Martin Dihigo, Lefty Gomez

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 21-May-2025

Q.  Who tied Monte Irvin and Reggie Jackson for the most runs scored in a single World Series?

Hint: #1  His baseball accomplishments have been honored by his being elected the Sporting News Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year.

Hint: #2  Forty-four percent of his 3,319 career hits were hit while playing designated hitter.

A.  PAUL MOLITOR  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Irvin scored 10 R for the Newark Eagles in the 1946 Negro League World Series (NLBWS).  Reggie Jackson scored 10 R in the 1977 WS for NYY.  Molitor scored 10 R in the 1993 WS for TOR.

-  #1  Molitor was named Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year in 1978 & AL Manager of the Year in 2017 when he led MIN to an 85–77 record & a Wild Card berth.

-  #2  Molitor is among the most productive DH players with 1,457 career hits as a DH.

FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Troy Glaus, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols

 

 

THURSDAY  — 22-May-2025

Q.  Who is the only player to hit two home runs completely out of Dodger Stadium?

Hint: #1  After being voted league Most Valuable Player, he never received even a single MVP vote for the rest of his career

Hint: #2  Unusually well-liked, his franchise retired his jersey number while he was still an active player.

A.  WILLIE STARGELL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Stargell’s launches were on 05-Aug-1969 & 08-May-1973.  Since then, only four players: Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, Giancarlo Stanton & Fernando Tatis Jr., have matched the feat, each doing it once.

-  #1  Stargell received 11 MVP votes 11 times during his career with the culmination being the co-winner of the 1979 award he shared with STL’s Keith Hernandez.  Stargell even had a 3-year stretch where he was 2nd, 3rd, 2nd.

-  #2  His #8 was taken out of rotation in 06-Sep-1982.  Stargell retired 03-Oct, at the end of that season.

FCR -  Madison McEntire, Bryant, Arkansas

Incorrect guesses:  Andre Dawson, Giancarlo Stanton, Frank Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Ken Caminiti


 

SATURDAY  — 24-May-2025

Q.  Which Hall of Famer was the last twentieth century American League player to go an entire season (min 20 AB ) without collecting a hit?

Hint: #1  He ranks in the Top Ten all-time in World Series career batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.

Hint: #2  Only he and countryman Albert Pujols belong to a contrived but exclusive statistical “club”.

A.  DAVID ORTIZ  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ortiz was 0 for 20 in 1999.  He managed to hit 2,462 more during his career.

-  #1  In career WS leader lists, he ranks:

     5th in BA w/.455;

     2nd in OBP w/.576;

     8th in sugging w/.795 &

     4th in OPS w/1.372.  Details here.

-  #2  Only he and fellow Dominican Pujols reached both 540+ HR & 630+ doubles.

FCR -  Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses:  Juan Marichal, Kirby Puckett, Robinson Cano, Yogi Berra

 

 

SUNDAY  — 25-May-2025

Q.  Which Hall of Famer is a former Cougar and Tiger?

Hint: #1  He also played for the Twins and Triplets.

Hint: #2  He was the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to win more than twenty games in a season.

A.  JACK MORRIS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Morris played for the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars in college and for the Detroit Tigers for 14 seasons in the majors, including the 1984 WS Champs.

-  #1  On his way up to the majors, Morris played for the AAA Evansville Triplets team in 1977.  In his 15th MLB season, he returned home to Minnesota and played for the 1991 Twins, making more than a passing contribution to their WS championship.

-  #2  Morris had record of 21-6 in 1992, a significant contribution to TOR’s first World Series championship.

FCR -  Chris Derrick, Media, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Dave Stieb, Roy Halladay

 


WEEK’S THEME – Oldest players to win a World Series Most Valuable Player Award

 

WS            Player             Age @ WS MVP win         WAR

1971......... Clemente......... 37 yrs 83 days................. 94.9

2001......... Johnson.......... 38 yrs 61 days............... 101.1

1993......... Molitor............. 37 yrs 79 days................. 75.7

1991......... Morris.............. 36 yrs 177 days............... 43.5

2013......... Ortiz................. 37 yrs 357 days............... 55.0

1979......... Stargell............ 39 yrs 248 days............... 57.6

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Michael Ritz, New York City (after Stargell)

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tue      -  Players who precisely achieved, but did not exceed, a particular milestone (Clemente had exactly 3,000 hits, Johnson exactly 100 complete games, etc.)

            -  Hall of Famers who won NL World Series MVP

 

Wed     -  1st ballot hall of famers who won World Series MVP

-   3,000th hit is an extra base hit

 

Thur     -  World Series MVPs

 

Fri        -  Hall of Fame Players who were named World Series MVP

 

Sat       -  MVP and World Series MVP in the same season

-   World Series MVPs who are also in the HOF

-   First ballot Hall of Famers who were named World Series MVP

 

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