MONDAY
Q. What
Hall of Famer hit the second grand slam in World Series history?
Hint: It
was his fifth World Series.
Hint: When
he hit for the cycle dur9ing the season four years earlier, his home run that
day was a grand slam.
Hint: It
was a “natural” cycle, with single, double, triple and home run coming in that
order.
Hint: He
also stole a base that same day.
Twint: Only
42 at the time of his death, he died after falling down a flight of stairs at
his home during an epileptic seizure.
A. Tony Lazzeri (WS GS 02-Oct-1936; Cycle/SB 03-Jun-1932)
FCR - Andrew
Milner, Bryn Mawr, PA
TUESDAY
Q. Who
was the first pitcher to surrender a World Series home run to another pitcher?
Hint: Worse
yet, he had given up a grand slam two innings earlier, also a World Series
first.
Hint: Later
in his baseball career, he replaced Casey Stengel as the Dodgers manager.
Twint: He
had two separate stints with the Cardinals and three such with the Pirates.
A. Burleigh Grimes (1920 WS G 5 10-Oct-1920 HR by Jim Bagby; WS GS by Elmer Smith; Mgr.
1937-38, Stengel was the
Dodgers mgr 1934-36)
FCR - Alex
Swingle, New York
TUESDAY BONUS
Q. Who
holds the record for most hits in a season without a home run?
Hint: He
had 239 hits in only 129 games.
Hint: He
was the heart of the Baltimore Orioles when they won three consecutive
pennants.
Twint: He
owns the highest career batting average for the 19th century.
FCR - Ken Auerbach, Bronxville, NY
WEDNESDAY
Q. What
pitcher led the American League in wins the year the first time the Yankees set
the American League record for team wins in a season?
Hint: He
was pitching batting practice to major leaguers at age 15.
Twint: He
claimed, "The secret of success as a pitcher lies in getting a job with
the Yankees."
A. Waite Hoyt (22 W in 1927, Yankees won 110 G)
FCR - Bob Kimball, Washington, DC
WEDNESDAY BONUS
Q. What
former Purple Eagle came within two outs of breaking Cark Hubbell’s National
League record for consecutive scoreless innings?
Hint: He
surrendered half of Chuck Connors’ career home runs.
Twint: He
was the losing pitcher in Don Larsen's 2-0 perfect game in the 1956 World
Series.
A. Sal Maglie (45.0 IP in 1950, Hubbell 45.1 IP in
1933; Connor HR 26-Aug-1951; WS L 08‑Oct‑1956)
FCR - Prisco Panza, Milford, CT
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who
recorded the highest ERA of any pitcher in a twenty-win season?
Hint: Former
record holder Clark Griffith signed him to pitch for the Senators five separate
times, in part because he was Griffith's favorite pinochle partner.
Hint: He
is the only pitcher other than Walter Johnson to win an American League
strikeout title for the Senators.
Twint: He
won Game One of the 1940 World Series.
His father, who had been able to watch the game, passed away the following
morning.
A. Bobo Newsom (1938: 20-16 W-L, 5.08 ERA; [Griffith had once held
the record of highest ERA for a 20-game winner at 4.92 & 21-14 for the
Colts in 1892.] 113 K in 1942; WS G 1 02-Oct-1940 )
FCR - Bob Dorrill, Kingwood, TX
THURSDAY
Q. Who
was the first player to collect six runs-batted-in in one inning?
Hint: This
if you backdate the modern definition of run-batted-in.
Hint: A
well-known base running error of his once cost his teammate Moose McCormick a
run scored.
Twint: McGraw
loved the kid, as he often said.
A. Fred Merkle (6 RBI 1st
inning, 13-May-1911; McCormick’s run would have been the winning run 23‑Sep‑1908. Merkle famously headed to the centerfield
clubhouse thinking the game over. The
Cubs retrieved the ball and stepped on second for a force out which forced a
replay. The Cubs won the replayed game
and went on to their 2nd and last WS championship.)
FCR - Steve Bonfield, Calgary, AB
THURSDAY BONUS
Q. Whose
career batting average is the highest among all people born in the state of
California?
Hint: He
was the first pinch-hitter in All-Star competition.
Twint: A
bridge over McCovey Cove is named in his honor.
Twint: I’ve
eaten at his place. In fact, I had an
O’Doul’s with my meal.
A. Lefty O’Doul (BA .349; PH 1933 ASG NL 6th
inning; Lefty O'Doul Bridge; Lefty
O'Doul's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge)
FCR - Frank DiPrima, Morristown, NJ
FRIDAY
Q. Whom
does SABR refer to as “the Deion Sanders of the Deadball Era”?
Hint: One
of the strongest players of his day, he credited his strength to long hours in
the coal mines beginning at age eleven.
Twint: Though
found innocent of legal charges against him, (The jury took less than an hour
to return a not-guilty verdict.) Commissioner Landis
banned him from the majors for life.
A. Benny Kauff
FCR - Ken Auerbach, Bronxville, NY
FRIDAY BONUS
Q. Who
is the only shortstop to lead the Dodgers in doubles, triples, home runs and
slugging percentage in the same season?
Hint: He
had, however, no respect for his Hall of Fame manager, telling a reporter years
later, “I had him long enough. All he
thought of was himself. All he did was
tell stories to reporters. He didn’t
know what he was doing.”
Hint: He
was the second baseman behind Johnny Vander Meer in both his consecutive no‑hitters.
Twint: He
played for World Series champions in 1940 and 1947.
A. Lonny Frey (1935 Dodgers 11HR, 11
3b, 35 2b, .437 SLG; Manager Casey Stengel;
Vandy’s no-nos: 11-, 15-Jun-1938; WS 1940 & 1947)
FCR - Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR
END-OF-THE-WEEK BONUS
Q. What
rookie pitcher led the majors with a .810% winning percentage?
Hint: Although
his team won the World Series that year, his 40.50 postseason ERA was likely
not the reason.
Twint: While
working as a bellhop in a North Carolina hotel, he introduced himself to a
legendary Yankee scout, who arranged a try-out resulting in his first
professional contract.
A. Johnny Allen (17-4 in 1932; Yankee
scout Paul Krichell)
FCR - Al Blumkin, Brooklyn, NY
SATURDAY
Q. Who
was the first National League pitcher, and second pitcher overall (after Jim
Bagby in the AL) to hit a home run in the World Series?
Hint: When
Cy Williams set the record for the most home runs in the month of May, it was
he who surrendered the 15th, record-setting home run.
Hint: He
earned pitching victories in relief in three consecutive World Series.
Twint: In
1961 he was presented with the King of Baseball award given by Minor League
Baseball.
A. Rosy Ryan (Williams’ 15th
May HR: 27-May-1923; Relief Ws King of Baseball)
FCR - Dave Williams, Glastonbury, CT
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who
was the catcher in the longest game in major league history?
Hint: He
managed the Peoria Tractors to a 69-66 record, good for 4th place in the 1928
Three-I League.
Hint: He
was a founder of the Old Timers Baseball Players Association.
Twint: Although
never more than a part-time player, he had several fans clubs in Japan, where
the passion for baseball was starting to grow.
A. Ernie Krueger (26 innings 01-May-1920, played
over the course of two days, ending in a tie)
FCR - Jack
Carlson, Beaver Creek, OH
SUNDAY
Q. What
former Tar is the namesake of both a Power Ranger and a U.S. president?
Hint: He
began his career as a Millionaire.
Hint: Though
he played in the majors for sixteen years, the only time he got MVP votes is
when he split the season between the Cubs and Braves.
Hint: He
finished 23rd and last in the voting, receiving exactly one vote.
Hint: He
later managed the St. Louis Browns to a pitiful .364 winning percentage over
four and a half seasons, no doubt keeping his job due to a sympathetic owner.
Twint: He
was replaced as manager by one of the greatest hitters of all time who merely
raised the winning percentage to .431 before being fired.
A. Zack Taylor (Had attended Rollins
College, President Zachary Taylor;
Power Ranger Zack Taylor; 1915 Valdosta Millionaires;
1929 NL MVP voting; Managed
the Browns 1946, 48-51, owner Bill Veeck;
Replaced by Rogers Hornsby)
FCR - J.R. Richardson, Clarksville, MD
WEEKLY THEME
– Players who played for three different New York City major league teams
(counting all boroughs) in the 20th century
Bullpen Bio Dodgers 1941-43
Bullpen Bio Yankees 1947-48
Giants 1948
Yankees 1934
Bullpen Bio Yankees 1921-30
Bullpen Bio Giants 1917
Giants 1939
Yankees 1947
Giants 1948
Robins 1931
Bullpen Bio Yankees 1928
Dodgers 1933
Bullpen Bio Giants 1927
Yankees 1934
First Correct Respondent
to Identify Theme – Gregg
Gaylord, Chicago (Almost had it after the Monday
question, then got it on Wednesday and 20 or so more tries.)
Horsehide Trivia blog has the
questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks: http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/
Horsehide Trivia home page: https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia
