July 8-14, 2013 First-ballot Hall of Famers inducted with another first-ballot Hall of Famer since the original 1935 group was elected

MONDAY

Q.         Who holds the career record for home runs by a shortstop?

Hint:     He wrote a book titled “Hothead” claiming it was based on his own life.

Hint:     He voluntarily ended his own record streak on September 20, 1998?

Twint:    He was managed by his father in three different major league seasons.

A.         Cal Ripken Jr. (345 SS HR [N.B. A-Rod was closing in before he was switched to 3b.]; 2,362 consecutive games played; Cal Ripken, Sr. managed BAL 1985, 87 and 88)

FCR -    Sean Fink, Edison, NJ

MONDAY QUESTION #2

Q.         Who was the first Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year?

Hint:     Only he and Alvin Dark were so honored before there were separate American and National League awards.

Twint:    The award now bears his name.

A.         Jackie Robinson (ROY 1947, Dark 1948, Jackie Robinson Award)

FCR -    Matt Gibson, Barboursville, WV

TUESDAY

Q.         Who has the highest single season American League batting average since Ted Williams hit .406?

Hint:     He was voted his league’s MVP that year.

Hint:     That season, his team lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Twint:    His older brother is still the youngest pitcher ever to appear in a World Series.

Twint:    He was named his former team’s hitting coach 30-May-2013.

A.         George Brett (BA .390 1980 KCR; AL MVP 1980; PHI over KCR 4-2; Ken Brett 19.020yo 08-Oct-1967)

FCR -    David Wallack, Greenwood Village, CO

TUESDAY QUESTION #2

Q.         Who drove in what would prove to be the winning run in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series?

Hint:     Though only a career .271 hitter, he topped his league four times in on-base percentage.

Hint:     When he hit his career high of 27 home runs in a season, he led the majors in on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and sacrifice flies.

Twint:    His last World Series appearance was also the last for Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, and Tony Perez.

Twint:    They lost that series to Baltimore four games to one.

A.         Joe Morgan (Top 9^th RBI to provide winning margin in CIN 4-BOS 3 victory; OBP led 1972, 74-76; 27HR 1976, OBP/SLG/OPS/OPS+/SF, .444/.576/1.020/186/12; 1983 WS all with PHI)

FCR -    Michael Daponde, Sacramento, CA

TUESDAY BONUS

Q.         To whom was Jim Bouton referring when a fan asked him how he pitched to this player, Bouton answered “Reluctantly”?

Hint:     Bouton also said the best way to pitch to him was “underground”.

Hint:     He is the only player to hit a home run completely out of Memorial Stadium.

Twint:    In his first season with the Orioles he nearly drowned when his teammates, not believing him when he said he couldn’t swim, pushed him into a swimming pool.

A.         Frank Robinson (Jim Bouton quotes; 8-May-1966, 451ftHR; traded to Baltimore, saved by Andy Etchebarren; “Close don’t count” Time Magazine 31-Jul-1973)

FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Which player established the record of five hits in a single World Series game?

Hint:     They were all singles.

Hint:     He is the only player to reach 3,000 hits with a triple.

Twint:    In the 1993 World Series, he had a slugging percent of 1.000 and a batting average of .500 in 24 at bats getting two doubles, two triples and two home runs.

Twint:    Like Joe Mauer, he was once a Raider.

A.         Paul Molitor (Game 1 1982WS; 5 singles, 2RBI, 1R; 1993WS; 16-Sep-1996; Cretin-Derham Hall HS Raiders)

FCR -    David Krassin, New York, NY

WEDNESDAY QUESTION #2

Q.         When Roger Clemens was asked to name the game’s three most dangerous hitters, he said this player is the first, fourth and seventh?

Hint:     He has more hits in the 1980s than any other player.

Twint:    For the same decade, he is second only to Rickie Henderson in runs scored.

Twint:    He shot the manager of the Chicago Cubs.

A.         Robin Yount (Clemens quote; 1731 H 1980-89; 957R with Henderson at 1111R confirmed on play index; While hunting quail with Cubs Manager Dale Sveum and former teammate, Yount accidentally shot him while trying to unload on a quail)

FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

HUMP DAY BONUS

Q:         When a Yankee scout reacted badly during negotiations, whose father said “Nobody throws a pencil in my house.  Get the hell out and never come back”?

Hint:     After that, instead of going pro, he attended an NCAA Division-1 college with a scholarship that was half baseball and half basketball.

Twint:    While at Notre Dame, he signed with a major league team with a bonus of $108,000 and an offer to pay the rest of his college education, and his father increased his allowance from $2 to $3 a week.

Twint:    As a high school basketball player he broke the Long-Island record for average points per game held previously by Jim Brown.

A.         Carl Yastrzemski’s (His father countered a $60K offer from scout Ray Garland with a $100K offer.  Garland flipped his pencil in the air hitting the ceiling and said “$100,000?  Are you crazy?  The Yankees will never pay that.”; Attended ND 1957-58; Bridgehampton HS)

FCR -    Lou Schiff, Deerfield Beach, FL

THURSDAY

Q:         Who said that the best moment of his career was when he hit a walk off home run driving in Johnny Logan in the 11^th inning to clinch the National League pennant?

Hint:     In the World Series that year, he hit .393 with 3 home runs and a triple in 28 at bats.

Twint:    They won the Series in 7, but he was not bestowed the honor of Most Valuable Player of the Series.

Twint:    That honor went to a pitcher.

A.         Hank Aaron (MLN 4-STL 2 on 23-Sep-1957; 1957 WS stats and MVP; WS MVP Lew Burdette)

FCR -    Andrew Milner, Bryn Mawr, PA

THURSDAY QUESTION #2

Q:         Who was the first catcher named by the BBWAA as Rookie of the Year?

Hint:     In his second trip to the World Series he experienced what he said was “…the most embarrassing moment of my life.”

Twint:    He is a baseball player with a contradictory name.

Twint:    He once hosted a baseball instruction television show for kids with Tommy Lasorda and the San Diego Chicken.

A.         Johnny Bench (ROY 1968; 1972 WS struck out on a 3-2 count when Rollie Fingers, at the direction of Dick Williams; faked an intentional walk to Bench and threw a slider for strike three; He did a lot of squatting and was seldom benched; TV show “The Baseball Bunch”)

FCR -    Harvey Judkowitz, Miami, FL

FRIDAY

Q:         Whose son that got his first major league hit 24 years to the day that Dad got his first major league hit?

Hint:     Both hit doubles.

Hint:     Both of their teams lost the game by the identical score of 7-6.

Twint:    He led his league in batting average eight times, and led total hits seven times, but never won a Most Valuable Player award.

Twint:    He did however, win the Branch Rickey, Lou Gehrig and Roberto Clemente Awards over the course of his career.

A.         Tony Gwynn (Tony/Tony Jr. debuts 19-Jul-2006 and 19-Jul-1982; 1995 Branch Rickey Award, 1998 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, 1999 Roberto Clemente Award)

FCR -    Michael Berry, Culver City, CA

FRIDAY QUESTION #2

Q:         To whom was announcer Jack Buck referring when he announced after this player’s Game 6 World Series extra-innings walk off home run “And we’ll see you tomorrow night!”?

Hint:     His team went on to win the World Series where both teams, for the first time in baseball history, had finished last in their respective divisions the previous season.

Twint:    He had a horrific career-ending injury when he was hit in the face by a Dennis Martinez pitch and suffered a broken jaw.

Twint:    After high school, he became a Brave.

A.         Kirby Puckett (26-Oct-1991 MIN v ATL walk off; 28-Sep-1995, his last major league season game; Bradley University Braves, Peoria, IL)

FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI

WEEK-ENDING BONUS

Q:         Which Hall of Famer faced nearly 7,000 fewer batters than Cy Young, but had over twice Cy Young’s strike out total?

Hint:     He also pitched 99 fewer games than Cy Young.

Twint:    And yet, he never won the Cy Young Award.

Twint:    He was the last pitcher inducted into the Hall of Fame in the 20^th Century.

A.         Nolan Ryan (BF/K/G Young 29,565/2,803/906, Ryan 22,575/5,714/807; HOF Induction 1999).

FCR -    Rick Zucker visiting Abbey Garber in Dallas, TX

SATURDAY

Q:         Who is the only player in the 3,000 hit club with fewer than 1,500 hits for each of the teams he played for?

Hint:     He was once referred to on the air as “... the stretch limo of baseball players”.

Twint:    He never played a game in the minor leagues.

Twint:    He was once arrested for killing a seagull, but was provided a strong defense by Billy Martin.

A.         Dave Winfield (6 teams, 1,300 H was most with NYY; Martin said “They say he hit the gull on purpose.  They wouldn’t say that if they’d seen the throws he’d been making all year.  It’s the first time he’s hit the cutoff man”.)

FCR -    Mitchell Below, Oakland, CA

SATURDAY QUESTION #2

Q:         The year Mike Flanagan won the Cy Young Award, whom did he dub “Cy Old”?

Hint:     He gave up the most home runs of any pitcher in an All-Star Game.

Hint:     His teammates believed they would win when he ate pancakes for breakfast, earning him the nickname “Cakes”.

Twint:    In his 558-game career, facing 16,114 batters, he never gave up a grand slam.

A.         Jim Palmer (Flanagan responded when asked about another former Oriole CYA winner “Yeah, Palmer is Cy Old” he replied without cracking a smile; 3HR ASG 19-Jul-1977; 303HR allowed; Palmer interview, final question)

FCR -    Kevin Johnson, Broken Arrow, OK

SUNDAY

Q:         What pitcher performed an age-related feat that has been equaled only by Kerry Wood?

Hint:     He is the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21.

Twint:    Only Nolan Ryan has thrown as many one-hitters.

A.         Bob Feller (Matched his age w/17 Ks in a G @ 17 13‑Sep‑1936, Wood w/20 Ks in a G @ 20 06‑May‑1998; 24 W 1939, age 20; 12 one‑hitters)

FCR -    Richard Schabowski, Saint Francis, WI

SUNDAY QUESTION #2

Q:         What former starter walked fewer than 100 batters in his last 670+ innings in the majors?

Hint:     He had over 350 major league starts before this streak began.

Twint:    During one six-season stretch, he struck out 458 and walked a mere 51.

A.         Dennis Eckersley (97 BB/674 IP 1988-98; 361 GS 1975-87; 6 yrs:  1988-93)

FCR -    R.J. Lesch, Adel, IA

WEEKLY THEME – First-ballot Hall of Famers inducted with another first-ballot Hall of Famer since the original 1936 group was elected.

Feller & J. Robinson      1962

Aaron & F. Robinson     1982

Bench & Yastrzemski     1989

Morgan & Palmer          1990

Brett, Ryan & Yount       1999

Puckett& Winfield          2001

Molitor & Eckersley       2004

Ripken & Gwynn            2007

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Bill Deane, Cooperstown, NY

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

July 1-7, 2013 Hall of Fame players who were on 8 or more different major league teams

MONDAY

Q.         Who was the last pitcher to throw a complete game no hitter against the Yankees?

Hint:     His career earned run average is second only to Mariano Rivera’s for relief pitchers with a minimum 1,000 innings pitched.

Hint:     He retired sixteen days short of his 50^th birthday.

Twint:    He was later a coach in the Yankee organization.

A.         Hoyt Wilhelm (No-no 20‑Sep‑1958, Astros used 6 pitchers in 2001 no-no; ERA/IP 2.52/2,254 Mo ERA/IP 2.21/1,244; Final game 10‑Jul‑1972)

FCR -    John Rickert, Terre Haute, IN

TUESDAY

Q.         Who played the longest in the majors among players born in Colorado?

Hint:     He once accused his team’s owner of “…poisoning the world with hamburgers”.

Hint:     His final career win came in his 1,000^th appearance though he only pitched one-third of an inning.

Twint:    Four days later he earned his final save going three innings in a 14-4 blowout.

A.         Rich Gossage (1972-94: 22 yrs [Did not play in 1990.]; SDP [and McDonalds] owner Joan Kroc banned beer in the clubhouse to which he said “She is poisoning the world with hamburgers, and we can’t even get a lousy beer”; 124^th W 04‑Aug‑1994; 310^th SV 08‑Aug‑1994)

FCR -    John Wilson, Mesa, AZ

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who lasted only 2.2 innings in his major league debut, and then was relieved by Don Larsen who finished the game to garner a 13-6 victory.

Hint:     The loss went to Sammy Ellis who also debuted the same day.

Hint:     That same year his team won a three-game playoff to make it to the post-season with a 103-62 record, but he was not included on the post-season roster.

Twint:    He holds the post-dead ball era record for most strikeouts in a season without issuing a single walk.

A.         Gaylord Perry (114‑Apr‑1962 debut with Sammy Ellis; 1962 SFG won a 2-1 playoff vs. LAD; 47K, 0BB in 1970)

FCR -    Stanley Cohen, Washington, DC

THURSDAY

Q.         Who was Nolan Ryan’s 5,000^th strikeout victim?

Hint:     His first major league at bat was a 1^st-inning lead off double, but he was then thrown out at home to end the same inning.

Hint:     He has been quoted saying “If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the baseball game.”

Twint:    He turned 31 the Christmas day Billy Martin died in a truck crash.

A.         Rickey Henderson (1989-Aug-22 5,000^th K top 5^th inning; 24‑Jun‑1979 debut v TEX; Uniform quote; B 25‑Dec‑1958, Martin died 1989)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, San Diego, CA

FRIDAY

Q.         Who earned the most major league batting titles in the 19^th century?

Hint:     During his five years as a Bison, he won the slugging title every year.

Hint:     He also had the highest adjusted OPS of any 19^th century player.

Hint:     John McGraw said he “really was a great hitter, one of the most powerful batters of all time”.

Twint:    He was the first player to lead his league in OPS+ five times.

Twint:    His career batting average noses out Babe Ruth’s for 9^th all-time.

A.         Dan Brouthers (5 titles, NL 1882, 1883, 1889, 1892, AA 1891; 1882-1886 BUF; OPS+ 208 in 1886; McGraw quote on Brouthers Hall of Fame page; Led in OPS+ 6 consecutive years, 1882-87; BA .342125 to Ruth’s .342065)

FCR -    PJ Shelly, Louisville, KY

SATURDAY

Q.         Who was the first player to get a hit in the National League?

Hint:     He was also the oldest player to appear in a National League game.

Hint:     In the latter game, he went 1 for 4, becoming the oldest player to get a hit in the major leagues.

Hint:     It was the title clinching game for the 1904 John McGraw led New York Giants.

Twint:    His loquacious volubility gained him his nickname.

A.         Jim O’Rourke (22‑Apr‑1876 BSN vs. ATH; Age 54 on 22‑Sep‑1904—McGraw put him in as a catcher winning 7-5 over CIN and finishing the 1904 season 13 games ahead of the CHC); Nicknamed “Orator Jim”)

FCR -    John Robertson, Cambridge, ON

SUNDAY

Q.         Who is credited with having the first hit in the history of major league base ball:  a double?

Hint:     Hearing he was sold to Pittsburgh, he once famously quipped “No man is going to sell my carcass unless I get half.”

Hint:     Bill James named him “the most admirable superstar of the 1870s.”

Twint:    He was the lone player inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

A.         Deacon White (04‑May‑1871 CLE vs. KEK of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players; sold to PIT 1889 for $3,500; SABR excerpt from Bill James Historical Abstract; Elected by the Veterans Committee)

FCR -    Frank DiPrima, Morristown, NJ

WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Fame players who were on eight or more different major league teams.

Player               No. of teams

Brouthers            10

Gossage               9

Henderson            9*

O’Rourke               8

Perry                     8**

White                    9

Wilhelm                 9

*Includes 4 separate stints w/OAK and 2 w/SDP.  Total could be 13. If figured differently

**Only player of the group to spend 10 years with one team:  SFG.

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Joe Ullian, Santa Barbara, CA

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

June 24-30, 2013 Rickey Henderson's Minor League Managers

MONDAY

Q.         Who is the only All-Star Game MVP to win four batting crowns during his career?

Hint:     His hard slide into second base one day when he was a Detroit Tiger nearly ended Tony Fernandez’ career.

Hint:     He was a Panther and Hawk (NOT a Saluki) before he was a Ranger.

Twint:    He had to share the ASG MVP honor.

A.         Bill Madlock (1975 ASG MVP, batting titles 1975-76 w/CHC, 1981, 83 w/PIT; Fernandez incident 24‑Sep-1987 3^rd inning; Eisenhower HS, Decatur, IL, [Southeastern Illinois College NOT Southern Illinois U.], MLB debut with TEX 07‑Sep‑1973; Shared 1975 ASG MVP w/Jon Matlack)

FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

TUESDAY

Q.         Who was the first shortstop to win a World Series Most Valuable Player Award?

Hint:     His birth name was Russell Earl O’Dey, but a whole nation game him a new middle name.

Hint:     He finished second in the Rookie-of-the-Year Award voting for his first full season.

Twint:    He appeared, wearing a swimsuit, in the September 1983 issue of Playgirl magazine.

A.         Buck Dent (1978 WS MVP; Boston fans, often referred to as “Red Sox Nation” were particularly unhappy with his performance in the 1978 playoff game, where his home run in the 7^th inning provided the margin of victory.  They dubbed him Bucky F*****g Dent; 2^nd in 1974 ROY voting to Mike Hargrove)

FCR -    Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who broke Johnny Bench’s record for doubles in a season by a catcher?

Hint:     When he had an RBI in the World Series, it marked the first time that both a father and son had World Series RBIs.

Hint:        He started the All-Star Game for a team in each league, only the second catcher to do so.

Twint:     He had the only hit in Nolan Ryan's eighth career one-hitter.

Twint:    His manager, Dick Williams, once said of him, "He needed a diaper.  He would whine when he didn't feel he was getting enough attention and cry when he felt he got too much."

A.         Terry Kennedy (42 2b for the 1982 Padres; RBI in G 4 of the 1984 WS, Father Bob Kennedy drove in a run in G 2 of the 1948 WS; AS for the 1981, 83, 85 Padres & 1987 Orioles; Ryan 1-hitter 11‑Aug‑1982)

FCR -    Steve Bonfield, Calgary, AB

THURSDAY

Q.         Who drove in the winning run for the Pirates in the deciding game of the 1971 World Series?

Hint:     He led the National League in pinch-hits in 1969, falling one short of the league record.

Hint:     He guided three teams to Puerto Rican Winter League championships.

Twint:    His surprise bunt in Game One of the 1962 World Series drove in Willie Mays, ending Whitey Ford's World Series consecutive scoreless World Series innings streak at 33.2.

Twint:    He had the highest batting average (among non-pitchers) in the 1962 World Series.

A.         Jose Pagan (8^th inning RBI 2b in 1971 WS Game 7; 19 PH in 1969; ; PRWL champs Bayamon Cowboys 1975-76, Arecibo Wolves, Ponce Lions .368 [7-19] 1962 WS AVG, Jack Sanford led all batters with .429 AVG in 7 AB)

FCR -    David Girdany, Bedford, PA

FRIDAY

Q.         Who was the first player to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat for the Senators?

Hint:     He was the last player to hit a triple for the Seattle Pilots.

Hint:     It was his only triple that year.

Twint:    He had one of the Dodgers’ four hits in the final game of the 1966 World Series before they succumbed to the Baltimore Orioles.

Twint:    He was then thrown out trying to steal second.

A.         John Kennedy (Debut HR 05‑Sep‑1962; Pilots 3b 25‑Sep‑1969; WS H 09‑Oct‑1966)

FCR -    Art Springsteen, Sunapee, NH

IN MEMORIAM

Q.         What pitcher’s heavily tattooed arms forced Major League Baseball to institute a rule requiring pitchers to cover their arms during games?

Hint:     The rule now bears his name, at least in the minds of the media and public.

Hint:     Last year he founded his Legacy Baseball/Softball and Personal Training in Clearwater, Florida.

Twint:    Originally drafted by the Giants, he chose to go to college.

Twint:    He later pitched for them in the majors, but was in the Dodgers organization when San Francisco won it first World Series.

A.         Justin Miller, who passed away on Friday. http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2013-06-28/justin-miller-dead-baseball-justin-miller-rule-mlb-toronto-blue-jays-los-angeles?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D338086

FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI

SATURDAY

Q.         Who was last year’s volcanic manager?

Hint:     In his first full season as a major league manager, he led his team to thirteen consecutive victories to start the season.

Hint:     That season, he won Manager of the Year awards from Baseball America and Sports Illustrated.

Twint:    He was selected by the Italian National Team to be a coach in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

A.         Tom Treblehorn (Managed the Class A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, 2008-2012; 1987 Milwaukee Brewers)

FCR -    John Michael Pierobon, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

SUNDAY

Q.         What American League catcher had the top fielding range in both 1982 and 1983?

Hint:     This former Bulldog managed AA and AAA teams to their respective league championships.

Twint:    He hit well against the following All-Star Pitchers: Jack Morris (.450), Len Barker (.429), Dennis Eckersley (.400), Rick Sutcliffe (.333) and Charlie Hough (.300).

A.         Rick Sweet (RF 6.81 in 1982 and 6.69 in 1983; Won w/AAA 1993 Tucson Toros, 1998 AA Harrisburg Senators, led the AAA Louisville Bats to division titles 2008-10)

FCR -    Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, MD

WEEKLY THEME – Rickey Henderson’s minor league managers

Mgr                  Team                               Managed       Henderson’s time there

Dent                 Ft. Lauderdale Yankees    1985-86          1985

J. Kennedy       Jersey City A’s                 1978              1978

T. Kennedy       San Diego Surf Dawgs     2005-06          2005

Madlock           Newark Bears                   2003-04          2003-04

Pagan               Ogden A’s                       1979-80          1979

Sweet               Portland Beavers              2001, 02, 03   2001

Treblehorn         Boise A’s                         1976              1976

Treblehorn         Modesto A’s                    1977              1977

Henderson credits Treblehorn with refining his base stealing prowess.

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

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