MONDAY
Q. Who, although he was not Dutch, was nevertheless nicknamed “The Flying Dutchman”?
Hint: His brother, who also played in the majors, had an even more unfortunate nickname.
Twint: He coached for 19 years following his 21-year playing career.
A. Honus Wagner (Brother Albert “Butts” Wagner, so named for the cigarette detritus he left in his wake; Coached the Pirates 1933-51)
FCR - Dave Serota, Kalamazoo
TUESDAY
Q. Who wrested the Tigers first base job from Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg?
Hint: He replaced Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane as the Tigers everyday catcher when Cochrane’s career suddenly ended.
Hint: He broke Babe Ruth’s record for home runs in a month.
Twint: Before Nomar Garciaparra did it in 1999, he was the last Red Sox player to hit two grand slams in a game.
A. Rudy York (18 HR in August of 1937, Ruth had hit 17 in Sep of 1927; 27-Jul-1946, Sammy Sosa is the current record holder w/20 in Jul 1998)
FCR - Harvey Judkowitz, Miami, FL
IN MEMORIAM
Q. Who, along with Bob Davids, is considered to be the co-founder of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)?
Hint: He met Bob Davids as a result of researching minor league box scores at the Library of Congress.
Hint: He was one of the official sixteen founders of SABR.
FCR - Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA (SABR Board member)
WEDNESDAY
Q. Which Dude was “The Freshest Man on Earth”?
Hint: He was the first coach for the New York Giants. Many credit him with being the first ever major league coach.
Hint: One year, he stole twelve bases in the postseason.
Twint: Only Hall of Famer Billy Hamilton stole more bases in the 19th century.
A. Arlie Latham (742 SB 1886-96 [also played 1880, 83-85 when no SB records were kept]; 12 SB in 1886 WS)
FCR - John Rickert, Terre Haute
IN MEMORIAM II
Q. Who coined the term “Pesky Pole”?
Hint: He pitched for ten seasons in the majors, all for the Red Sox, but might have played longer since his debut in the majors was delayed several years due to World War II.
Hint: When he no-hit the White Sox in 1956, it had been 33 years since the previous Red Sox no-hitter and it would be another years 52 more years before a left-handed Red Sox pitcher threw another one.
Hint: The no-hitter was in his final season and he was battling a bad elbow when he threw it.
Hint: When he retired, only Cy Young had won more games for the Red Sox.
Hint: He still holds the club career mark for left-handed pitchers in games started, innings and victories.
Twint: During the war, he led his team to an Eastern Flying Training Command championship.
Twint: Upon his return to organized baseball, he promptly set the Eastern League record for lowest single-season ERA, a record that still stands.
A. Mel Parnell (BOS 1947-56; No-hitter 14-Jul-1956; 123 W, Young 192 W; BOS LH GS
FCR - Bill Carle, Lee's Summit, MO
EQUINOX EXTRA
Q. What batter led the majors in bases-on-balls five times between 1952 and 1960?
Hint: He also led in 1950, but merely just the American League.
Hint: When he retired, only Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Mel Ott had more career bases-on-balls.
Twint: His team’s owner once proclaimed, “I wouldn’t swap him for Mickey Mantle straight up, and to prove it, I’m paying him almost twice as much as the Yankees are paying Mantle.”
A. Eddie Yost (MLB SB leader 1952, 53, 56, 59, 60; 1,614 career SB)
FCR - Richard Nicholson, Richmond, VA
THURSDAY
Q. Who held the National League record for games by a catcher until Al Lopez broke it?
Hint: He was Christy Mathewson’s only battery mate in Cincinnati.
Twint: He still holds the major league record for errors by a catcher in the modern career.
A. Ivey Wingo (1,233 G @ C; 04-Sep-1916; 234 errors)
FCR - John Robertson, Cambridge, ON
FRIDAY
Q. Which catcher ran afoul of Dizzy Dean for not giving sufficient effort pursuing a foul ball?
Hint: Dean insisted on a different catcher, a requested that was granted for Dean’s next start by manager Frankie Frisch.
Twint: But for Hall of Famer Chuck Klein, he’d have won a batting title.
A. Spud Davis (30-Jun-1935 w/Dean the loser, In Dean’s next start 04-Jul-1935, Bill DeLancey was the catcher and Dean was the winning pitcher; hit .349 to Klein’s .368 in 1933)
FCR - Bradley Curtis, Roseville, CA
SATURDAY
Q. Who, among non-inductees, holds the record for the most numerous unsuccessful Hall of Fame bids?
Hint: He played on the Buffalo Bisons the year before they became a major league team.
Hint: His error led to the World Series-winning run in 1924 World Series.
Twint: He was the first major leaguer to enlist for military service in World War I.
A. Hank Gowdy (17 times on the ballot, [NB: Edd Roush was unsuccessful 19 times, but was eventually elected]; 1913 Buffalo Bisons; G 7 1924 WS)
FCR - Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who replaced Joe Jackson in left field for the White Sox after Jackson was suspended by Commissioner Landis?
Hint: He also replaced Roger Peckinpaugh.
Hint: He was then replaced by Walter Johnson.
Hint: He coached the Longhorns to consecutive NCAA championships.
Twint: The baseball field at the University of Texas is named for him.
A. Bibb Falk (Replaced Peckinpaugh as manager of the Indians, followed by Johnson; 1949-50; Disch-Falk Field; Lone MLB managerial date 09-Jun-1933)
FCR - Rick Zucker, St. Louis
SUNDAY
Q. Who rookie stolen base record was broken by Vince Coleman in 1985?
Hint: He scored 100 runs in ten of his twelve major league seasons.
Hint: He and George Tebeau are tied for a major league record that can never be broken.
Twint: He won $30 and a silver-headed cane for hitting the first home run of the season at Riverside Park in Utica, New York.
A. Mike Griffin (94 SB in 1887, Coleman had 110; Griffin and Tebeau are tied as the first major leaguers to hit home runs in their first major league at bats. These came on the same day, 16-Apr-1887, but no record of game times is available.)
FCR - Dave Serota, Kalamazoo
WEEKLY THEME – Managed fewer than ten games after playing more than 1,000 in the majors.
Played Managed
Davis 1,458 3 for the 1946 Pittsburgh Pirates
Falk 1,353 1 for the 1933 Cleveland Indians
Gowdy 1,050 4 for the 1936 Cincinnati Reds
Griffin 1,513 4 for the 1898 Brooklyn Bridegrooms
Latham 1,629 3 for the 1896 St. Louis Browns
Wagner 2,794 5 for the 1917 Pittsburgh Pirates
Wingo 1,327 2 for the 1916 Cincinnati Reds
York 1,603 1 for the 1959 Boston Red Sox
Yost 2,109 1 for the 1963 Washington Senators
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one
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