Sunday, April 29, 2012

April 23-29, 2012 Selected New England natives who played for the Red Sox at Fenway Park


In honor of Fenway Park’s 100th birthday Last Friday, this week’s trivia master is Saul Wisnia.  He is a longtime SABR member (Boston chapter) and the author of several books on baseball, including his most recent – Fenway Park:  The Centennial (http://amzn.to/I2qR5i).  Wisnia blogs about all things Fenway at http://saulwisnia.blogspot.com/.


MONDAY
Q.         Which home run champion was nearly killed by a pitch at Fenway Park in 1967?
Hint:     When he hit his 100th career home run, he was the youngest American League player to reach that milestone.
Hint:     He was a member of Boston’s 1967 and 1975 American League champions, but played in neither World Series.
Twint:    He played in the Boston outfield with his brother for two seasons.
A.         Tony Conigliaro (HR champ in 1965 w/32; Hit by California’s Jack Hamilton 18-Aug-1967; He did not play again until 1969; Reached 100 homers on 23-Jul-1967, at age 22 years, 197 days; Teamed with brother Billy in the 1969-70 Red Sox outfield.)
FCR -    Steve Haas, Clarksville, MD

TUESDAY
Q.         Which Red Sox manager won his first twelve games as a big league skipper?
Hint:     He was the winning manager in baseball’s longest professional game.
Hint:     He was one of the last players signed by the Boston Braves.
Twint:    Pinch-hitting, he had a triple in his only at-bat at Fenway Park.
A.         Joe Morgan (Started 12-0 and 19-1 after taking the helm of the Red Sox in July 1988, a hot streak known as “Morgan Magic”; Managed AAA Pawtucket to a 33-inning win over Rochester 18‑Apr- and 23‑Jun‑1981; He was signed by the Boston Braves in 1952; Hit his Fenway triple off Boston’s Jerry Casale 12-Sep-1959 while w/ the KC A’s.)
FCR -    Rev. Gerry Beirne, Narragansett, RI

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who pitched in the most games ever at Fenway Park?
Hint:     After winning in double figures for five straight years with the Red Sox, he saved 33 games his first season as a closer.
Hint:     He had a 0.00 ERA in five World Series appearances.
Hint:     He pitched in the two most infamous games in Red Sox history.
Twint:    His reign as Red Sox career saves leader was broken by Jonathan Papelbon.
A.         Bob Stanley (Pitched in 637 games for the Red Sox, nearly half of them at Fenway). His 1986 WS ERA was perfect because the last two runs of G 6 were charged to Calvin Schiraldi;  He also pitched in the 1978 AL East playoff game vs. the Yankees [Sawks faithful require no further details on either game.] 132 S broken on 01-Jul-2009).
FCR -    Bob Chan, Oakland

THURSDAY
Q.         Whose first major league at-bat was as a pinch-hitter for Carl Yastrzemski?
Hint:     He and Yaz were teammates for parts of four seasons.
Hint:     He replaced an All-Star at his position and was a two-time All-Star himself.
Twint:    He hit a home run in Game Seven of the 1986 World Series.
A.         Rich Gedman (Pinch-hit for Yastrzemski on 07-Sep-1980.  He flied out in that at-bat but later had 2 H in the game; Played with Yaz 1980-83; Replacing AS C Carlton Fisk in Boston’s lineup, Gedman was an AS 1985-86; Homered in G 7 of the 1986 WS to give Boston a 2-0, 2nd inning lead.)
FCR -    Henry Hascup, Lodi, NJ

FRIDAY
Q.         Which Red Sox hitter had the game-winning RBI at Fenway Park in the final game of the 1912 World Series?
Hint:     He played third base on three Red Sox World Series champions.
Hint:     He won a fourth World Series while with the Indians.
Twint:    He was baseball coach and athletic director at the University of Vermont for many years.
A.         Larry Gardner (Sacrifice fly off Christy Mathewson in the bottom of the 10th of Game 8, 16‑Oct‑1912).  He was a perfect 4-0 in World Series, winning with the Red Sox in 1912-15-16 and with the Indians in 1920.)
FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo

IN MEMORIAM
Q.         Who scored the only and winning run in the famous seventh game of the 1962 World Series?
Hint:     It was his only run of the Series.
Hint:     After making the last out of the 1957 World Series, he redeemed himself in the postseason of the following year with two home runs and seven runs batted in.
Hint:     He was inducted into the Polish-American Hall of Fame in 1980.
Hint:     Although he attended Purdue University on a football scholarship, he set a Big Ten Conference record by hitting .500 for the baseball team.  The record stood for a decade.
Twint:    Playing against his former teammates, his 1963 World Series batting average was 182 points better than his regular season average.
Twint:    Following his career, he was employed in his native Chicago as a Community Relations Representative by the White Sox.
A.         Bill Skowron, who passed away on Friday (16-Oct-1962; 1963 = .203/.385)
FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI

SATURDAY
Q.       Which Red Sox hit a game-winning homer at Fenway Park the same day he graduated from college?
Hint:    He was an All-American quarterback at Boston University.
Hint:    He died of a massive pulmonary embolism at age 26 in 1955.
Twint:  The Red Sox Rookie of the Year Award is named for him.
A.       Harry Agganis (Beat Tigers with a HR on 06-Jun-1954 at Fenway, then drove one mile up the road to get his diploma at BU.  In signing to play baseball, he turned down Cleveland Browns owner Paul Brown for the chance to replace football Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham.)
FCR -  Paul Hirsch, Danville, CA

SUNDAY
Q.         What pitcher was put in a Fenway holding cell for fighting the same day he signed with the Red Sox?
Hint:     He pitched one of two Red Sox no-hitters in 1962.
Hint:     He struck out 17 men in one game in 1961.
Twint:    He was the only Red Sox twenty game winner between 1953 and 1967.
A.         Bill Monbouquette (Locked up with his father for beating up some nasty drunks in Fenway’s bleachers on the day he signed with the Red Sox in 1955; No-hitter 01‑Aug‑1962; 17 K G 12-May-1961; Mel Parnell 21-8 in 1953, Jim Lonborg 22-9 in 1967)
FCR -    Jim Casey, Savannah


WEEKLY THEME – Selected New England natives who played for the Red Sox at Fenway Park

Conigliaro            Revere, Massachusetts              Bio
Morgan                Walpole, Massachusetts
Stanley                Portland, Maine
Gedman               Worcester, Massachusetts
Gardner               Enosburg Falls, Vermont
Agganis               Lynn, Massachusetts

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, MD (right after missing the Tuesday question)

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