Sunday, February 10, 2013

February 4-10, 2013 Managers who won 75 games in the majors, but only managed one year.


By Barry Sparks, who has now become, it seems, a regular contributor.

IN MEMORIAM
Q.         What Paire was portrayed as a Peach?
Hint:     She was, however, a Millerette, a Daisy, and Belle and a Chick.
Hint:     She played on championship teams nine of the twelve years of the league’s existence.
Hint:     She is included in a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Hint:     Usually her team’s best athlete, she played shortstop and third base, but mostly catcher.
Hint:     The son of one of her teammates played for nine years in the majors.
Twint:    Geena Davis played her in the movie.
Twint:    There really IS crying in baseball, especially at times like this.  (If there’s no crying, then you’re not doing it right.)
FCR -    Bob Wilber, Spokane, WA

MONDAY
Q.         Who was the first player to play on four winning World Series teams?
Hint:     Connie Mack called him "the greatest shortstop there ever was".
Hint:     He missed the entire 1918 season because he joined the military to serve in WW I.
Twint:    He compiled a record of 616-150-6 for an .802 won/loss percentage during a 40-year college coaching career.
A.         Jack Barry (1910, 1911, 1913 and 1915; Holy Cross, 1921-1960).
FCR -    Ron Liebman, Flushing, NY

TUESDAY
Q.         Whose home run-turned-double turned Harvey Haddix' near-perfect game into a loss?
Hint:     He was the first player to hit a home run over the center field wall at the Polo Grounds?
Hint:     He once slugged the third in a series of back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs.
Hint:     When he retired in 1966, he had the fifth most career home runs for a first baseman.
Twint:    Despite his 336 career homers, he was only named as an All-Star one year.
A.         Joe Adcock (Haddix G 26‑May‑1959; Polo Grounds HR 29‑Apr‑1953; 4 HR 7th inning @ Cincinnati 08‑Jun‑1961: Aaron, Mathews, Adcock & Frank Thomas; Foxx [534]; Gehrig [493]; Hodges [370]; Mize [359]; Adcock [336]; AS 1960)
FCR -    Chuck Durante, Dover, DE

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who was the first pitcher to toe the mound the day Yankee Stadium opened?
Hint:     He returned to throw out the first ball in remodeled Yankee Stadium in 1976.
Hint:     His 15 strikeouts in a game was a team record for 59 years.
Twint:    His nicknames included "Sailor Bob" and "Bob the Gob."
A.         Bob Shawkey (18‑Apr‑1923; 15‑Apr‑1976; Struck out 15 Athletics 27‑Sep‑1919, record was broken by Ron Guidry with 18 Ks vs. California, 17‑Jun‑1978).
FCR -    Tim Phares, Laurel, MD

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who was the first player to sign with the expansion Los Angeles Angels?
Hint:     He was their Opening Day catcher.
Hint:     He caught Don Cardwell's no-hitter while with the Cubs.
Twint:    He was Bob Buhl's personal catcher with the Braves.
A.         Del Rice (11‑Apr‑1961; Cardwell’s No-no: 15‑May‑1960)
FCR -    Chuck Durante, Dover, DE

THURSDAY
Q.         Who has the lowest career batting average of any major leaguer with more than 5,000 at-bats?
Hint:     He received votes for the Chalmers Award in 1911, 12, 13 and 14 despite never batting more than .235 in any those seasons.
Hint:     He was nicknamed "Pinch" for his ability to hit in the clutch.
Twint:    He was the Washington Senators regular shortstop from 1908-16.
A.         George McBride (.218 in 5,526 AB; Chalmers Awards 1911, 1912, 1913 & 1914)
FCR -    Tom Zocco, Rocky Hill, CT

FRIDAY
Q.         Whom did Ty Cobb describe as "the best catcher to ever wear shoe leather"?
Hint:     He received a U.S. patent in 1908 for an inflatable, contoured chest protector.
Hint:     He caught three balls thrown from the Washington Monument by pitcher Ed Walsh as a publicity stunt in 1910.
Twint:    He and his son became the first father-son combination to appear in the World Series.  Not the same Series.  That would be a record.
FCR -    Rick Fink, Edison, NJ

SATURDAY
Q.         Who lost his starting shortstop position to Robin Yount in 1974?
Hint:     He never hit a home run in 1,408 plate appearances during his seven-year major league career.
Twint:    He is a native of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Twint:    He was named the American Association Manager of the Year in 2012.
Twint:    His past came to light slowly.
A.         Tim Johnson (AA MOY; Came forth about the source of his player-inspiring stories.)
FCR -    Saul Wisnia, Newton Center, MA

SUNDAY
Q.         Who was, following three separate seasons, named The Sporting News' Minor League Manager of the Year?
Hint:     He won the Junior World Series as manager of the American Association's Indianapolis Indians.
Hint:     Although he was known by his middle name, his first name was "Major".
Twint:    He was Roger Maris' first major league manager.
A.         Kerby Farrell (1954, 1956 and 1961; 1956; Cleveland Indians 1957)
FCR -    Al Blumkin, Brooklyn, NY


WEEKLY THEME – Managers who won 75 games in the majors, but only managed one year.

Barry            1917 Boston Red Sox            90-62      Bio
Johnson       1998 Toronto Blue Jays          88-74      Bio
Shawkey      1930 New York Yankees         86-68      Bio
McBride       1921 Washington Senators     80-73      Bio
Sullivan        1909 Chicago White Sox         78-74      Bio
Farrell           1957 Cleveland Indians           76-77      Bio
Adcock        1967 Cleveland Indians           75-87      Bio
Rice             1972 California Angels            75-80      Bio

N.B. Cookie Rojas managed the 1988 California Angels to a 75-79 record, but he also managed one game for the 1996 Florida Marlins

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Steve Schwartz, Chico, CA (after the Adcock question)


Horsehide Trivia blog has the questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/


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