Sunday, March 1, 2015

February 23-March 1, 2015 Texas Rangers with 200 hits in a season

MONDAY
Q.         Who hit the most career home runs without ever having won a league HR title?
Hint:     He won a Gold Glove Award as a first baseman during a season in which he played 100 more games at designated hitter than at first base.
Hint:     He was born in Cuba, raised in Miami, went to college in Mississippi.
Twint:    He played the most career games without ever appearing in a World Series.
A.         RAFAEL PALMEIRO (569 HR, never finished higher than 2nd [1999]; 1999 DH GG [28 G 1B, 128 G DH]; 2,831 G, [+22 postseason G] 0 WS G)
FCR -    Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, RI
Incorrect answers: Edgar Martinez, Orlando Cepeda, David Ortiz, Andre Dawson, Eddie Murray

TUESDAY
Q.         Who broke Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees’ record for most home runs in a season by a right-handed hitter?
Hint:     His home run on 03-Sep-2008 was the first play reviewed under the new MLB instant replay rule.
Hint:     The home run call was upheld.
Hint:     He had a “Saberhagenesque” MVP run.
Twint:    After Tim Conroy in 1978, he was the next player to debut as an 18-year-old.
A.         ALEX RODRIGUEZ (48 HR in 2005; AL MVP 2005-2007-2009, similar to Bret Saberhagen’s dominant years in 1985, 1987 and 1989)
FCR -    David Wallack, Greenwood Village, CO
Incorrect answers: Jason Giambi, Mark Teixeira, Tino Martinez, Gary Sheffield

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who, in 2006, became the oldest player to appear in a postseason game?
Hint:     He was the oldest player in the league for each of his last four Major League seasons.
Hint:     He was a teammate of Pete Rose and Carlos Gomez.
Twint:    He is currently a player-manager in Japan.
A.         JULIO FRANCO (48yrs 51 days in 2006 NLCS Game 2; oldest player in NL 2004-07; teammate of Rose on 1982 Phillies, CarGo on 2007 Mets; P-M for semi-pro Ishikawa Million Stars)
FCR -    Ticker Warner, Spottsylvania, VA
Incorrect answers: Jamie Moyer, Jesse Orosco, David Wells, Juan Samuel

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         After being led by sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire for seven straight years from 1986-92, who topped the A’s in home runs in 1993 with just 22?
Hint:     He made his Major League debut as a 20-year-old CF in-between Pete Incaviglia and Gary Ward.
Hint:     He was traded for Jose Canseco and Cecil Fielder.
Hint:     He wore 12 numbers during his career, including #21 for five different teams.
Twint:    He was one of six players on the 2012 Hall of Fame ballot who did not receive a single vote.
A.         RUBEN SIERRA (debut 01-Jun-1986; traded for Canseco 31-Aug-1992, traded for Fielder 31-Jul-1996; wore 3, 14, 16, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 29, 38, 44 & 47, wore 21 for Rangers, A’s, Tigers, Mariners & Twins; Jeromy Burnitz, Brian Jordan, Terry Mulholland, Phil Nevin & Tony Womack also received no HOF votes)
FCR -    Doug Greenwald, San Francisco, CA
Incorrect answers: Harold Baines, Oddibe McDowell, Rickey Henderson, Dave Henderson, Juan Gonzalez

THURSDAY
Q.         When Reggie Jackson claimed to have an IQ of 160, which teammate asked, “Out of what, a thousand?”
Hint:     Piling on, he told Reggie, “No wonder you’re all mixed up. You got a white man’s first name, a Spanish man’s second name and a black man’s third name.”
Hint:     He was the leadoff hitter in the 1976 All-Star Game but could not be found during the National Anthem. He was napping in a space between the dugout and clubhouse.
Hint:     He played for the Cowboys before he got to the majors.
Twint:    He was a college teammate of Bucky Dent and reunited with him on the Yankees and Rangers.
Twint:    He led the American League with 70 steals in 1975.
Twint:    No American Leaguer had topped that total going back to Ty Cobb’s 96 in 1915.
A.         MICKEY RIVERS (Ethnic observation based on Jackson’s full name, Reginald Martinez Jackson; 1969 Magic Valley Cowboys; teammate with Dent at Miami-Dade College, 1977-79 Yankees and 1982-83 Rangers)
FCR -    Dean Kloner, New York, NY
Incorrect answers: Deion Sanders, Rickey Henderson, Bobby Bonds, Billy North, Deion Sanders, Ron LeFlore, Rick Monday, Joe Rudi, Pete Rose, Danny Tartabull, Fred Lynn

FRIDAY
Q.         What pinch-hitter got the game-winning hit in the Blue Jays’ second- and fourth-ever postseason games?
Hint:     He was the first Expos player to collect 200 hits in a season.
Hint:     His Expos record for RBI in a season only lasted one year.
Twint:    He won a Silver Slugger in each of the first three years of the award, each time at a different position.
A.         AL OLIVER (walk-off single in 1985 ALCS Game 2, game-winning double in Game 4; 204 H in 1982 for MON; 109 RBI in 1982, Andre Dawson had 113 in 1983; 1980 OF SS, 1981 DH SS, 1982 1B SS)
FCR -    Rich Klein, Plano, TX
Incorrect answers:  Warren Cromartie, Rusty Staub, Jason Giambi, Tim Raines, Joe Carter

SATURDAY
Q.         Who was the manager of the silver medal-winning Team USA at the 1999 Pan-American Games?
Hint:     After seven complete years in the majors, he was traded and immediately paid big dividends for his new team, winning six consecutive Gold Gloves.
Hint:     Over that span he also made four All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger Award and five times received MVP votes.
Twint:    Frank Robinson was teammates with him and his dad; Barry Larkin was teammates with him and his son.
A.         BUDDY BELL (Frank Robinson played with Gus Bell on the 1956-61 Reds and with Buddy Bell on the 1974-76 Indians; Barry Larkin played with Buddy Bell on the 1986-88 Reds and with Mike Bell on the 2000 Reds)
FCR -    David Krassin, New York, NY
Incorrect answers:  Davey Johnson, Bill Madlock

IN MEMORIAM
Q.         Who was the first black to play on a Chicago major league team?
Hint:     In that same game, he hit the second home run of his career.  On the other team, Mickey Mantle hit his first.
Hint:     He had actually debuted in the majors two years earlier.
Hint:     He was the first native of Cuba to play in an All-Star game.
Hint:     Along with Willie Mays and Al Kaline, he was one of the three outfielders to receive the very first Gold Glove Award.  He would win it twice again.
Hint:     Although his last appearance in the majors was carefully scripted, one can still safely say that he played in the majors in five (5!) decades.
Hint:     Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda said of him, "[He] was the Jackie Robinson for all Latinos; the first star who opened doors for all Latin American players. He was everybody's hero. I wanted to be [him]. Clemente wanted to be [him]."
Hint:     At 53 years old, he is the oldest player to get a hit in a major league game.  [FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWS HIM TO BE THE 4TH OLDEST.]*
Hint:     One observer noted, “As soon as he gets on base, which is often, a sort of restless hum sweeps across the stands.”
Hint:     A life-size statue of him stands within sight of the field as U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.
Twint:    J. G. Taylor Spink quoted Ted Williams as saying that he (today’s honoree) could become the greatest player of modern times.
Twint:    His skull was fractured by a pitch thrown by young Yankees phenom Bob Grim.
Twint:    Although he received Hall of Fame inductions in Mexico and his native Cuba, he became, and died as, an American citizen.
A          MINNIE MINOSO (CHW debut 01-May-1951; MLB debut 19-Apr-1949; GG 1957, 59, 60; B. 29-Nov-1925—last H 12-Sep-1976; Pitch to the head by Grim18-May-1955)
FCR -    Harvey Judkowitz, Miami, FL

* 1 – Charley O’Leary  DoB 15-Oct-1875 H @ 58 yrs 350 days on 30-Sep-1934
   2 – Jim O’Rourke     Dob 01-Sep-1850 H @ 54 yrs 21 days on 22-Sep-1904
   3 – Nick Altrock       DoB 15-Sep-1876 H @ 53 yrs 21 days on 06-Oct-1929
   4 – Minoso              DoB 29-Nov-1925 H @ 50 yrs 288 days on 12-Sep-1976
   Big thanks to Bill Deane for this data.
Incorrect answers:  Gene Baker, Larry Doby

SUNDAY
Q.         Who hit a 9th-inning, 2-out, game-winning 2-run triple in the All-Star Game?
Hint:     It was the first triple he had hit in more than a year.
Hint:     It earned him the All-Star MVP Award.
Hint:     He lost his fielding position to a highly-touted rookie the year after winning a Gold Glove.
Hint:     Two years later he moved to DH when he lost his new fielding position to a yet better glove man.
Twint:    Between 2004 and 2010 he was the only player to beat Ichiro for the AL hits title.
A.         MICHAEL YOUNG (AS 3B 11-Jul-2006, previous 3B 08-Jul-2005; 2008 GG at SS, moved to 3B for Elvis Andrus; moved to DH in 2011 for Adrian Beltre; led AL in H in 2005 [Dustin Pedroia tied Ichiro in 2008])
FCR -    Kevin Epstein, San Antonio, TX
Incorrect answers:  Brian Downing, Hank Blalock, Edgar Martinez, Maury Wills


WEEKLY THEME – Texas Rangers with 200 hits in a season

Bell                200     1979
Franco           201     1991
Oliver             209     1980
Palmeiro        203     1991
Rivers            210     1980
Rodriguez      201     2001
Sierra             203     1991
Young           204     2003
"               216     2004
"               221     2005
"               217     2006
"            201     2007
"               213     2011


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Douglas Sher, Charleston, SC (after Sierra)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday   -  Latin players with the most HR.

Wed        -  Hispanic/Latino players who spent at least part of their career with the Texas Rangers
               -  Played in the All-Star game wearing Texas Rangers uniforms
               -  Players who won batting championships as Texas Rangers
               -  Hispanic or Latin Players with at least 20 years in the Bigs
               -  Texas Rangers who have won a Silver Slugger award
               -  Hispanic Rangers All-Stars
               -  Texas Rangers players to lead the American League in an offensive category

Thursday  -  Players who spent part of their careers with the Rangers
               -  Players who received MVP votes with the Rangers

Friday      -  Players with the highest single season batting averages for the Texas Rangers
               -  Select Texas Rangers with single season batting averages over .300

Saturday  -  Rangers with 20 game hit streaks


We archive our questions here:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/


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