MONDAY
Q. Who
is the only pitcher since Sandy Koufax to end his career with a twenty-win
season?
Hint: In eighteen years (seventeen full seasons), he only had one
losing season.
Hint: An
outstanding fielder, he has the longest gap in the Majors between seasons of
winning the pitcher’s Gold Glove award.
Twint: He
gave up the only World Series home runs in Craig Counsell’s and Luis Gonzalez’ careers—and
both in the same game.
A. MIKE MUSSINA (2008 “Moose” finished 20-9,
his only 20 W season [Koufax finished 27-9
in 1966.]; Career 270-153, losing his last year with BAL (11-15) before
going to the NYY; GG 1996-99, 2001, 2003
then not again until 2008, a 4-year gap; G 1 2001 WS, Counsell b1 solo shot,
Gonzalez b3 two run
blast in 9-1 ARI win)
FCR - Greg
Bernstein, Oakland, CA
Incorrect answers: Jim Kaat, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddox
TUESDAY
Q. Who
was the only Boston Red Sox pitcher to start a game in the 2004 World Series
and not get the win?
Hint: He
has more seasons throwing for “The Nation” than any other pitcher.
Hint: His
career will be forever linked with a certain Yankee who only played one third
of a regular season with the Bombers, but who launched them into the World
Series.
Twint: It’s
hard to blame him for the loss given a fateful decision by the manager.
A. TIM WAKEFIELD (G 1 2004 WS. He had
the lead but left after 3.2 in, with Keith Foulke getting a
Blown Save and then the W; 17 seasons with BOS;
He gave up the walk-off homer to Aaron Boone in the b
11th, G 7 2003 ALCS; Pedro Martinez had a
5-2 b 8th but was left in by Manager Grady Little
despite the fact he [Martinez] was obviously struggling)
FCR - Rick
Tharp, Gaithersburg, MD
Incorrect answers: Bruce Hurst, Pedro Martinez
WEDNESDAY
Q. Which
Dodger threw his franchise’s first complete game shutout of the New York
Yankees?
Hint: It
was the team’s only win of the series.
Hint: After
he retired, he admitted use of the spitball even going so far as to grant an
interview for Sports Illustrated.
Twint: Of
his trademark pitch he said “I like to tell ’em it was my sinker. Well, you know, the ball did drop real pretty.”
A. PREACHER ROE (06-Oct-1949, G 2 1949 WS 1-0;
1949 WS (4-1) NYY vs
BRO; July 4, 1955 interview with Dick Young where he argued
in favor of the spitter in an article titled The Outlawed Spitball Was My
Money Pitch; Quote from the same
interview where he confessed that he threw
spitballs the whole time he was with the Dodgers.)
FCR - J.R.
Richardson, Clarksville, MD
Incorrect answers: Burleigh Grimes, Don Drysdale, Gaylord Perry,
Johnny Podres, Lew Burdette, Don Sutton, Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. What
three-time All-Star drove himself home after the third playoff game in the 1951
season?
Hint: At
twenty-one years old, he was once the youngest “live ball era” pitcher to win
twenty games.
Hint: It
was the only twenty-win season of his twelve-year career.
Hint: He
was financially success after baseball and ran B.A.T. for seventeen years,
helping retired players who were struggling.
Twint: He
was the antepenultimate of fifteen siblings.
A. RALPH BRANCA (03-Oct-1951 “Shot
heard around the world” Game 3 BRO vs NYG; 1947 age 21 went 21-12
Bob Feller 24-9 in 1939 now holds that honor; 1944-54, 1956 88-68 record; From a
large family, he was raised Catholic though years later he discovered that his
mother was Jewish from NY Times story For Branca, an Asterisk of a
Different Kind)
FCR - Chuck
Hilty, Reston, VA
Incorrect answers: Larry Jansen, Don Newcombe, Johnny Antonelli,
THURSDAY
Q. What
former Seahawk was signed to his first professional baseball contract by Bruce
Bochy's brother?
Hint: He
recently signed to come back home.
Hint: In
a series-deciding game, he gave up a postseason to Buster Posey.
Hint: Posey
also took him deep in the first game of the series.
Twint: He
lost the first salary arbitration case in the Major Leagues for this season.
Twint: He
honors his grandfather by drawing his initials on the mound and with a tattoo
of his initials.
A. MAT LATOS (Attended
Broward
Community College [Seahawks] signed by Joe Bochy; 2012 NLDS Game 5 SFG v
CIN t 5th the slam gave the Giants the win 6-4; 2012 NLDS Game 1 b 6th
solo shot in 5-2 SFG loss; He sought $10.4 M, but got the club’s offer of $9.4M; Initials RMH tattooed
on his shoulder often shows during a pitch)
FCR - Matt
Dicker, Chicago, IL
Incorrect answers: Andrew Bailey, James Shields, C.J. Wilson
FRIDAY
Q. Who
is the only Giants pitcher with a 25-win season and never play in the
postseason?
Hint: It
was the only season of his .500 career (250+ games started) where he won 20 games.
Hint: He
had, however, previously led his league one year in win-loss percentage.
Twint: He
spent his first four years in Boston and was the only pitcher over that span to
have a winning record (minimum 20 W).
Twint: This
was despite the fact that only one of those seasons was a winning season.
A. LARRY BENTON (1928
25-9 only 25W of his career; Finished* 128-128 according to Retrosheet;
1927 .708 W-L%; 1923-26 W-L% .506 38-37 (from Play Index search); he went 5-9, 5-7, 14-7, and 14-14 in that
span)
FCR - Barry
Nelson, Guilderland, NY
Incorrect answers: Ron Bryant, Mike McCormick, Juan Marichal
END OF THE WORKWEEK BONUS
Q. Which
pitcher appeared in the most games of the last World Series that the Giants won
in New York?
Hint: He
was the only pitcher on his team to yield no runs and to give up no walks that
October.
Hint: During
that season he put down 27 consecutive batters in 9 relief innings – making him
“perfect”.
Twint: It
was his rookie year.
Twint: He
was perhaps best known for his distinguished mien of which Jim Bouton said he "looked
like a cab going down the street with its doors open."
A. DON MOSSI (1954 WS, 3 G, 4 IP,
0.00 ERA, 0BB 1 K; From 02-Jun-1954 until
16-Jun-1954 he actually put down 28 in a row in 9.1 innings in 7
relief appearances, the streak ending with a one-out homer by Joe Tipton; Nicknamed
“Ears” or “The Sphinx” for his appearance; the Quote from “Ball Four”)
FCR - Richard
Marston, Newport Beach, CA
Incorrect answers: Sal Maglie, Hoyt Wilhelm, Johnny Antonelli,
Don Liddle, Jim Hearn, Art Nehf, Marv Grissom, Billy Loes
WEEKEND UNDERWAY BONUS
Q. Who
was the first Angel to give up the most home runs in the American League for a
season (non-strike year)?
Hint: The
first one he surrendered that season helped a certain slugger towards his
record-setting 40-40 mark.
Hint: Not
willing to send him to the minors, Gene Mauch said of him, “(He) is too good to
be a nobody on this team. I'd rather he was a somebody somewhere else than a
nobody here."
Hint: As
fate would have it, an injury to one of their starters sent him from a mop-up
bullpen hurler to starter.
Twint: He
is currently an advance scout for the Dodgers.
A. WILLIE FRASER (33 HR, 1988; HR to Jose Canseco 10-Apr-1988; Mauch didn’t want him to atrophy on the
bench, but didn’t have a lot of playing time for him; elbow surgery
ended Kirk McCaskill’s
season; LAD Coaching Staff)
FCR - John
Michael Pierobon, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Incorrect answers: Bert Blyleven, Chuck Finley, Mike Witt, Geoff
Zahn, Nolan Ryan
SATURDAY
Q. Who
was the second American League pitcher (after Walter Johnson in 1913, but first
in the live ball era) to pitch fewer than thirty complete games in a season and
yet lead the league?
Hint: He
won twenty of them.
Hint: His
nickname completely belied his personal grooming habits.
Twint: A
good hitting pitcher he was the only one to hit lifetime (at least) .270 with a
.375 SLG and OPS of .682 (minimum 600 AB).
A. SLOPPY THURSTON
(28 CG 1924 [Johnson w29 in ‘13];
20-14; Called “Sloppy” not
only because it was his father’s nickname, but as satire considering his highly
groomed appearance;.270 BA / .290 OBP / .383 SLG / .682 OPS)
FCR - Andrew
Distler, New York, NY
Incorrect answers:
SATURDAY BONUS
Q. What major leaguer’s high school team won the 2005 North
Carolina 4A state championship and 2006 3A state championship?
Hint: He was named
tournament MVP in 2006.
Hint: In 2009 he was a
first round draft pick, chosen 13 slots behind his college teammate.
Hint: He won the Bob
Feller Award in 2010, his first professional season. (Feller Award given to top
pitching prospect in Indians’ system)
Twint: He missed the 2013
season recovering from Tommy John surgery. (spent 2014 in minors)
Twint: While he was on the
60-day DL, he was traded for Ubaldo Jimenez. (2011)
A. ALEX WHITE (Taken 15th, Dustin Ackley, fellow Tar Heel, picked 2nd in 2009 Draft [We all
know who went first in that draft.];
BFA)
FCR - Mike
McCroskey, Sugar Land, TX
Incorrect answers: Coey Kluber, Madison
Bumgarner, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco
SUNDAY
Q. Who
lost the ERA title to Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson on the last day of the
season when he needed to get a few more innings to qualify, but gave up six
runs dropping him into third place.
Hint: It
was the only double-digit winning season of his career.
Hint: He
did, however, have two double-digit losing seasons, once leading the league.
Twint: He
was the Brewers top draft pick the same year Alex Rodriguez was the number one
pick.
A. JEFF D’AMICO (2000
NL He gave up 6 R in 6I P finishing
w/2.661, .078 behind Brown [2.583] & Johnson [2.642] with
162.1 IP; Finished 12-7; 2002 [6-10], 2003 [9-16 NL in losses]; 1993 Amateur Draft, he
went 23rd)
FCR - Paul
Goodson, Cheyenne, WY
Incorrect answers: Omar Daal, Rick Reuschel
WEEKLY THEME – Pitchers who surrendered five home runs in a game but got the win:
|
Player
|
Date
|
Team
|
Opp
|
Result
|
IP
|
H
|
ER
|
BB
|
SO
|
HR
|
|
W 11-9
|
5.0
|
8
|
7
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
||||
|
W 18-9
|
9.0
|
12
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
||||
|
W 14-12
|
6.2
|
9
|
8
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
||||
|
W 7-5
|
7.1
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
5
|
||||
|
W 12-7
|
5.0
|
8
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
||||
|
W 13-6
|
6.0
|
8
|
6
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
||||
|
W 14-7
|
5.0
|
10
|
7
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
||||
|
W 15-6
|
6.1
|
8
|
6
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
||||
|
W 15-7
|
7.0
|
10
|
5
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
||||
|
W 12-5
|
9.0
|
9
|
5
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
||||
|
W 17-10
|
9.0
|
12
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
First Correct Respondent
to Identify Theme – Douglas
Sher, Charleston, SC
Incorrect theme guesses:
Monday - Pitchers who lost a
perfect game with two outs in the 9th inning.
Tuesday - Pitchers
to win more than one game in more than one postseason series
- Pitchers who
won the most games in the '00s
- 200-game winners
who began their MLB careers in the 1990s
Wed - Boys of Summer
Wed. - Pitchers
to give up postseason go-ahead homers vs. the Yankees in their last at bat.
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
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