May 25-31, 2015 Most games played at catcher for each American League original franchise

MONDAY

Q.         Who managed the Detroit Tigers to their first World Series Championship?

Hint:     His .320 is the high career batting average for a catcher.

Hint:     He played football, boxed and played the saxophone in college.

Hint:     He ran a dude ranch in Wyoming following his playing and managing career.

Twint:    He was the first catcher to score 100 runs in a season.

A.         MICKEY COCHRANE (WS 1935; Boston University; 113 R in 1929)

FCR -    Charles Saeger, Minneapolis, MN

Incorrect answers:  Steve O’Neill, Hank Gowdy, Charlie Bennett

TUESDAY

Q.         Who was Yogi Berra’s mentor?

Hint:     He managed the Yankees in Yogi’s rookie season.

Hint:     He once knocked himself out celebrating a Yankees pennant when he jumped and hit his head on the low dugout ceiling.

Twint:    Although his major league career lasted 17 years and he never played for another team, he’s only ninth on the Yankees’ games-played list.

A.         BILL DICKEY (NYY Mgr. 1946; 1,789 G)

FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI

Incorrect answers:  Bucky Harris, Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy, Ralph Houk, Johnny Keane, Miller Huggins

WEDNESDAY

Q.         Who was the first catcher to steal thirty bases in a season?

Hint:     He was the first player to hit for the cycle for the White Sox.

Hint:     He caught three no-hitters, including a perfect game.

Hint:     He is credited with being the first catcher to back up infield throws to first base and outfield throws to third.

Twint:    The day before his twentieth birthday was both his first visit to a major league park and his first appearance in a big league game.

Twint:    Teammates called him “Cracker”.

A.         RAY SCHALK (30 SB in 1916 [13 CS]; Cycle 27-Jun-1922; No-nos:  Joe Benz 31‑May‑1914, Ed Cicotte 14-Apr-1917, Charlie Robertson 30-Apr-1922 [perfect]; MLB debut 11-Aug-1912)

FCR -    Tom Headley, Silver Spring, MD

Incorrect answers:  John Wathan, A.J. Pierzynski, Ed McFarland, Carlton Fisk, Manny Sanguillen, Wally Schang

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q.         Who is the only Detroit native to play his whole MLB career with the Tigers (10 seasons minimum)?

Hint:     He was the head baseball coach at the University of Michigan from 1990-95.

Hint:     He hit his 200^th and final career home run off a Hall of Famer’s brother.

Hint:     He once opined about life in the majors, “The real name of the game is pack and re-pack.”

Twint:    He was the catcher for Mickey Lolich’s first career start his Lolich’s 200^th career victory.

Twint:    Having played about 10% of his career there, he said that playing first base, "…was like a day off—like a day at the country club in comparison to catching."

A.         BILL FREEHAN (B. 29-Nov-1941 in Detroit, 1,774 G w/DET; 200^th HR off Ken Brett 24‑Aug-1976; Lolich’s 1^st career start 21-May-1963, 200^th W 25-May-1975)

FCR -    Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, MD

Incorrect answers:  Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Lance Parrish, Jim Northrup, Lou Whitaker

THURSDAY

Q.         Who is the only player is history to play:

- in a Little League World Series,

- in a high school state championship game,

- in the NCAA College World Series,

- on the U.S. Olympic baseball team … and

- in the World Baseball Classic?

Hint:     He was also an MLB All-Star, a Gold Glove recipient and a Silver Slugger winner.

Hint:     His major league team named him captain after winning the World Series.

Twint:    After his retirement, his team held a “Thanks” night for him.

Twint:    He played in college with a future major league teammate.

A.         JASON VARITEK (Played at Georgia Tech [GA Tek?] w/Nomar Garciaparra)

FCR -    Joseph Dell, Indiana, PA

Incorrect answers:  Will Clark, Fred McGriff, Buster Posey, Dustin Pedroia, Barry Larkin, Derek Jeter, Ryan Theriot, Jimmy Rollins, Dave Winfield, David Wright, Boog Powell

FRIDAY

Q.         Who belongs to a club whose only other members are Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey, Paul Molitor, Cody Ross and Hideki Matsui?

Hint:     Although he keeps hoping for a managerial job, he’s been turned down more times that Babe Ruth.

Hint:     He has a famous eponymous brew pub in a very favorable location.

Hint:     His major league playing career covered parts of four decades.

Twint:    A World Series MVP is a very nice trophy to have in your trophy room.

Twint:    He was part of a historic interview at SABR 39.

A.         RICK DEMPSEY (MVPs of postseason series that defeated the Phillies; Was twice a AAA manager, coached 1^st and 3^rd for the Orioles, had been a broadcaster and even the interim mgr. for the O’s but has never been offered the permanent managerial position; Dempsey’s Brewpub & Restaurant is located in the Warehouse at Camden Yards; Played 1969-92; SABR 39 interview with George Michael and Frank Howard)

FCR -    Eric Stone, Los Gatos, CA

Incorrect answers:  Rusty Staub, Carlton Fisk, Willie McCovey, Steve Yeager, Gary Sheffield

SATURDAY

Q.         Who holds the record for the best ratio of double plays-to-errors of any catcher in major league history? (1,000 G min)

Hint:     He was the catcher who gave up Rickey Henderson’s first career stolen base.

Hint:     He was the first player at any position to win a Gold Glove for his franchise.

Twint:    He caught Bert Blyleven's no-hitter.

Twint:    He broke the Blue Jays heart in the 1985 ALCS.

A.         JIM SUNDBERG (SB by Henderson 24-Jun-1979, his debut; GG 1976 [He won 5 more.]; Blyleven no‑no: 22-Sep-1977; Although he only hit .167 in the 1985 ALCS, he had 6 timely RBI)

FCR -    Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, MD

Incorrect answers:  Bob Boone, Darrell Porter, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk

SUNDAY

Q.         Who was the last documented courtesy runner in a major league game?

Hint:     He was a consultant for Popular Mechanics magazine when they wrote an article on the secrets of pitching.

Hint:     He first made the majors to replace a player who quit due to “upset nerves”.

Hint:     World War II cost him three full seasons near the beginning of his career and he still managed to set—and still holds—the Indians franchise record for most games played at catcher.

Twint:    He caught no-hitters from Don Black, Bob Lemon and Bob Feller.

Twint:    His son had the highest batting average (career AND season!) for the Seattle Pilots (minimum 250 AB).

Twint:    He wrote the book “Jim Hegan’s Secrets of Catching”.

A.         JIM HEGAN (CR* for Ray Boone 02-Jul-1949; PM article June 1949; Son Mike Hegan)

FCR -    Kevin Epstein, San Antonio, TX

* http://www.retrosheet.org/Research/RuaneT/broke_art.htm

Incorrect answers:  Steve O’Neill, Jorge Posada, Rick Ferrell

REPLACEMENT QUESTION

Q.         Who is the only player to win a Gold Glove Award award for both the Senators and Twins?

Hint:     He was the catcher in the Twins first no-hitter.

Hint:     The only player he was ever traded for (with Don Mincher) was a famous rodent.

Hint:     Three-time batting champ Joe Mauer is within 70 games of passing him on this list.

Hint:     He was once the Con-Ed Answer Man.

Twint:    Ron Fairly was just three years behind him as the same high school.

A.         EARL BATTEY (Roy Sievers “Squirrel” trade 04-Apr-1960; No-no by Jack Kralick 26-Aug-1962; Mauer w/920 G @ C; Worked in PR for Consolidated Edison; Fairly did attend Jordan High School, but he went to the one in Long Beach, not L.A.  (Wiki has yet to straighten this out.])

FCR -    Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR

Incorrect answers:  Clint Courtney

WEEKLY THEME – Most games played at catcher for each American League original franchise

Battey          WSH-MIN        990      (1960-67)

Dempsey     SLA-BAL      1,172      (1976-86, 92)

Varitek         BOS            1,488      (1997-2011)

Schalk         HI                1,722      (1912-28)

Hegan          CLE             1,526      (1941-57)

Freehan       DET             1,581      (1961-76)

Dickey         NYY            1,708      (1928-46)

Cochrane     PHA-OAK    1,148      (1925-33)

Sundberg    WAS-TEX    1,459      (1974-83, 88-89)

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one (no wonder!)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Ballplayers after whom other ballplayers were named.

Tuesday   -  HOF catchers who managed

               -  All time leaders in managerial wins by ex-catchers

               -  Catchers who had over a 2:1 ratio of BBs to Ks

               -  Managers who were catchers in t the dead ball era

Wed        -  Catchers on Stratomatic Hall of Fame team

               -  Players who predominantly played catcher in the Hall of Fame

               -  Catchers who played for, managed, and won a world series with the same team

               -  Theme catchers who won MVP

               -  Catchers who won batting title

               -  Catchers with the most games played in the American League

               -  Players with more than 1,000 games caught for an American League team

Thursday  -  Catchers who caught three or more no hitters

               -  Catchers who have caught the most no-hitters

Friday      -  Catchers who were WS MVP

               -  Players with more than 1200 games caught for an American League team

               -  Players with more than 1250 games caught for one American League team.

               -  1300?

               -  1400?

               -  1500?

Saturday  -  Players with the most games caught in the American league

Questions archived here:  http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia