Monday, October 26, 2015

October 19-25, 2015 Inside-the-park home runs in the World Series

Thanks to reader John Michael Pierobon for this week's theme.

MONDAY
Q.         Whose well-deserved nickname was “The Iron Horse”?
Hint:     He was also called “Biscuit Pants”.
Hint:     No American League player ever had more RBI’s in a single season.
Hint:     He had only one RBI in his final season after having 100 such each of the previous thirteen years.
Twint:    He would be most people’s choice for the first baseman on the all-time line-up.
A.         LOU GEHRIG
-  The nickname was told to us all in Ken Burns's "Baseball" in 1994.  Little explanation was given.  The documentary surmised it had something to do with the musculature of his glutes.  Why not?
-  185 RBI in 1931 (in 155 games)
FCR -    Doug Greenwald, San Francisco, CA
Incorrect answers:  Billy Ripken

TUESDAY
Q.         Whose double-talk made him seem professorial to his players, the media, the fans and even the U.S. Congress?
Hint:     He managed four major league teams for a total of 25 years.
Hint:     Only one of the four had an overall winning record, a spectacular .623 winning percentage.
Hint:     The other three came in at .453, .432 and .302 respectively.
Twint:    He was a successful banker during and after his baseball career.
A.         CASEY STENGEL
FCR -    Tal Smith, Sugar Land, TX
Incorrect answers:  Sparky Anderson, Bucky Harris, Joe Torre, Bobby Valentine

WEDNESDAY
Q.         Who was the first player to get two hits in one inning in the World Series?
Hint:     He received 10 Hall of Fame votes in the very first election, but didn’t make it until 1972.
Hint:     He is the only career Giant ever to lead the National League in doubles.
Twint:    Ironically, he lasted only 10 years in the majors, although one might say his future was Bright.
A.         ROSS YOUNGS
-  07-Oct-1921, WS Game 3, b7 a double and a triple.
-  31 2b in 1919; Sam Mertes, Larry Doyle & Orlando Cepeda also led NL in 2B as Giants but all played for multiple teams.
- He passed away after contracting “Bright’s Disease” – now an outdated term that was once used to describe any form of kidney failure.
FCR -    Jim Turner, Tallahassee, FL
Incorrect answers:  Dave Bancroft, Orlando Cepeda, Alvin Dark, Frankie Frisch, Monte Irvin, High Pockets Kelly, Freddie Lindstrom, Rabbit Maranville, Willie McCovey, Mel Ott, Dusty Rhodes, Wilbert Robinson, Bill Terry

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.         Who is the only player in Major League Baseball history to acquire three World Series rings with the Red Sox, and one with the Indians?
Hint:     He once handed Christy Mathewson a World Series ending walk-off loss – the only walk-off postseason loss of Mathewson’s career.
Hint:     It was the first walk-off Series-ending RBI in the modern era.
Twint:    He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame with, among others, the announcer for Teddy Ballgame’s home run in his final at bat.
A.         LARRY GARDNER
-  BOS WS 1912, 1915 and 1916, and CLE 1920.
Game 8, 1912 WS, 10 inn. SF scored Steve Yerkes to end the series.
Gardner led the Sox with 5 RBI that series.
- Inducted BOS HOF 2000 with Curt Gowdy, who announced Williams’ 8th inning HR in his last game 28-Sep-1960.
FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI
Incorrect answers:  Lefty Grove, Harry Hooper, Johnny Pesky, Tris Speaker, Smoky Joe Wood, Cy Young

THURSDAY
Q.         Who was the first American Leaguer to hit to two triples in a World Series?
Hint:     For good measure, he did it in the same game.
Hint:     For even better measure, three teammates also hit triples in that same game.
Twint:    Earlier that season, he’d hit three triples in a game.
A.         PATSY DOUGHERTY
WS G5 07-Oct-1903
3b same G Cy Young, Chick Stahl, Jimmy Collins
3bX3 05-Sep-1903
FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI
Incorrect answers:  Bobby Brown, Home Run Baker, Tommy Leach, George Rohe, Enos Slaughter, Tris Speaker, Bill Wambsganss

FRIDAY
Q.         Who is the only Dodger to lead the league in triples in consecutive seasons?
Hint:     They were usually called Robins at the time.
Hint:     His peculiar arms-down gait endeared him to fans.
Hint:     He is the only player after 1882 to lead his league in RBI with fewer than 75.
Hint:     His neighbors lent him livestock to bluff Charles Ebbets into thinking he would give up baseball for farming.
Hint:     The bluff worked, earning him a substantial raise.
Twint:    He is the only player to have hit a postseason home run off of Babe Ruth.
A.         HI MYERS
-  NL 3b leader 1919-20
-  73 RBI in 1919
-  1917 contract holdout with the Robins
-  1916 WS HR vs. Ruth
FCR -    Kevin Cook, Grapevine, TX (via Facebook)
Incorrect answers:  Max Carey, Jake Daubert, Babe Herman, Joe Medwick, Zack Wheat

WORK WEEK WRAP-UP
Q.         Who is the only player to lead the American League in sacrifice hits in consecutive years with different teams?
Hint:     In fact, he is the only player to lead either league in Sac Hits 5 consecutive seasons (and yes we know that the statistic has been “variably kept” over the years).
Hint:     He was the youngest of the starting A’s outfielders that played in the last three World Series while the club was still based in Philadelphia.
Twint:    He got his start in the outfield when Connie Mack decided to bench Tris Speaker.
Twint:    The move turned out to be highly productive.
A.         MULE HAAS
1932 27SH PHA, 1933 30SH CHW; Omar Vizquel (2004 CLE & 2005 SFN) and Juan Pierre (2011 CHA & 2012 PHI) led each league in consecutive seasons.
-  Led AL SH 1930-4
-  Haas, age 25-27, Al Simmons 27-29 and Bing Miller 34-36 yo. A’s 1929-31
- An aging Tris Speaker was with the A’s his final season, and after Mack benched him in 1928 for Mule, the team went on to win three consecutive AL pennants and two World Series.
FCR -    Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, MD
Incorrect answers:  Jay Bell, Max Bishop, Joe Boley, Doc Cramer, Bing Miller, Al Simmons

SATURDAY
Q.         Who won consecutive batting titles, first as a Hoosier and then as a Tip Top?
Hint:     He was also the league stolen base, on base percentage and OPS leader with the same teams, same years.
Hint:     He once bragged "I'll make them all forget that a guy named Ty Cobb ever pulled on a baseball shoe."
Twint:    Rather than relegating Cobb to a distant memory, he soon found himself banned from baseball.
A.         BENNY KAUFF
-  Indianapolis Hoosiers and then Brooklyn Tip Tops of the Federal League where he batted .370 in 1914 and .342 in 1915.
SABR BIO He was quoted when he arrived to play with the 1916 Giants.
-  Kauff was banned from baseball by Commissioner Landis prior to the 1921 season even though Kauff was never convicted or several serious charges including receiving stolen automobiles as well as possibly being involved in the “Black Sox” bribery scheme.
FCR -    Michael Campos, Redmond, WA
Incorrect answers:  Joe Jackson, Mike Simon, Dick Sisler, Jim Thorpe

SUNDAY
Q.         Who hit the first ever World Series home run?
Hint:     It was the only home run his team produced despite, being an 8-game series.
Hint:     It was the only World Series homer ever yielded by that pitcher.
Hint:     He also led all position players with the highest batting average for either team in that series.
Twint:    He, like Christy Mathewson, was a Bison.
A.         JIMMY SEBRING
Game 1, 1903 WS, t7 solo homer.
-1903 WS Boston Americans topped the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3.
-  Hit off Cy Young who went 2-1 for the series – the only World Series of his career.
-  .333 BA, the closest being Chick Stahl .303 for BOS
- Both players attended Bucknell University.
FCR -    Bob Flynn, Chandler, AZ (via Facebook)
Incorrect answers:  Ginger Beaumont, Patsy Donovan, Patsy Dougherty Shoeless Joe Jackson, Honus Wagner

SUNDAY SECONDS
Q.         Who held the record for the highest batting average by a Cardinal in the World Series until it was smashed by Tim McCarver? (minimum 20AB)
Hint:     He continues to hold the dubious record of most consecutive at bats without a home run.
Hint:     If not for 2 home runs hit 5 days apart, he would have gone over 4000 consecutive regular season at bats without a home run.
Twint:    He and Chuck Klein were the first modern era Phillies to play 156 games in a single season.
A.         TOMMY THEVENOW
1926 WS .417AB until McCarver’s 1964WS .478
3347AB from end of 1926 season until the end of his career in 1938
-  Career AB 4164, his two homers were hit September 17th and 22nd, 1926.
1930 He and Klein played 156G.
FCR -    Alan Blumkin, Brooklyn, NY (via Facebook)
Incorrect answers:  David Eckstein, Frankie Frisch, Joe Garagiola, Pete Gray, Rabbit Maranville, Marty Marion, Pepper Martin, Dal Maxvill, Red Schoendienst, Enos Slaughter, Ozzie Smith

GRAND FINALE
Q.         Who replaced “Home Run” Baker at third when he retired from playing in the majors?
Hint:     In his early career, he left the A’s and went back to his home state of Connecticut so many times they called him “Jumping”.
Hint:     During his 7 seasons with the Yankees, he appeared in 5 World Series and earned three rings.
Twint:    After losing the 1923 World Series, McGraw was asked by a reporter about Frisch, Ruth and others, but saved his strongest praise for him by saying “Now young man, you have named a great ball player.”
A.         JOE DUGAN
-  Dugan became the starting 3B for the 1923 NYY after Baker’s final 1922 season.
-  He was “despised” by Philadelphia fans for his poor play during his rookie year, so much so that several times he “jumped” the club to return to Connecticut, but Connie Mack always welcomed him back.  Hence his nickname, “Jumping Joe”.
- Played for the NYY 1922-8, WS 1922-3, 1926-28 with victories 1923, 1927-8
- SABR BIO Quote from John McGraw after the Yankees halted the NYG two consecutive World Series titles (1921-2) in 1923.
FCR -    Tim Doherty, Los Angeles, CA (via Facebook)
Incorrect answers: Joe Gordon, Mark Koenig, Red Rolfe


WEEKLY THEME – Inside-the-park home runs In the World Series

Player                   Date             G       For        Vs,
Dougherty         02-Oct-1903      2       BOS     PIT
Dugan              15-Oct-1923      5       NYY     NYG
Gardner            11-Oct-1916      4       BOS     BRO
Gehrig              07-Oct-1928      3       NYY     STL
Haas                 12-Oct-1929      4       PHA     CHC
Kauff                11-Oct-1917      4       NYG     CHW
Myers               09-Oct-1916      2       BRO     BOS
Sebring             01-Oct-1903      1       PIT       BOS
Stengel             10-Oct-1923      1       NYG     NYY
Thevenow         03-Oct-1926      2       STL      NYY
Youngs             13-Oct-1923      4       NYG     NYY


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Douglas Scher (after the Ross Youngs question)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday   -  Members of the 1937 Yankees
               -  Guys Wally Pipp hates
Tuesday   -  Yankee icons
                  Players on the rosters of the Giants and Yankees during the 1923 World Series
Sunday    -  Players who led the Federal League in a statistical category


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



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