Sunday, January 3, 2016

Dec 28, 2015 - Jan 3, 2016 First 10 switch-hitters to get 1,500 hits

MONDAY
Q.         Which Hall of Famer drew his nickname from his exclamation whenever his pitcher threw a particularly admirable pitch?
Hint:     He set the record for the most chances accepted in a season by a shortstop.
Hint:     Only Rabbit Maranville and Bill Dahlen had more shortstop putouts in a career.
Twint:    At his Hall of Fame induction, he admitted, "I was more surprised by my election than anything that ever happened to me.  But my wife wasn't.  She thought it should have come a little sooner."
Twint:    He once played a game with pneumonia and a blazing fever, collapsed in the clubhouse and was rushed to the hospital after the game.
A.         DAVE “Beauty” BANCROFT
-  4,623 putouts (Maranville 5,139; Dahlen 4,856)
-  Fever game 28-Jun-1923
FCR -    Barry Nelson, Guilderland, NY
Incorrect answers:  Hughie Jennings, Donie Bush, Happy Felsch, Arky Vaughan, Luis Aparicio, Sam Crawford, Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith, Jack Glasscock

IN MEMORIAM
Q.         Before Gerald Ford was president, who was the only American League third baseman to win a Gold Glove Award who wasn’t named Brooks Robinson?
Hint:     He won three in a row.
Hint:     Only Carl Yastrzemski had more at-bats for the Red Sox during the 1960’s.
Hint:     In his first full season, he became the first player to lead the league at his position in all of the following:  games played, putouts, errors, assists, double plays and fielding percentage.
Hint:     He was a scout for the Red Sox for more than three decades.
Twint:    Through 1961, he tied a record by leading AL third basemen in double plays for five straight seasons.
Twint:   Although his heart was with the Red Sox, he took advantage of free agency and played his last season as an Angel.
A.         FRANK MALZONE
-  AL 3b GG 1957-59
-  3,285 AB’s 1960-65 (Yaz had 5,175 1960-69)
-  Stat line from 1957
-  Played for CAL in 1966
FCR -    Joe LeBritton, Dripping Springs, TX
Incorrect answers:  Butch Hobson, Wade Boggs, Rico Petrocelli, Clete Boyer

TUESDAY
Q.         Who trails only Ty Cobb in career steals of home?
Hint:     He was the first player to collect two hits in an inning twice in one game.
Hint:     He is the only Pittsburgh Pirate to lead the league in stolen bases four straight seasons.
Hint:     He did it twice, in two separate stretches.
Twint:    No other Pirate had more career stolen bases.
A.         MAX CAREY
-  33 to Cobb’s 54
-  NL SB lead 1915-18 then 1922-25
-  688 SB (Wagner is 2nd w/639)
FCR -    Steve Schwartz, Chico, CA
Incorrect answers:  Honus Wager, Fred Clarke, Sam Crawford, Kiki Cuyler, Paul Waner

WEDNESDAY
Q.         What Hall of Famer holds the record for the longest hitting streak in the history of the Giants’ franchise?
Hint:     He had over 2,600 hits in his 20-year career, but vanished from public life after coaching at Amherst a decade after his retirement.
Hint:     Hall of Fame historian Lee Allen discovered his death certificate in a Philadelphia hospital, signed by his wife.
Twint:    He was elected to the Hall 30 years after that discovery.
Twint:    His mysterious later life is discussed in his SABR Bio.
A.         GEORGE DAVIS
-  33 straight G in1893
-  2,665 H 1890-1909
FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI
Incorrect answers:  Mel Ott, Jack Clark, Kid Nichols, Joe Kelly

THURSDAY
Q.         Who managed the darkening of the hosiery?
Hint:     His first manager was THE first manager.
Twint:    He was the last National League player to score more runs in a season than he allowed as a pitcher (minimum 50 R allowed).
A.         KID GLEASON
-  Managed the Chicago White Sox 1919-23.  The 1919 World Series scandal saw (and still sees) the baseball media refer to that team as “The Black Sox”.
-  Gleason first played under Harry Wright who managed the first professional baseball team beginning in 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. He was the manager of the Philadelphia Quakers in 1888, Gleason's rookie year.
-  In 1895, he surrendered 51 runs, but scored 90.
FCR -    Tim Doherty, Los Angeles, CA
Incorrect answers:  Kid Nichols, George Wright, Harry Wright, Cap Anson, Pants Rowland

FRIDAY
Q.         Who compiled the most at-bats for the Detroit Tigers during the 1910's?
Hint:     No player at his position has ever had more putouts in a season.
Hint:     He was Ted Williams’ minor league manager.
Twint:    He received MVP votes in three of the first four seasons that such an award existed.
Twint:    A savvy lead-off batter, he led the AL in bases-on-balls five times and was in the leagues top ten another seven times.
A.         DONIE BUSH
-  5,462 1910-1919 (Ty Cobb had 5,034)
-  425 PO in 1914. His manager, Hughie Jennings, set the mark 9 years earlier while playing with the Baltimore Orioles.  They now share it and no one has come close for over a century. 
-  Manager the AA Minneapolis Millers 1934-35 & 37-38.  Williams played there in 1938.
FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI
Incorrect answers:  Bobby Veach, Sam Crawford, Harry Heilmann, Ty Cobb

BOWL GAMES BONUS
Q.         Who was the first pinch-hitter to collect an RBI in the modern World Series?
Hint:     He got an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Hint:     He was the last catcher to have at least ten doubles, ten triples, ten doubles AND ten stolen bases in a single season.
Twint:    He caught Jesse Tannehill’s no-hitter 17-Aug-1904, and even helped by making a very good catch on a twisting foul fly.
Twint:    James C. O’Leary of the Boston Globe wrote in his obituary, “It is doubtful if a more lovable character ever has been, or ever will be, connected with baseball.”
Twint:    O’Leary continued, “Clean spoken, clean living, __________ was a character worthy of emulation by all connected with baseball today.”
A.         DUKE FARRELL
-  1903 WS, G 4, 9th inning 1 out, PH for Lou Criger, SF drove in Freddy Parent)
-  1891 = 19 2b, 13 3b, 12 HR & 21 SB
Tannehill’s no-no box score not available
FCR -    Bruce Didriksen, Park Ridge, NJ
Incorrect answers:  Yogi Berra, Johnny Kling, Roger Bresnahan

SATURDAY
Q.         Who was the only man to play for all of Brooklyn's 19th-century pennant winners?
Hint:     He shared the catcher duties with Connie Mack on the 1889 Washington Senators.
Twint:    Sporting Life reporting him as the highest-paid catcher in history (to that point).
A.         TOM DALY
-  Bridegrooms 1890, Superbas 1899, 1900
-  Sporting Life 01-Nov-1890
FCR -    Dave Serota, Kalamazoo, MI
Incorrect answers:  John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
Q.         Who was the first native of Norway to make it to the majors?
Hint:     He was the 27th out of Addie Joss’s perfect game.
Hint:     A few years earlier, he was traded in a season when he led the league in triples and slugging.
Twint:    He led the original Milwaukee Brewers in plate appearances, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, batting average, slugging, OBP, OPS, OPS+, WAR and several other even more arcane stats.
Twint:    Season AND career!
A.         JOHN ANDERSON
-  B. 14-Dec-1873 Sarpsborg, Norway
Joss’s perfecto 02-Oct-1908.  It was the last at-bat of Anderson’s career.
1901 Milwaukee Brewers, 48-89, Finished 8th in the freshly-minted American League; re-purposed in 1902 at the St. Louis Browns (Finished 35½ G behind pennant-winning CHW & 5½ back of 7th pace CLE.)
-  The 1902 season found them relocated and re-packaged as the St. Louis Browns.
.  Milwaukee wouldn’t have another major league team until 1953.
FCR -    Dave Goss, Wind Gap, PA
Incorrect answers:  Jack Ryan, Deacon McGuire

WEEKEND BONUS
Q.         Who was compelled to abandon his career as a shortstop since his teammate and longtime friend was, according to some, the best shortstop of all-time?
Hint:     He was born, died and is buried about an hour from where he played most of his major league baseball.
Twint:    He was a pawn in one of the most famous and influential trades of all time.
Twint:    His better-known friend was one of the kingpins of that trade.
A.         CLAUDE RITCHEY
-  He and Honus Wagner were born less than six months apart in NW Pennsylvania.
-  He was from Emlenton and Wagner was from Chartiers
-  They played one year in the minors together for a very mobile team, the Steubenville Stubs; Akron Akrons; and the Lima Farmers.  They then met up again in the majors in1898 playing for the Louisville Colonels and played there the next year as well.
-  They were both part of the trade that imploded Louisville and solidified Pirates’ nickname.  The 2 players spent from 1900 to 1906 on the Bucs for a total of 10 professional seasons as teammates.
-  Following the 1899 season, the National League shrank itself from 12 teams down to 8, dropping Louisville, Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington and stayed that size until 1962.
FCR -    No one
Incorrect answers:  Pie Traynor, Fred Clarke, Bones Ely, Deacon McGuire

SUNDAY
Q.         Who trails only Craig Biggio and Hughie Jennings in number of times hit by pitch in a major league career?
Hint:     He was nicknamed "Foghorn" for his loud-mouthed style as a base coach.
Hint:     He made routine plays at first exciting flashy, one-handed scoops with his small glove.
Hint:     He ended his major league playing career with one of the worst teams in the history of ANY professional sport.  They didn’t lose them all, but…
Twint:    He was once assaulted by Philadelphia fans for leading his team's stalling tactics in the hopes of a rainout.
Twint:    An on-field fistfight he once had with John McGraw became historic.
A.         TOMMY TUCKER
1899 Cleveland Spiders, 84 (not a typo) games out of first place
-  Date of rainout attempt not available
-  McGraw fight as reported in a Sporting News article from August 1, 1994:
John McGraw waits at third base for a hell-bent baserunner named Tommy Tucker who plays for the Boston Beaneaters. Tucker slides hard, and McGraw, who's been feuding with Tucker (McGraw feuds with everyone.), kicks Tucker in the head as he lays on the tag. Tucker jumps to his feet and the two start punching. The crowd rises to egg on the pair, eating up the action. Midway through the fight, someone notices that the right-field stands are on fire.  But McGraw and Tucker keep fighting as the fire spreads through Boston's old South End Grounds and destroys the grandstand behind home plate.”
FCR -    Corey Seward, Phoenix, AZ
Incorrect answers:  Don Baylor, Ron Hunt, Kid Elberfeld, Don Zimmer, Hans Lobert, George Myatt, Jimmie Foxx, George Miller


WEEKLY THEME – First 10 switch-hitters to get 1,500 hits

Name                 Debut         Final        Years           1,500th H                 Final H Total
1.   Tucker           1887       1899         13               1896              1,882
2.   Davis*            1890       1909         20               1899              2,665
3.   Farrell            1888       1905         18               1902              1,572
4.   Gleason         1888       1912         22               1903              1,946
5.   Daly               1884       1903         17               1903              1,583
6.   Anderson       1894       1908         14               1906              1,843
7.   Ritchey          1897       1909         13               1908              1,619
8.   Bush              1908       1923         16         17-Apr-1920        1,804
9.   Carey*           1910       1929         20        18-Jun-1921        2,665
10. Bancroft*       1915       1930         16        28-May-1925       2,004

*Hall of Fame

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one

Incorrect theme guesses:


Monday   -  Infielders who hit .400 in a season
               -  Worst players in the Hall of Fame

Tuesday   -  Switch-hitting Hall of Famers
               -  Hall of famers that led the league in errors in the same season they led the league in fielding range
               -  Hall of famers that led the league in errors multiple times
               -  HOFers who managed in the AAGPBL
               -  HOS shortstops
               -  10-year big leaguers who managed in the AAGPBL

Wed.       -  Hall of Fame switch hitters
               -  Switch-hitting position players in the HOF
               -  HOF switch-hitters not elected by the BBWA

Thursday  -  Pre-1900 HOF’ers named George
               -  Actors, have been on tv, or have the same name of Hollywood actors

Sunday    -  Players from the 1800s who were career leaders in a category for the American Association
               -  Switch-hitters who, at least once in their careers, led their league in assists and errors at their respective positions



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




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