Monday, January 1, 2018

2017-12-25 New York Times/Tyler Kepner Special


Reader Dan Gerstner forwarded this quiz from yesterday’s New York Times.  It is well done and broken into 10 Categories.  We’ll present one or two categories each day this week.

MONDAY:  PATHS TO THE HALL OF FAME
1. Which of these Hall of Famers never played for the A’s?
a) Billy Williams
b) Mike Piazza
c) JIM BUNNING
d) Willie McCovey

2. Which of these Hall of Famers never played for the Giants?
a) PHIL NIEKRO
b) Steve Carlton
c) Duke Snider
d) Goose Gossage

3. Which of these Hall of Famers never played for the Astros?
a) Robin Roberts
b) Nellie Fox
c) Don Sutton
d) LUIS APARICIO

4. Which of these Hall of Famers never played for the Angels?
a) Eddie Murray
b) ORLANDO CEPEDA
c) Frank Robinson
d) Hoyt Wilhelm

5. Which of these Hall of Famers never played for the Red Sox?
a) Fergie Jenkins
b) Juan Marichal
c) John Smoltz
d) ROLLIE FINGERS

FCR:  Brian Engelhardt, Reading, Pennsylvania


#2 TUESDAY:  TEAM TIDBITS

1. The two highest numbers to be retired for players — 56 [MARK BUEHRLE] and 72 — [CARLTON FISK] were both retired for members of the White Sox. Who wore those numbers?

2. Who played the most games in the history of the Montreal Expos?
a) Jose Vidro
b) Tim Raines
c) TIM WALLACH [1,767]
d) Vladimir Guerrero

3. Who holds the Milwaukee Brewers’ franchise record for career wins (117)?
a) Teddy Higuera
b) Ben Sheets
c) JIM SLATON
d) Pete Vuckovich

4. Who is the only pitcher to win a World Series game for the San Diego Padres?
a) Tim Lollar
b) ANDY HAWKINS [10-Oct-1984]
c) Andy Ashby
d) Eric Show

5. Which pitcher started the most World Series games for the Big Red Machine in the 1970s?
a) GARY NOLAN [11 GS]
b) Jack Billingham
c) Don Gullett
d) Tom Seaver

FCR:  Phil Ross, Denver


#3 WEDNESDAY:  YANKEES
1. Which four teams besides the Yankees did Billy Martin manage?
a.     MIN  1969
b.     DET  1971-73
c.      TEX  1973-75
d.     OAK  1980-82

2. Who was on deck for the Yankees when Aaron Boone homered to win the 2003 American League Championship Series?
            KARIM GARCIA 16-Oct-2003

3. Which pitcher won the first regular-season game and the first World Series game at the new Yankee Stadium?
            CLIFF LEE 16-Apr & 28-Oct-2009

4. Which Yankee did not win an M.V.P. Award in an A.L.C.S.?
a) Andy Pettitte
b) Orlando Hernandez
c) David Wells
d) DAVID CONE

5. In the opening of the 1988 movie “Big,” which Yankees pitcher does Josh Baskin pretend to be?
a) Ron Guidry
b) RICK RHODEN
c) Dave Righetti
d) Ed Whitson

FCR:  Scott Matteson, Shawnee, Kansas

#4 MIDWEEK BONUS:  COMMON NAMES, UNCOMMON FEATS

1. Give the first name for each player named Williams:
a) Only player to hit 10 career homers off Bob Gibson
            BILLY
b) Scored on Kenny Rogers’s bases-loaded walk to end the Braves-Mets National League Championship Series in 1999
            GERALD [19-Oct-1999]
c) Won the 1971 N.L. Rookie of the Year Award for the Braves
            EARL [Voting]
d) Hit a World Series home run for three different teams in three different decades
            MATT
   G 3 27-Oct-1989 for SFG
   G 4 22-Oct-1997 for CLE
   G 2 28-Oct-2001 for ARI

2. Give the first name for each player named Smith:
a) Struck out for the Rockies to end the 2007 World Series
            SETH [29-Oct-2007]
b) Managed the Phillies, Reds and Tigers from 1955 to 1970
            MAYO
c) Won the World Series with three different teams in the 1980s
            LONNIE
               1980 PHI
               1982 STL
               1985 KCR
d) Allowed Tony Gwynn’s 3,000th career hit, against the Expos, in 1999
            DAN [06-Aug-1999]

3. Give the first name for each player named Jones:
a) Leading winner (21-8) for the Yankees’ first championship team, in 1921
            SAM [“Sad Sam”] (sic) Jones played for BOS that year.
b) Caught the final out of the 1969 World Series for the Mets
            CLEON [G 7 21-Oct-1969]
c) Won the N.L. Cy Young Award in 1976 for the Padres
            RANDY [Voting]
d) First All-Star in Mariners history (1977)
            RUPERT [ASG]

4. Give the first name for each player named Davis:
a) Won two N.L. batting titles for the Dodgers in the 1960s
            TOMMY [.346 in 1962; .326 in 1963]
b) Won the 1984 A.L. Rookie of the Year Award for the Mariners
            ALVIN [Voting]
c) Lost twice to Orel Hershiser for the A’s in the 1988 World Series
            STORM [G 2; G 5]
d) Allowed Randy Johnson’s only career home run, against the Brewers, in 2003
            DOUG [19-Sep-2003]

5. Give the first name for each player named Jackson:
a) Hall of Fame shortstop for the Giants in the 1920s and ’30s
            TRAVIS
b) Was 8-20 for the 1962 Mets
            AL
c) Won Game 7 of the 1979 World Series for the Pirates
            GRANT [17-Oct]
d) M.V.P. of the 1989 All-Star Game
            BO [ASG]

FCR:    Damian Begley, New York City

#5 THURSDAY:  METS
1. Of the 16 pitchers to appear in 1,000 games, only four are left-handers. One is Dan Plesac. The three others pitched for the Mets. Who are they?
            a. JESSE OROSCO [1,252 G; 372 for NYM]
            b. MIKE STANTON [1,178 G; 133 for NYM]
            c. JOHN FRANCO [1,119 G; 695 for NYM]
2. The Mets have had a different opening day starter in each of the last seven seasons. Name them.
2011:   MIKE PELFRY [01-Apr]
2012:   JOHAN SANTANA [05-Apr]
2013:   JON NIESE [01-Apr]
2014:   DILLON GEE [31-Mar]
2015:   BARTOLO COLON [06-Apr]
2016:   MATT HARVEY [03-Apr]
2017:   NOAH SYNDERGAARD [03-Apr]

3. The Mets used the first pick of the 1966 draft on a high school catcher, Steve Chilcott, who never reached the majors. Who was picked second by the Kansas City A’s?
            REGGIE JACKSON
4. Which former Detroit Pistons forward did the Mets beat in Game 2 of the 1969 N.L.C.S.?
            RON REED [05-Oct]
5. Who made the most career starts for the Mets without starting for them in the World Series?
a) Bobby Jones
b) SID FERNANDEZ [250 GS]
c) Craig Swan
d) David Cone

FCR -  Steve Berman, Bergenfield, New Jersey

#6 FRIDAY: NO-HITTERS AND PERFECT GAMES
1. Who are the only two pitchers to throw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals? (One in 1973, the other in 2008)
            NOLAN RYAN [15-May-1973] (His 1st), JON LESTER [19-May-2008]

2. No pitcher has thrown two perfect games, but one catcher has caught two perfect games. Who is he?
a) Joe Girardi
b) RON HASSEY [Len Barker 15-May-1981] & [Dennis Martinez 28-Jul-1991]
c) Jeff Reed
d) A.J. Pierzynski

3. Which current manager made the last out of a perfect game?
a) GABE KAPLER [Dallas Braden 09-May-2010]
b) Mike Matheny
c) Dave Martinez
d) Craig Counsell

4. Which three pitchers have thrown no-hitters at Citi Field?
            a.) JOHAN SANTANA [01-Jun-2012]
            b.) CHRIS HESTON [09-Jun-2015]
            c.) MAX SCHERZER [03-Oct-2015]
5. Who is the only Cardinals pitcher to throw two no-hitters?
a) Jesse Haines
b) Bob Gibson
c) BOB FORSCH [16-Apr-1978 & 26-Sep-1983]
d) Darryl Kile

FCR -  Anthony Zydlewski, Virginia Beach


#7 SATURDAY:  WORLD SERIES

1. Name the four stadiums (none in use for baseball anymore) that have hosted the World Series and the Super Bowl.
L.A. Coliseum
Joe Robbie/Pro Player Stadium
Metrodome
Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium


2. Name each player’s team in his final World Series appearance:
Mathews:    DET
Perez:         PHI
Randolph:   OAK
Murray:       CLE

3. Four prominent members of the World Series champion 1992 Blue Jays had the initials D.W. Who were they?
Duane Ward
David   Wells
Devon  White
Dave    Winfield

4. Who has played the most games (2,831) without ever reaching the World Series?

a) RAFAEL PALMEIRO
b) Ken Griffey Jr.  [2,671]
c) Rod Carew        [2,469]
d) Ernie Banks      [2,528]

5. Which Hall of Famers made the last outs of the following World Series?
a) 1956    JACKIE ROBINSON
b) 1962    WILLIE McCOVEY
c) 1975    CARL YASTRZEMSKI
d) 1984    TONY GWYNN
e) 2000    MIKE PIAZZA

FCR -  Joseph Thompson, Splendora, Texas


#8 SATURDAY BONUS:  DRAFT
1. Of the 17 pitchers chosen first over all in the draft, only two have at least 100 career victories and an earned run average under 4.00. David Price is one. Who is the other?
a) Floyd Bannister
b) Tim Belcher
c) ANDY BENES [3.97]
d) Mike Moore

2. Only six No. 1 overall picks have won the World Series with the team that drafted them. Who are they?
a.) Darryl Strawberry (Mets)   [1986]
b.) Chipper Jones (Braves)    [1995]
c.) Darin Erstad (Angels)        [2002]
d.) Pat Burrell (Phillies)           [2008]
e.) Luke Hochevar (Royals)    [2015]
f.) Carlos Correa (Astros)       [2017]

3. Which Hall of Famers were drafted with consecutive picks in the second round in 1971?
a) Jim Rice and Dave Winfield
b) GEORGE BRETT and MIKE SCHMIDT [picks 5 & 6]
c) Carlton Fisk and Andre Dawson
d) Gary Carter and Dennis Eckersley

4. Which No. 1 overall draft pick played the most games in the majors?
a) Alex Rodriguez       [2,784]
b) Chipper Jones        [2,499]
c) B.J. Surhoff [2,313]
d) HAROLD BAINES [2,830]

5. Which future N.F.L. quarterback was not drafted by an M.L.B. team?
a) STEVE YOUNG
b) Tom Brady    [by MTL in 1995, 28th pick, 18th round]
c) Dan Marino   [by KCR in 1979, 21st pick, 4th round]
d) Colin Kaepernick    [by CHC in 2009, 29th pick, 43rd round]

FCR -  Chaunce Venuto, Tooele, Utah


#9 WEEKEND BONUS:  BESIDES BABE RUTH…
1. Besides Babe Ruth, name the four Most Valuable Player Award winners who have four-letter first and last names. (Hint: three in the 1970s, one in the 2000s.)
a.) VIDA BLUE[1971-AL]
b.) PETE ROSE [1973-NL]
c.) FRED LYNN [1975-AL]
d.) JEFF KENT [2000-NL]

2. Besides Babe Ruth, who is the only player with at least 600 homers and at least two World Series championships?
ALBERT PUJOLS [2006, 2011]

3. Besides Babe Ruth, who are the only three players to hit three home runs in a World Series game?
a.) REGGIE JACKSON [G 6, 1977]
b.) ALBERT PUJOLS [G 3, 2013]
c.) PABLO SANDOVAL [G 1, 2012]
4. Besides Babe Ruth, who homered in the first All-Star Game in 1933?
a) Lou Gehrig
b) Al Simmons
c) FRANKIE FRISCH
d) Bill Terry

5. Besides Babe Ruth, who are the only two players with four 50-homer seasons?
a) Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez
b) SAMMY SOSA & MARK McGWIRE
c) Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez
d) Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire

FCR - Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, Maryland


#10 SUNDAY:  RANDOM FUN

1. The subject of the very first color photo above the fold on the front page of The New York Times was a baseball player wearing No. 1 in October. Who was it?
a) Mookie Wilson in 1986
b) Otis Nixon in 1992
d) Bengie Molina in 2002

2. Which pair of players were not born on the exact same day?
a) Greg Maddux and Dave Justice [14-Apr-1966]
b) David Cone and Edgar Martinez [02-Jan-1963]
c) Jeff Bagwell and Frank Thomas [27-May-1968]
d) JORGE POSADA and RAMIRO MENDOZA

3. Who is the only player with 500 hits for four different teams?
a) Roberto Alomar
b) RUSTY STAUB [833 for HOU; 460+38 for MTL; 524+418 for NYM; & 549 for DET]
c) Gary Sheffield
d) Carlos Beltran

4. Which future N.B.A. Hall of Famer was an active member of the Brooklyn Dodgers — though he never played a major league game — when the Giants’ Bobby Thomson hit “The Shot Heard Round the World” on Oct. 3, 1951?
5. Which three Hall of Famers were born on Christmas?
a.) PUD GARVIN [1856]
b.) NELLEI FOX [1927]
c.) RICKEY HENDERSON [1958]

FCR -  Anthony Zydlewski, Virginia Beach








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