Sunday, February 25, 2018

2018-02-19 Second Picks who Outperformed First Picks of the same Draft


Q.        What former Oriole is the only position player to win a World Series MVP award more than once?
Hint:     He is also the only multiple winner to do it playing for different teams.
Hint:     His cousins have racked up a total of ten 30-30 seasons in the majors.
Hint:     He never even had one.
A.         REGGIE JACKSON  [SABR Bio]
-  WS MVPs in 1973 for OAK and in 1977 for NYY.  Played for the O’s in 1976.
-  The other two multiple WS MVP’s are Sandy Koufax, pitcher for the Dodgers in 1963 & 65 and Bob Gibson, pitcher for the Cardinals, in 1964 & 68.
-  Cousin Bobby Bonds of SFG (2); NYY (1); CAL (1); & CAL+CHW (1).  Cousin Barry Bonds, son of Bobby, for PIT (2) and for SFG (3).
FCR -  Scott Matteson, Shawnee, Kansas
Incorrect guesses:  Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, Brooks Robinson, Pat Borders, Rick Dempsey

TUESDAY
Q.        What player followed his Rookie-of-the-Year season immediately with an MVP and a World Series championship season?
Hint:     It looked at first as though he were after Reggie’s career strikeout title, leading the league in strikeouts as a rookie, but his K numbers have calmed down since his first year.
Hint:     By eschewing his draft by the Blue Jays, he was able to qualify later for the Dick Howser Award, the same award won by Robin Ventura, Buster Posey, Mark Teixeira and Todd Helton, among others.
A.         KRIS BRYANT
-  2015 = 199 K; 2016 = 154 K; 2017 = 128 K
-  TOR had chosen him 11th in the 18th round in the 2010 draft.  Instead he attended and played for the University of San Diego and was taken by the Cubs in the 1st round of 2013.  Seems now like the right choice.
-  He did indeed become the 27th recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy in 2013.
FCR -  Richard Noonan, Central Islip, New York
Incorrect guesses:  Cal Ripken, Dustin Pedroia, Jose Canseco, Ryan Howard, Buster Posey, Mike Trout

WEDNESDAY
Q.        What former Phillies catcher, nicknamed “Bad Dude”, was four times an All-Star?
Hint:     He was the first National League catcher to steal 25 bases in a season.
Hint:     He ended Greg Minton's record streak of 269.1 consecutive innings without surrendering a home run.
Hint:     He managed Tim Raines and Tony Armas one season in the minors.
A.         JOHN STEARNS
-  Played exactly one (1) game for PHI before being traded to NYM for Tug McGraw, among others.  AS for NYM in 1977, 79, 80 & 82.
-  Stole 25 bases in 1978.  91 in his career.
-  Minton HR 02-May-1982.  Minton later said, “I thought about tackling him as he rounded third, but then I remembered that he's strong and once played football.”  Minton still holds the record.
-  Managing the Harrisburg Senators in 2006, he had both Tim Raines, Jr. and Tony Armas, Jr. on his roster.
FCR -  Mark Linneman, Sacramento
Incorrect guesses:  Bob Boone, Darren Daulton, Ted Simmons

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.        Who was the first pitcher in over half a century to win the Rookie of the Year Award and later win league MVP?
Hint:     Six times he finished in the top 5 in Cy Young Award voting.
Hint:     In his no-hitter’ against Milwaukee Brewers, he struck out 12, walked four and recorded a fastest ball of 102 mph.
Hint:     His 30 consecutive scoreless postseason innings against one team broke the record held by Christy Mathewson.
A.            JUSTIN VERLANDER
-  2006 AL ROY; 2011 AL MVP [Only other pitcher to do so was Don Newcombe.]
-  One of the 6 times he came in first, 2011.
-  No-hitter 12-Jun-2007
-  30 Inn. vs. OAK in ALDS play in 2012 & 2013 [Matty’s record came in the 1905 & 1911 WS.]
FCR -  Jeff Kallman, Las Vegas
Incorrect guesses:  Vida Blue, Sandy Koufax, Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw, Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela

THURSDAY
Q.        Whose nickname growing up was a reflection of his leadership at a young age?
Hint:     Even if he had never been caught attempting a steel one season, he wouldn’t have led the league.  He did manage, however, to lead in times caught stealing.
Hint:     He and his brother have played for a total of 12 major league franchises since 2007 and yet his similarity score that is the closest belongs to multiple Gold Glove, multiple All-Star Alex Gordon.
A.         MELVIN UPTON
-  B. J. Upton for “Bosman Junior”.  “Senior” was of course his father.
-  Led league with 16 CS in 2008 w/TBR.
-  Alex Gordon’s production
FCR -  Chaunce Venuto, Tooele, Utah
Incorrect guesses:  Jeff Francoeur, Justin Verlander

FRIDAY
Q.        Who was the first 21st-century right fielder to start a triple play?
Hint:     During the half dozen years he was with the Cardinals, his ‘walk-up’ song was “Sky Falls Down”.
Hint:     Two of his brothers have played in the majors, but of the three, only he has been on an All-Star team.
A.         J.D. DREW
-  TP 01-Aug-2002 9-6-3!  Mike Lowell had hit a single to RF off pitcher Chuck Finley.  Finley walked the next batter, Derek Lee. Up next was the 3rd batter, Eric Owens, who stung a line drive to RF that nobody thought would be caught.  Drew, however, got there, caught it and immediately throw to Renteria at 2nd to get Lowell.  Renteria then whipped a throw to Tino Martinez at 1st to get Lee.  Finley was, as you might imagine, elated.
-  Sky Falls Down” by OceanLab.  [It’ll get ya goin’!]
-  Brothers Stephen, currently under contract with the Nats and Tim, who played for 3 teams in 5 years for in the  majors.
FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York
Incorrect guesses:  Jason Heyward

SATURDAY
Q.        When A.J. Burnett threw a wild pitch to Adam Kennedy in a game late in the 2011 season, he became the Yankees’ all-time franchise leader for wild pitches in a single season.  Whose record did he break?
Hint:     The next inning, facing Kennedy again, he added another to establish the Yankee record that still stands.
Hint:     He was Comeback Player of the Year the same season his teammate won the Cy Young Award.
Hint:     He was MVP in the Texas League when he was in the Mets’ system.
A.         TIM LEARY
-  Bottom of the 2nd (and then 3rd) on 13-Sep-2011. 
-  COPY 1988.  Hershiser was the CYA winner.
FCR -  Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses:  Ryne Duren, David Cone, Whitey Ford, Al Downing, Dwight Gooden, Kenny Rogers, Nolan Ryan, Tommy Byrne, Dave Righetti

SUNDAY
Q.        Who has suffered the anonymity of having more than 20 other players of professional baseball use the same first and last name?
Hint:     His production was steady if not spectacular… He played in the majors for 6 years on 4 teams.
Hint:     On his first team he played with and for 6 who are now Hall of Famers.
Hint:     On his second team, he played for a World Series MVP and two teammates who had been MVPs and one would enter the Hall without playing for any other team.
Hint:     On his third team, he played alongside a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Hint:     On his fourth team, he played alongside the player who holds the all-time record for most pinch-hits in the majors.
A.         MIKE KELLY
There have been multiple people named Michael Kelly and Mike Kelly in baseball history.
·        Mike Kelly (kellymi01) - Michael J. Kelly, major league player from 1926-1926
·        Mike Kelly (kellymi02) - Michael Raymond Kelly, major league player from 1994-1999
·        King Kelly - Michael Joseph Kelly, major league player from 1878-1893
·        Mike Kelly (minors01) - Bernard Francis Kelly, minor league player from 1916-1929 and major league coach
·        Mike Kelly (minors02) - H. Elwood Kelly, minor league player from 1934-1940
·        Mike Kelly (minors03) - Mike Kelly, minor league player from 2000-2000
·        Mike Kelly (minors04) - Mike Kelly, minor league player from 2011-2011
·        Michael Kelly (minors01) - Michael Kelly, minor league player from 1886-1886
·        Michael Kelly (minors02) - Michael B. Kelly, minor league player from 1893-1893
·        Michael Kelly (minors03) - Michael J. Kelly, minor league player from 1900-1901
·        Michael Kelly (minors04) - Michael S. Kelly, minor league player from 1966-1966
·        Michael Kelly (minors05) - Michael Lee Kelly, minor league player from 1978-1979
·        Michael Kelly (minors06) - Michael Joseph Kelly, minor league player from 1987-1990
·        Michael Kelly (minors07) - Michael A. Kelly, minor league player from 1996-1996
·        Michael Kelly (minors08) - Michael Kelly, minor league player from 2010-2010
·        Michael Kelly (minors09) - Michael Joseph Kelly, minor league player from 2012-
·        Mike Kelly (college) - Capital University coach, 1987-1990
·        Mike Kelly (college02) - Monroe Community College coach, 2008-2013
·        Mike Kelley - Michael Joseph Kelley, major league player from 1899-1899
·        Mike Kelley (minors01) - Michael Patrick Kelley, minor league player from 1979-1982
·        Michael Kelley - Michael J. Kelley, minor league player from 1964-1964

-  Played for HOFers Bobby Cox and John Shuerholz and with 1994-95 Braves of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Chipper Jones also former MVP Terry Pendleton.  He played again with Pendleton in Cincinnati.
-  Played for WS MVP Ray Knight on the 1996-97 Reds and with former MVP’s Kevin Mitchell and Barry Larkin, the latter being a future HOFer.
-  Played with first-ballot HOFer Wade Boggs while with the 1998 Devil Rays.
-  On the 1999 Rockies, his teammate was Lenny Harris, career pinch hit leader as well as former NL MVP Larry Walker.


FCR -  Richard Giovanoni, Morton Grove, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Hal Smith, Bob Johnson, Bob Miller, Lee May, Joe Smith, Bill White



WEEKLY THEME – Number #2 draft choices who probably should have been taken #1.

Year      Drafted #2     By            MLB Yrs            #1                    By          MLB G’s

1966..... Jackson........ A’s.................. 21...... Steve Chilcott........ Mets............. 0
1973..... Stearns......... Phillies............ 11...... David Clyde........... Rangers..... 84
1979..... Leary*........... Mets................ 13...... Al Chambers.......... Mariners..... 57
1991..... Kelly*............ Braves.............. 6...... Brien Taylor........... Yankees....... 0
1997..... Drew............. Phillies............ 14...... Matt Anderson....... Tigers....... 257
2002..... Upton............ Devil Rays...... 12...... Bryan Bullintgon.... Pirates........ 26
2004..... Verlander...... Tigers............. 13...... Matt Bush.............. Pirates........ 93
2013..... Bryant........... Cubs................. 3...... Mark Appel............ Astros........... 0
*Had been drafted in previous rounds.
Yrs. In Italics = Still in the majors

First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeJoe Ullian, Santa Barbara (after Verlander)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Wed        -  College All - Americans who won World Series & were multiple MLB All‑Stars.

Sun        -  players who were the 2nd Overall Pick, Who played for Team USA at some level (Olympic Theme)
               -  #2 overall pick, who were Award Winners at some level of professional baseball    









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