Sunday, May 27, 2018

2018-05-21 Hall of Famers who received 500 or more votes for their election


Q.        Who tied Joe DiMaggio’s record for winning American League Most Valuable Player Awards with the most years intervening between awards?
Hint:     Some say he saved baseball.
Hint:     He was the last player to bat in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.
A.         CAL RIPKEN  [SABR Bio]
-  AL MVP 19831991 = 7 seasons between; Joe D. 19391947 = 7 yrs. Between.  Joe also won an additional MVP in 1941.  [Note:  Walter Johnson won the Chalmers in 1913 and the AL MVP in 1924, an 11 year hiatus even though only 3 MVPs were given in the AL in those years.
-  His breaking of Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games-played streak garnered huge public attention right after the contentious 1994-95 work stoppage.
-  Last G @ Memorial 06-Oct-1991 (He grounded into a double play.)
FCR -  Sarah Grynpas, Toronto
Incorrect guesses:  Carl Yastrzemski, Robin Yount, Frank Robinson

TUESDAY
Q.        Who was the first Blue Jay to hit home runs from each side of the plate in the same game?
Hint:     He is one of only 5 players to win an LCS MVP and an All-Star Game MVP.
Hint:     He and another player are the only duo of All-Stars to be teammates on three separate teams.  (Although he was an All-Star on every one of the three, his partner was only an All-Star on one.)
A.         ROBERTO ALOMAR  [SABR Bio]
-  Switch-hit HRs 10-May-1991 [My son Russ was at that game.]
-  1992 ALCS MVP & 1998 ASG MVP.  Others to collect both awards are Mariano Rivera, Kirby Puckett, Fred Lynn, Steve Garvey
-  He and Joe Carter were teammates on SDP 1990, TOR 1991-1995 & BAL 1998.
FCR -  John Martick, Knoxville
Incorrect guesses:  Tony Fernandez, George Bell, Carlos Delgado

WEDNESDAY
Q.        Of whom did Bill James say, “If you split him in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers.”?  [Statistically or metaphorically, we assume.]
Hint:     He said he learned the foundation of his record-setting skills in Ogden.
Hint:     He got his 3,000th hit in his Hall of Fame Teammate’s last career game.
Hint:     He played for more different major league teams that any other member of the 3,000-hit club.
A.         RICKEY HENDERSON  [SABR Bio]
-  James’s quote has yet to be disproven.
-  Under former Giants/Pirates standout shortstop as his manager, Henderson stole 44 bases for the Ogden A’s of the PCL and became a game-ready major leaguer.
-  With the SDP on 07-Oct-2001, Henderson collected his 3,000th hit.  It was Tony Gwynn’s 2,440th …and last major league game.
-  He played for OAK (4X), NYY, TOR, SDP (2X), ANA, NYM, SEA, BOS & LAD
FCR -  Adam Balutis, Arlington, Virginia
Incorrect guesses:  Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Babe Ruth

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.        What Hall of Fame batter recorded 19 consecutive seasons with a batting average of .300 or better, all with the same major league team?
Hint:     His career batting average against pitching legend Greg Maddux is an impressive .415.
Hint:     His career batting average ranks him among the greats, just behind Lou Gehrig, but he did it in a time when offense dominated the game.
Hint:     He got his 2,000th and his 3,000th hits on his mother's birthday, 6 years apart.
A.         TONY GWYNN  [SABR Bio]
-  Hit .300+ 1983-2001
-  Career avg is .338, tied for 18th all-time.
-  Career 2,000th hit = 06-Aug-1993.  No. 3,000 was hit 06-Aug-1999.
FCR -  Sarah Grynpas, Toronto
Incorrect guesses:  Eddie Murray

THURSDAY
Q.        What feisty hurler was the last pitcher to win a sub-2.00 ERA title in each league?
Hint:     “Feisty” is surely an understatement.  He once said, “Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him.  Maybe I’ll drill him in the ass!”
Hint:     About his fellow moundsmen, he surmised, “I think there are people who don’t do so well at basketball and they think, ‘Let me try pitching.’  There are a lot of them.”
Hint:     Then there’s this priceless gem:  “Georgie Porgie, he might have enough money to buy the whole damn league, but he doesn’t have enough money to buy fear to put in my heart.”
Hint:     An opponent, a slugger who had won an MVP, quipped, “If you lean over the plate, he’ll stick one up your nose!”
A.         PEDRO MARTINEZ  [ SABR Bio]
-  ERA of 1.90 w/MON in 1997 and 1.74 w/BOS in 2000
-  ‘Bambino’ quote was about Babe Ruth and the soi-disant ‘Curse of the Bambino’.
-  $$ quote was in reference to Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner.
-  Final quote was from the seldom-intimidated Jason Giambi.
FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland
Incorrect guesses:  Roger Clemens, Rich Gossage, Randy Johnson, Don Sutton

FRIDAY
Q.        Who is the only player to record over 500 putouts as a pitcher in the majors.
Hint:     He’s also the only one to record over 400.
Hint:     No pitcher ever recorded more games started in National League history than he.
Hint:     For 17 straight seasons, he won at least 15 games in each.  (He won 14 in the 18th year.)
Hint:     Midway through his career, he summed up his pitching philosophy thus:  “The best pitch in baseball is a located fastball.  That will always be the best pitch. You can set up everything you want off that.”
A.         GREG MADDUX  [SABR Bio]
-  546 Career PO.  The next 3, clamoring for the silver, are Kevin Brown w/388, Jack Morris w/387 & Phil Niekro w/386.
-  Started 740 G in the NL.
-  Won 15+ G 1988-2006
-  Pitching philosophy stated in 2001 in an interview with Bob Nightengale.
FCR -  Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma
Incorrect guesses:  Christy Mathewson, Warren Spahn, Jim Kaat, Pete Alexander, Nolan Ryan, Cy Young

SATURDAY
Q.        Who is the only pitcher to strike out 300 batters while playing for two teams in the same season?
Hint:     Only he was able to lead the American League in strikeouts four consecutive seasons, then do the same thing in the National League.
Hint:     To provide further symmetry, he, as a batter, hit the same number of home runs as were hit off him by pitchers.
Hint:     Synching yet with destiny, his 300th strikeout of the season one year was the 3rd strikeout of an Immaculate Inning.
Hint:     Some viewers thought his fastball was lethal.  At least one observer was able to validate that hypothesis.
A.         RANDY JOHNSON  [SABR Bio]
-  1998:  213 K w/SEA + 116 K w/HOU = 329 [Most in the majors, but he led neither league.]
-  Led the AL in Ks 1992-95 w/SEA; Led the NL 1999-2002 w/ARI
-  Hit his only home run off 19-Sep-2003 off Doug Davis of MIL.  He surrendered only one home run to a pitcher, Yovani Gallardo on 08-Apr-2009 in San Francisco.
-  An Immaculate  Inning is 9 consecutive strikes thrown by a pitcher to  complete a half inning.  Johnson got Ks #298, 299 & 300 on 23-Aug-2001 in the 6th inning striking out Tony McKnight, Gary Matthews & Jack Wilson.
-  It was a dove, not a seagull.  View here.  For Seagull, see Winfield, Dave.
FCR -  Naftali Greenwood, Kiryat, Arba, ISRAEL
Incorrect guesses:  Carl Mays, Nolan Ryan, Vida Blue

SUNDAY
Q.        What pitcher’s first season with his new team was sweetened when his teammate/brother got a hit?
Hint:     SABR gathered to celebrate his uniform number being retired.
Hint:     Only Mike Hampton won more Silver Slugger Awards than he did.
A.         TOM GLAVINE
-  Brother Mike played with the Mets for 6 games in 2003 and got his only hit on 28-Sep in his final at-bat in the majors.
-  Number 47 retired by ATL on a rainy night 06-Aug-2010.  Unintentionally coincided with SABR’s 40th convention, held that year in Atlanta.
-  SS won in 91, 95, 96 & 98.  Hampton had 5.
FCR -  David Ramsden, Barcelona
Incorrect guesses:  Don Drysdale, Ken Brett, Wes Ferrell


WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Famers who received 500 or more votes for their election.

H of F’er......... Votes...... Year........... Percent
Maddux.......... 555.......... 2014.......... 97.20%
Ripken............ 537.......... 2007.......... 98.50%
Johnson......... 534.......... 2015.......... 97.30%
Gwynn............ 532.......... 2007.......... 97.60%
Glavine........... 525.......... 2014.......... 91.90%
Alomar............ 523.......... 2011.......... 90.00%
Henderson..... 511.......... 2009.......... 94.80%
Martinez......... 500.......... 2015.......... 91.10%

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – No one.

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday  -  Shortstops who hit 400+ career home runs
               - 
Wed        -  Hall of Famers who played in the 1990 All Star Game.
               -  Or 1991.
               -  Or both.

Thurs.     -  All-Stars who at one point in their careers were on the same team as their brother(s)










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