Sunday, November 18, 2018

2018-11-12 NL rookies in 1959 who received no ROY votes - All went to Willie McCovey


Q.        What player had the most major league at-bats in the decade 1961-70?
Hint:     He is tied for 2nd on the all-time list for games played in a single season.  One of those games he probably would rather not have played.
Hint:     Only Sammy Sosa and Ernie Banks ever hit more home runs in Wrigley Field.
A.         BILLY WILLIAMS  [SABR Bio]
-  6,251 ABs
-  Played 164 regular-season games in 1965. In G #144 on 09-Sep-1965, he and his teammates were victim to Sandy Koufax’ perfect game..  Williams then flied out to Lou Johnson in LF.  He had struck out looking his first two times up. [Further digging has shown that 3 other teammates worked Koufax to a full count before meeting their fate.]
-  Sosa 293, Banks 209, Williams 231 HRs at Wrigley
FCR -  Bill Helm, Camp Verde, Arizona
Incorrect guesses:  Ron Santo, Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks

TUESDAY
Q.        Who is the all-time leader for games played in the regular season in one year?
Hint:     Until Cesar Izturis, he was the only shortstop who had ever won a Gold Glove at shortstop for his franchise.
Hint:     According to Vin Scully, “When he runs, it’s all downhill.”
A.         MAURY WILLS
-  165 G in 1962, helped when 3 games were added to break the tie with SFG for the NL pennant.
-  NL GG in 1961 & 62.  Izturis won in 2004.
FCR -  Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Incorrect guesses:  Cal Ripken, Jimmy Rollins, Garry Templeton, Frank Taveras, Cesar Tovar

WEDNESDAY
Q.        After Maury Wills, who was the next shortstop to receive National League MVP votes in 1962?
Hint:     Seven additional members of his team got MVP votes that season.
Hint:     He collected the WS-winning RBI for the Pirates a few years later.
Hint:     He managed three different teams to championships after his major league career.
A.         JOSE PAGAN  [SABR Bio]
-  Got 13.0 MVP voting points for 11th place, 5 spots ahead of Dick Groat.
-  Willie Mays finished ahead of Pagan, 2nd on the ballot.  Next at 7th was another former Rookie of the Year, Jack Sanford. Behind Pagan were Felipe Alou (13th), Orlando Cepeda (15th) [another ROY], Harvey Kuenn (18th), Juan Marichal (22nd) and Jim Davenport (24th).  It was the only year Pagan or Davenport ever received even one MVP vote in careers of 15 & 13 years respectively.
-  1971 WS.  Doubled home Willie Stargell in the 8th inning of G 7 for a lead the Pirates held onto.
-  After retiring as a player in the Puerto Rico Baseball League, he managed the Bayamon Cowboys, the Arecibo Wolves and the Ponce Lions to league championships.
FCR -  Walt Cherniak, Woodbine, Maryland
Incorrect guesses:  Dick Groat, Gene Alley, Roy McMillan, Leo Cardenas

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.        What pitcher gave up the World-Series-winning hit to Jose Pagan in 1971?
Hint:     No Cuban native with at least 250 pitching appearances has a higher career winning percentage.
Hint:     His teammates claimed he was the most superstitious player in baseball.
A.         MIKE CUELLAR  [SABR Bio]
-  Retired with a .587% (185-130)
-  Had a routine on days when he started that was NOT to be interfered with.
FCR -  Bob Kimball, Sutton, Massachusetts
Incorrect guesses:  Luis Tiant, Mike Torrez, Luis Arroyo, Dave McNally

THURSDAY
Q.        Of the players who played their first major league game in 1959, who played the most games that season?
Hint:     His number of games that year is a major league record.
Hint:     He is the only Hall of Famer born in either of the Dakotas.
Hint:     The baseball field at a California university is named for him.
A.         SPARKY ANDERSON  [SABR Bio]
-  152 G in 1959.  Only one other rookie was even within 60 of that total.
-  No other player with a one-year playing career has played in more games.
-  B. 22-Feb-1934 Bridgewater, South Dakota
FCR -  Bob Boehme, Birmingham, AL
Incorrect guesses:  Roger Maris, Vada Pinson, Bob Allison, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills

FRIDAY
Q.        Who helped set a team record by becoming the 6th player on that team to hit his 20th home runs of the season?
Hint:     That same year, he helped them set a more amazing record by being the fourth batter to hit a home run in the same extra inning.
Hint:     The school he attended is represented by Willie.
A.         GENE OLIVER  [SABR Bio]
-  The year before the Braves went to Atlanta, Oliver join his teammates Hank Aaron, Edit Mathews, Joe Torre, Felipe Alou & Mack Jones to set a record with 6 teammates w/20+ HR in a single season. (Since then:  1996 BAL, 2000 TOR, 2005 TEX, 2009 NYY & 2018 LAD each had 7 players w/20+ HRs.)
-  In the top of the 10th on 08-Jun-1965, Oliver followed Joe Torre, Felipe Alou and Hank Aaron hitting homers as they beat the Cubs 8-2.
FCR -  Barry Nelson, Guilderland, New York
Incorrect guesses:  John Blanchard, Lee Maye, Mark Loretta, Don Mincher, Yasmani Grandal, Anthony Rendon, Dick Groat, Dusty Baker, Jimmie Hall

SATURDAY
Q.        Who showed his skeptical manager that he could play this game by being the only pitcher to throw shutouts for the team one season?
Hint:     He followed that with zero the following year, but led the team in shutouts the next two season to further his own franchise career record.
Hint:     He surrendered pitcher Jack Hamilton’s sole career home run.
A.         AL JACKSON  [SABR Bio]
-  Had 43 W for NYM.  Seaver finished w/198.
-  Hamilton’s HR = 20-May-1967
-  Had 4 ShO’s in the Mets charmingly inept 1962 season.  No one else had even one.  Jackson didn’t either in ’63, but came back with 3 each of the following 2 years.  No hurler in the franchise topped his total of 10 until Tom Seaver threw his career 11th at Candlestick on 31-Aug-1969.  Mets manager Casey Stengel is supposed to have looked down his dugout for a possible replacement during a game and seeing no credible option, shouted, to no one in particular, “Can’t anybody here play this game?!”  Columnist Jimmy Breslin used that a the title of his book documenting the Mets’ debut season.
FCR -  Daniel Wilson, St. Paul
Incorrect guesses:  Jim Palmer, Sandy Koufax

SUNDAY
Q         Whose batting practice line drive broke his teammate Joe Morgan’s knee?
Hint:     He hit the first ball Reggie Jackson ever fielded in a major league game.
Hint:     Although he led the majors in doubles one season, he found it tough to balance two careers.
A.         ARTHUR LEE MAYE  [SABR Bio]
-  Batting practice line drive was in 1966 when both were with the Astros.
-  Singled to RF to Jackson 09-Jun-1967
-  Hit 44 doubles in 1964 to lead both leagues.  Using his full name Arthur Lee Maye, he formed a group called “The Crowns” and was successful as a composer and performer.  A good sample is his do-wop song “I’m Happy and in Love”.
FCR -  Larry Hayes, San Francisco
Incorrect guesses:  Lee May, Bill Russell




WEEKLY THEME – Select National League players of note who debuted in 1959 yet received no consideration for Rookie of the Year since every vote cast was (deservedly) for Willie McCovey, notwithstanding he only played in 52 games that year.

[Each NL team represented.]

Player        ‘59Team    ROY votes
Anderson      PHI           - 0 -
Cuellar          CIN           - 0 -
Jackson        PIT           - 0 -
Maye            MLN         - 0 -
Oliver            STL          - 0 -
Pagan           SFG         - 0 -
Williams       CHC         - 0 -
Wills             LAD          - 0 -


First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeKevin Epstein, San Antonio (after Sparky)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday  -  Major leaguers with Type I Diabetes
               - 

Tuesday -  Players with 164+ games played in a season
               -  Players who played more than 162 games in a season
               -  Former players who have written autobiographies
               -  Players with the first four letters of the last name being “Will”
               -  Players who appeared in more than 163 games in a single season
               -  Players who scored 130+ runs in a season during the 1960s and 1970s
               -  Something to do with 1959 rookies
               -  Players of the Year who wrote autobiographies

Wed        -  Players who played the most games in a season
               -  Later part of the 64 Cards World Series Championship team
               -  Players who made MLB debut in 1959
               -  Players who cost the Orioles a WS

Thurs      -  World Series award winners in the 1970s
               -  MLB NL players who began their careers in 1959, one for each team

Sat          -  Players who debuted in 1959 and either played or managed in an All-Star game

Sunday   -  1959 NL debuts who went onto become major league coaches?
              







~ Bruce 



Sunday, November 11, 2018

2018-11-05 Twenty-five HR in a season before age 21


Theme and questions this week are from reader David Washburn, Marietta, Georgia.

MONDAY
Q.        In 2018, who became the youngest player to hit a grand slam in a postseason game?
Hint:     He set a franchise record in 2018 by hitting 8 lead-off home runs.
Hint:     His father played six seasons of minor league ball in the Mets organization.
Hint:     His uniform number 13 has been anything but unlucky.
A.         RONALD ACUNA
-  His grand slam in game 3 of the 2018 NLDS against Walker Buehler came at 20 years, 293 days old; previous postseason record held by Mickey Mantle in game 5 of the 1953 World Series at age 21 years, 349 days.
-  His 8 leadoff home runs broke the previous Braves franchise record of 7 set by Marquis Grissom in 1997.
-  Ronald Acuna. Sr. was a right fielder in the Mets minor league system and had three seasons of at least 30 stolen bases but never played higher than AA ball.
-  Jr. wore No. 24 as a Braves minor leaguer in honor of fellow Venezuelan Miguel Cabrera but switched to No. 13 when reaching the majors since No. 24 was worn by Kurt Suzuki.
FCR -  Phillip Ross, Denver
Incorrect guesses:  Andruw Jones, Mookie Betts

TUESDAY
Q.        What player recorded his 3,000th career hit in his hometown of Baltimore?
Hint:     In his only World Series appearance, he batted .379 with two home runs as his team won in seven games but he was not the MVP winner.
Hint:     He was the first player in franchise history to hit two home runs in an inning.
Hint:     He once said, “I wasn’t meant to be a superstar.  I’m no Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle.”
A.         AL KALINE  [SABR Bio]
-  Born in Baltimore 19-Dec-1934.  On 24-Sep-1974 at Memorial Stadium, he hit a 4th‑inning double against Dave McNally for hit No. 3,000.
-  Mickey Lolich was the very deserving Series MVP (3-0, 1.67 ERA in three starts including a complete-game, 5-hit win in game 7).
-  He hit 2 HRs in the 6th inning of a 16-0 win against KCA on 17‑Apr‑1955 off Bob Spicer, the first in DET history.  Next Tiger to do it was Magglio Ordonez against the A’s in the 2nd inning 12-Aug-2007 at Comerica Park. (The A’s had moved by then.)
FCR -  Will McCracken, Bradenton, Florida
Incorrect guesses:  Cal Ripken, Roberto Clemente, Eddie Murray

WEDNESDAY
Q.        Who was the first player to hit a walk-off home run against the Yankees in a World Series game?
Hint:     He was a two-time National League home run champion and finished second in league MVP voting in both seasons.
Hint:     Ty Cobb once said of him, “I’ve only known three or four perfect swings in my time.  This lad has one of them.”
A.         EDDIE MATTHEWS  [SABR Bio]
- His 2-run HR in the bottom of the 10th inning of 1957 WS G 4 against Bob Grim gave the MLN a 7-5 win.  Spahn got the CG W.  Mathews’ only postseason homer.
- He won NL home run titles in 1953 (47) & 1959 (46) and was runner-up in NL MVP voting to Roy Campanella (’53) and Ernie Banks (’59) respectively.  He also received MVP votes in an additional 7 seasons.
FCR -  Larry Hayes, San Francisco  
Incorrect guesses:  Casey Stengel, Johnny Mize, Rogers Hornsby, Mel Ott, Bill Mazeroski, Duke Snider

THURSDAY
Q.             Who holds the MLB record for leading his team in home runs in 18 consecutive seasons.
Hint      He’s still his franchise all-time leader in RBIs and second in games, hits, total bases, doubles and walks.
Hint:     He’s the youngest player in MLB history to amass 1,000 RBIs.
A.         MEL OTT  [SABR Bio]
-  Led the New York Giants in home runs every season from 1928-45.
-  His 1,860 career RBIs are still a Giants franchise record, just one ahead of Willie Mays. Second in Giants history behind Mays in games (2,730), hits (2,876), total bases (5,041) & doubles (488) and 2nd behind Bonds in walks (1,708).
-  Reached the 1,000 RBI mark in 1936 at age 27 years, 94 days.
FCR -  Chaunce Venuto, Tooele, Utah
Incorrect guesses:  Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Willie Stargell, Stan Musial, Mike Schmidt, Barry Bonds

FRIDAY
Q.        Who is the only player elected to six All-Star Games each in both the American League and National League?
Hint:     In 2005, he became the fifth baseball player at the time to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Hint:     Jim Bouton, in Ball Four, replied “reluctantly” when asked how he would pitch to him.
A.         FRANK ROBINSON  [SABR Bio]
-  Six-time NL All-Star with the Reds (1956, 57, 59*, 61*, 62, 65); six-time AL All-Star with the Orioles (1966, 67, 69-71) and Angels (1974).  Replaced as a starter in the 1967 All-Star Game due to injury by Carl Yastrzemski and replaced on the AL roster by White Sox OF Ken Berry.  Six of one… half a dozen the other.
-  In 2005, joined Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron as players to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  It has since been awarded to Buck O’Neil, Stan Musial, Ernie Banks, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays and broadcaster Vin Scully.
*Was elected to both NL AS teams in each of 1959 & 61, but only played in one game each year:  2nd & 1st respectively.
FCR -  Maureen Walsh, Tallahassee
Incorrect guesses:  Hank Aaron, Gary Sheffield, Mark McGwire

SATURDAY
Q.        Who was the first player to win both the National League Rookie of the Year Award and the National League MVP Award unanimously?
Hint:     He was the first winner of the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.
Hint:     He once tied a major league record by hitting four doubles in a game.
Hint:     World Series MVP Lew Burdette said, “He was the toughest hitter I ever faced.”
A.         ORLANDO CEPEDA  [SABR Bio]
-  Unanimous winner of both the 1958 NL Rookie of the Year Award and 1967 NL MVP Award.  Only other NL player to win both unanimously was Albert Pujols (2001 NL ROY, 2009 NL MVP).  Frank Robinson was a unanimous ROY in 1956 in the NL and a unanimous MVP choice in the AL in 1966.
-  In 1973 with the Boston Red Sox, Cepeda batted .289 with 20 HRs and 86 RBIs in 142 games as DH.
-  Hit four doubles against the Royals on 08-Aug-1973.
-  An amazing quote considering that in his career, Burdette also faced Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Frank Robinson, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, et al.
FCR -  Mary Shea, Milwaukee
Incorrect guesses: Willie McCovey, Jackie Robinson, Frank Robinson

SUNDAY
Q.        Who was the first player to win both the Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Hutch Award?
Hint:     Despite leading his league in home runs one year, he only finished 33rd in MVP voting.
Hint:     In his only All-Star Game, he went 0-for-6 with two strikeouts.
Hint:     His younger brother played parts of five seasons in the majors.
A.         TONY CONIGLIARO  [SABR Bio]
-  Won the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1969 and the Hutch Award in 1970, given to the player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Fred Hutchinson by persevering through adversity.
- led the AL with 32 home runs in 1965 but finished 33rd in MVP voting as the Red Sox finished 62-100.
- went 0-for-6 with 2 strikeouts and played all 15 innings of the 1967 All-Star Game at Anaheim.
- Billy Conigliaro, 2 years and 7 months younger than Tony, was an outfielder for BOS 1969-71, MIL in 1972 & OAK in 1973; had 3 at-bats in the 1973 WS.
FCR -  Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses:  Bobby Tolan, Jason Giambi, Dave Kingman, Tommy John


WEEKLY THEME – Players who hit 25 home runs in a single season before turning 21.  David says, “Thanks to Ronald Acuna and his historic rookie season for inspiring this theme and giving us seven players to fit into it.”

Player         HRs     Year               DoB
Acuna......... 26...... 2018........ 18-Dec-1997.
Cepeda....... 25...... 1958........ 17-Sep-1937; Hit 25th 04-Sep, 13 days before turning 21.
Conigliaro.. 32...... 1965........ 07-Jan-1945.
Kaline......... 27...... 1955........ 19-Dec-1934.
Mathews..... 25...... 1952........ 19-Oct-1931.
Ott............... 42...... 1929........ 02-Mar-1909.
Robinson.... 38...... 1956........ 31-Aug-1935; Hit 25th 02-Aug, 29 days before turning 21.


First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeSarah Grynpas, Toronto (after Mathews)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Tuesday -  “Juniors”
               -  Players with an OPS over 0.900 before being 21 years old
               -  Youngsters
               -  Players who hit 25 homers before turning 21
               -  Players who made the All-Star team as teenagers.       
               -  Players who made the All-Star team at age 20 or less.

Wed        -  21 homers before age 21
               - 

Thurs      -  Hall of Famers with 25 homers before age 21
               -  Players who led their team in home runs at age 20 (including ties)


Friday     -  500 home run club
               -