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 



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