Horsehide Trivia: 2019-04-15 Select players traded for Doyle Alexander

Questions, hints and theme submitted by Patrick Ray of Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Q. Who is the only pitcher in major league history to record both 200 wins and 150 saves?

Hint: Tiger Woods called him the best golfer outside of the PGA Tour that he has seen.

Hint: He is a distant cousin of Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer.

A. JOHN SMOLTZ [SABR Bio]

- 213 W/154 S

- “Smoltzy? Well, I had not ever played with an amateur that had ever shot the scores he shot... I've gone out there with him when he's shot 69-67 in the same day … so it's pretty phenomenal.” ~Tiger Woods.

- “My grandmother was a Gehringer.” ~John Smoltz during the playoff broadcast on 11-Jun-2016.

FCR - Jess Forrest, Chicago

Incorrect guesses: Dennis Eckersley, Tom Glavine

TUESDAY

Q. Who won a Rookie of the Year Award, a Triple Crown, two Most Valuable Player awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

Hint: He is one of only two major league players to have his number retired by three different organizations.

Hint: He hit a home run in first at bat as a player-manager.

A. FRANK ROBINSON [SABR Bio]

- ROY 1956, TC 1966, MVP 1961 & 1966, MoF 2005

- His #20 retired in Cincinnati, Baltimore & Cleveland (Nolan Ryan has also had his uniform number thrice retired.)

- HR as Mgr 08-Apr-1975 off Doc Medich of NYY

FCR - Samuel Olken, Chicago

Incorrect guesses: Dan Bankhead

WEDNESDAY

Q. What former Rookie of the Year hit a home run in his first major-league at-bat?

Hint: He has a no-hitter on his major league résumé.

Hint: He also served two years in prison.

A. JOHN MONTEFUSCO [SABR Bio]

- 1^st AB HR = 03-Sep-1974 off Charlie Hough

- No-no = 26-Sep-1976 vs. ATL

- Indicted in December 1997 and released on bail in November 1999; acquitted in February 2000 of the most serious charges and found guilty of criminal trespass and simple assault and so sentenced to three years of probation.

FCR - David Krassin, Los Angeles

Incorrect guesses: Dwight Gooden, Hoyt Wilhelm, Vida Blue, Denny McLain, Ron LeFlore, Steve Howe, Bo Belinsky

MIDWEEK BONUS

Q. What 24-year veteran catcher is the uncle of former baseball commentator on Canadian television?

Hint: He (the uncle) won a Little League World Series championship and an MLB World Series championship.

Hint: He owns a brew pub in one of the best possible locations.

A. RICK DEMPSEY [SABR Bio]

- Gregg Zaun, former MLB catcher, is Dempsey’s nephew and was regularly seen from 2006 through 2017 between innings during Blue Jays games, among other events.

- LLWS in 1963 with Canoga Park-Woodland Hills, California; WS in 1983 w/BAL. In fact, he was the WS MVP n ’83.

- Restaurant located inside the gates at OPACY.

FCR - Gene Baccaglini, Columbia, Maryland

Incorrect guesses: Carlton Fisk, Gary Sheffield , Rusty Staub, Tim McCarver, Bob Ueker

THURSDAY

Q. What righty led the league in saves and games finished then was in the top five for the Cy Young Award and top 25 for the MVP award in his last full year in the majors?

Hint: He has more games finished, saves and strikeouts and a better career pitcher’s WAR than any other pitcher born in his state.

Hint: He grew up in the same small town where, over century ago, my Scottish great‑grandparents made a new life, benefiting from the homesteaded act. It’s also now known as “Baseball Town, USA”.

A. DUANE WARD

- In 1993, Ward had 45 S (tied w/ KCR’s Jeff Montgomery), 70 GF, finished #5 in CYA voting, tied for 22^nd in league MVP voting and…oh yeah, led his team to a World Series championship.

- His 272 GF, 121 S & 678 K plus 10.15 WAR led all pitchers born in the state of New Mexico.

- Farmington, New Mexico, a town with fewer than 300 people at its founding in 1901, occupies the northwesternmost corner of the state. Archibald and Stella Meikle and their infant daughter Margaret (my grandmother) made a 160 acres granted them by the federal government in 1904 into a moderately successful farm.

FCR - Steve Klitzner, North Miami Beach

Incorrect guesses: Bob Gibson, Rich Gossage, Mike Marshall, Dennis Eckersley, Lee Smith, Mike Mussina, Keith Foulke

FRIDAY

Q. What pitcher led his league in ERA at the age of 35, but never led the league in any other major category during his sixteen-year career?

Hint: In his MLB debut, he pitched nine innings, gave up one hit but no earned runs, struck out ten, but took a no-decision.

Hint: One of his Oakland, California high school teammates was a future Hall of Famer.

A. RUDY MAY

- 2.46 ERA for NYY in 1980 led the AL

- Debut G = 18-Apr-1965

- Attended Castlemont High School, Oakland w/Joe Morgan

FCR - Michael Ageno, San Francisco

Incorrect guesses: Bob Forsch, Saul Rogovin, Vernon Law, Rick Honeycutt

SATURDAY

Q. What former Yankee and Minnesota Twin’s only All-Star appearance was in the same season he led his team to a World Series championship?

Hint: This former Ram was in the tenth year of his fourteen-season career.

Hint: In his ninth season, he had parlayed a Player of the Week Award into a Pitcher of the Month Award.

Hint: A grass roots fan club was created for him near the bullpen where home fans blew on an official whistle every time he came into the game.

A. TIPPY MARTINEZ

- AS + WS = 1983; Played for NYY in 1974-76, for MIN in 1988.

- Attended Colorado State University.

- Was voted AL Player of the Week near the end of July 1982 when he had finished 6 straight G, including a W & 2 S. That topped off a terrific July where he appeared in 16 of the Os’ 27 G w/4saves, 2 holds and a W.

- “Tippy’s Tweeters” were a grass roots fan club was created for Martinez near the bullpen in left field of Memorial Stadium in 1980. Fans blew on an Official Oriole Tweeter every time he came into the game as the reliever and again if he struck out the side.

FCR - Steve Berman, Bergenfield, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses: Roger Erickson, Jim Bouton, Carl Pavano

SUNDAY

Q. What BBTL 13-year veteran pitcher played high school baseball with a first-ballot Hall of Famer whom he later held to a .222 BA in the majors?

Hint: He plunked me not once but twice during a fantasy fan fantasy day at the park of the team with whom he spent his entire major league career.

Hint: He has been an All-Star, a 20-game winner and a part-time pastor at a Christian church.

A. SCOTT McGREGOR

- El Segundo High School, California with George Brett, who went 12-54 against McGregor.

- Plunking took place at OPACY during a fan appreciation celebration in October 2009. McGregor spent his playing career and is spending his post-playing career with the Orioles.

- …that is when he’s not preaching at the Rock City Church.

- Had a 20-8 record in 1980 and was an AS the next year in Cleveland, but did not play.

FCR - Steve Klitzner, North Miami Beach

Incorrect guesses: Preacher Roe, Vern Law

WEEK’S FINALE

Q. Who was the last player from the Quebec Provincial League to reach the majors?

Hint: Taking full advantage of the geography of North America, he finished his professional career in the Mexican League.

Hint: His lone home run in the majors came at the expense of John Candelaria.

Hint: He did not write “Rita’s Tune”.

Hint: If you have locked on to this week’s theme, he should not be difficult to identify.

A. PEPE FRIAS

- Frias played for the Quebec City Carnavals in 1971. The independent Quebec Provincial League folded at the end of that year. It had been a haven for black and Indian players excluded from organized baseball.

- HR = 02-May-1979

- Rita’s Tune

FCR - Steve Berman, Bergenfield, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:

WEEKLY THEME – Players traded for Doyle Alexander

Traded by LAD to BAL for Frank Robinson 02-Dec-1971

Traded by BAL to NYY for Rick Dempsey, Tippy Martinez, Rudy May & Scott McGregor 15-Jun-1976

Traded by TEX to ATL for Pepe Frias 06-Dec-1979

Traded by ATL to SFG for John Montefusco 12-Dec-1980

Traded by TOR to ATL for Duane Ward 06-Jul-1986

Traded by ATL to DET for John Smoltz 12-Aug-1987

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Michael Craig, Gilbert, Arizona (after Robinson)