Sunday, August 25, 2019

2019-08-19 Players who tied for Awards


Q.        Who is the only player to win ten Gold Glove Awards playing first base?
Hint:     When “game-winning-RBI” was an official statistic, he set the record for the most in a single season.
Hint:     He was Tom Seaver’s 3,000th career strikeout victim.
A.         KEITH HERNANDEZ  [SABR Bio]
-  GG 1978-88 11 in all
-  24 GWRBI in 1985
-  3K K = 18-Apr-1981, 4th inning
FCR -  Creg Stephenson, Theodore, Alabama
Incorrect guesses:  Steve Garvey, Don Mattingly, Eddie Murray, Gil Hodges, John Olerud, Wes Parker

TUESDAY
Q.        Who is the only reliever with more saves than Mariano River from 2004 through 2009?
Hint:     He became the all-time saves leader for the second major league team he pitched for, now a 119-year-old franchise.
Hint:     No pitcher in MLB history with at least 350 career saves, has a higher save percentage.
A.         JOE NATHAN

-  2004-09 = 246 S (Rivera had 243)
-  260 S (Rick Aguilera ended w/254).  Got his 255th S 10-Aug-2011 vs. BOS.
-  Save pct. = .89125  (Rivera’s = .89071)
FCR -  Kellen Nielson, Blanding, Utah
Incorrect guesses:  Mariano Rivera, Billy Wagner, Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Rodriquez, Craig Kimbrel, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith, Dennis Eckersley, Todd Jones

WEDNESDAY
Q.        Who was the first pitcher to hit a home run in a League Championship Series?
Hint:     He was the first native of his home country to be selected by each league for All‑Star competition.
Hint:     Three of his teammate moundsmen all racked up 20 pitching victories one season.
A.         MIKE CUELLAR  [SABR Bio]
-  HR hit off Jim Perry (that year’s Cy Young Award winner), 4th inning, G 1 ALCS 03‑Oct‑1970
-  AS rep in 1967 for HOU, NL and 1970, 71 & 74 for BAL.  First Cuban native to do so.
-  As did he.  1971.  The other 3 smiles seen here belong to Jim Palmer, Pat Dobson & Dave McNally.
FCR -  Joe Liss, Metairie, Louisiana
Incorrect guesses:  Bert Blyleven, Don Gullett, Dennis Martinez, Don Robinson, Dave McNally, Frank Robinson 

THURSDAY
Q.        What six-time avian All-Star never played for the Cardinals, the Orioles or Blue Jays?
Hint:     Yet he did play for the Cougars.
Hint:     He played on the team where, for the first time, four different players each topped thirty home runs the year they won the pennant.
Hint:     It took Columbo two times to recognize him.
A.         RON CEY
-  According to Wikipedia, he was nicknamed “The Penguin” for his slow, waddling running gait by his college coach, Chuck ‘Bobo’ Brayton.  However, one look at him walking and you knew he had borne that sobriquet his entire life.
-  Played college ball at Washington State University under legendary coach, Chuck ‘Bobo’ Brayton.
-  In 1977 LAD won the NL flag w/Steve Garvey, Reggie Smith, Dusty Baker and Cey hitting 33, 32, 30 & 30 HR respectively.
-  In episode #5 of Season 9 of the “Columbo” series, the wry, sly detective brilliantly played by Peter Falk, interrupts a celebrity poker game in search of clues.  It’s only when he comes back to the game later that he realizes that it’s a celebrity game.  He says (ISTR) “Say!  You’re Ron Cey!”  For good measure, that episode was written by Stephen Bochco.
FCR -  Jerry Miller, Liberty Hill, Texas
Incorrect guesses:  Steve Garvey, Reggie Smith, Davy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Steve Yeager, Burt Hooton, Alex Rodriguez 

FRIDAY
Q.        Who surrendered Reggie Jackson’s first World Series home run?
Hint:     Before the White Sox did it, his team was the only one that had three pitchers string together three complete games in a League Championship Series.  (Yes.  He was one of said stringers.)
Hint:     In his third full season, he led the league with seven shutouts and posted a sub2.50 ERA but got not a single Cy Young Award vote.
Hint:     He once pitched nine days after having his skull fractured by a line drive that hit him in the forehead.
A.         JON MATLACK  [SABR Bio]
-  Jackson’s 1st WS HR = G 7 1973
-  Tom Seaver, Matlack & Jerry Koosman pitched CGs 1, 2 & 3 of the 1973 NLC.  CHW did it in G 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the 2005 ALCS (cleverly saving the Big Guy for the WS).
-  Led MLB* w/7 ShO in 1974 & had a 2.41 ERA (3rd-best in the majors) but posted a 13-15 won-loss record.  (BK would love that one!)
      *Tied w/AL leader Tiant.
-  Matlack retells the story of his head injury here.
FCR -  Timothy Brownlee, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Incorrect guesses:  Jerry Koosman, Burt Hooton, Andy Messersmith, Don Gullett, Tug McGraw

SATURDAY
Q.        What pitcher set a major league expansion era record by winning his first twelve career decisions?
Hint:     He was the first rookie to lead his league in games finished (60 min.).
Hint:     Craig Kimbrel broke his record for the most pitching appearances in a rookie year.
A.         BUTCH METZGER  [SABR Bio]
-  1-0 in 1974; 1-0 in 1975; 10-0 in 1976 before his first loss 28-Aug.  Hooks Wiltse had a similar record in 1904
-  Finished 62 G for SDP in 1976.
-  Pitched in 77 G in 1976 which led the NL for rookies.  Kimbrel had 79 in 2011.
FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey
Incorrect guesses:  Fernando Valenzuela, Mark Fidrych, Todd Worrell, Phil Regan, Dick Radatz, Bo Belinsky, Neftali Feliz, Ron Davis, John Smoltz, Mike Marshall, Mark Eichorn

SUNDAY
Q.        What former Tar led his league in triples in (appropriately) his third year?
Hint:     His fielding was compared favorably to that of Brooks Robinson and Billy Cox by legendary manager Gene Mauch.
Hint:     He was a holdout following a quality rookie season but got what he wanted when his manager interceded with the famously stingy French-Canadian owner.
Hint:     His congenital spondylosis eventually signaled the end of his major league career.  He is now the proud veteran of eight (8!) back surgeries.
A.         JOHN CASTINO  [SABR Bio]
-  Tars (sailors) are the sports mascot of Rollins College in Orlando where Castino was playing when he was drafted.  Led the AL w/9 3b in 1981.
-  From SABR:  Shortly after his successful rookie season, Castino received a contract from Calvin Griffith for the 1980 season.  “I received $21,000 during my rookie season and Griffith was offering just $27,500,” said Castino, who mailed an unsigned contract to his boss with a request for $50,000.  That didn’t please the Twins owner, who was known for keeping payroll down.  “I was at a banquet in Florida where I was being honored as co-Rookie of the Year.  Griffith made a loud entrance and bellowed, “Hey Castino!  I got you by the balls.  If you don’t sign the contract you’ll be out of baseball.”  When spring training began, the Twins third baseman was still unsigned.  Hoping to get what he wanted, he sat down with his skipper in the manager’s office.  “How can I help you, Rook?” asked Mauch. Castino explained the situation. Mauch then picked up the phone and called Griffith. “Give the kid his $50,000,” he said. Griffith agreed, and the deal was done.
-  Spondylosis didn’t show up until he reached for a ball hit by Dave Winfield.  The put a hairline fracture in his back and the condition he’d had all his life was revealed.
FCR -  Ken Kirk, Corning, New York
Incorrect guesses:  Mike Schmidt, David Wright, Coco Laboy, Tim Wallach, Max Alvis, Dale Long, Rodney Scott, Doug DeCinces       


WEEKLY THEME – Select players who tied with another player for a major award.

Cuellar & Denny McLain – 1969 Cy Young Award
Matlack & Bill Madlock – 1975 All-Star Game MVP
Metzger & Pat Zachry – 1976 NL ROY
Hernandez & Willie Stargell – 1979 NL MVP
Castino & Alfredo Griffin – 1979 AL ROY
Cey & Pedro Guerrero & Steve Yeager – 1981 WS MVP
Nathan & Mariano Rivera – 2009 Rolaids Reliever Award



First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeBob Charkovsky, Ashton, Maryland (After Hernandez!)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday  -  Players who cameo’d on SEINFELD
               -  Players with the most consecutive games hitting Home Runs

Tuesday -  Hall of Famers born in California in October.
               - 


Wed        -  Hall of Famers born in California in October.
               -  The worst trades in MLB history (or best, depending on the end of the telescope through which we are peering)

 









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