Sunday, March 22, 2020

2020-03-16 Players who uniform numbers match their positions on the field


16-Mar-2020

MONDAY  - Mar 16
Q.        Who was the last player to hit .400 in a season in the National League?
Hint:     He was the first player in the modern era to hit a grand slam on Opening Day.
Hint:     He is tied for the most hits in a season by a National Leaguer.       
A.         BILL TERRY  [SABR Bio]
-  Hit .401 in 1930.  He did so well, they made him the manager too, just a couple of years later, a position where one tries to avoid .400.  There are records of it being done twice earlier, but before
-  GS on OD = 12-Apr-1927.  Some 30 other OD grand slams have been hit since his. 
-  254 H in 1930.  Terry tied Philly Lefty O’Doul’s season mark which had been established just one year earlier. 
FCR -  Tom Hablitzel, Hudson, Ohio
Incorrect guesses:  Rogers Hornsby, Mel Ott, Hack Wilson, Willie Mays, George Sisler, Willie Keeler, Bob Hazle

TUESDAY – Mar 17
Q.        Who hit more home runs off Bob Gibson than any other player?
Hint:     He hit his 400th career home run playing for the A's.
Hint:     His namesake spent his entire career with the Seattle Pilots.
Hint:     Twice was he second in MVP voting, twice to the same future Hall of Fame catcher.
A.         BILLY WILLIAMS  [SABR Bio]

-  He took Gibson deep 10 times.  Hank Aaron was next w/8.
-  2nd behind Johnny Bench for NL MVP in 1970 & 1972.  Neither time was he close.
-  The other Billy Williams played 3 G for SEP in 1969.
-  400th HR = 12-Jun-1975, 1 of 34 he hit for OAK.  The other 392 he hit for CHC.
FCR -  Kit Krieger, Vancouver
Incorrect guesses:  Willie McCovey, Ken Griffey, Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell

WEDNESDAY – Mar 18
Q.        Who is the only player to appear twice on the list of Top Fifteen Twelve most doubles hit in a major league season?
Hint:     He is the only player to be taken out of an All-Star game, then reinserted into the lineup later in the same game.
Hint:     He was the last player for his 130+ year old franchise to ring up more than 215 hits in a season and it’s been more than 75 years since he did it.
A.         BILLY HERMAN  [SABR Bio]
-  Herman hit 57 2B in each of 1935 & 36 and remains tied with himself and Carlos Delgado at 11th on the all-time list.  For the Cubs, he has their franchise all-time lead all by himself TWICE!
-  In the 1934 ASG in the Polo Grounds in NYC, Herman pinch-hit for Carl Hubbell in the 3rd [Hubbell’s famous strikeout string had just been in the 1st & 2nd.] and promptly popped out.  Since he was in the 9th spot in the order, he was then pulled so Lon Warneke could come in to pitch.  OK.  Good so far.  Then, however, in the top of the 7th Herman replaced Frankie Frisch playing 2B batting 1st and collected a double in the 9th, the final H of the G.  Notwithstanding, the AL won, 9-7.
-  Amassed 227 H for the 1935 Cubs. Only fellow Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby (229 in 1929) and Kiki Cuyler (228 in 1930) ever collected more while calling The Friendly Confines home.
FCR -  Bill Deane, Cooperstown
Incorrect guesses:  Stan Musial, Joe Medwick, Paul Waner, Tommy Holmes, Tris Speaker, Richie Ashburn, George Sisler, Pinky Higgins

MIDWEEK BONUS – Mar 18
Q.        Who was the first catcher to hit 18 home runs in a major league season?
Hint:     He was also the first catcher to hit 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 & 37 home runs in a season.
Hint:     He was the last National League catcher to hit a triple in the All-Star Game.
Hint:     He was behind the plate when Babe Ruth “called his shot”.
A.         GABBY HARTNETT  [SABR Bio]
-  37 HR 1930, breaking his own record of 24 set in 1925 which had broken the record of 17 by the Phillies’ C Jack Clements in 1893.
-  Tripled off Left Grove in the 1936 ASG in Boston.
-  Ruth’s “shot” G 3 1932 WS
FCR -  Willis Kern, Bloomington, Illinois
Incorrect guesses:  Bill Dickey, Mickey Cochrane, Ernie Lombardi

THURSDAY – Mar 19
Q.        Whose diving, over-the-shoulder bare-handed catch in the opposing team’s ballpark drew a standing ovation lasting several minutes?
Hint:     The play was voted the “This Year in Baseball Play of the Year”.
Hint:     No New York Mets player has ever driven in more runs in a single season.
Hint:     His franchise lead in career Offensive WAR lead the second-best player by nearly 50%.
Hint:     He leads the Mets in twenty positive offensive career categories.
A.         DAVID WRIGHT
-  The play made in the 7th on 09-Aug-2005 in Petco Park, San Diego.
-  In 2008, he tied Mike Piazza’s 1999 total of 124 RBI.
-  His career oWAR of 51.9 total is 16.8 points or 47.9% better than Strawberry’s 35.1.
-  Statistical dominance evident here.
FCR -  Kellen Nielson, Blanding, Utah
Incorrect guesses:  Kevin Mitchell, Mike Piazza, Hubie Brooks, Tommy Agee, Howard Johnson, Daryll Strawberry, Carlos Beltran, Willie Mays  

FRIDAY – Mar 20
Q.        Which former Pirate became American League president three years after being elected to the Hall of Fame?
Hint:     He is the only American League player to pinch-hit home runs in both halves of a doubleheader.
Hint:     Once, after being called out on strikes against a famous fastball pitcher, turned to the umpire and inquired, “If I didn't see it, how did you see it?”
A.         JOE CRONIN  [SABR Bio]
-  HOF in 1956.  Played for PIT 1926-27.  AL prez. 1959-73.
-  PH HR X 2 = 17-Jun-1943(1) & (2).  Calling upon himself as player-manager, Cronin came up with a pair of 3-run blasts.  He didn’t play any defense in either contest.
-  Pitcher was Bob Feller and the umpire was Lou Kolls on 25-Aug-1937.
FCR -  R. D. Lerner, Silver Spring, Maryland
Incorrect guesses:  Hank Greenberg

SATURDAY – Mar 21
Q.        What one-time Milwaukee Brave dashed the hopes of the Red Sox faithful in October 1946?
Hint:     The Yankees pawned him off on the Kansas City A’s in exchange for Sonny Dixon.  (Yes—that Sonny Dixon!)
Hint:     The Yankees took him back off waivers a year later.
Hint:     Most people knew what country he was from.
A.         ENOS SLAUGHTER  [SABR Bio]
-  He dashed home from 1st on a single by Dixie Walker in the bottom of the 8th to in G 7 to secure the Cardinal’s win the 1946 WS.
-  11-May-1955: Traded by NYY with Johnny Sain to the KCA for Sonny Dixon and cash.
-  Hardly urbane, he was born and raised in the small North Carolina town of Roxboro. His nickname “Country” seems quite fitting.  He’s buried there as well.
FCR -  Larry Creeden, Boulder City, Nevada
Incorrect guesses:  Lou Novikoff, Al Hrabosky, Red Schoendienst

WEEKEND BONUS – Mar 21
Q.        What outfielder won a World Series as a BBTR then won another in the other league as a BRTR?
Hint:     His nickname due to his speed was justified since as a senior in high school, he had won state championships in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.  His 100-meter time set a state record.
Hint:     Given a “Day” in his honor, he capped the day’s festivities with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Hint:     His upbeat nature made him popular with teammates and fans alike.
A.         SHANE VICTORINO
-  After nearly a decade in the majors as a switch-hitter, winning a ring with the 2008 Phillies, hamstring, back, and knee problems forced him to become an exclusively right-handed batter in 2013 when he won another ring with the Red Sox.
-  Ran track for St. Anthony High School in Wailuku, Hawaii.  His nickname was “The Flyin’ Hawaiian”.
-  “Shane Victorino Day” in Philadelphia = 03-Jun-2007
-  It is a rare to find a photo of him where he is not smiling.
FCR -  Mark Hayne, Dumfries, Virginia
Incorrect guesses:  Augie Galan, Pablo Sandoval, Willie McGee, Dave Collins, Mike Devereaux, Lonnie Smith

SUNDAY – Mar 22
Q.        Who threw the last Boston Red Sox no-hitter of the 20th century?
Hint:     He surrendered Kirby Puckett’s first home run as well as Dave Kingman’s 400th, both in the same season.
Hint:     Three Hall of Famers attended the same college he did.
Hint:     One of those also even attended the additional institution of higher learning he transferred to.
A.         MATT YOUNG  [SABR Bio]
-  No-no = 12-Apr-1992 (Since his complete game was only 8 innings long, Young’s gem is not recognized as an “official” no-hitter.  He did, however, pitch a complete game and allowed no hits.)  N.B.  He lost the game!
-  Puckett’s 1st 22-Apr-1985; Kingman’s 400th 10-Aug-1985
   -  Young and Robinson both transferred to UCLA.
FCR -  Mark Kanter, Portsmouth, Rhodes Island
Incorrect guesses:  Dave Morehead, Jon Lester, Earl Wilson, Bill Lee, Chris Bosio


WEEKLY THEME – Players whose positions on the field match their uniform numbers.

Pitcher            =    1    Young............... SEA 1990
Catcher           =    2    Hartnett............. CHC 1937-40
First Base        =    3    Killebrew           MIN 1957-75 Terry        NYG 1933-36 
Second Base   =    4    Herman............. CHC 1937-41
Third Base       =    5    Wright............... NYM 2004-18
Shortstop        =    6    Cronin............... BOS 1936
Left Field         =    7    Williams............ OAK 1975
Center Field     =    8    Victorino............ PHI 2005-12; 2012 LAD
Right Field       =    9    Slaughter.......... STL 1938-53


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Steve BermanBergenfield, New Jersey



Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday  -  Last names that are first names of members of Monty Python

Tues       -  HOF who also served on the Golden-Age (Veterans) Committee at the HOF
               -  Hall of Fame Bills

Wed        -  Hall of Fame Williamses
               -  Hall of Fame Bills
               -  HOF'ers whose last name is also a first name (of at least one other player)
               -  HOFers named Bill/Billy
               -  Hall of Famers with the first name of Bill
               -  The highest WAR for players with first names of Bill/Billy
               -  The leading Bill/Billy's for R, H, 2B, AB, PA, etc.
               -  The attack of the Bills
               -  Players (hall of famers?) whose given name is William and whose surname is also a given name
               -  Cubs HOFers
               -  HOFers who began their careers with the Cubs, spent the majority of their careers with the Cubs, and finished their careers with another team
               -  NFL coach names
               -  7 blocks of granite (football)
               -  Dudes named Billy
               -  Hall of Fame player/managers who never beat the Yankees in a World Series
               -  Hall of Famers who spent most of their careers as Chicago Cubs
               -  Attorneys General

Sun         -  Ball players who attended the same HS as HoFers
               -  Those among the top players from their home state
               -  Something to do with uniform numbers
               -  Single digit uniform numbers (all prime except Cronin)
               -  They fill out all positions on the field, all born in different decades
               -  Players who won a home run title and stole a base in the World Series that same season



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