Q. Who was the
last active player in the majors to have played for the Philadelphia A’s?
Hint: No American
League infielder won more Gold Gloves than he did in the first decade that Gold
Gloves were awarded.
Hint: In his
twelve-year career in the majors, he led his league once each in triples,
caught stealing, sacrifice hits and sacrifice flies, this last one leading the majors
- Played for PHA in 1954, ret. from MLB in 1965.
- AL GG at 1B
1958-64, seven in a row. Brooks Robinson
and Luis Aparicio also each won 7 GG during the first ten years that GGs were
awarded. Al Kaline led all AL players by
garnering nine between 1957 and 1966. In
the NL, Willie Mays was won for each of the 1st 12 season the Gold
Glove award existed.
- Led the AL in 3b in
1958 w/10; in CS in ’59 w/13; in SF in ’63 w/13 & in
SH in ’61 w/12.
FCR - Joel Lipman, Wilmington,
Delaware
Incorrect guesses: Nellie
Fox, Bobby Shantz, Bert Campaneris, Dave Philley, Brooks Robinson, Jerry
Lumpe, Don Mincher, Eddie Collins
TUESDAY
Q. Who was the
last player before Jason Giambi to lead the A's in runs-batted-in for five straight
years?
Hint: He got the
nickname “Ozark Ike” when playing for the PCL’s Hollywood Stars.
Hint: The season
he had two-thirds of a Triple Crown he also led the majors in strikeouts.
Hint: Even with
that strong offensive production he ranked a mere twentieth in MVP voting.
A. GUS
ZERNIAL [SABR
Bio]
- Had the annual team RBI lead from 1951 through
1955, but he had also led his previous team, CHW in RBI in 1950. Giambi’s A’s streak was 1997-2001, but he also
paced NYY in RBI 2002 & 2003—7 straight team-leading seasons in all.
- Ozark Ike was a newspaper comic strip and
later a comic book series about an unsophisticated but likable Ozark Ike McBatt, a strapping youth from a rural area. The strip was created by Rufus A. Gotto, an illustrator for U.S. Navy manuals during
World War II. Zernial was reportedly
delighted with the comparison.
- 1951 Led the AL in HR w/33; led the
majors in RBI w/129 & K w/101. However, Zernial’s .268 BA was well behind
teammate Ferris Fain’s AL-leading .344.
- Lack of recognition came possibly because he played
for two teams that year and because they finished 4th & 6th
in the standings. A more modern metric
shows that Zernial’s WAR of 3.0 that season ranked 35th in the AL.
FCR - Mike McCroskey, Sugar Land, Texas
Incorrect guesses: Ferris Fain, Bob Johnson, Ralph Kiner, Tony
Armas, Ray Boone, Mark McGwire
WEDNESDAY
Q. Who is currently the oldest living
former major leaguer?
Hint: He was the first White Sox batter to hit a
home run completely over the right field pavilion roof at Comiskey Park.
Hint: Fast forward for four years, more than 40%
of his hits were home runs.
Hint: Joe Torre broke his record of grounding
into three double plays in a game.
Hint: In his twelve-year career, he played for
seven of the then existing eight American League teams.
A. EDDIE ROBINSON [SABR Bio]
- Born 15-Dec-1920, now 99 yrs 144 days old
- HR off Al Widmar on 25-Apr-1951. The
first six roof shots were launched by Hall of Famers: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig,
Jimmy Foxx 2 X, Hank Greenberg & Ted Williams. Ruth’s roofer, the park’s 1st,
was home run No. 37 enroute to his record total of 60 for the ’27 Yankees and traveled
an estimated 474 feet and came in the first season Comiskey Park was
double-decked.
- 36 H, 16 HR = 44.4% in 1955.
- Baseball-Reference tells us that between 1934
and Torre's 4-peat on 21-Jul-1975, that 9 Hall of Famers plus 32 others,
including Robinson, hit into 3 double plays in one game. Billy Herman and Billy Conigliaro each did it
twice!. An additional 76 players have
now tied Robinson for second place on that list.
- Played for CLE, NYY, CHW, WSH, PHA-KCA, BAL
& DET. Did not play for BOS but worked
for them as a scout after his playing days.
FCR - Willis Kern, Bloomington, Illinois
Incorrect guesses: Dave Philly, Zeke Bonura, Harry Simpson, Ed
Fitz Gerald, Walt Dropo, Dave Nicholson, Al Smith, Eddie Joost, Felix
Millan
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who took over for Kubek at shortstop in
the 1960 World Series when… well, you know… ?
Hint: He made the All-Star squad halfway through
his career but didn’t see any action.
Hint: He grew up in a middle-class neighborhood
that is now some of the most expensive real estate in North America.
Hint: He called his first manager in the majors
“brilliant”. He called his second
manager, “…the worst manager and worst person I ever played for”.
A. JOE DeMAESTRI [SABR Bio]
- In the 8th inning of G 7, DeMaestri took over at SS for regular NYY after
Tony Kubek was struck in the throat by a bad-hop ground ball hit by Bill Virdon. Virdon’s ball was ruled a hit. DeMaestri finished the inning, but no ball
was hit in his direction. He was
replaced at SS in the 9th to watch Mazeroski’s WS-ending HR from the
NYY bench.
- AL AS in 1957.
- Grew up in San Rafael, Marin County, California.
- DeMaestri’s first MLB team was CHW managed by Paul Richards. His second team and second manager were the St. Louis Browns with Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby at the helm.
DeMaestri’s assessment of the great Rajah was shared by most, if not
all, of his teammates.
FCR - Jeff Kallman, Las Vegas
Incorrect
guesses: Phil Linz, Clete Boyer, Tom Tresh,
Hector Lopez, Jerry Lumpe
THURSDAY – 07-May
Q. Which World Series pitcher started Game
One, but finished that Series with an ERA of 21.60?
Hint: He was the first pitcher to surrender a
triple at Wrigley Field.
Hint: He sued Anheuser-Busch for $500,000 when a
1980s Budweiser commercial incorrectly named him as the pitcher who gave up a World
Series-winning home run.
A. ART DITMAR [SABR Bio]
- WS 1960.
Casey pulled him in the 1st inning. The only out Ditmar got was a line drive by Dick
Stuart that just happened to be caught.
Wasn’t his day. He did get
another inning & ⅓ in G 5.where he gave up 2 2b and 1 R. That G’s ERA of 6.75 helped lower his WS ERA
from 81.00 to the still embarrassing 21.60.
- At Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, the Angels’ Leon
Wagner hit the first regular-season MLB triple off Ditmar in the 1st
inning of a G on 06-May-1961.
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses: Dizzy Dean, Rick Sutcliffe, Bob Friend
FRIDAY – 08-May
Q. Which pitcher’s last name belied his
handedness?
Hint: He was a four-sport athlete at the same
high school that Rod Carew and Manny Ramirez would later attend.
Hint: As a rookie he led the league in the
unfortunate categories of total earned runs and wild pitches, the latter number
leading the majors.
Hint: His father had pitched for the Terps.
- Port-siders are lefties following sea-faring
jargon. Starboard indicates the right
side of a ship.
- All are alumni of George Washington High School in New York City.
- Father Oscar, native of Puerto Rico, had
pitched for the University of Maryland whose mascot is a terrapin turtle (terp for short), common in the eastern
coastal U.S.
- In 1954 Portocarrero allowed 112 earned runs (with
a rookie-like ERA of 4.06) and threw 9 wild pitches, mostly with
his blazing fastball.
FCR - John Taylor, Murray, South Carolina
Incorrect
guesses: Phil Leftwich, Clyde Wright, Billy
Hoeft, George Lauzerique, Jim Palmer
SATURDAY – 09-May
Q. Which utility infielder shortened his
name from Kwietniewski to Kwiet quietly, hoping to fit in better, only to be sent
traveling to the minors?
Hint: When he first came to bat in the majors he
was the youngest position player that year.
Hint: His career was ended by a fastball to the
temple thrown by a former teammate.
- Named Casimir Eugene Kwietniewski at
christening. Signed right off the
Detroit sandlots by CHW and briefly brought up directly to the majors
in 1943. He played exactly 2 games as
Kwietniewski and went 0 for 7. In the
off-season, he shortened his name to Kwiet, quietly hoping to fit in better,
but was sent down to the A-1 level (just below AA back then) Little Rock
Travelers of the Southern League to start the season. Just before his permanent promotion back to
the Bigs in 1944, he decided his half-Polish, half-German heritage
would be best represented as Michaels.
- In 1943 he was 17 years -168 days.
- Marion Fricano in a G on 27-Aug-1954 hit Michaels, then playing for CHW, with a pitch.
Even though Michaels received last rites, he recovered, but his career
as a player never did.
FCR - Michael Campos, Redmond, Washington
Incorrect
guesses: Ray Chapman, Don Zimmer
SUNDAY – 10-May
Q. Who broke Peanuts Lowrey's record and
set the still-standing major league record for consecutive pinch hits in a
season?
Hint: Although he never won a Gold Glove, he was
a Golden Gloves champ in Paris.
Hint: In potential team brawls, he often stepped
in to protect his diminutive manager.
A. DAVE PHILLEY [SABR Bio]
- In 1958, Philley broke the single-season
record Peanuts Lowrey had set six years earlier. Philley delivered a hit in his 8th
straight PH appearance finishing up that season. Rusty Staub tied him for the single-season mark in 1983. Philley added another pinch hit in his first
appearance of 1959 making him the sole record holder for consecutive pinch hits
over two seasons.
- He was a standout in multiple sports at Chicota
High School near Paris, Texas. He was a
good enough boxer to compete successfully in the Golden Gloves program.
- When the tough, combative Philley played for
legendary umpire-baiter Jimmy Dykes (who was ejected from 62 games and suspended
or fined 37 times), Philley was known to protect his skipper during his those
encounters, proclaiming, “All right, you want to fight somebody? Fight me! Let him alone. He’s an old man.”
FCR - Dave Serota, Kalamazoo
Incorrect
guesses: Terry Crowley, Manny Mota, Dale
Long, Rusty Staub, Johnny Frederick, Cliff Johnson, Gates Brown, Bill Stein
WEEKLY THEME – Players on the
Philadelphia A’s who never played for manager Connie Mack who had
retired as the manager after the 1950 season. The A’s finished 6th, 4th,
7th & 8th in an 8-team league. They also finished 7th, 7th,
7th & 8th in attendance in those same years. Beginning in 1955, they were the Kansas
City Athletics.
Player Time w/PHA MLB Seasons
Portocarrero......................... 1954................... 7
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Greg Collins, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (After Robinson)
Additional players who qualify for this week’s
theme
Player w/PHA MLB Seasons
Loren Babe......................... 1952.................. 2
Hal
Bevan........................... 1952.................. 3
Charlie Bishop.................. 1952-54................ 4
Don Bollweg........................ 1954.................. 5
Allie
Clark......................... 1951-53................ 7
Sonny Dixon....................... 1954.................. 4
Frank Fanovich................... 1953.................. 2
Jim
Finigan......................... 1954.................. 6
Marion Fricano................. 1951-53................ 4
Tommy
Giordano................ 1953.................. 1
Johnny Gray....................... 1954.................. 4
Tom Hamilton................... 1952-53................ 2
Bill Harrington..................... 1953.................. 3
Tex
Hoyle........................... 1952.................. 1
Spook Jacobs..................... 1954.................. 3
Skeeter Kell........................ 1952.................. 1
Walt
Kellner...................... 1952-53................ 2
Lou Klein............................. 1951.................. 5
Don Kolloway...................... 1953................. 12
Lou Limmer...................... 1951-54................ 2
Jack Littrell....................... 1952-54................ 4
John Mackinson.................. 1953.................. 2
Morrie
Martin.................... 1951-54............... 10
Len Matarazzo.................... 1952.................. 1
Carmen Mauro.................... 1953.................. 4
Ed McGhee...................... 1953-54................ 4
Rinty Monahan.................... 1953.................. 1
Ray Murray....................... 1951-53................ 6
Bill Oster............................. 1954.................. 1
Hal Raether......................... 1954.................. 2
Bill
Renna........................... 1954.................. 6
Jim Robertson..................... 1954.................. 2
Sherry
Robertson................ 1952................. 10
Dutch Romberger................ 1954.................. 1
Dick Rozek....................... 1953-54................ 5
Ed Samcoff......................... 1951.................. 1
Billy Shantz......................... 1954.................. 3
Al Sima............................... 1954.................. 4
Joe
Taylor........................... 1954.................. 4
Kite Thomas...................... 195253................ 2
Bob Trice......................... 1953-154............... 3
Bill Upton............................ 1954.................. 1
Ozzie Van
Brabant.............. 1954.................. 2
Neal Watlington................... 1953.................. 1
Lee Wheat.......................... 1954.................. 2
Spider Wilhelm.................... 1953.................. 1
Bill Wilson........................... 1954.................. 4
Ed Wright............................ 1952.................. 4
Sam Zoldak...................... 1951-52................ 9
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Monday - Bad
Connie Mack trades.
Tuesday - Guys
who played the last season for the Philadelphia A's
- Players
on the first Kansas City A's Roster
- Players
in the first Kansas City A's Roster game
- Players
who played on teams with both the Philadelphia and the K.C. A's.
- The
'55 KC A's
- Starters
on the last Philadelphia Athletics team in 1954
- 1950s
AL All-Stars with three-letter first names
- Players
on opening day rosters for both 1954 PHA and 1955 KCA
- Athletics
players who were All-Stars in the 1950s
Wed - Starting
lineup for the last Philadelphia Athletics team
- Athletics
players who moved with the team from Philadelphia to KC
- Men
who played in last game at Connie Mack Stadium (Shibe Park)
- Players
who were on the Philadelphia and KC Athletics
- Guys
who played for the A’s in both Philly and KC, AND lived into the 21st Century
- People
who played for both the A’s and the Indians
- Former,
then-current or future Athletics players who were All-Stars during their
careers and played in the last Athletics game played in Connie Mack Stadium on
19-Sep-1954
- Players
who hit home runs for both the Kansas City and Philadelphia Athletics
- All-Stars
traded by the Athletics in the 1950s
- The
last Philadelphia Athletics players to play for each of the other AL clubs
- Athletics
All-Stars of the 1950s
Thurs - Players
who achieved the last something for the Philadelphia Athletics ... last double,
last pitching win, etc.
Philadelphia Athletics players
who played for managers in the Hall of Fame—just not Connie Mack.
Friday - Players
who played for the Athletics in two different cities
- The
last surviving members of the Philadelphia Athletics
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