Monday, March 8, 2021

2021-03-01 No strikeouts in 10 or more at-bats against Nolan Ryan

MONDAY  —  01-Mar

Q.        Who was the first player in the Modern Era to end a postseason series with a home run?

Hint: #1    He hit his first two home runs in the majors while he was still a teenager.

Hint: #2    He was the first National League second baseman to win more than one Gold Glove.

A.         BILL MAZEROSKI  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 13-Oct-1960 his HR put PIT over the top, winning the WS.

-  #1     B. 05-Sep-1936, he homered on 16-Aug-1956 & then on 19-Aug-1956(1).  He turned 20 before he hit his 3rd.

-  #2     Maz won GG in 1958, 60, 61, 63-67 for a total of 8, a record not broken for 24 years when Ryne Sandberg won his 9th.

FCR -  Roy Glasser, Valrico, Florida

Incorrect guesses:  Joe Morgan, Tommy Henrich, Bobby Thomson, Daniel Murphy

 

TUESDAY    02-Mar

Q.        Which one-time Washington National was the first player to hit a home run from each side of the plate in the same inning?

Hint: #1    He was the first player to come to bat with the “Macarena” playing as his walk-up music.

Hint: #2    He is history’s first second baseman to collect 200 hits, 20 HR, 100 RBI and hit .300 in consecutive seasons, assuming 95% of games played at second base.

A.         CARLOS BAERGA  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 08-Apr-1993, in the bottom of the 7th, Baerga homered off lefty Steve Howe & righty Steve Farr.  Mark Bellhorn and Kendrys Morales have done it since.  Baerga’s last year in the majors was 2005 w/WSN.

-  #1     “Street & Smith's Baseball 2002” claims this, but doesn’t provide a date.

-  #2     Impressive 1992 & 93 stats.

FCR -  Aaron Likavec, North Ridgeville, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Alfonso Soriano, Kendrys Morales, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Vidro, Dale Murphy, Robbie Alomar, Danny Espinosa

 

WEDNESDAY    03-Mar

Q.        Whose 8th inning double broke up Jim Lonborg’s bid for a World Series no-hitter?

Hint: #1    He was a teammate of Felipe Alou when the Dominican Republic won its first gold medal at the Pan American Games.

Hint: #2    He led the Cardinals in steals every season from his debut until Lou Brock joined the team.

A.         JULIAN JAVIER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  WS 2B = 05-Oct-1967.  Javier died at 2B and Lonborg got a shutout.  Javier was a major contributor to STL’s victory as he hit .360 and fielded splendidly, making 12 putouts, 4 double plays & 20 assists.

-  #1     DR won he baseball gold in the Pan Am Games in 1955.  It was their only medal.

-  #2     Led STL in SB 1960-63.

FCR -  Madison McEntire. Bryant, Arkansas

Incorrect guesses:  Curt Flood, Bobb y Tolan, Orlando Cepeda

 

MIDWEEK BONUS    03-Mar

Q.        Who had the lone opponent’s hit in what Juan Marichal called “my best game ever”?

Hint: #1    He was only the third Rookie of the Year from his franchise, now in its 140th year of operation.

Hint: #2    His nephew was a coach with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

A.         TOMMY HELMS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  At “The Stick” on the evening of 12-Sep-1969, Helms singled off Marichal leading off the 3rd and was then thrown out at 2B trying to steal in a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out” double play.  Dick Dietz was the catcher.

-  #1     NL ROY for CIN in 1966.  Previous CIN ROY winners were Frank Robinson in 1956 and Pete Rose in 1963.  The Reds franchise began in 1882 as The Cincinnati Red Stockings in the American Association.  They joined the National League in 1890 and shortened the name to Reds.

-  #2     His nephew, Wes Helms, became a coach with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2018 as well as for the Birmingham Barons in 2019.

FCR -  Richard Lerner, Silver Spring, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Ken Hubbs, Mack Jones, Vada Pinson, Clay Dalrymple, Warren Spahn, Dick Allen, Pete Rose, Dick McAuliffe

 

THURSDAY    04-Mar

Q.        Who was the last pitcher to rack up twenty complete major league games in a season?

Hint: #1    He was the first player to be awarded $1 million salary through salary arbitration.

Hint: #2    He was a coach for his country’s team in four World Baseball Classic Tournaments.

A.         FERNANDO VALENZUELA  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Had 20 CG in 1986.

-  #1     Valenzuela won the arbitration case as spring training began in his 3rd full season.  The previous high had been Bruce Sutter’s $700,000 3 years before.

-  #2     Served as a coach for the Mexican team in 2006, 2009, 2013 & 2017.

FCR -  John Michael Pierobon, Fort Lauderdale

Incorrect guesses:  Bert Blyleven, Joaquin Andujar, Nolan Ryan, Dennis Martinez, Tom Candiotti, Mario Soto

 

FRIDAY    05-Mar

Q.        Who was selected #1 overall in the June Amateur Draft by the Mets the year before they won a World Series?

Hint: #1    Hal of Famers who teammates of his include Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell and Rod Carew.

Hint: #2    He had zero strikeouts in 33 World Series plate appearances, a record for a single World Series.

A.         TIM FOLI  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Taken 1st in the 1st round in 1968, Foli made the big team in 1970.

-  #1     The full list of his Hall of Fame teammates:  Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Reggie Jackson, Willie McCovey, Phil Niekro, Tony Perez, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Willie Stargell & Dave Winfield.

-  #2     W/PIT in the 1979 WS,  he came to bat 33 X, had a 2B, a 3B & 0 Ks.

FCR -  Phil Hertz, Kamuela, Hawaii

Incorrect guesses:  Shawn Abner, Gregg Jefferies, Greg Goossen, Dave Parker, Steve Chilcott, Cleon Jones, Darrell Jackson, Shawon Dunston

 

SATURDAY    06-Mar

Q.        Who was the first player to have no fewer than 685 at-bats in consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1    No right-handed batter has ever come to the plate more times in a season than he did in his seventh major league season.

Hint: #2    Every year he led the majors in at-bats, he made the All-Star team and received MVP votes.

Hint: #3    Those were the only three seasons he played for his second team.  Every year he played for his other three MLB teams, he led in no major offensive category, was never an All-Star and never got even a single MVP vote.

A.         DAVE CASH  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Had 687 AB in 1974 & 699 AB in 1975.  Only Jimmy Rollins (2006-2007) has done it  since then.

-  #1     His 766 PA in 1976 tops all other righties.

-  #2     Led MLB in AB, was an NL AS and received MVP votes in 1974, 1975 & 1976

-  #3     …while playing for PHI.  His seasons playing for PIT, MON & SDP were somewhat less noteworthy.

FCR -  Mark Hayne, Dumfries, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Jimmy Rollins, Juan Samuel, Matty Alou, Willie Wilson, Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki, Juan Pierre, Cesar Tovar Sandy Alomar

 

SUNDAY    06-Mar

Q.        Who was the last out in Kenny Rogers' perfect game?

Hint: #1    He was hit in the wrist by a coach’s fungo bat during Spring Training, breaking his wrist and putting him out of action for nearly half the season.

Hint: #2    He had been selected as his team’s most valuable player just year before.

A.         GARY DISARCINA  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Rogers’ perfecto = 28-Jul-1994

-  #1     Hit by coach George Hendrick's fungo bat in the spring of 1999, breaking his wrist & sidelining him for 2 months.  For him the 1999 season began 22-Jun.

-  #2     The Angels’ MVP in 1998.

FCR -  Brett Moore, Studio City, California

Incorrect guesses:  Rusty Greer

 

WEEK’S FINALE    07-Mar

Q.        Which former first-team All-American Seminole beautifully flouted one of the Yankees’ best-known team guidelines?

Hint: #1    He comes from the same hometown as Hi Bithorn, Carlos Baerga and Jorge Posada.

Hint: #2    A year after he led the Padres in fielding, he was blackballed by MLB for reasons that remain unclear more than three decades later.

Hint: #3    He returned to the majors thanks to a big-hearted decision by George Steinbrenner.  (Not a typo.)

A.         JUAN BONILLA  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  When he joined NYY in 1985, he sported one of the darkest, fullest moustaches ever seen on a Yankee.  When he played at Florida State, he was voted 1st-Team All-American in 1976 by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

-  #1     Bonilla and more than 25 other major leaguers were born in Santurce, Puerto Rico.

-  #2     What most people agree on now is that his sitting out the 1984 season happened for the flimsiest of reasons.  He was overjoyed at being able to return  again to play.

FCR -  Daniel Blumenthal, Falls Church, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Oscar Gamble

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Batters who faced Nolan Ryan ten times and never struck out against him.  This week’s theme was suggested by reader Tom Lee of Nashville.

 

Batter            PAs

Baerga............ 12

Bonilla............. 11

Cash............... 11

Disarcina........ 11

Foli.................. 10

Helms............. 13

Javier.............. 18

Mazeroski....... 11

Valenzuela..... 11

 

First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeMark Hayne, Dumfries, Virginia (after Javier)

 

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Monday  -  Players to play more than 162 games in a season

               -  Members among 500 oldest living MLB players

 

Tuesday -  2nd basemen who appeared at the 2002 All Star game that ended in a tie.  (Mazeroski was introduced pre-game along with other old timers.)

 

Wed        -  Second basemen who have homered in a World Series game

 

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