Horsehide Trivia: 2021-05-10 Pitchers who have surrendered 6 home runs in a single game.

MONDAY —10-May

Q. Which one-time San Diego Padre was the losing pitcher in Madison Bumgarner’s last two World Series victories?

Hint: #1 Although he was only the 466^th player taken the year he was drafted, he became an All-Star and once received the third-most Cy Young Award votes.

Hint: #2 He is not only big, but Big Game.

A. JAMES SHIELDS [B-R Bio]

- Ans. 2014 WS, G# 1 & 5. He is the only pitcher ever to surrender a home run to that notorious slugger Bartolo Colon.

- #1 Drafted in the 16^th round of the 2000 MLB June Amateur Draft. Was an AS in 2011, but did not see any action. Received 3^rd most votes for AL CYA in 2011, Justin Verlander’s TC year.

- #2 Stands 6'3 " & his nicknamed “Big Game James”.

FCR - Eric Savage, Short Hills, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses: Edinson Volquez, Tommy Hunter

TUESDAY —11-May

Q. Which former first baseman holds the Florida Tech single-season home run and RBI records?

Hint: #1 He trails only Roger Clemens for career strikeouts while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

Hint: #2 Two years after he led the league in losses, he became the first post-expansion pitcher with fifteen saves the same season he had fifteen starts.

Hint: #3 He was once taken out of commission by a car.

A. TIM WAKEFIELD [SABR Bio]

- Ans. His 22 HR & 71 RBI in 1987 are two reasons why he was inducted into the Sunshine State Conference HOF as a 1B on 25-Feb-1998.

- #1 Wakefield stuck out 2,046 batters pitching for BOS. 2,590 of Clemens’ career 4,672 Ks came w/BOS.

- #2 In 1997, he tied for the AL lead in Ls w/15. In 1999, he started 17 G but added 15 Saves.

- #3 Hit while jogging near his home during the 1995-96 off-season. He recovered well and had a strong season in 1996.

FCR - Philip Fickling, San Diego

Incorrect guesses: Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Hurst, Jon Lester, Bob Porterfield

WEDNESDAY —12-May

Q. Whom did Jack Dunn replace as manager of the Baltimore Orioles after World War II?

Hint: #1 The year before, he had been elected to the International League Hall of Fame.

Hint: #2 He attended his hometown college high school.

A. TOMMY THOMAS [SABR Bio]

- Ans. Thomas was a minor league manager from 1940 to 1949, guiding the Baltimore Orioles before being replaced by Jack Dunn III on May 21. Thomas’ squad won the IL flag in 1940.

- #1 In 1948 he was elected to the International League Hall of Fame.

- #2 Born in Baltimore 23-Dec-1899. Graduated from the Baltimore City College high school.

FCR - Steven Wright, Naperville, Illinois

Incorrect guesses: John McGraw, Jack Dunn, Zack Taylor, Paul Waner, Paul Richards, Jimmy McAleer, Nick Cullop, Tim Thompson

MIDWEEK BONUS —12-May

Q. Who surrendered Jimmie Foxx’s 500^th career home run?

Hint: #1 The year he led the majors in pitching losses, he had the top WAR on his team.

Hint: #2 He performed so well one season with the Portland Beavers that he was featured in a front-page article of The Sporting News.

A. GEORGE CASTER [SABR Bio]

- Ans. Foxx’s 500^th = 24-Sep-1940(1)

- #1 Had 20 L in 1938 (tied w/Hugh Mulcahy of cross-town PHI,) & led PHA w/WAR of 5.0. Although Caster couldn’t keep up with Mulcahy’s majors-leading 22 L in 1940, he did manage to “pace” the AL that season with his 19 L.

- #2 Article graced the cover of the December 3, 1936 issue of TSN. Caster had 25 Ws & an ERA of 2.79 that season. He credited most of his success to his improved mastery of the knuckleball.

FCR - Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

Incorrect guesses: Bobo Newsom, Bucky Walters, Ed Heusser

THURSDAY —13-May

Q. Who threw the first Immaculate Extra Inning?

Hint: #1 He was Double-Unique until Joe Thurston suited up for the Dodgers in 2002.

Hint: #2 His signature pitch was notably employed by The Meal Ticket and El Toro.

A. SLOPPY THURSTON [B-R Bio]

- Ans. Threw 9 straight strikes in the 12^th on 22-Aug-1923, fanning Beauty McGowan, Chick Galloway & Sammy Hale. It was only the 2^nd in AL history and only one of 2 in MLB history ever to do it in extras.

- #1 They are the only 2 Thurstons in MLB history. Sloppy was D-U for 79 years & 132 days.

- #2 Thurston, Carl Hubbell & Fernando Valenzuela made good use of the screwball pitch.

FCR - Andy McCue, Riverside, California

Incorrect guesses: John Clarkson, Rube Waddell, Carl Hubbell, Fernando Valenzuela, Bobby Castillo

FRIDAY —14-May

Q. Who, while coincidentally making his first major league start, set a record when he surrendered five home runs in a single inning?

Hint: #1 In that same inning, he tied a record by surrendering home runs to four consecutive batters.

Hint: #2 Amazingly, the team that had feasted on his pitches that day, was the next MLB team he pitched for.

A. MICHAEL BLAZEK [WIKI Bio]

- Ans. The record-setting inning came while starting for MIL in place of the injured Matt Garza to face WSN in DC: 27-Jul-2017.

- #1 In the 3^rd inning, WSN’s 4 straight HR hitters were Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper & Ryan Zimmerman. After the next batter, Daniel Murphy, flied out to deep center, Anthony Rendon homered. (Bryce Harper had also homered in the 1^st inning.) Blazek never threw another pitch for the Brewers. To his credit, Blazek had K’ed Zimmerman, Murphy, Rendon and Adam Lind coming into the 3^rd inning. It was his only major league start.

- #2 On 13-May-2019, signed with WSN.

FCR - Elliott Frankfother, Rock Falls, Illinois

Incorrect guesses: CC Sabathia, Pedro Ramos, Paul Foytack, George Caster

SATURDAY —15-May

Q. Who was the last right-handed starter to earn at least twenty-five wins in a season for the New York Giants?

Hint: #1 His victory total and complete games total that year both led the majors.

Hint: #2 After his playing days, he returned to one of the cities where he pitched and worked as a supervisor for a transit company.

Hint: #3 During his thirteen-year career in the majors, he was privileged to be teammates with or managed by twenty-five men who were later elected to the Hall of Fame.

A. LARRY BENTON [B-R Bio]

- Ans. In 1928, he had a record of 25-9, a % of .735 which led the NL.

- #1 Along with his Ws, he threw 28 complete games, almost double his next-best season.

- #2 Benton pitched for the Reds 1930-34. He worked as a supervisor for the Cincinnati Street Railway.

- #3 HOFers W/…

BSN: Babe Ruth, Rube Marquard, Billy Southworth, Dave Bancroft, Casey Stengel, Rabbit Maranville, Bill McKechnie (Mgr)

NYG: Rogers Hornsby, Bill Terry, Freddie Lindstrom, Travis Jackson, Edd Roush, Mel Ott, Burleigh Grimes, Ray Schalk, Carl Hubbell, John McGraw (Mgr)

CIN: Leo Durocher, Eppa Rixey, Ernie Lombardi, Chick Hafey, Harry Heilmann, Jim Bottomley, Dazzy Vance, George Kelly

FCR - Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses: Tim Keefe, Juan Marichal, Eppa Rixey, Larry Jansen, Sal Maglie, Jim Hearn, Christy Mathewson, Joe McGinnity, Carl Hubbell

SUNDAY —15-May

Q. Which former Seattle Mariner was the last pitcher to win at least twenty games in a season for the New York Mets?

Hint: #1 He was traded less than five weeks after it was announced that he had won his first Cy Young Award.

Hint: #2 He resides in his hometown and now owns a sizeable farm with 37 animals, including horses, a donkey, a pig, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats.

A. R.A. DICKEY [SABR Bio]

- Ans. Record was 20-6 in 2012 for NYM. Played for SEA in 2008.

- #1 CYA announced 05-Nov-2012. Traded to TOR for Noah Syndergaard* 17-Dec. It was also his last CYA. In fact, it was the only time in his 15-year MLB career that he received even a single CYA vote.

- #2 Lives in Nashville and the farm is located in a residential area of the city.

*Other players were included on both sides in the trade.

FCR - Frank Ittner, Atlanta

Incorrect guesses: Bartolo Colon, David Cone, Mark Langford, Mike Hampton, Frank Viola

WEEK’S FINALE —16-May

Q. Who is the final pitcher to fit into this week’s theme?

Hint: #1 Sorry. That’s all you get.

A. BILL KERKSIECK [B-R Bio]

- Ans. See the week’s summary. Coming shortly.

FCR - Randall Chandler, Germantown, Tennessee

Incorrect guesses:

WEEKLY THEME – Pitchers who have surrendered 6 HR in a single G.

Player Date Team Opp Result IP H BB SO WAR

Benton........ 12-May-1930.... NYG.... CHC..... W 14-12... 6⅔..... 9..... 5..... 6... 19.8

Blazek.......... 27-Jul-2017....... MIL... WSN..... L 2-15...... 2⅓..... 7..... 1..... 4... -0.5

Caster........ 24-Sep-1940(1)... PHA.... BOS..... L 8-16...... 2⅓... 10..... 1..... 1..... 9.5

Dickey......... 06-Apr-2006...... TEX.... DET..... L 6-10...... 3⅓..... 8..... 1..... 1... 23.1

Kerksieck.. 13-Aug-1939(1).... PHI.... NYG..... L 2-11...... 4........ 7..... 4..... 1... -0.9

Shields........ 07-Aug-2010..... TBR.... TOR..... L 11-17.... 4........ 9..... 4..... 2... 30.8

Thomas....... 27-Jun-1936...... SLB.... NYY..... L 6-10...... 9...... 16..... 6..... 2... 25.8

Thurston.... 13-Aug-1932(1)... BRO.... NYG..... W 18-9.... 9...... 12..... 0..... 0... 12.1

Wakefield.... 08-Aug-2004..... BOS.... DET..... W 11-9.... 5........ 8..... 0..... 2... 34.5

Charlie Sweeney is said to have given up 7 HR on 12-June-1886, but no box score exists, but here is an interesting recounting. The game was different then.

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Warren Kent, Whitehall, MI (On Monday!)

Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday - Pitchers who surrendered 5 or more home runs in a game.

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