Tuesday, March 1, 2022

222-02-21 Expansion era pitchers with a season of batting .300+ and hitting 2+ home runs

Thanks to Preston Salisbury for the work he did assembling this week’s quiz.

 

MONDAY 21-Feb

Q.        Whose shutout performance was noted in Robert F. Kennedy’s final speech?

Hint:     He was the last active major league pitcher who had been a Brooklyn Dodger.

Hint:     While he is mentioned in a Tom Waits song, opposing batters didn’t find him a sight for sore eyes so much as a cause of sore bodies.

A.         DON DRYSDALE  [SABR Bio]

-  Drysdale carried a recording of Kennedy’s speech with him until the day he died.

-  Joined the Dodgers in Brooklyn in 1956 and was still in the majors in 1969.  However, while he may have been the last Brooklyn Dodger pitcher in MLB, further research shows that utility player Bob Aspromonte played a full year w/NYM in 1971 after having had 1 PA w/Brooklyn in 1956.  (He struck out.)  John Roseboro also played past Drysdale’s retirement.

-  Drysdale is the only non-Yankee mentioned in the line “let’s toast to the old days and DiMaggio too/Drysdale and Mantle, Whitey Ford and to you”.  His reputation for hitting opposing batters is well known.

FCR -  Steven Harmon, Sacramento

Incorrect guesses:  Sal Maglie, Johnny Podres, Sandy Koufax, Claude Osteen, Don Newcombe, Bob Gibson

 

TUESDAY 22-Feb

Q.        Which Bluejay was once offered to sign with basketball’s Harlem Globetrotters?

Hint:     Tim McCarver credits him with helping him to overcome racial prejudice.

Hint:     He is honored in at least four Halls of Fame.

A.         BOB GIBSON  [SABR Bio]

-  The Creighton Bluejays’ basketball star played with the Globetrotters when they visited Omaha.  He made quite an impression.

-  McCarver still credits Gibson with many life insights.

-  HOFs as they exist for Creighton University, the Missouri Valley Conference & Omaha Sports in addition to Cooperstown.

FCR -  Tony Hughes, Woodbridge, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Roberto Alomar, Rico Carty, Dave Winfield, Fergie Jenkins, Joe  Carter, Danny Ainge

 

WEDNESDAY 23-Feb

Q.        Which lefty, once traded from the Mariners to the Astros, had been recruited to play defensive back in college?

Hint:     He struggled with multiple elbow and shoulder surgeries throughout his career.

Hint:     His lone World Series start was notable for a throw by his opposite number.

A.         MIKE HAMPTON  [B-R Bio]

-  After debuting in SEA, he was traded to HOU in the 1993-1994 offseason.  In high school, Hampton was recruited as a defensive back for football powerhouses Notre Dame, Miami & Florida State.

-  Missed two full seasons in 2006 & 2007, was expected to miss all of 2010 but came back for exactly 4⅔ innings with ARI.

-  Was the starter in G 2 in the 2000 WS (his only season with NYM), when Roger  Clemens threw a broken bat in the direction of Mike Piazza.

FCR -  Ethan Beanes, Montclair, California

Incorrect guesses:  Mark Langston, Larry Dierker, Randy Johnson

 

MIDWEEK BONUS 24-Feb

Q.        Who holds the Georgia state high school record for most home runs?

Hint:     He was the first pitcher since Whitey Ford to have multiple four hit games in the same season.

Hint:     By OPS+, he was 33% better with the bat than a position player who shares his last name (no relation).

A.         MICAH OWINGS  [B-R Bio]

-  Hit 69 home runs, fourth in the entire country, per Wikipedia

-  Multiple four hit games in 2007

-  His OPS+ of 106 is higher than any that Chris Owings (career OPS+ of 73) has posted in any season with more than 50 at bats.

FCR -  Joe O’Neill, London, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Archie Bradley, Madison Bumgarner, Charlie Root, Christin Stewart, Jeff Francoeur, Earl Wilson

 

THURSDAY 24-Feb

Q.        Which one-time Marlin no-hit the Astros in Milwaukee?

Hint:     He was well-known for altercations with teammates.

Hint:     If he had pitched better, the world might never have heard of Bartman

A.         CARLOS ZAMBRANO  [B-R Bio]

-  Played with the MIA in 2012. Pitched the 1st neutral-site no-hitter at Miller Park for CHC on 14-Sep-2008.

-  Michael Barrett and Derrick Lee were two notable targets of his ire.

-  Started Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS, which was the first opportunity for the Cubs to clinch.

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Livian Hernandez, Mark Prior, Kyle Farnsworth

 

FRIDAY 25-Feb

Q.        Which well-traveled veteran ironically but got lost on the way to his first professional team?

Hint:     He set a record for pitchers when he homered in 4 consecutive starts.

Hint:     His early career was briefly interrupted by military service.

A.         KEN BRETT  [SABR Bio]

-  He played for 10 teams in the majors but got lost on his way to play for the level A Red Sox in Oneonta, NY in 1966.

-  Bret hit a home run in each of:    09-Jun;

13-Jun;

18-Jun: &

23-Jun-1973.

-  Following the 1967 World Series Brett spent six months in the U.S. Army Reserve and missed spring training in 1968.

FCR -  Bill Carle, Lee's Summit, Missouri

Incorrect guesses:  Wes Farrell, Pascual Perez, Bartolo Colon, Ken Holtzman, Bill Lee, Rick Wise, Warren Spahn, Joe Niekro, Roger Maris

 

SATURDAY 26-Feb

Q.        Which pitcher allowed the fewest hits in a complete World Series game?

Hint:     He was later traded for the most famous hitter produced by North Dakota.

Hint:     That hitter’s standout season is also the year that puts the pitcher on this week’s list.

A.         DON LARSEN  [SABR Bio]

-  Larsen not only didn’t give up a hit, he didn’t allow a single batter to reach first base!  …the only perfect game in World Series play.

-  On 11-Dec-1959, Larsen was traded by NYY w/Hank Bauer, Norm Siebern & Marv Throneberry to KCA for Joe DeMaestri, Kent Hadley & Roger Maris, who, although born in Minnesota (Hibbing), grew up in North Dakota (Fargo).

-  1961 would prove pivotal for both players.

FCR -  Joe O’Neill, London, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Ralph Terry, Bill Bevans, Jim Lonborg

 

SUNDAY 27-Feb

Q.        What Kansas City native won 20 games for a World Series winning team and failed to get a single Cy Young vote?

Hint:     His Hall of Fame teammate, who is also in this week’s theme, did not get any Cy Young votes that year either.

Hint:     He led the majors in losses during the “year of the pitcher”.

A.         RAY SADECKI  [SABR Bio]

-  Born in Kansas City, Kansas, he led STL in 1964 /20 W (Gibson had 19).  There was only one CYA award in 1964.  Dean Chance won it & the other votes went to Larry Jackson & Sandy Koufax.

-  Lost 18 games with SFG in 1968.

FCR -  Tony Hughes, Woodbridge, Virginia

Incorrect guesses:  Dave McNally, Luis Tiant, Clay Kirby, Mickey Lolich, Pat Dobson, Claude Osteen, David Cone

 

MONDAY 28-Feb

Q.        Which original MLB San Diego Padres pitcher, has the same name as a subsequent Padres manager?

Hint:     He received Cy Young votes one year despite a losing record, finishing ahead of Juan Marichal in the voting.

Hint:     He holds the Padres record for lowest ERA in a full season.

A.         DAVE ROBERTS  [SABR Bio]

-  Played with SDP 1969-71.  SDP mgr was another Dave Roberts who guided the team for 1 interim G in 2015 before heading north to lead LAD where he had more success.

-  Went 14-17 with a 2.10 ERA in 1971.  In 202’s shortened season, Received 2 CYA voting points, good for 6th place in the NL voting that year (the only season he received any CYA attention).  Marichal had 1.

-  Had an ERA of 2.10 in 1971, 2nd behind Tom Seaver’s amazing 1.76.  In 2020’s shortened season, Dinelson Lamet set a new franchise record w/2.09.

FCR -  Tom Lee, Nashville

Incorrect guesses:  Randy Jones, Johnny Podres, Greg Harris

 

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Pitchers with seasons of multiple home runs and greater than a .300 batting average, expansion era.  Additional pitchers meeting criteria are Zach Duke and Eddie Watt.  Brooks Kieschnick in 2003 is not counted, as he was a two-way player.)

 

Pitcher                  Year         HR        Avg                    WAR

Brett..................... 1974......... 2......... .310..................... 16.3

Drysdale*............ 1965......... 7......... .300..................... 67.1

Duke..................... 2011......... 2......... .300..................... 12.2

Gibson................. 1970......... 2......... .303..................... 89.1

Hampton............. 2002......... 3......... .344..................... 28.1

Larsen................. 1961......... 2......... .311..................... 18.4

Owings................ 2007......... 4......... .333....................... 3.2

Roberts............... 1978......... 2......... .327..................... 23.5

Sadecki............... 1966......... 3......... .341..................... 19.3

Watt...................... 1966......... 2......... .304....................... 7.7

Zambrano............ 2008......... 4......... .337..................... 43.9

 

* Avg higher than any Dodgers position player that year

** Hampton also hit the same number of home runs in 2001 and 2002 combined as he allowed in the entire 2000 season, 10

 

First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeWarren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (after Roberts)

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Monday  -  Hall of Famers married to Hall of Famers

               -  Baseball players who played themselves on TV shows

               -  Players mentioned by presidents/candidates

               -  MLB players married to professional athletes

 

Tuesday-   Pitchers who hit .300 plus in a season

               -  HOF pitchers who spent their entire careers with one team and hit more than 20 home runs

               -  Hall of Famers who won Cy Youngs and World Series and became broadcasters

               -  Hall of Fame pitchers who led the league in HBP

 

Wed        -  Pitchers who hit .300 plus with a .500 plus slugging average

               -  Pitchers who hit at least five home runs in a season

               -  Single season 20+ Game  winners with .750 or over win percentage

               -  Last Pitchers to lead league in wins with 22 or more victories

               -  Pitchers who had a .300+ season at the plate

               -  Pitchers with a season batting average of .300 or better AND the same last name as a U.S. city

               -  NL pitchers with 4 or more Home Runs in a season since 1960

 

Thu         -  Pitchers who had 15 rbi's in a season

               -  NL Pitchers with Pinch Hit Home Runs

               -  Pitchers who hit .300 and also pinch hit

               -  Pitcher who hit .300 who hit home run off pitcher who started against him

 

Fri           -  Pitchers with highest Home Run to AB ratio since 1960

               -  Most hr in a season by a pitcher with a 300 batting average since 1960

               -  Pitchers who hit 9 or more HR in the Expansion Era

 

Sat          -  Pitchers who have hit Home Runs not batting ninth

               -  Pitchers who won the offensive Triple Crown among pitchers—in other words, as batters, they led all pitchers in HR, RBI and BA

 

Sun         -  Pitchers who hit HRs for two different teams in the same year

 

 

Questions archived here:  http://horsehidetriviA.       blogspot.com/

 

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia




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