Sunday, April 17, 2022

2022-04-11 Afraid I'm a little short

MONDAY  —11-Apr

Q.  Who ascribed his success at the plate to “…hitting them (batted balls) where they (opposition fielders) ain’t”?

Hint: #1  He had the highest career batting average for games all played in the nineteenth century.

Hint: #2  He once started a forty-four game hitting streak beginning on Opening Day.

Hint: #3  That same season, he had a streak of two or more hits in eleven consecutive games.

A.  WILLIE KEELER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  One of baseball’s most famous quotes, it still holds true today.

-  #1  Keeler batted .381 from 1892 through 1900.

-  #2  44 G w/a H = 1897

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses: 

 

TUESDAY  —12-Apr

Q.  Which teammate of Lou Gehrig’s moved into third place on the consecutive-games-played list while Gehrig was setting the all-time record?

Hint: #1  No one in the history of the game put bat on ball better than he did.

Hint: #2  In one of his best seasons he led the majors in doubles.

A.  JOE SEWELL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Sewell’s streak was 1,103 G, but he never passed Everett Scott, another Gehrig teammate whose 1,307 G stood as the standard until surpassed by The Iron Horse.

-  #1  Sewell struck out 114 X in his 14-year MLB career, coming to bat 8,333 X.  In 9 seasons of 100+ G, his K total was in single digits.  (No, really!)

-  #2  Hit 45 2b in 1924 for CLE, tying w/Harry Heilmann of DET.

FCR -  Ed Smith, Gouverneur, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Joe DiMaggio, Everett Scott, Bob Meusel, Earle Coombs, Tony Lazzeri, Red Rolfe, Frank Crosetti

 

WEDNESDAY  —13-Apr

Q.  Which Yankee broadcaster was known to mark certain plays in his scorebook with “WW”?

Hint: #1  As a player, he md history by being the first American League player to wear a batting helmet in a regular-season game.

Hint: #2  He partnered with Yogi Berra to open a bowling alley.

A.  PHIL RIZZUTO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The uber-honest Scooter used the WW notation to admit that he “Wasn’t Watching”.

-  #1  Became a safety-conscious leader in 1953.  Ralph Kiner was the contemporary leader in the NL.

-  #2  It was an enormous 40-lane bowling alley in Clifton, New Jersey.  They didn’t work too hard on the name.

FCR -  Elliott Frankfother, Rock Falls, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Joe Garagiola

 

WEDNESDAY AGAINSDAY  —13-Apr

Q.  Which Hall of Fame player/manager’s teams only began really winning once he pulled himself off the field?

Hint: #1  He earned a law degree, but his very famous law professor advised that baseball was really where his talent lay.

Hint: #2  One of his nicknames was “Rabbit”.

Hint: #3  He took his Double Unique status to the grave.

A.  MILLER HUGGINS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Huggins managed STL 1913-1917, only once with a winning season and all but the last season as player/manager.  He then managed NYY for 12 years, 1918-1929, lodging a record under .500 only twice, winning 6 AL pennants and 3 WS.

-  #1  He got a degree and career advice from future U.S. president William Howard Taft at the University of Cincinnati.

-  #2  His speed was well-known by the time he reached the majors.

-  #3  Huggins died of blood poisoning toward the end of the 1929 season, still managing NYY.  His D-U status seems secure for years to come.

FCR -  Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

Incorrect guesses:  Walter Maranville, Hughie Jennings, Frankie Frisch, Connie Mack, Rogers Hornsby, Leo Durocher

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  —13-Apr

Q.  Which outfielder, who broke in with Kansas City, stole at least one hundred bases in each of four seasons in his major league career?

Hint: #1  Only Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and John McGraw have a higher career on-base percentage.

Hint: #2  Over his fourteen-year career that straddled two centuries, he scored more times than the number of games he played in.

A.  BILLY HAMILTON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  His first team was the 1888 Kansas City Cowboys of the American Association.  Hamilton stole 111, 102, 111 & 100 bases in 1889, 1990, 1991 & 1894 respectively, leading the majors in each case.

-  #1  His .455 rank 4th all-time.

-  #2  1,594 G & 1,697 R, an average of 1.06 per G 1888-1901.

FCR -  Elliott Frankfother, Rock Falls, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Rickie Henderson, Willie Wilson, Otis Nixon, Cool Papa Bell

 

THURSDAY  —14-Apr

Q.  Who was Ted Williams’ last minor league manager?

Hint: #1  He led the league in bases-on-balls in five of the first six full seasons in the Bigs.

Hint: #2  The Yankees offered him their manager position after the death of Miller Huggins.

A.  DONIE BUSH  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Bush managed Williams on the Minneapolis Millers in 1938.

-  #1  Led in BB 1909-1912, 1914.

-  #2  Bush turned down NYY because he had committed to manage for Comiskey in Chicago.

FCR -  David Skelton, Woodway, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Frank Shellenback, Art Fletcher, Eddie Yost, Hughie Jennings, Lefty O’Doul, Joe McCarthy

 

THURSDAY ONCE MORE —14-Apr

Q.  Who is the only player to make more than 5,000 career putouts as a shortstop?

Hint: #1  “He is the greatest player to enter baseball since Ty Cobb arrived,” said Boston Braves manager George Stallings.

Hint: #2  On the page that lists the players with the most games played at shortstop in baseball‑reference, his photo is the first one in black & white.

A.  RABBIT MARANVILLE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Has 5,139 PO @ SS.  Bill Dahlen is considerably far back in 2nd place w/4,856.

-  #1  Stallings’ Braves won the 1914 WS.  It was their only modern championship before they moved to Milwaukee.

-  #2  Look here.

FCR -  Evan Thompson, Mesa

Incorrect guesses:  Honus Wagner, Lou Boudreau, Joe Tinker,

 

FRIDAY  —15-Apr

Q.  Which one-time teammate of Zip Zabel was the first player to lead his league in home runs and triples in the same modern era season?

Hint: #1  No one else has ever hit more triples in a single postseason.

Hint: #2  No other National League player hit more career inside-the-park home runs.

A.  TOMMY LEACH  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1902, Leach tied CIN’s Sam Crawford for the major league lead in triples w/22.  Leach led the NL w/6 HR the same year although there were no fewer than 9 AL batters who had more and 6 who had as many.  Leach and Zabel were teammates on CHC 1912-14.

-  #1  Leach’s 4 3b in the 8-G 1903 WS has never been equaled.  He hit 2 in G1, 1 in G4 & 1 in G5.  4 3b was the total 3b output of BOS, PIT’s opponent that year and they didn’t get their 4th until G8.

-  #2  He hit 48 IPHR, all as an NL player.

FCR -  Ed Smith, Gouverneur, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Frank Schulte, Vic Saier, Harry Lumley, Jesse Burkett, Sam Crawford, Joe Tinker

 

T.G.I.F.SPECIAL —15-Apr

Q.  Who was the first player to throw out three players at home plate in one game?

Hint: #1  He led the National League in stolen bases as a rookie then led the majors in walks three years later.

Hint: #2  When he retired, he ranked behind only Billy Hamilton in career bases on balls.

A.  BILLY HOY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  19-Jun-1889 for WHS

-  #1  82 SB in 1988, 117 BB in 1891, bot j w/WHS

-  #2  Retd. in 1902 w/1,006 BB.  (Hamilton had 1,189)

FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Harry Hooper, Charlie Gehringer, Roy Thomas, Richie Ashburn, Barry Bonds

 

SATURDAY  —16-Apr

Q.  Which Angels’ shortstop hit three home runs in a game?

Hint: #1  After switching leagues, he hit for the cycle in the first week with his new team and led his new league in triples that year.

Hint: #2  He also finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting and never received another MVP vote in his fourteen-year major league career.

A.  FREDDIE PATEK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  3 HR = 20-Jun-1980

-  #1  For 1971 KCR, Patek hit for the cycle on = 09-Jul & finished the year w/11 3b which led the majors.

-  #2  He finished 6th in 1971 AL MVP voting.

FCR -  James Cook, Warrensburg, Missouri

Incorrect guesses:  Adam Kennedy, David Eckstein, Jim Fregosi, Dickie Thon, Gary DiSarcina

 

SUNDAY  —17-Apr

Q.  Which shortstop became a close friend of baseball’s all-time shortstop?

Hint: #1  He was one of the players responsible for the demise of a major league team.

Hint: #2  He played in the first modern World Series.

A.  CLAUDE RITCHEY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ritchey was a teammate of the great Honus Wager twice.  They were involved in enough infield assignment changes that they often played in the same game.  Ritchey played mostly at 2nd and Wagner became iconic at SS.

-  #1  Ritchey, Wagner, Fred Clarke and others were “transferred” from the NL Louisville club to Pittsburgh.  It is well-described here.

-  #2  Played for PIT in 1903.

FCR -  Joe Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Freddy Parent, Jimmy Collins, Bones Ely, Otto Kruger

 

THIS WEEK’S FINAL QUESTION  —17-Apr

Q.  Who was the first American League player to lead the league in at-bats four times?

Hint: #1  Two thirds of his career home runs were inside the park.

Hint: #2  He married the nurse who cared for him when he was hospitalized with typhoid fever.

A.  EDDIE FOSTER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing for WSH, Foster led the AL 4 X in AB = 1912, 1914, 1915, 1918 w/616, 618, 616 & 519 respectively.  In none of those seasons did he lead in G played.  The 1918 season was shortened because of WWI.

-  #1  4 of his 6 career HR were the type where you really have to hurry.

-  #2  Contracted typhoid fever in April 1913 and a nurse named Mary Chrismond in

FCR -  Joe Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Jesse Burkett, Rabbit Maranville, Sam Crawford, Doc Cramer

 

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Players who measured 5'6" or less, who appeared in 1,500 or more games:

 

Player                   Height                MLB G                      WAR

Maranville................ 5'5".................... 2,670...................... 43.9

Leach...................... 5'6".................... 2,156...................... 47.1

Keeler...................... 5'4".................... 2,123...................... 54.2

Bush........................ 5'6".................... 1,946...................... 39.3

Sewell..................... 5'6".................... 1,903...................... 54.7

Hoy.......................... 5'6".................... 1,797...................... 32.5

Ritchey.................... 5'6".................... 1,672...................... 34.7

Rizzuto.................... 5'6".................... 1,661...................... 42.2

Patek....................... 5'5".................... 1,650...................... 24.1

Hamilton.................. 5'6".................... 1,594...................... 63.2

Huggins................... 5'6".................... 1,586...................... 35.4

Foster...................... 5'6".................... 1,500...................... 24.1

 

First Correct Respondent identifying themeMark Warren, Hydes, Maryland (after Rizzuto)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Players with 600 or more hits in their first three seasons

 

Tues    -  Hall of Fame batters with lowest career strikeout rates

            -  Players with long hitting streaks and consecutive games streaks

            -  Most consecutive games without a strikeout.

            -  Lowest strikeout rates among Hall of Famers

            -  Players with the lowest Strikeout/AB in his career

            -  Ballplayers with lowest career strikeout percentage

 

Wed     -  Hall of Fame shortstops who played for the Yankees

            -  Hall of Famers who wore a uniform for the Yankees and have double letters in their surnames.      

            -  Double letters in one of their given names, and their surname

            -  Shortest Hall of Famer by position

            -  5'6" or shorter and under 160 lbs.

            -  Shortest members of the Hall of Fame to wear a Yankees/Highlanders uniform

            -  Shortest members of the Hall of Fame to wear a Yankees/Highlanders uniform 

            -  Shortest non-pitcher members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame

            -  Hall of Fame position players with the fewest career home runs

            -  New York Yankee Hall of Famers who were 5'6" or shorter

            -  Hall of Famers who are 5' 6" or shorter

            -  Hall of Famers who were 5’7” or shorter

            -  Hall of Fame position players with the fewest career home runs

 

Thu      -  HOFers 5’6” or shorter

            -  HOF shortest infielders

            -  Short players (5'6" or less) with at least 3000 putouts

            -  Shortest players that played the most seasons in MLB

            -  Players called Rabbit sometime during careers

 

Fri        -  Shortest players that spent the most "years" actively involved in baseball

            -  Shortest players that spent the most "years" actively involved in baseball who all continued active in baseball after they retired, coach, manager, scout or broadcaster

 

Sat       -  5'6" or shorter to have more than 500 career walks

            -  Players 5' 6" or shorter who led majors (or league) in some offensive category

 

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