2022-05-30 Player's nickname same as hometown

MONDAY  —30-May

Q.  Who never played for a New York team but hit 86 MLB career home runs in that city?

Hint: #1  He once lost an apocryphal fortieth home run on account of rain.

Hint: #2  There is a stadium named for him in Europe.

Hint: #3  He pitched to exactly one batter in his MLB career.

A.  STAN MUSIAL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He played 22 years with STL.  Among the 475 career HR Musial hit, were found 49 at the Polo Grounds & 37 at Ebbets Field.

-  #1  In 1948, he finished with 39 home runs; however, no verification of this can be found.  Read more here.  Retrosheet verifies a HR he lost in 1951 as explained here.

-  #2  The field in Kutno, Poland is Stan Musial Stadium.  It was dedicated in 2000.

-  #3  Musial's only big league pitching appearance took place on 28‑Sep‑1952, the final regular season G of 1952.  With his .336 safely in 1^st in the MLB batting race, he was called in to pitch to a single batter in the 1^st inning, the Cubs’ Frank Baumholtz, runner-up in the NL batting race, who batted from the right.  Starter Harvey Haddix moved to RF & Hal Rice covered CF while Musial pitched.  After Baumholtz reached on an E5, Haddix returned to the mound, Rice to LF & Musial to CG for the duration.  Later in retirement, Baumholtz recalled that the play was a hot smash to 3^rd base that should have been a H.

FCR -  Richard Zamoff, Washington, DC

Incorrect guesses:  Barry Bonds, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson 

 

TUESDAY  —31-May

Q.  Who is the only player to lead both leagues in home runs and triples in a season (not necessarily the same season)?

Hint: #1  He was the head baseball coach for a D-1 west coast university for six years.

Hint: #2  He began his career in Cincinnati and finished it in Detroit only to be replaced by a player who began his career in Detroit and finished it in Cincinnati.

A.  SAM   AWFORD  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.       He led the AL in home runs (7) in 1908 with DET and the NL in home runs (16) in 1901 w/CIN.  He led the AL in triples 5 X w/DET & the NL in triples in 1902 w/CIN.

-  #1  Crawford led USC from 1924 to 1929.  The Trojans were 59-46-3 under him.

-  #2  Crawford spent 1899-1902 w/CIN before finishing his career w/DET from 1903-17 when he was replaced by Harry Heilmann, who played w/DET (1914, 1916-1929) before ending his career in CIN (1930, 1932)

FCR -  Richard Giovanoni, Morton Grove, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Rice

 

WEDNESDAY  —01-Jun

Q. Who was the only outfielder selected to the first six All-Star Games?

Hint: #1  He was the first Cleveland Indian to homer in his first MLB at bat.

Hint: #2  His son was his school’s first All-American baseball player.

A.  EAR   AVERILL  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.      First 6 ASG = 1933-38

-  #1  Earl Douglas Averill (Not junior.  Dad was Howard Earl Averill) was an All-American at the University of Oregon as a sophomore.

-  #2  Averill of the Indians on 16-Apr-1929 vs. DET’s Earl Whitehill.  Since then, Jay Bell (29‑Sep‑1986) & Kevin Kouzmanoff (02-Sep- 2009) have homered in their 1^st at-bat as Cleveland Indians.

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Tris Speaker, Larry Doby

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  —01-Jun

Q.  Which one-time Oakland A’s player was the first National Leaguer to play in more than a thousand consecutive games?

Hint: #1    He was MVP runner-up to the same Hall of Fame catcher twice.

Hint: #2    He was the first batter in his franchise’s long history to have four doubles in a game.

A.  BILLY WILLIAMS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  CHC’s Billy Williams played 1,117 straight games, an NL record until Steve Garvey’s 1,207 consecutive games.  Williams played for OAK at the end of his career, 1975 & 1976.

-  #1  CIN’s Johnny Bench won the NL MVP in 1970 & 1972 w/Williams 2^nd both times.

-  #2  Williams accomplished the feat 09-Apr-1969.  The only other Cub to hit four doubles in a game is Matt Murton on 03-Aug-2006.  The Cubs franchise dates from 1876.

FCR -  Dave Williams, Glastonbury, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  George Hendrick, Miguel Tejada, Mark McGwire, Frankie Hayes

 

THURSDAY  —02-Jun

Q.  Who holds the major league record for career walk-off home runs?

Hint: #1    Of the sluggers with more than 600 career home runs, he is the only one who never won an MVP award.

Hint: #2  He homered in 38 ballparks – Coors Field was not one of them.

A.  JIM THOME  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Had 13 career walk-off HR, the MLB record.

-  #1  His highest MVP finish was 4^th place playing for the 2003 Phillies.

-  #2  Most of his HR were at Jacobs Field with 190.  He only had 33 PA at Coors.

FCR -  Lincoln Mitchell, New York City

Incorrect guesses:  Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Bob Watson, Alex Rodriguez, Eddie Murray

 

FRIDAY  —03-Jun

Q.  Which twentieth-century hurler holds the all-time record for most complete games in a career by a left-handed pitcher?

Hint: #1  His World Series record is two wins ad five losses, but in four of those losses, he teammates failed to score a single run.

Hint: #2  In his lone season in the Federal League, his record was 21-11.

A.  EDDIE PLANK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Has 410 CG, 16^th on the all-time list.  No other lefty has 400.  MLB career began in 1901.

-  #1  Four of his WS losses were by scores of 3-0, 1-0, 3‑0 & 1‑0.  Plank pitched in 4 WS for PHA, posting a 1.32 ERA.

-  #2  Plank pitched for the St. Louis Terriers in 1915 before returning to the major leagues for two seasons with the St. Louis Browns to finish his career.

FCR - David Skelton, Woodway, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Lefty Grove, Walter Johnson, Pete Alexander, Warren Spahn, Cy Young, Mordecai Brown

 

SATURDAY  —04-Jun

Q.  Who was the first pitcher to win major league games in his teens and in his forties?

Hint: #1  He holds the record for most innings in a World Series career for an undefeated pitcher.

Hint: #2  He surrendered the first of Babe Ruth’s 659 Yankee home runs.

A.  HERB PENNOCK  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Pennock was a lad of 18 when he won a G for PHA in 1912 & was 2‑0 for BOS at age 40 in 1934.  Mike Morgan & Bert Blyleven have since joined this elite club.

-  #1  Pennock, who was 5-0 for the A’s and Yankees over five World Series, pitched 55⅓ innings.  All 5 of his Ws were with NYY.

-  #2  The HR on 01-May-1920 was the 1^st Ruth hit as a Yankee.

FCR -  Sue Keiser, Philadelphia

Incorrect guesses:  Sad Sam Jones, Smoky Joe Wood, Early Wynn, Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Babe Adams

 

WEEKEND BONUS  —04-Jun

Q.  Who pitched the most one-hitters in American League history?

Hint: #1  He was the first president of the MLBPA.

Hint: #2  He started a total of twenty-two games on a single day's rest.

A. BOB FELLER  [SABR Bio]

-   Ans.  Pitched 12 one-hitters.  He only played for CLE.  Nolan Ryan also had 12, spread over both circuits.

-   #1  In December of 1956, Feller was elected the 1^st president of the Players’ Organization, a precursor to the MLBPA which was recognized as a union in 1966.

-   #2  His record in those G was 14-5 with a 3.47 ERA +12 CG.

FCR -  Bill Henry, East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Bunning, Nolan Ryan, Wilbur Wood, Rube Waddell

 

SUNDAY  —05-Jun

Q.  Who hit the most triples in the National League 1950-59?

Hint: #1  He also had the most MLB hits.

Hint: #2  Of the eight times an outfielder totaled more than 500 putouts in a season, four of them are his.

Hint: #3  Although with fewer than 500, places nine and ten are also his.

A.  RICHIE ASHBURN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ashburn tied Nellie Fox w/82 triples each.

-  #1  Ashburn hit all 1,875 w/PHI 1950-59.

-  #2  Ashburn had putout seasons of 538 (1951), 514 (1949), 503 (1956) & 502 (1957), representing 2^nd, 3^rd, 6^th & 8^th on the career list.

-  #3  …and also 496 (1953), 495 (1958) as well as 483 (1954), 428 (1952) & 405 (1950) representing 9^th, 10^th, 19^th, 123^rd & 250^th on the career list.

FCR -  Tom Cleary, Macungie, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Famers with nicknames associated with their birthplace

 

 

Theme: Hall of Famers with nicknames associated with their birthplaces

 

Ashburn.......... The Tilden Flash................................ Born in Tilden, Nebraska

Averill............. Earl of Snohomish............................. Born in Snohomish, Washington

Crawford........ Wahoo Sam....................................... Born in Wahoo, Nebraska

Feller.............. The Heater from Van Meter............... Born in Van Meter, Iowa

Musial............. The Donora Greyhound..................... Born in Donora, Pennsylvania

Pennock......... The Knight of Kennett Square........... Born in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Plank.............. Gettysburg Eddie............................... Born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Thome............ Pride of Peoria................................... Born in Peoria, Illinois

Williams.......... Sweet Swingin’ Billy from Whistler.... Born in Whistler, Alabama

 

Additional notables, not all Hall of Famers, nicknamed for places:

Ty Cobb..................... Georgia Peach (born in Georgia)

Bill Terry..................... Memphis Bill (not sure why; he was born in Atlanta)

Ron Guidry................. Louisiana Lightning (born in Louisiana)

Charlie Maxwell......... Paw Paw (born in Lawton, Mich., his hometown is Paw Paw)

Mickey Mantle............ Commerce Comet (attended HS in Commerce, OK)

Mike Trout.................. Millville Meteor (attended Millville High School in Millville, NJ), Frankie Frisch............ Fordham Flash (attended Fordham University)

Shane Victorino......... Flyin’ Hawaiian (born in Hawaii)

Earl Combs................ The Kentucky Colonel (born in Kentucky)

Danny Darwin............ Bonham Bullet (born in Bonham, Texas)

Rocco Baldelli............ Woonsocket Rocket (born in Woonsocket, RI)

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey (Wed after Averill)

This week’s submission is from Warren Kent III of Whitehall, Michigan.

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tuesday -  Hall of Fame players commonly known by a nickname added to their first and last name.

 

Wed        -  Team career leaders in triples

 

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