Sunday, August 28, 2022

2022-08-22 Players with "aa" in their last names.

MONDAY  —22-Aug

Q.  Who amassed more total bases in major league play than any other player ever?

Hint: #1  He received MVP votes in nineteen consecutive seasons, finishing thirteen times in the top ten, eight times in the top five and once in the top one.

Hint: #2  In fact, he was so good, he was bad.

A.  HANK AARON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  6,856 TB in his 23-year career.  In 2nd place at more than 700 behind is Albert Pujols.

-  #1 MVP in 1957; MVP votes 1955-1973.

-  #2  An ironic nickname people used to love to use for him was “Bad Henry”.

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, George Brett, Pete Rose, Albert Pujols, Stan Musial, Ted Williams

 

TUESDAY  —23-Aug

Q.  Which Hall of Fame pitcher admired American League Most Valuable Player Bobby Shantz because both threw from the left side and were (at the time) of similar height?

Hint: #1  He and Shantz were the first two pitchers to win Gold Gloves in each league.

Hint: #2  He was the last active player from the original (20th century) Washington Senators.

A.  JIM KAAT  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Shantz measured 5’6” (possibly) and was 1953 AL MVP.  Kaat had a rapid growth spurt that had him at 6’4” by the time he finished high school.

-  #1  Kaat won GG in the AL 1962-75 & in the NL 1976-77.  Shantz won in the AL 1958-1960 & the NL 1961-64.  Kaat had copied Shantz’s fielding methods since he was  young boy.

-  #2  Kaat debuted in the majors w/WSH in 1959 and played his last game in 1983, then w/STL.

FCR -  Barry Lipinski, Somerset, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Whitey Ford, Darold Knowles, Ralph Terry, Harvey Haddix, Claude Osteen, Billy Pierce

 

WEDNESDAY  —24-Aug

Q.  Which hirsute BLTR Texan was drafted high by the Blue Jays but first played in the majors in the National League?

Hint: #1  His cherubic sojourn, although highly anticipated, was not strong enough to prevent a trade.

Hint: #2  One season, he led the majors in complete games, but shared the honor, tied with seven other pitchers.

A.  NOAH SYNDERGAARD  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Drafted out of high school in 2010 by TOR and traded to NYM in 2012.  1st G in MLB was 12‑May‑2015.

-  #1     Was on he Angels early in 2022, and pitched in only 15 G.

-  #2  In 2018, his 2 CG were matched by Jose Berrios, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Foltynewicz, Corey Kluber, James Paxton, Max Scherzer & Jameson Taillon.

FCR -  David Gordon, Chevy Chase, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Kerry Wood

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  —25-Aug

Q.  Who accounted for five of the strikeouts in Bob Feller’s eighteen-strikeout game?

Hint: #1  In a game almost exactly six years later, he fared much, much better.

Hint: #2  He played briefly for Toronto at the end of his career.

A.  CHET LAABS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 02-Oct-1938, Feller was the 1st to K 18 in a 9-inning G in the live ball era.  Laabs, in addition to being the 18th K in the 9th, also struck out in the 2nd, 4th, 6th & 8th innings.

-  #1  Laabs hit 2 HR on 01-Oct-1944, helping the Browns defeat the Yankees and secure their only pennant.  They were only his 4th & 5th HR that year.

-  #2  Played for the AAA Toronto Maple Leafs in 1949 & 1950.

FCR -  Paul Nielsen, Bowie, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Ken Keltner, Joe DiMaggio

 

 

THURSDAY  —25-Aug

Q.  Which one-time Seattle closer racked up sixty nine saves in two years before taking a job as coordinator of player development with another team?

Hint: #1  Despite hundreds of games for six additional major league teams, he never had a start or save for any other team than the Mariners.

Hint: #2  He is the only player who has ever bumped Hank Aaron out of position.

Hint: #3  His sister is an actress.

A.  DAVID AARDSMA  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Saves w/SEA = 38 in 2009, 31 in 2010.  Now works in the front office of TOR.

-  #1  Pitched in a total of 205 non-SEA G for SFG, CHC, CHW, BOS, NYY, NYM & ATL.

-  #2  Henry Aaron was first in any alphabetic player compendium from 13-Apr-1954 until Aardsma’s debut on 06-Apr-2004.

-  #3  His sister, Amanda Aardsma, was also a contestant in the Miss Teen America contest.

FCR -  Len Levin, Providence

Incorrect guesses:  Bill Caudill, Jerry DiPoto

 

FRIDAY  —26-Aug

Q.  Which Cape Cod League alum now guides the efforts of a certain reptilian squad in the Big 12 Conference?

Hint: #1  Due to his tendency to rely on the sinker in his pitching repertoire, his strikeouts per nine innings one year ranked third to last in the majors and was the lowest mark in Oakland Athletics history for a starting pitcher.

Hint: #2  He appears appropriately well-bred.

A. KIRK SAARLOOS  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1999, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League considered the top such league.  He is today the baseball coach at Texas‑Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.  They are the Horned Frogs.

-  #1  In 2005, Saarloos had a record of K/IP of 2.99.  The MLB leader that season was the Cubs’ Mark Pryor at 10.15.  The best mark this century was Shane Bieber’s 14.20 in 2020.

-  #2  The Saarloos Wolfdog is a recently achieved breed of canine recognized in Europe, a combination of German Shepherd & European Grey Wolf.  Read more here.

FCR -  Evan Thompson, Mesa

Incorrect guesses:  Barry Zito

 

T.G.I.F.SPECIAL  —26-Aug

Q.  Which pitcher’s last game in organized baseball happened to be the longest game in professional baseball history?

Hint: #1  He passed away just last month.

Hint: #2  He won one hundred percent of his decisions in his rookie season.

A.  WIN REMMERSWAAL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In a G that began on 18-Apr-1981, the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox & Rochester Red Wings played 33 innings, w/8:25 playing time. 

-  #1  Died in 27-Jul-2022 in his native Netherlands.

-  #2  1-0 in 1979 for BOS.

FCR -  Mike Caragliano, Flushing, New York

Incorrect guesses: 

 

SATURDAY  —27-Aug

Q.  Which major league All-Star pitcher lost forty-six games in his first four professional seasons?

Hint: #1  He had an unwanted interregnum halfway through his career

Hint: #2  He played for five major league teams, three times under Hall of Fame managers.

A.  DON AASE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1972 thru 1975 on A & AAA teams, his record was 0-10, 12-15, 17-8 & 8-13 in the farm system of BOS.

-  #1  He suffered an elbow injury that kept him off the mound from 17-Jul-1982 until 18-Jun-1984.  Tommy John surgery allowed him 7 more years in MLB.

-  #2  He pitched for BOS, CAL, BAL, NYM & LAD.  HOF Mgrs = Earl Weaver, Frank Robinson & Tommy Lasorda.

FCR -  Jake Ironside, Asbury, Iowa

Incorrect guesses:  Sid Hudson, Tommy John

 

SATURDAY EXTRA  —27-Aug

Q.  Which light-hitting infielder, with one swing of the bat, hit a home run that was his team’s new stadium’s first…

a.) …walk-off home run;

b.) …inside-the-park home run; and

c.) …extra-inning home run  ?

Hint: #1  Less than four months earlier, he had hit the stadium’ first triple.

Hint: #2  The following season, he never quite reached the Mendoza Line.

A.  PAUL SCHAAL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  His ITP, etc. HR = 02-Aug-1966 established firsts for Anaheim Stadium.

-  #1  3B = 20-Apr-1966 off CHW’s Joe Horlen.

-  #2  He hit .188 in 1967 for CAL.  The Mendoza Line is .200.

FCR -  Patrick Ray, Paradise Valley, Arizona

Incorrect guesses:  Yamid Haad, John van der Waal, Denny Doyle, Darrel Chaney, Mark Belanger. Felix Fermin, Fred Patek, Ron Hanson, Mario Mendoza

 

WEEKEND BONUS  —27-Aug

Q.  Who was the first player to reach ten career home runs in fewer than eighty career at-bats?

Hint: #1  Had a chance to be the American League Rookie of the Year, but for a charismatic catcher who captured the award in unanimous fashion.

Hint: #2  Most people have forgotten his eight home runs with the Tigers.

A.  KEVIN MAAS  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  10 HR in 77 AB in 1990 w/NYY.

-  #1  Maas was 2nd in 1990 AL ROY voting behind CLE’s Sandy Alomar, Jr.

-  #2  Hit 8 HR with the Hanshin Tigers of the Japan Central League in 1996.

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Mule Haas, Aristides Aquino, Derek Shelton, George Scott, Shane Spencer

 

SUNDAY  —28-Aug

Q.  Which lefty hurler had ninety-nine appearances with the Dodgers over three seasons with zero starts and zero saves, but started twenty-three games his next season with them?

Hint: #1  One season, playing for two National League teams, he led the majors in pitching losses.

Hint: #2  On one day, at the beginning of the millennium, he and three other pitchers native to his home country, started and won major league games on the same day.

A.  OMAR DAAL  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  From his rookie season, 1993, & on thru 1995, Daal pitched 59 innings over 99 G w/0 GS & only 17 GF.  Back with LAD in 2002, he started 23 times & got a W-L record of 11-9.

-  #1  In 2000, Daal lost 10 w/ARI, was traded to PHI, lost 9 more for a record that year of 4-19.

-  #2  On 15-Aug-2001, Daal, throwing for PHI, beat MIL.  LAD’s Giovanni Carrara beat MON; TOR’s Kelvim Escobar beat OAK; & SEA’s Freddy Garcia beat BOS.

FCR -  Damian Begley, New York City

Incorrect guesses:  Chris Perez, Aaron Ledesma, Ricky Ledee

 

SUNDAY BONUS  —28-Aug

Q.  Who struck out the most batters in any game for the Brewers when they were an American League team?

Hint: #1  Before coming professional baseball, he had agreed to pitch for Clemson University.

Hint: #2  He was assigned his nickname the day he was born.

A.  MOOSE HAAS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He K’ed 14 Yankees on 12-Apr-1978, including Reggie Jackson 4 X.

-  #1  He had even signed a letter of intent.

-  #2  Haas’s father assumed he’d surpass the 6’0” he grew to.

FCR -  Jeff Fink, Howell, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Mike Caldwell, Teddy Higuera, Pete Vukovich, CC Sabathia, Ricky Bones, Steve Woodard, Henry Porter

 

WEEK’S FINALE  —28-Aug

Q.  Which BLTR Iowan broke a team batting record of Moises Alou’s on his way to the majors?

Hint: #1  He was honored with a bobblehead for his eager work in one major league stop.

Hint: #2  Because of how well he handled young players in their minor-league farm system, the Pittsburgh Pirates honored him as the Coach of the Year in their organization.

A.  KORY DeHAAN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  DeHaan hit .314 in 1998 for the Class A Augusta Green Jackets of the South Atlantic League.  Alou had held the record of.313 for a decade. 

-  #1  His bobblehead (back) was made when he was on the Beavers when they were in Portland.

-  #2  Morse specifically, it was the work did while managing the 2016 Rookie-level Bristol (TN) Pirates of the Appalachian League.

FCR -  Joe Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Lloyd McClendon

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Select players whose last name contains “aa”.  In most cases, these players owe their pleonastic orthographic configuration to their Dutch heritage.  [Go ahead—click every one of ‘em.]

 

 

Player                   WAR

Aaron......................... 143.0

Aase............................. 15.0

DeHaan.......................... 0.0

Kaat............................. 50.5

Haas............................. 17.3

Syndergaard................. 16.6

Schaal........................... 14.7

Laabs........................... 10.8

Daal................................ 8.7

Aardsma......................... 1.8

Maas.............................. 1.5

Saarloos.......................... 1.1

Remmerswaal................. 0.1

 

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying themeStuart Shapiro, Highland Park, New Jersey (After Kaat)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  Players with double vowels in name

            -  Hall of Famers who played World Series games in Milwaukee

            -  Ballplayers who played in both of the last 2 all star games in one year

 

Wed     -  Players who played for the same franchise in different cities

 

Thurs   -  Pitchers who hit multiple home runs in a game

            -  Double A pitchers who have won a major league game

 

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