Sunday, December 11, 2022

2022-12-05 Panhandlers

MONDAY  —05-Dec

Q.  Who was the last left-handed pitcher to win thirty games in a season in the majors?

Hint: #1  He led his league in ERA a record nine times, but only once did he lead the majors.

Hint: #2  He helped his team capture the World Series in consecutive seasons.

A.  LEFTY GROVE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1931, Grove won 31 G for PHA.

-  #1  In ERA, he led the AL in 1926 (2.51), 1929 (2.81); 1930 (2.54); 1931 (2.06); 1932 (2.84); 1935 (2.70); 1936 (2.81); 1938 (3.08); & 1939 (2.54).

-  #2  PHA won the WS in 1929 & 1930.  They won the AL flag in 1931, but were bested by STL in the Fall Classic that year.

FCR -  Mikel Mattsey, Sacramento

Incorrect guesses:  Dizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Steve Carlton, Warren Spahn

 

TUESDAY  —06-Dec

Q.  Which former Tigers star won an MVP toiling for a volucrine squad?

Hint: #1  The year he won his first Silver Slugger Award, he led the majors in runs scored.

Hint: #2  Three fourths of his games played in the field during his first Major League season, were at catcher.

A.  JOSH DONALDSON  [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Played for the Auburn University Tigers 2005-2007.  He won the AL MVP in 2015 playing for TOR.  Mike Trout was the only other player receiving first place MVP votes.

-  #1  Won his SS in 2015 & had 122 R.  He repeated w/122 in 2016 which left him tied for 2nd w/Mookie Betts behind Mike Trout’s 123.

-  #2  Played 9 G in the field in 2010, 2 at 1st & 7 at C.  After 3 G in June of his 2nd season, he has never suited up in catcher’s gear again in MLB.

FCR -  Tom Lee, Nashville

Incorrect guesses:  Dale Murphy, Lance Parrish, Craig Biggio, Mickey Cochrane, Charley Gehringer, Pat Dobson, Joe Torre

 

WEDNESDAY  —07-Dec

Q.  Which one-time Seattle Mariner utility player scored his first three runs in the majors without benefit of an at-bat?

Hint: #1  Toby Harrah replaced him twice as manager.

Hint: #2  The man who became his father-in-law, surrendered what has been called baseball’s most famous home run.

A.  BOBBY VALENTINE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  W/LAD in 1969, Valentine all 5 of his G that year as a pinch-runner.  Finished his playing career w/SEA in 1979.

-  #1  Harrah took Valentine’s place as manager of TEX in July 1992, then later replaced him in his next managerial assignment as skipper of the AAA Norfolk Tides beginning with the 1995 season.

-  #2  Valentine married Mary Branca, daughter of Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca, although they divorced a year ago.

FCR -  Eric Savage, Short Hills, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Lou Piniella

 

MIDWEEK BONUS  —08-Dec

Q.  Which multiple-World-Series-winning second baseman with eight Gold Gloves and ten All-Star appearances still required a vote by the Veterans Committee to get into the Hall of Fame?

Hint: #1  No second baseman has participated in more career double plays.

Hint: #2  His franchise’s record for home runs in a season by a second baseman lasted fifty-six years.

A.  BILL MAZEROSKI  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Won the WS w/PIT in 1960 & 1971.  On the HOF ballot 15 X 1978-92, he made it in 2001 by a vote of the Veterans’ Committee. 

-  #1  His number of 1,706 DPs still tops those of any other second baseman.

-  #2  His 19 HR in 1958 was his best year, but the record was finally broken when Neal Walker hit 23 in 2014.

FCR -  Chris Betsch, New Albany, Indiana

Incorrect guesses:  Bobby Richardson, Joe Gordon, Red Schoendienst, Lou Whitaker, Robby Alomar, Bobby Doerr, Fred McGriff, Joe Morgan, Dave Johnson

 

THURSDAY  —08-Dec

Q.  Who was the first player to lead the majors in batting average in consecutive seasons after the pitcher’s mound was created and set at its current distance?

Hint: #1  He was the only player to collect a hit against Addie Joss in Joss's major league debut.

Hint: #2  During one eight-year stretch during the middle of his career, he averaged more than 214 hits per season.

A.  JESSE BURKETT  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The pitching mound was established at 60’6” in 1893.  Burkett hit .410 and .405 in 1894 & 1895 for the NL’s Cleveland Spiders.

-  #1  Joss debuted for CLE on 26-Apr-1902 with a complete G shutout.

-  #2  From 1894 thru 1901, Burkett averaged 214.125 H a year, twice leading the majors.

FCR -  Steven Wright, Naperville, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Ed Delahanty, Willie Keeler, Rod Carew, Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Dan Brouthers

 

FRIDAY  —09-Dec

Q.  Which ex-Pirate infielder was the last National League player to wear #42 in the majors?

Hint: #1  He was voted Most Valuable Player in the season where his WAR was exactly half that of his league’s Cy Young Award winner.

Hint: #2  His MVP season was the year he won his Silver Slugger Award, led the league in RBI and made his first MLB All-Star team.

A.  MO VAUGHN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Playing for NYM, Vaughn was allowed to keep uniform #42 because that had been his number before April 1997 when it was retired for all teams.  He wore it until his retirement in May 2003.

-  #1  Vaughn’s 4.3 WAR was far behind Randy Johnson’s 8.6 in 1995.  In college, Vaughn played for the Seton Hall Pirates.

-  #2  Playing for BOS in 1995… a.) His 126 RBI led the AL; b.) He won the SS award & his AL AS team were overpowered by the 3 solo HR from Craig Biggio*, Mike Piazza & ASG MVP Jeff Conine.  Vaughn entered the All-Star Game on defense, replacing AL 1B starter Frank Thomas, whose 2-R HR in the 4th represented all of the AL’s scoring that day.

            *Seton Hall Alum

FCR -  Tom Missett, Southington, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Andrew McCutchen, Arky Vaughan, Dick Groat, Bill Madlock, Bobby Bonilla

 

T.G.I.F.SUPPLEMENT —09-Dec

Q.  Which BRTL Dirt Bag pitcher made it to the majors, is enshrined in his state’s sports Hall of Fame and played college football after his time in the majors?

Hint: #1  He spent his time in the majors pitching for two expansion teams in spite of his deformed right hand.

Hint: #2  Where did he go to high school?  You know.

Hint: #3  He now teaches and coaches at his alma mater.

A.  CHAD BENTZ  [ASHOF Bio]

-  Ans.  Batting right (somehow) and throwing left, Bentz attended Long Beach State in California.  After his baseball career ended in 2009, he played a season of college football at NCAA D3 Castleton University in Vermont.  In high school, he earned varsity letters in football, baseball & rack.

-  #1  Bentz pitched in 36 G for MTL in middle relief in their last season in Canada.  In Miami, his next year in the Bigs, he began with 2 brief scoreless outings, but got clobbered in his final 2 appearances in the majors, surrendering 7 ER in 1⅓ innings over 2 G.

-  #2  You know”??  Oh, I’m sorry, that’s Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska’s capital.

-  #3  In 2013, Bentz was named pitching coach for the Castleton State baseball program.  Click this link JHS.  You’ll be glad you did.

FCR -  Joe O’Neill, London, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Abbott, Preacher Roe

 

SATURDAY  —10-Dec

Q.        Which former Aggie led the Pacific League in pitching wins in consecutive seasons?

Hint: #1 He replaced Bret Boone as the manager of the Seals.

Hint: #2 His first team in the majors won the World Series that same year.

Hint: #3 He was a teammate of Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez on two different teams.

A.  KIP GROSS  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Gross played in MLB 1990-1993.  In 1994, he was purchased from LAD by the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japan Pacific League.  His success there was punctuated by leading the league in victories 1995 & 1996.  He had played for the Murray State JC (Oklahoma) Aggies.

-  #1  Boone took the job a manager of the Victoria Seals of the short-lived independent Golden Baseball League in March 2010, but resigned after 5 games.  Gross, then the pitching coach was elevated to interim manager & guided the team in its final season.

-  #2  Gross pitched a scant 6⅓ innings for the 1990 Cincinnati Reds & was not on the postseason roster.  He made 29 appearances in 1991,finishing with a 6-4 record, yet won a ring and was awarded a full player’s share.

-  #3  Pedro & Kip were teammates on LAD in 1992-1993 & BOS in 1999.

FCR -  Mike Sparks, Sarasota

Incorrect guesses: 

 

SUNDAY —11-Dec

Q.  Which right-handed starting pitcher from the Texas Panhandle was chosen four spaces ahead of Jacob deGrom in the 2010 Draft?

Hint: #1  He (not deGrom) played for five different teams all based in cities in the state of Maryland.

Hint: #2  In his second game in the majors, he surrendered a grand slam to Daniel Murphy and was optioned to the minor leagues after the game.

A.  PARKER BRIDWELL   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  Bridwell was the 268th player chosen, deGrom the 272nd, in that year’s MLB June Amateur Draft 9th round.

-  #1  Bridwell’s Maryland stops in BAL’s system:

- Short-season A (Aberdeen);

- A (Delmarva);

- Advanced A (Frederick);

- AA (Bowie);

- MLB (Baltimore).

-  #2  Pitching for BAL on 24-Aug-2016, in mop-up duty, got WSN 3 up, 3 down in the 8th, but gave up 3 H and a BB in the 9th, including Murphy’s GS.

FCR -  Willis Kern, Bloomington, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Steven Strasburg

 

WEEK’S FINALE  —12-Dec

Q.  Which BBTR one-time Toronto Blue Jay was born just a short distance south of the Canada/U.S. border?

Hint: #1  He was signed by the Mets and Yankees, but only played for one of them.

Hint: #2  Only played in 110 games in the majors for a total of three franchises, but played with six Hall of Famers, five former Rookies of the Year; five World Series MVPs and no fewer than 57 who were (or would be) All-Stars.

A.  CHRIS LATHAM  [Wiki Bio]

-  Ans.  Born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho., about 100 miles south of the British Columbia border.  Played for TOR in 2001.  Switch-hits & throws right.

-  #1  March 27-Mar-2002: Selected off waivers by NYM from TOR; 02-Oct-2002: Released by NYM; 04-Dec-2002: Signed as a Free Agent with NYY; & 24-Apr-2003: Released by NYY.

-  #2  Latham played for MIN 1997-99, for TOR in 2001 & for NYY in 2003.  Hall of Famers Latham played with:  Paul Molitor, David Ortiz, Gregg Olson, Roy Halladay, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera & Mike Mussina.  His Rookie of the Year teammates were Chuck Knoblauch, Raul Mondesi, Marty Cordova & Jeter.  World Series MVP winners who played alongside Latham are Molitor (1993), Rivera (1999), Jeter (2000), Hideki Matsui (2009) & Ortiz (2013).

FCR -  Joe Cohen, Holden Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Danny Ainge

 

 WEEKLY THEME – Panhandlers.  Players born in the panhandles of their states

 PLAYER                          CITY                                   STATE                    WAR

Bentz............................... Juneau.................... Alaska................................. -0.8

Bridwell.......................... Hereford................. Texas................................... 1.2

Donaldson....................... Pensacola................ Florida................................ 46.7

Gross............................... Scottsbluff.............. Nebraska............................. 0.7

Grove.............................. Lonaconing............. Maryland.......................... 106.8

Latham........................... Coeur d’Alene......... Idaho................................... -1.0

Mazeroski....................... Wheeling................ West Virginia..................... 36.5

Valentine......................... Stamford................. Connecticut.......................... 2.0

Vaughn........................... Norwalk.................. Connecticut........................ 27.1

 Some additional panhandlers:

 Todd Teufel.................... Greenwich......................... Connecticut............ 15.3

Scott Fletcher................. Fort Walton Beach............ Florida.................... 32.0

Johnny James................ Bonners Ferry................... Idaho....................... -0.5

Joe Mather..................... Sandpoint.......................... Idaho....................... -2.5

Bob Robertson............... Frostburg........................... Maryland.................. 9.4

Sam Perlozzo................. Cumberland....................... Maryland................. -0.1

Jack Fisher..................... Frostburg........................... Maryland.................. 4.4

Jake Rogers................... Canyon.............................. Texas....................... 0.5

Red Barkley.................... Childress........................... Texas...................... -0.3

Hugh Willingham............ Dalhart............................... Texas...................... -0.2

Ray Barker..................... Martinsburg....................... West Virginia.......... -0.2

Scott Bullett.................... Martinsburg....................... West Virginia.......... -0.7

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Richard Giovanoni, Morton Grove, Illinois

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Pitchers with the most career strikeouts as a batter

 

 

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