Monday, March 20, 2023

2023-03-13 Yankees who played cf for 100 G in a season plus at least 1 game at 1B somewhere in their careers

MONDAY IN MEMORIAM  — 13-Mar

Q.  Which former Yankee star was the first documented player to bring a hair dryer into the clubhouse?

Hint: #1  He was the first player in the Expansion Era to homer twice in an inning.

Hint: #2  He once hit a grand slam in the first inning of a game, only to have the game rained out one batter later.

Hint: #3  In one game, forgetting that the steal sign was a wink, he blew his third base coach a kiss when the coach repeatedly winked at him.

Hint: #4  His trio of players to hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game, was one of the earliest in the Expansion Era.

Hint: #5  The bases were loaded for the only postseason home on his résumé.

A.  JOE PEPITONE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Shown here holding the breakthrough engineering.

-  #1  In the 8th inning of a game on 23-May-1962, Pepitone’s rookie season, he hit 1 off Dan Pfister, w/0 on, 0 outs to RF + 1 off John Wyatt w/2 on, 1 out to RF.  “Expansion Era” = 1961 forward.

-  #2  GS rained out 20-Jun-1969.  Replayed 21-Jun-1969(1).  (Pepitone was 0 for 6.)

-  #3  Cubs’ base coach Joey Amalfitano confirmed this story in the August 1973 issue of “Baseball Digest”.

-  #4  On 29-Jun-1966 in Minnesota, after Bobby Richardson and Mickey Mantle had opened the third with a solo HR apiece, The Twins brought in Lee Stange to relieve them.  Pepitone was the 1st batter he faced  & Pepitone promptly hit the inning’s 3rd consecutive HR.

-  #5  On 14-Oct-1964, in the 8th inning of the 6th WS G, Pepitone was the 1st batter against new P Gordie Richardson.  Pepitone saw teammates Mantle, Howard & Tresh on base and brought them all home with his clout.

FCR -  Jim Gallanis, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Incorrect guesses: 

 

TUESDAY — 14-Mar

Q.  Who is the only player to pass Babe Ruth for the most career home runs hit in World Series play?

Hint: #1  He was the first switch-hitter in American League history to capture a league batting title.

Hint: #2  No other batter had more All-Star game strikeouts in his career.

A.  MICKEY MANTLE   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ruth’s last WS HR is, to this day, a matter of controversy.  It was his 15th.  Mantle went into the 1964 WS tied w/Ruth, but hit 3 more in that Fall Classic.

-  #1  In 1956 and for the only time in his 18-year MLB career, Mantle led the AL & in fact, led the majors, with a .353 batting average, nicely rounding out his Triple Crown season.

-  #2  Mantle struck out 17 X in A-S Gs played 1953-62, 1964, 1967-68 (16 Gs total).

FCR -  Michael Cole, Liverpool, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Reggie Jackson, Bernie Williams,

 

WEDNESDAY  — 15-Mar

Q.  Who was Reggie Jackson’s first hitting coach in Oakland?

Hint: #1  He trails only Yogi Berra in the number of World Series championship teams he played on.

Hint: #2  He was the last pre-expansion right-handed batter to have a qualifying batting average of more than .380 in a season in the American League.

A.  JOE DiMAGGIO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  DiMaggio’s last seasons in uniform as a major leaguer were as the Oakland A’s hitting coach 1968 & 1969, the team’s first 2 years on the West Coast.  Oakland sits less than 30 miles from the city of Martinez where DiMaggio was born.

-  #1  On WS winner 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950 & 1951.

-  #2  In 1939, DiMaggio won the first of his 2 batting titles, leading the AL with .381.

FCR -  David Wise, Hyde Park, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Luke Appling, Bob Meusel

 

THURSDAY— 16-Mar

Q.  Who is the only New York Yankee outfielder to hit four doubles in a single game?

Hint: #1  The last time the Yankees hit back-to-back-to-back home runs before Casey Stengel took over as manager, his homer was the third of the skein.

Hint: #2  He had a ten-year span between pitching victories.

A.  JOHNNY LINDELL   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 17-Aug-1944, Lindell came to the plate 5 X and got a hit each time.  In only 1 of those did he not hit a double.  30 years later, NYY IF Jim Mason had a similar G.

-  #1  In the 6th inning on 13-May-1947, Charlie Keller & Joe DiMaggio had gone deep ahead of Lindell

-  #2  Lindell beat CHW in relief on 18-Jul-1942.  He would have 7 more appearances on the mound that year.  Then on 03-May-1953, pitching for the eventual last-place PIT, Lindell turned in a complete-G W over STL.  He toed the rubber 32 X in 1953, with 15 of those outings lasting 8 innings or more.

FCR -  Howard Johnson, Norman, OK

Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, Rocky Colavito

 

FRIDAY — 17-Mar

Q.  Who is the only major league player to hit a double, triple and single in one inning?

Hint: #1  He was the last American League player in the twentieth century hit two triples in a single game.

Hint: #2  Three days later he had a game where he went five-for-five with two runs and two runs batted in.

A.  JOHNNY DAMON   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  On 27-Jun-2003,  BOS exploded in the very 1st inning at Fenway against FLA.  Damon opened with a 2B then hit a 3B still before the 1st out had been recorded.  His line-drive single preceded  the last out of the inning just before a teammate was thrown out trying to score.

-  #1  3B X 2  = 08-Sep-2000.

-  #2  5 H = 11-Sep-2000.

FCR -  Doug Christy, Sarasota

Incorrect guesses:  Derek Jeter, Willie Wilson, Lance Johnson, Gene Stephens, Toby Harrah, Chuck Knoblauch

 

SATURDAY — 18-Mr

Q.  Which player did the Yankees obtain from the Red Sox in part because he both pitched and played the outfield?

Hint: #1  His best work in New York, though, was mostly on offense.

Hint #2  His doubled his career home run output during his first year playing in the Bronx.

Hint: #3  He finished his major league career with one final season playing for a losing team in the National League.

A.  HARRY WOLTER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Wolter was a handy two-way player for the 1909 Red Sox, appearing in 11 games on the mound, 18 more at 1B & another 9 in the OF.  On 12-Jan-1910, he was selected off waivers by NYY [Highlanders] from BOS for $1,500.

-  #1  Wolter became a regular in New York & posted the best 4-year stretch of his career with a strong Dead Ball Era composite OPS+ of 121.

-  #2  Wolter doubled his career-best in HRs in 1910, bashing four (4!) & finishing with the 6th highest HR total in the AL.  Of his 12 career HRs, 10 were inside-the-park & the 11th was of the “bounce” variety allowed at the time.  His only outside-the-park HR was hit to RF at the Polo Grounds where the distance to the bleachers was a mere 258’ down the line.

-  #3  Spent his final year playing for the 1917, 74-80, 5th place Cubs.

FCR - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, Red Ruffing

 

SUNDAY  — 19-Mar

Q.  What connects John Burkett, Mookie Betts and Yogi Berra?

A.  Betts & Burkett are professional-level bowlers & Berra used to own, jointly with Phil Rizzuto, a bowling alley.

FCR -  Thomas Howell, Reno

Incorrect guesses: 

 

WEEK’S THEME – Yankees who played center field for 100+ games in a season plus at least one game at first base somewhere in their careers.

 

Player                 100 G NYY CF       G @ 1B/NYY             Career WAR

Pepitone.......................... 1967......................... 1962-1969.................................... 9.8

Mantle................... 1952-1961, 1964............... 1967, 1968.................................. 110.2

DiMaggio.......... 1937-1948, 1950-1951................ 1950....................................... 79.2

Lindell.............................. 1944......................... 1946, 1953.................................. 15.1

Damon............................ 2006......................... 2006-2008.................................. 56.3

Wolter.............................. 1913......................... 1910, 1911.................................... 8.1

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  Players with 500 or more home runs with more HRs on the road than at home

 

Thur     -  Leaders in triples who played for the Yankees

 

Sat       -  Redox\Yankees players

 

Sun      -           Questions to which the answer seems to be 'Babe Ruth' but isn't

 

 

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