2023-04-17 Pitchers with at least five career regular-season games where they struck out fifteen or more batters

MONDAY  — 17-Apr

Q.  Who was the first American League pitcher to strike out more than three hundred batters in a single season?

Hint: #1  His total the next year still stands as the American League record for strikeouts in a season by a southpaw.

Hint: #2  He threw the first recorded Immaculate Inning in the Modern Era.

A.  RUBE WADDELL  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Had 302 K in 1903 for PHA. 

-  #1 K’ed 349 in 1904; Sam McDowell came closest w/325 K in 1965.

-  #2  On 01-Jul-1902, Waddell struck out 3 batters throwing exactly 9 pitches.

FCR -  Kevin Epstein, San Antonio

Incorrect guesses:  Lefty Grove, Herb Score, Randy Johnson, Walter Johnson, Sam McDowell, Lefty Gomez, Billy Hoeft, Mickey Lolich, Bob Feller, Vida Blue, Sandy Koufax, Ron Guidry

 

 

TUESDAY  — 18-Apr

Q.  Who has earned the most Cy Young awards wearing a Toronto Blue Jays uniform?

Hint: #1  He became the first American League pitcher since 1945 to lead the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA

Hint: #2  His son is now in his second major league season.

A.  ROGER CLEMENS  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  CYA w/TOR in 1997 & 1998*.  Pat Hentgen (1996), Roy Halladay (2003) & Robby Ray (2021) each won but once as Blue Jays.

-  #1  In 1997, he led the AL w/21 W, 2.05 ERA & 292 K.

-  #2  Son Kody Clemens is a utility fielder for PHI.

FCR -  Chris Intihar, Dublin, Ohio

*Unanimous

Incorrect guesses:  Roy Halladay

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 19-Apr

Q.  Which pitcher led his league in Earned Run Average the final five seasons of his career?

Hint: #1  He still holds the Modern Day record for strikeouts in a season by any pitcher in his league.

Hint: #2  Every time he won the Cy Young award, he was the only one in major league baseball receiving votes.

A.  SANDY KOUFAX  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Led NL in ERA for LAD 1962-1966, twice leading the majors as well.

-  #1  He struck out 382 in 1965.*

-  #2  CYA in 1963, 1965 & 1966.  Beginning in 1967 the CYA was awarded to recipients in each the NL & AL.

*Set all-time modern MLB record, since surpassed.

FCR -  Obrey Brown, Tallahassee

Incorrect guesses:  Bob Feller, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Lefty Grove

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS — 19-Apr

Q.  Who is tied with Otto Hess for most wild pitches thrown in a season?

Hint: #1  He once led the majors in strikeouts for three straight seasons.

Hint: #2  He was traded from his original team for a record-setting player later voted into the Hall of

Fame plus Frank Duffy.

A.  SAM McDOWELL   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  McDowell and Hess each threw 18 WP in a year, he for the Indians in 1967, Hess for the Naps in 1905, tied for the most in AL CLE history

-  #1  Led MLB in K 1968-1970.

-  #2  In November, 1971, McDowell was traded by the CLE to the SFG for Gaylord Perry and Frank Duffy.

FCR -  Tom Cleary, Macungie, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan, Frank Duffy, Steve Carlton, Ice Box Chamberlain, Orval Overall, Christy Mathewson, Phil Niekro

 

 

THURSDAY  — 20-Apr

Q.  Which former Tiger pitcher owns the best franchise win-loss percentage for a season in the one hundred and twenty-three-year-old history of the Detroit Tigers?

Hint: #1  He also owns three of the top eighteen seasons for most strikeouts per nine innings pitched among qualified pitchers.

Hint: #2  He joined a very select club whose other members include Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson.

A.  MAX SCHERZER   [B-R Bio]

-  Ans.  In 2013 for DET, Scherzer’s win-loss record was 21-3 which equates to a .875 percentage for a single year, best in the AL since Randy Johnson’s .900 in 1995 for SEA.  It has  since been passed.  In college, Scherzer pitched for the University of Missouri Tigers.

-  #1  His top rate of 12.690 Ks per 9 innings pitched is good for 7^th all-time.

-  #2  The “club” of pitchers who have won a Cy Young Award in each league.  The others who have done it are Gaylord Perry, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay and Scherzer.

FCR -  Joe O’Neil, London, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Hal Newhouser, John Hiller, Justin Verlander, Mickey Lolich, Denny McLain

 

 

THURSDAY FURTHER — 20-Apr

Q.  Which pitcher holds the career record for the fewest hits allowed per nine innings pitched?  (Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games)

Hint: #1  He also walked more batters in his career than anyone else.

Hint: #2  He also has a firm grip on his ranking for the number of wild pitches thrown in a Modern Era career.

A.  NOLAN RYAN  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ryan’s rate of 6.5553 hits per nine innings leads the field.

-  #1  Ryan’s career total of BB #2,795 is so far ahead that the pitcher in 2^nd place on the list, Steve Carlton, walked almost a thousand fewer, 1,833, in a similar number of innings pitched.

-  #2  He racked up 277 WPs.  The leader among active pitchers, Zack Greinke, has 99 after a career of 19+ seasons.

FCR -  Nick Loret de Mola, Sacramento

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

FRIDAY  — 21-Apr

Q.  Whose record for the highest percentage of Hall of Fame votes did Ken Griffey Jr. break?

Hint: #1  He was the first player ever honored by Baseball Digest magazine as its Player of the Year.

Hint: #2  He was the first player ever to win the Cy Young Award without having won at least twenty games the year he won it.

A.  TOM SEAVER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Seaver had the highest balloting percentage for many years when he passed Ty Cobb with his 98.84% of the vote in 1992.  Griffey passed him 24 years later with a vote of 99.32%.  The only members now ahead of Griffey are Mariano Rivera at 100% and Derek Jeter at 99.74%.

-  #1  BDPOY in 1969.

-  #2  CYA in 1973 when his record was 19-10.  He had won the award in 1969 and would  win it again in 1975.

FCR -  Eric Stone, Los Gatos, California

Incorrect guesses:  Dean Chance, Jackie Robinson

 

 

T.G.I.F. SPECIAL  — 21-Apr

Q.  Which former San Francisco Giants pitcher finished his career in Minnesota?

Hint: #1  His career record for balks is so far in front that the second place holder would need twice as many just to tie him.

Hint: #2  He was the first National League pitcher to strike out more than eighteen batters in a nine-inning game.

A.  STEVE CARLTON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Played for SFG in 1986.  Spend the last 13 of his career’s 751 games with MIN in 1986-87.

-  #1  Carlton tallied 90 balks in his 24-year career.  It took Bob Welch 17 seasons just to get 45.

-  #2  K’d 19 on 15-Sep-1969, but Ron Swoboda hit 2 two run homers in that game to beat Carlton 4-3. In a loss to the Mets in St. Louis.

FCR -  Tom Cleary, Macungie, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses:  Bert Blyleven, Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal

 

 

SATURDAY  — 22-Apr

Q.  Which Hall of Famer led the National League in strike outs a league record seven consecutive years?

Hint: #1  In his Triple Crown year, he threw an Immaculate Inning.

Hint: #2  He had a habit of making absurd boasts about his marksmanship with a pistol, then backing them up by slicing a card in two edgewise and by shooting through the bottom of a bottle without breaking the neck of the bottle.

A.  DAZZY VANCE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  From 1922 through 1928, Vance led the NL in strike outs , five times leading the majors.

-  #1  On 14-Sep-1924, in the 3^rd inning, Vance stuck out Sam Bohne, Bubbles Hargrave and Eppa Rixey with 3 pitches each, all strikes.  With 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA & 262 Ks, Vance secured his Triple Crown.

-  #2  He was called "Dead Shot" due to his prowess with a revolver.

FCR -  Nick Loret de Mola, Sacramento

Incorrect guesses:  Nolan Ryan, Bob Feller, Steve Carlton, Mordecai Brown

 

 

SUNDAY  — 22-Apr

Q.  Which BRTL Hall of Fame pitcher was drafted by the Braves, but first played in the majors with Montreal?

Hint: #1  He and a multiple time home run king were famous as teammates.

Hint: #2  He owns not one, but two Immaculate Innings.

A.  RANDY JOHNSON  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Johnson was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 4^th round of the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft from Livermore HS (CA).  He decided on college and attended USC.  He was later drafted by MON.

-  #1  Johnson & Mark McGwire both played for USC under the (College) Hall of Fame tutelage of Rod Dedeaux.

-  #2  Johnson’s 1^st Immaculate Inning was the bottom of the 6^th on 02-Sep-1998 versus HOU.  For  good measure, Johnson did it again 3 years later, 6^th inning of the G on 23-Aug-2001 against PIT.

FCR -  Mike Sparks, Sarasota

Incorrect guesses:  Pedro Martinez

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 23-Apr

Q.  Which qualified pitcher allowed the lowest opponents' batting average in a full regular season?

Hint: #1  He struck out ten batters in seven consecutive games twice in the same season.

Hint: #2  For four consecutive seasons, he didn’t finish lower than second in the Cy Young Award voting.

A.  PEDRO MARTINEZ  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Batters facing Martinez in 2000 batted a very soft .167.

-  #1  Pedro’s 1999 is acknowledged by many as one of the best seasons any pitcher ever had.  In the 7 starts between 15-Apr & 18-May, he never stuck out fewer than 10.  Then in his 8 starts between 19‑Aug & 27-Sep, he did it again.  Only Nolan Ryan ever accomplished that even once.

-  #2  For CYA voting from 1997 to 2000, our boy finished:  1^st, 2^nd, 1^st *& 1^st *.

*Unanimous

FCR -  Doug Christy, Sarasota

Incorrect guesses:  Bob Gibson, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Sandy Koufax, Jacob deGrom, Fernando Valenzuela

 

 

 

WEEKLY THEME – Pitchers with at least five career regular-season games where they struck out fifteen or more batters

 

Career totals

Pitcher            # of 15K G           Ks             ERA            WAR

Carlton...................... 5.............. 4,136........... 3.22............ 90.2

Clemens.................. 10.............. 4,672........... 3.12.......... 139.2

Johnson................... 29.............. 4,875........... 3.29.......... 101.1

Koufax...................... 8.............. 2,396........... 2.76............ 48.9

Martinez.................. 10.............. 3,154........... 2.93............ 83.9

McDowell................. 6.............. 2,453........... 3.17............ 41.8

Ryan....................... 26.............. 5,714........... 3.19............ 81.3

Scherzer.................... 6.............. 3,207........... 3.12............ 71.8

Seaver....................... 5.............. 3,640........... 2.86.......... 109.9

Vance........................ 5.............. 2,045........... 3.24............ 60.4

Waddell..................... 7.............. 2,316........... 2.16............ 58.4

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Joe Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts (after Clemens)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Tues    -  HOF pitchers who recorded 300 strikeouts in an AL season

 

Wed     -  Most games with 14 or more strikeouts

 

If you know someone who would enjoy receiving daily Horsehide Trivia questions, Have them start by clicking here.

 

This week’s quiz archived here:  http://horsehidetriviA.            blogspot.com/

 

Horsehide Trivia encourages independent research.

 

2023-04-10 Highest career WAR for position players in the BBWAA era (1932- ) who were never an MVP

MONDAY  — 10-Apr

Q.  Whose record for career home runs in the National League did Willie Mays break?

Hint: #1  His batting stance had many amateur coaches scrambling to explain why that batting stance would not get a young player into the Hall of Fame or even into the starting lineup.

Hint: #2  He once said, “Every time I sign a ball, I am glad my name is not Coveleski, Wambsganss or Peckinpaugh.”

A.  MEL OTT  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Ott played for NYG from 1926 to 1947 with 511 HR.  Mays hit his 512^th in L.A. off Claude Osteen on 04-May-1966.  Vin Scully no doubt told listeners of the milestone.

-  #1  Watch Ott’s unusual batting stance here. (Turn on sound.)

-  #2  See sample autograph here.  As opposed to this one.

FCR -  Neil Cohen, Brooklyn, New York

Incorrect guesses:  Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, Johnny Mize, Eddie Mathews, Ralph Kiner, Henry Aaron, Gil McDougald

 

 

TUESDAY — 11-Apr

Q.  Which Texan is the only player to be on the roster of the Boston Braves, the Milwaukee Braves and the Atlanta Braves?

Hint: #1  He was a World Series champion on a National League team and as a member of an American League team.

Hint: #2  He was the second batter Nolan Ryan ever struck out.

A.  EDDIE MATHEWS   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Career here.  BSN (1952) -> MLN (1953-1965) -> ATL (1966)

-  #1  Was on MLN when they won the 1957 WS.  Was on DET when they won the 1968 WS.

-  #2  On 11-Sep-1966, Nolan Ryan entered in the top of the 6^th and hung a backwards K on the third batter, Mathews.

FCR -  Lincoln Mitchell, New York City

Incorrect guesses:  Hank Aaron

 

 

TUESDAY TWICE  — 11-Apr

Q.  Whose two hundred twenty-five hits were the most in a season by a forty-year-old player?

Hint: #1  He was the first player ever to come to bat in SkyDome.

Hint: #2  He is the only player to reach first base on catcher’s interference in an All-Star game.

A.  PAUL MOLITOR  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Molitor’s birthday is 22-Aug-1956 so he was 40 at the end of the 1996 Season.  That year he banged out his personal high in hits, 225.  It was the 3^rd time he’d led the league in hits.  The previous high by a quadragenarian was the 207 H collected by Sam Rice in 1930.

-  #1  Toronto ‘s SkyDome, now the Rogers Centre, opened on the evening of 05-Jun-1989 & Molitor, playing for MIL, was the 1^st batter.  He doubled off Jimmy Key.

-  #2  Pinch-hitting for Wade Boggs in the 7^th inning of the 1991 ASG, Molitor swung and clipped the edge of catcher Craig Biggio’s mitt and was awarded first.

FCR -  Michael Schneider, Wilmington, Delaware

Incorrect guesses:  Rickey Henderson, Ichiro Suzuki, Pete Rose, Wade Boggs

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 12-Apr

Q.  Whose cap controversy resulted in a major policy decision by the Hall of Fame?

Hint: #1  He had a season with more than seventy multi-hit games, a record for his franchise.

Hint: #2  Only he and Ty Cobb, in this order, pitched in a major league game, got his three thousandth hit and again pitched in a major league game.

A.  WADE BOGGS   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  It was reported that Boggs had been offered financial compensation by his final MLB team, TBD, to be shown wearing their cap on his HOF plaque.  Sensing that this could lead to avoidable controversy, the Hall decided in 2001 to change its practice of deferring to players' wishes regarding cap logo selection & reinforced the Hall's authority to determine with which cap the player would be depicted.  Boggs is wearing a Boston cap on his HOF plaque.

-  #1  Had 72 multi-H games in 1985, best for the Red Sox (1901-2023)

-  #2  Pitched = 8^th inning 19-Aug-1997; 3,000^th H = 07-Aug-1999; pitched = 10-Aug-1999.

FCR -  Andrew Lipsett, Woburn, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Rickey Henderson, Cap Anson, Pete Rose

 

 

THURSDAY — 13-Apr

Q.  Whose name is exactly where he reached more than four thousand times in his career?

Hint: #1  Twice in his first three full major league seasons, did he place in the top three in his league’s MVP voting.

Hint: #2  No other American League outfielder has won more Gold Gloves.

A.  AL KALINE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Al Kaline = alkaline = base.  Kaline’s 3,007 base hits, 1,277 walks, 55 HBPs & 173 reached on errors = beaucoup bases.

-  #1  After finishing 3^rd in ROY voting in 1954, Kaline finished a close 2^nd in 1955 AL MVP voting & 3^rd in 1956.

-  #2  Kaline won 10 GG w/DET for his outfield defense.  He was not equaled until 1999 when Ken Griffey, Jr. won his 10^th GG, all w/SEA.  Ichiro Suzuki joined them in 2010.

FCR -  Joe Cohen, Holden, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Dave Winfield, David Wells, Fred Lynn, Ichiro Suzuki, Ken Griffey, Jr., Ty Cobb

 

 

FRIDAY — 14-Apr

Q.  Which one-time Baltimore Oriole designated hitter grew up playing in the city where Madison Avenue wondered if it could play there?

Hint: #1  He once homered in seven consecutive games.

Hint: #2  He had thirty-five or more home runs in a season for three different major league teams.

A.  JIM THOME   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Thome was born & grew up in Peoria, Illinois, considered by marketing and advertising managers to be the most representative of any city in the U.S.  As a result, many new products and promotions proposed for nation-wide release, seldom receive final approval unless the question, “Will it play in Peoria?” receives a positive answer.  Thome ended his career with 3 HR & 5 2B for BAL in 2012.

-  #1  7 HR in 7 G = 25-Jun thru 03-Jul-2002.  The 52 he hit that year are a Cleveland franchise record.

-  #2  He had 35+ HR for…

CLE in 1996, 1997, 2000 & 2001;

PHI in 2003 & 2004;

CHW in 2006 & 2007.

FCR -  Rich Lerner, Silver spring, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Reggie Jackson, Don Baylor, Albert Belle, Jim Gentile, Nelson Cruz, Eddie Murray, Lee May

 

 

FRIDAY NIGHT HEIST — 14-Apr

Q.  Which Cal Poly alum replaced Mel Allen?

Hint: #1  A high school teammate of his is now in the Hall of Fame.

Hint: #2  No one at his position has won more Gold Glove Awards.

A.  OZZIE SMITH   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  “This Week in Baseball”, often played in ballparks before major league games and in select TV markets, was narrated by veteran broadcaster Mel Allen from 1977 until the year of his death in 1996.  After a brief interregnum, Smith was chosen and hosted from1997 to 1998.  Smith attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA.

-  #1  Eddie Murray played alongside Smith at Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy (formerly Locke High School in Southern California.  Murray was inducted to the Hall in 2003.  Smith was voted in the year before.

-  #2  Smith won every NL GG from 1980 to 1992.  The only SS playing in 2023 with as many as 4 GG is SFG’s Brandon Crawford.

FCR -  Nick Loret de Mola, Sacramento

Incorrect guesses:  Joe Garagiola, Boog Powell, Jerry Coleman, Phil Rizzuto, Keith Hernandez, Jim Kaat, Reggie Jackson

 

 

SATURDAY — 15-Apr

Q.  Whose first and final major league home runs were both of the “walk off” variety?

Hint: #1  In his last season, he played for the team that had originally brought him up to the majors.

Hint: #2  Two eventual Hall of Famers finished behind him in Rookie of the Year voting.

A.  LOU WHITAKER   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  1^st HR = 28-Jul-1978 off SEA’s Enrique Romo.  His last HR = 13-Sep-1995 off MIL’s Mike Fetters.  Whitaker hit an additional 6 walk-off HRs during his career.

-  #1  Whitaker played his entire 19-year MLB career with DET.

-  #2  Whitaker won the 1978 ROY award, finishing ahead of Paul Molitor & Whitaker’s teammate Alan   Trammell.

FCR -  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ No one

Incorrect guesses:  Albert Pujols, Ted Williams, Wally Moon, Luis Aparicio

 

 

WEEKEND BONUS— 15-Apr

Q.  Which one-time Red Sox third baseman is still the only National League player to have two hundred hits in a season where exactly none of those hits was a triple?”

Hint: #1  One season he was the victim in two separate triple plays of note.

Hint: #2  He is the first Dominican to rack up 3,000 career hits.

A.   ADRIAN BELTRE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 2004, playing for LAD, Beltre had exactly 200 H & exactly 0 3B.

-  #1  On 27-May-06, MIN turned its 1^st TP of the 21^st century with Beltre the 1^st out of 3.  In history’s 1^st 2-6-2 TP on 02-Sep-2006, Beltre was the 2^nd of the 3 outs.

-  #2  His 3,000^th H, a double off Wade  Miley, was on 30-Jul-2017.  The only other Dominican with 3,000 is Albert Pujols who reached that mark in 2018.

FCR -  Rich Klein, Plano, Texas

Incorrect guesses:  Pablo Sandoval

 

 

SUNDAY  — 16-Apr

Q.  Who had more career hits in the majors than any other alum of a college in the state of Mississippi?

Hint: #1  Three of his college teammates became major league All-Stars.

Hint: #2  Paradoxically, he was a fine fielder, capturing three Gold Gloves yet hundreds of his plate appearances were as a designated hitter.

A.  RAFAEL PALMEIRO  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Attended Mississippi State University & had 3,020 H in MLB.

-  #1   Went to school with Will Clark, Jeff Brantley & Bobby Thigpen.

-  #2  Ended with 3,020 H, of which 430 were as a DH.

FCR -  Thomas Nester, Fort Lauderdale

Incorrect guesses:  Will Clark, Buddy Myer, Edgar Martinez

 

WEEK’S THEME – Highest career WAR for position players in the BBWAA era (1932- ) who were never an MVP

 

Player               WAR                 Best                           Etc.

Beltre............... 93.5.............. 2^nd/2004............... GG X 5, SS X 4

 

Boggs.............. 91.4.............. 4^th/1985................ BA X4, WS

 

Kaline.............. 92.9.............. 2^nd/1955, 1963..... BA, WS

 

Mathews.......... 96.1.............. 2^nd/1953, 1959..... WS X2, 1 team in 3 cities

 

Molitor............. 75.7.............. 2^nd/1993............... 39 G hit streak, WS MVP

 

Ott.................. 110.8.............. 3^rd/1942................ WS, NL HR king at 511

 

Palmeiro.......... 71.9.............. 5^th/1999................ Doubles title, GG X 3

 

Smith .............. 76.9.............. 2^nd/1987............... WS, 13 GG

 

Thome............. 73.1.............. 4^th/1983................ HR, RBI, AVG titles

 

Whitaker.......... 75.1.............. 8^th/1983................ WS, teammate longevity, ROY

 

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Sarah Grynpas, Toronto (After Mathews)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Youngest players to hit exactly 3 home runs in a game

 

Tues    -  Players who hit 500 NL home runs

-   Youngest players to hit 100 home runs

-   -  Members of the 500 home run club who batted left and threw right

-   HOF players that never won an MVP

-   Hall of Famers who received MVP votes as a third baseman, but never won the award

-   HOFers who ONLY managed one team they played for AND finished with a losing record as a manager

-   Hall of Famers who never won an MVP award

 

Wed     -  players who had 3000 hits or 500 home runs and never a MVP

 

Fri        -  Hall of Famers with 500+ home runs

 

Sat      -  Most career hits to never win a regular-season MVP (played whole career in MVP era).

 

If you know someone who would enjoy receiving daily Horsehide Trivia questions, Have them start by clicking here.

 

Click here to see this week’s quiz (and all previous weeks’ quizzes):  http://horsehidetriviA.  blogspot.com/

 

Horsehide Trivia encourages independent research.  ⚾️