Monday, May 15, 2023

2023-05-08 People present and in uniform for a perfect game in the postseason and at least one in the regular season

 

MONDAY  —08-May

Q.  Who is the only pitcher to start two All-Star games in one season?

Hint: #1  He died in a different country than the one he was born in.

Hint: #2  He has struck out more batters in All-Star play than any other pitcher.

A.  DON DRYSDALE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  The first year that 2 ASG were held in one season, 1959, Drysdale started both games (07-Jul- & 03-Aug-) for the NL.

-  #1  Born in Van Nuys, California, U.S.A. 23-Jul-1936. Died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 03-Jul-1993.

-  #2  In 9 ASG between 1958 & 1968, Drysdale K’d a total of 19 batters.

FCR -  Gerald Price, Lancaster, California

Incorrect guesses:  Whitey Ford, Herb Score, Juan Marichal

 

 

TUESDAY —09-May

Q.  Who holds the record for being the manager of the most All-Star Game victories?

Hint: #1  He was signed when he graduated from Miami University by a Hall of Fame general Manager’s brother.

Hint: #2  He ended his playing career with a 50% fielding average.

A.  WALTER ALSTON   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Alston managed the NL AS team to wins in 1956, 1960(1), 1960(2), 1964, 1966, 1967 & 1975, 7 in all.  Almost a perfect record, but he was also at the helm for losses to the AL squad in 1954 & 1957.

-  #1  Signed to play for STL by Branch Rickey’s brother, Frank W. Rickey, on the very day Alston graduated from Miami of Ohio.

-  #2  He replaced Johnny Mize at 1B in the top of the 8th on 27-Sep-1936 & dropped the 1st throw made to him.

FCR -  Chris Betsch, New Albany, Indiana

Incorrect guesses:  Casey Stengel, Sparky Anderson

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 10-May

Q.  Ted Williams once said that Babe Ruth, Kennesaw Mountain Landis and who were the three most important people in the history of baseball?

Hint: #1  Describing three of the player from the last team he managed he held forth with this nugget, “I got one who can throw but can't catch, one who that can catch but can't throw and one who can hit but can't do either.”

Hint: #2  With this one-time Pittsburgh Pirate, the Yankees won a lot of World Series games.  But for him, however, they’d have won even more.

A.  CASEY STENGEL   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Stengel’s Yankees faced Williams’ Red Sox many times, most of them successfully.  Stengel’s Yankees faced BOS’s Williams many times, most of them successfully.

-  #1  He was likely referring to catchers Chris Cannizzaro, Choo Choo Coleman & Sammy Taylor for the 1962 NYM.  However, it just as easily could have been 3 of the other 4 catchers they used that year: Joe Pignatano, Harry Chiti, Joe Ginsberg or Hobie Landrith.

-  #2  He won 37 WS G w/NYY as their manager 1949-1960.  However, as a player with NYG, Stengel beat NYY with game-winning home runs twice:  With a 9th-inning game-winning inside-the-park HR in G 1 of the 1923 WS.  (1st ever postseason HR in Yankee Stadium.)

FCR -  Len Levin, Providence

Incorrect guesses:  Connie Mack, Honus Wagner, Curt Flood, Branch Rickey, John McGraw

 

 

THURSDAY — 11-May

Q.  Who was the first twentieth-century senior circuit rookie to receive one hundred bases on balls in his first full National League season?

Hint: #1  He was part of the majors’ first all-switch-hitting infield.

Hint: #2  He was the first twentieth century second baseman to have twelve assists in a single game.

A.  JIM GILLIAM   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Had exactly 100 BB in 1953.  He never had 100 again in his 14-year major league career, coming closest in 1959 (59) & 1960 (59).  No other player has drawn 100 BB in his rookie season.

-  #1  SWIF:  1965 LAD, w/Wes Parker (1B), Jim Lefebvre (2B) & Maury Wills (SS).

-  #2  On  21Jul-1956, Gilliam assisted on 12 outs.

FCR -  Bob Trostler, Norwich, Connecticut

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Lefebvre, Davy Lopes, Frankie Frisch, Steve Sax, Pete Rose

 

 

FRIDAY — 12-May

Q.  Whose record for career World Series ERA did Madison Bumgarner break?  (35 IP)

Hint: #1  This former Bearcat holds the record for leading his league in ERA for 5 consecutive seasons.

Hint: #2  As a batter, he struck out in twelve consecutive plate appearances one season.

A.  SANDY KOUFAX   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Koufax ended his WS career with an ERA of 0.95 in 57 IP.   Bumgarner’s # is 0.25.

-  #1  Led the NL in ERA his final 5 seasons: 1962-1966 (2.54, 1.88, 1.74, 2.04, 1.73 respectively).  Is an alum of the University of Cincinnati.

-  #2  In his first season, 1955, Koufax had 12 PA & 12 K & an OPS+ of -100.  That’s the lowest possible, meaning that he was worse batting than 100% of all other hitters.  He also posted another -100 OPS in 1957 when he went 0-26 with 18 strikeouts.

FCR -  Bill Deane, Cooperstown

Incorrect guesses:  Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Jack Billingham, Waite Hoyt, Tom Glavine, Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux

 

 

SATURDAY — 13-May

Q.  Which judo expert served as a chief fitness instructor in the Navy from 1942 to 1946 at United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, Maryland and Staten Island during World War II?

Hint: #1  During the course of his twenty-four-year umpiring career in the American League he ejected, among others, Bob Allison

Ray Boone

Rocky Colavito

Nellie Fox

Ron Hansen

Reggie Jackson

Mickey Mantle

Minnie Minoso

Bob Nieman

Jim Piersall  and…

Reggie Smith, and that’s just on called third strikes.

Hint: #2  He ejected (including his 1st ever) manager Paul Richards 9 times for infractions various & sundry.

A.  LARRY NAPP   [Italo- Bio]

-  Ans.  I can’t help but wonder if he had fewer arguments about calls since most people knew of his judo acumen?

-  #1  …and of course many lesser-known folks.

-  #2  He didn’t eject any other person more than 3 times (Earl Weaver, e.g.).

FCR -  Dave Mitchner, Webster, Kentucky

Incorrect guesses:  Nestor Chylak, Johnny Stevens, Bill Kunkel, Don Denkinger, Ed Runge, Gene Tunney, Nestor Chylak, Ron Luciano, Bill Kunkel, Jocko Conlon, Jim Honochick

 

 

 

WEEKEND BONUS  — 14-May

Q.  Who was the last winning pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers?

Hint: #1  He caused dismay among Houston officials when he struck the roof of the Astrodome with a ball while hitting fungoes.

Hint: #2  A fine imposed on him by his manager for hitting a fungo completely out of the colonnaded end of Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum was re-paid to him by the team owner who felt it had been unjust.

A.  ED ROEBUCK   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Last W for BRO = 28-Sep-1957 at Connie Mack Stadium/

-  #1  He was so well-known for his skill with a fungo bat that he was consulted by the builders of the Astrodome on how high the interior roof should be.  In 1974, Mike Schmidt did become the first player to hit a speaker hanging from its roof in fair territory, but it took another 23 seasons before Jeff Bagwell finally hit the top roof structure.

-  #2  Dodger owner Walter O’Malley, inquired how much Roebuck had been fined by Alston for his Coliseum stunt.  Weeks later, a batboy made a delivery to Roebuck on behalf of O’Malley—a bag filled with $75 in quarters.

FCR -  Stephen Wright, Naperville, Illinois

Incorrect guesses:  Don Drysdale, Joe Hoerner, Johnny Podres, Clem Labine

 

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 14-May

Q.  Who led his league in batting for pitchers the same season he pitched a complete-game victory in ethe World Series?

Hint: #1  The next season he led the majors in win/loss percentage.

Hint: #2  He was set to pitch for the Senators when they became the Twins only to stay in the nation’s capital because he was traded to the new Senators.

A.  TOM STURDIVANT   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  He batted .313 in 1956 & pitched all 9 innings in G 4 of the Series.  He might even have received consideration for the WS MVP except for what happened in G 5.

-  #1  Sturdivant’s record in 1957 was 16-6 which equates to .717.

-  #2  He never actually pitched for the Twins or old Senators.

FCR -  Keith Sims, Bloomington, Indiana

Incorrect guesses:  Claude Osteen, Camilo Pascual,

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – People present and in uniform for a perfect game in the postseason and at least one in the regular season.

 

ALL were there for Don Larsen's game on 08-Oct-1956, Yankees over the Dodgers 2-0.

 

AND…

 

- Alston, Drysdale, Gilliam & Koufax were present on the Dodgers for Sandy Koufax's perfect game against the Cubs on 09-Sep-1965.

 

- Roebuck, Stengel & Sturdivant were present for the Phillies' Fathers' Day perfecto by Jim Bunning against the Mets on Fathers’ Day 21-Jun-1964(1).

 

- Napp, who worked 3rd base in Larsen’s WS G, was the 1st base umpire for Catfish Hunter’s perfecto on 08-May-1968.

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying themeMark Hayne, Dumfries, Virginia

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Pitchers with the longest scoreless-inning streaks

 

Tues    -  Numbers retired by the Dodgers

            -  Hall of Famers who had only one manager for their entire career

            -  People who hold All-Star records

            -  Dodgers with the most All-Star game experience

            -  Future hall of famers on the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers

 

Wed     -  Hall of Famers in the 1956 World Series

            -  Managers who have won both minor league and Major League Championships

 

Thur     -  Participants in the 1956 World Series

 

Fri        -  Participated in 1956 World Series and played basketball in high school

 

Sat       -  All these people were on the field for Don Larsen's World Series perfect game

            -  Players, managers and coaches who were present when Don Larsen threw his perfect game

            -  People born under different names than the ones they had when they were in the majors

            -  Participants in the 1956 World Series who also played themselves in a film

           

Post

  hint    -  People who struck out during DL's perfect game

            -  All alive

            -  Each of these men managed, umpired, or played for the Dodgers in the 1956 World Series

 

 

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.  ⚾️

 

No comments:

Post a Comment