Sunday, May 28, 2023

2023-05-22 First BBWAA MVP at each position

MONDAY  —22 May

Q.  Which pitcher has the highest career WAR for any Hall of Famer in the Modern Era who was born east of the Mississippi River?

Hint: #1  He was the first pitcher to lead the American League in bases on balls and strikeouts in the same season.

Hint: #2  He is the only Red Sox pitcher to hit a grand slam in a game he lost.

A.  LEFTY GROVE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  WAR of 113.3, [MD] trailing only Johnson (152.4 [KS]) & Alexander (116.2 [NE]) https://stathead.com/tiny/vZIhun.

-  #1  In his rookie season of 1925 he matched his 116 K w/131 BB.

-  #2  Grove accounted for ⅔ of his team’s runs when he hit George Blaeholder’s pitch over the fence in Shibe Park on the sunny (I’m guessing) Saturday afternoon of 27-Jul-1935.  Three other BOS pitchers have hit grand slams:  Babe Ruth on 20-May-1919, Wes Ferrell on 12-Aug-1936(1) & Ellis Kinder on 06-Aug-1950(1), They, however, were each victorious.

FCR -  Jason Winston, Riverside, California

Incorrect guesses:  Babe Ruth, Josh Beckett, Roger Clemens, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young, John Clarkson, Smokey Joe Wood

 

 

TUESDAY —23-May

Q.  Which slugger hit thirty home runs in twelve straight seasons?  (Yes.  I know that in some of those seasons he hit even more!)

Hint: #1  He was the youngest player ever to play catcher in more than one major league game.

Hint: #2  He retired with the highest slugging career average for a right-handed batter.

A.  JIMMIE FOXX   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Hit 30+ HR 1929-1940.  (Only in 1931 did he hit only 30.)  Later this mark was bettered by Alex Rodriguez & Albert Pujols who had 13 straight 30-HR years.

-  #1  On 26-May-1925, in his 3rd major league G, Foxx replaces Bill Lamar (LF) playing C batting 3rd but did not come to bat.  He would  not turn 18 until October of that year.

-  #2  Foxx’s career .609 SLG was eclipsed by Mule Suttles’ .620 when MLB finally recognized the legitimacy of the statistics of the Negro Leagues.

FCR -  Sean Moore, Hollis, New Hampshire

Incorrect guesses:  Hank Greenberg, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Johnny Bench, Babe Ruth, Gary Carter

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 24-May

Q.  Which former Oakland A’s coach sat on the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Orioles?

Hint: #1  As a player and by the slimmest of margins, he beat Al Simmons’ record for the most RBI in a major leaguer’s first ten seasons.

Hint: #2  He led the majors in triples as a rookie, but he changed his uniform number the next year and never led again in triples, not even the league.

A.  JOE DiMAGGIO   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  DiMaggio coached the A’s in hitting for 2 seasons, 1968-69.  He was on the BAL board during the ownership period of Edward Bennett Williams, 1977-88.

-  #1  From 1936 through 1948 DiMaggio racked up 1,277 RBI.  He missed three years of play due to military service, 1943-45.  Simmons had 1,276 RBI 1924-1933.

-  #2  Had 15 3b in 1936.  He even averaged double figures per season, but never led again.  He wore #9 as a rookie then #5 for the rest of his career.

FCR -  Lou Charlip, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

MIDWEEK BONUS — 24-May

Q.  Who was the first player to appear as the designated hitter in a World Series game for two different teams?  (Not in the same year.  That would be a record!)

Hint: #1  He hit the first double in the history of Seattle’s Kingdome.

Hint: #2  He was once thrown out stealing twice in the same inning.

A.  DON BAYLOR   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Baylor DH’ed for BOS in the 1986 WS & for MIN in 1987.

-  #1   Doubled in Seattle on 07-Apr-1977, 5th batter.  It was also that stadium’s 1st H of any kind.

-  #2  In the 9th inning of a tie G on 15-Jun-1974 in Memorial Stadium, playing for BAL, Baylor was put in to pinch run.  He was thrown out attempting  to steal 2nd base.  He was called out, however … he stayed on 2nd due to an error by future Hall of Fame infielder Ron Santo.  Baylor promptly stole 3rd.  Then in a perhaps foolish attempt to put the Birds ahead, he broke for home & was thrown out again, this time for good.  Extra innings ensued.  Research found no other parallel instance.

FCR -  John Michael Pierobon, Fort Lauderdale

Incorrect guesses:  Reggie Jackson, Nelson Cruz, Roberto Kelly, Paul Molitor, Gene Tenace, Dave Winfield, Edgar Martinez, Reggie Sanders

 

 

THURSDAY — 25-May

Q.  Who was an AA in 1918?

Hint:  #1  He lamented BBs.

Hint:  #2  The last team he ever managed were the CCs.

Hint:  #3  His most famous pitching duo were both DDs.

Hint:  #4  He never made EEs in the post-season.

Hint:  #5  The initials of his full name and nickname are FFF & FF.

Hint:  #6  One of his most memorable teams was the GG.

A.  FRANKIE FRISCH   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Assuredly one of Fordham College’s finest all-around athletes, Frisch was a slashing half-back in football, named a College All-American his senior year.

-  #1  Derived from his complaints as a manager, one of his signature lines as a radio broadcaster was, “Oh, those bases on balls!”

-  #2.  A player-manager for STL, Frisch then skippered the Pirates & finally the Chicago Cubs.

-  #3.  The only WS champion team Frisch skippered were led in 1934 by the pitching brothers Dizzy & Daffy Dean.

-  #4  Frisch is the only non-Yankee to appear in 50 pre-Expansion Era WS games in history.  Over those pressure-packed games, the slick-fielding Frisch never committed more than one error in any single one of them.

-  #5  Christened Frank Francis Frisch, his nickname was The Fordham Flash.

-  #6  His rough-and-tumble 1934 World Champion Cardinals were The Gashouse Gang.

FCR -  Eric Savage Short Hills, New Jersey

Incorrect guesses:  Branch Rickey, Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons, Fats Fothergill, Ferris Fain, Ford Frick, Casey Stengel

 

 

FRIDAY — 26-May

Q.  Which backstop won a Most Valuable Player Award before and after the baseball writers took over the voting process?

Hint: #1  A Hall of Fame umpire called him, “…a shortstop with shin-guards and a chest protector.”

Hint: #2  In college, he boxed and played football and the saxophone.

A.  MICKEY COCHRANE   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Won MVP in 1928 w/PHA & in 1934 w/pennant-winner DET.  Lou Gehrig (1927 and 1936) is the only other player to be so honored.

-  #1  Umpire Billy Evans (HOF 1973) was the author of that assessment.  Few people, then or now, disagree with him.

-  #2  Cochrane played the most major league games (1,482) of anyone who attended Boston University.  His career G played total is exactly half of all of the other BU alumni’s G combined.

FCR -  Terry Sloope, Cartersville, Georgia

Incorrect guesses:  Roy Campanella, Ernie Lombardi

 

SATURDAY — 26-May

Q.  Whose record for the most hits in a player’s first five full seasons did Ichiro Suzuki break?

Hint: #1  He was the first player to hit a home run in the All-Star game and in the World Series during the same season.

Hint: #2  His beaning inspired Larry McPhail to investigate the use of batting helmets.

A.  JOE MEDWICK   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Medwick had 1,064 from 1933 thru 1937.  From 2001-05, Ichiro had 1,130.

-  #1   Hit a HR off Lefty Gomez in the 1st inning of the 1934 ASG (his 1st) then again in the 1934 WS (also his 1st) in G 1.

-  #2  Medwick was hit in the head with a pitch on 18-June-1940.  Helmets came into use on gradually well before it was a requirement.  It was not until December 1970 that MLB enforced strictly mandatory use of the batting helmet for all batters.  Veteran players, however, were allowed some discretion.  Some researchers credit Roger Bresnahan for using a protective headpiece as early as 1908.

FCR -  Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Lou Gehrig, George Sisler, Dizzy Dean, Pete Reiser, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra

 

 

SUNDAY — 28-May

Q.  Who holds the National League’s single-season record for most bases on balls by a third baseman?

Hint: #1  He was once one of two ejectees in the same at bat.

Hint: #2  He was the second third baseman to have 100 RBI in six seasons in the majors.

A.  BOB ELLIOTT  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Elliott ambled his way to first on free passes 131 times in 1948.  It is more than 40 walks more than his next highest total and is the only official black ink on his stat page.

-  #1  Elliott was ejected by umpire Augie Donatelli for arguing a strike call during a 7th inning at-bat against the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park on 23-Aug-1952.  Teammate Bobby Hofman was sent up to complete Elliott's at-bat, but after Hofman took exception to the single pitch he saw get called for strike three, he too was given the thumb by Donatelli.

-  #2  Elliott matched Pie Traynor’s mark with 100+ RBI in 1943-1945, 1947-1948 & 1950.  Traynor actually did Elliott 1 better with 7 such seasons.

FCR -  Mike Sparks, Sarasota

Incorrect guesses:  Eddie Mathews, Pie Traynor, Mike Schmidt, Jeff Bagwell, Home Run Baker, Chipper Jones, Ron Santo, Ken Boyer

 

WEEKEND BONUS — 27-May

Q.  Who is the sole senior circuit slugger in history to record three seasons of four hundred total bases each?

Hint: #1  His assists one year are still the most ever in a single season by an outfielder in the Modern Era.

Hint: #2  No National  Leaguer has ever had more extra base hits in a single season.

A.  CHUCK KLEIN   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Klein had 445 TB in 1930 [4th highest all time]; 420 in 1932; & 405 in 1929 (Hornsby had 409 that year.) 

-  #1   Including leading the majors in 1930 in R, 2B & TB, Klein had 44 OF assists.  No one else in the 20th or 21st centuries has had even 40.

-  #2  His NL mark of 107 XBH in 1930 was tied by  Barry Bonds in 2001.  The left-handed hitting Klein’s home park in 1930 was Baker Bowl, which featured a cozy right field with a 60’ high tin fence only 281 feet down the line & barely 300' to the power alley.  Those dimensions helped Klein set records both offensively & defensively.  Few question, however, the Hall of Fame worthiness of this super star.

FCR -  Terry Sloope, Cartersville, Georgia

Incorrect guesses:  Stan Musial, Ron Santo, Willie Mays, Larry Walker

 

WEEK’S FINALE  — 28-May

Q.  Who beat out a fellow St. Louis player for an equally-appropriate nickname?

Hint: #1  Among White Sox managers since the Black Sox scandal, he has posted the highest career winning percentage.

Hint: #2  Shohei Ohtani broke one of his long-standing records, but probably wishes he hadn't.

A.  MARTY MARION   [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Marion played for both the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns for 13 seasons and was dubbed “Mr. Shortstop” for his fielding prowess.  Ozzie Smith, he of 15 remarkable seasons with the Cardinals had to settle for “The Wizard of Oz”.

-  #1   With a record of 179-138 over 2+ seasons (1954-56), Marion’s W-L% of .565 ranks behind only Fielder Jones (.592 / 1904-1908), Clark Griffith (.581 / 1901-1902) and Pants Rowland (.578 / 1915-1918).

-  #2  In 1944, Marion posted the lowest batting average (.267) among position-player MVPs during their winning year until Ohtani hit just .257 in his 2021 MVP season.

FCR -  Richard Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Incorrect guesses:  Al Lopez

 

 

 

WEEK’S THEME – First BBWAA MVP at each position

 

Pos  MVP               Year                Team           Yr WAR     WAR

P – Grove.......... 1931 AL......... PHA............ 10.0.. 106.8

1B- Foxx........... 1932 AL......... PHA............ 10.4.... 93.0

CF- DiMaggio.... 1939 AL......... NYY.............. 8.3.... 79.1

DH- Baylor........ 1979 AL......... CAL.............. 3.7.... 73.8

2B- Frisch.......... 1931 NL.......... STL............... 4.0.... 71.8

C – Cochrane..... 1934 AL......... DET.............. 4.5.... 55.4

LF- Medwick...... 1937 NL.......... STL............... 8.4.... 54.4

3b- Elliott.......... 1947 NL......... BSN.............. 9.3.... 50.9

RF- Klein.......... 1932 NL.......... PHI............... 7.5.... 46.7

SS- Marion........ 1944 NL.......... STL............... 4.6.... 31.9

 

First Correct Respondent identifying themeSarah Grynpas, Toronto (after DiMaggio)

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Pitchers with multiple immaculate innings

            -  Pitchers with 100 wins for two franchises

 

Tues    -  Hall of Famers on the 1928 A's

            -  All players played for both Athletics and Red Sox franchises

            -  All Triple crown winners for every team from Philadelphia

 

Wed     -  First AL MVP (BBWAA era) for each position

 

Wed     -  Hall of Famers in the starting lineup for Ted Williams' first game (BOS vs NYY, April 20, 1939)

 

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