MONDAY — 09-Dec
Q. Who
was the first forty-year-old pitcher to be honored with a Cy Young Award?
Hint: #1
He is the most recent pitcher to have four consecutive
three-hundred-inning seasons.
Hint: #2
He wasn’t the first one in his family to win a Cy Young Award.
-
Ans. NL CYA in 1978 w/SDP, 2 months after he had
turned 40
- #1 300+ innings in: 1972 (342⅔) w/CLE
1973 (344) w/CLE
1974 (322⅓) w/CLE
1975 (305⅔) w/CLE & TEX
Perry
had led the majors earlier with 325⅓ in 1969 and 328⅔ in
1970 w/SFG.
-
#2 Brother Jim Perry was AL CYA in 1970
w/MIN .
FCR - Dennis
Walls, Orrington, Maine
Incorrect guesses: Roger Clemens, Joe Niekro, Phil Niekro, Early
Wynn, Justin Verlander
TUESDAY — 10-Dec
Q. Which
Cy Young Award winner began his career with a record 29 scoreless innings?
Hint: #1
He was the only pitcher to appear in All-Star games in the 1970s, 1980s
and 1990s.
Hint: #2
He is the first pitcher to have one hundred complete games and one
hundred saves.
A. DENNIS ECKERSLEY [SABR
Bio]
-
Ans. Between his MLB debut w/CLE on
12-Apr-1975 & 31-May-1975, Eckersley made 11½
appearances without allowing a single ER.
-
#1 He played in the ASG in 1977, 1982,1988, 1990, 1991 & 1992.
-
#2 He ended with 390 Saves & exactly
100 Complete Games.
FCR - Michael Green, Las Vegas
Incorrect guesses: Dave Righetti, John Smoltz, Rich Gossage, Greg
Maddux
IN MEMORIAM
— 10-Dec
Q. Who
was the first player in the Modern Era to have both a four-home-run game and a seven-hit
game in his career?
Hint: #1
He was the last twentieth-century American League player to hit four
homers in a game.
Hint: #2
He played a full season without a single error, the first qualifying
outfielder to do so.
Hint: #3
He was standing on first base when he learned that he was the subject one
of the most controversial baseball trades of his generation…
Hint: #4
…and thus became the focus of a “curse”.
Hint: #5
He was the last living participant of the Home Run Derby held at Wrigley
Field.
Hint: #6
It was a former teammate who broke up his hitless innings streak.
Hint: #7
He was once suspended for charging into the stands during a game.
Hint: #8
His fine singing voice was another of his talents.
A. ROCKY COLAVITO [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. 4 HR/G for CLE = 10-Jun-1959. 7H/G for DET = 24-Jun-1962
-
#1 HR X 4 = 10-Jun-1959
-
#2 In 1965, Colavito played in 162
G, had 274 chances, zero (0!) errors.
- #3 On 17-Apr-1960, CLE traded HR champ Colavito
to DET for batting champ Harvey Kuenn.
- #4 When the trade became public, CLE
fans were outraged & called it one of the worst in Cleveland sports history,
going so far as to say that it cursed the Indians, contributing to or even
causing decades of struggles. He always
disavowed he existence of a curse or his possible part in it.
- #5 Filmed in December 1959 in Los Angeles at the
west coast’s Wrigley Field, the series aired in television syndication
from 09-Jan to 02-Jul-1960. It was a
precursor to the Home Run Derby held now in conjunction with the annual MLB
All-Star Game. When Willie Mays died in June
of 2024, Colavito became its last surviving former participant.
- #6 MLB coaches knew about his strong arm &
used him twice to pitch in live games. In
his 1st outing on 13-Aug-1958(2), he tossed 3 hitless
innings in relief of Hoyt Wilhelm. Then,
on 25-Aug-1968(1) at Yankee Stadium,
pitching on ten years’ rest, the Bronx native fulfilled a dream with 2⅓ more
hitless frames against DET. After an Al
Kaline double, Colavito retired Willie Horton to close the inning. That also closed his major league pitching
career with a spotless 0.00 ERA.
- #7 During the game on 12-May-1961, Colavito charged into
the stands to intervene in a fight between his father and a New York fan, a
“drunken bum” in Colavito’s words, who had been harassing Rocky’s wife. AL President Joe Cronin opted not to fine
Colavito, saying: “It wasn’t the right thing for the boy to go up into the
stands, but I guess it was natural for him to want to help his father.”
- #8 He recorded a few songs, showcasing his
baritone voice.
FCR
- Floyd Lapp, New City, New York
Incorrect guesses: Josh Hamilton, Mark Whiten
WEDNESDAY — 11-Dec
Q. Which
former Milwaukee pitcher is responsible for the most career wild pitches thrown
by any National League pitcher in the Modern Era?
Hint: #1
He is the only pitcher to lead the National League in losses for four (4!)
consecutive seasons.
Hint: #2
He was the first player elected to the Hall of Fame who played for the
Toronto Blue Jays.
A. PHIL NIEKRO [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Had 200 WP 1964-1987. Played for MLN in 1964-65. MLN became ATL in 1966.
-
#1 Led in Ls = 1977-1980 w/20,
18, 20, 18 respectively.
-
#2 HOF in 1997; Played for TOR in 1987.
FCR - Jerry
Kahn, New York City
Incorrect guesses:
MIDWEEK BONUS — 11-Dec
Q. Who
is the only player drafted No. 1 overall by a National League team to win a Cy
Young Award?
Hint: #1
It was his second time being drafted in the First Round.
Hint: #2
His brother-in-law once led the majors in triples.
A. GERRIT COLE [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. Drafted #1 by PIT in 2011. Unanimous CYA w/NYY
in 2023.
-
#1 Cole was drafted in 2008, Round One,
28th overall by NYY, but chose to attend UCLA and play baseball for the
Bruins.
-
#2 Brandon
Crawford, a 3 X AS & 4 X GG, in addition to winning WS rings
w/SFG in 2012 & 2014, led MLB in 3B w/11
in 2016. His sister, Amy Crawford is now
Mrs. Cole.
FCR - Rich
Lerner, Silver Spring, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Tom Seaver, Blake Snell, Steven Strasburg
THURSDAY — 12-Dec
Q. Which
towhead was the first left-handed pitcher to win two hundred career games
without ever winning twenty games in a season?
Hint: #1
Channeling Max Scherzer, he had a no-hitter that would have been a
perfect game except for a fielding error.
Hint: #2
He did a fine Ernie Shore imitation and without an ejection to help him.
A. JERRY REUSS [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. After 22 seasons in MLB,
Reuss had racked up 220 W. The most in
one year, though was 18 in 1975, his best overall career season.
-
#1 Pitching for LAD on 27-Jun-1980, Reuss had stifled the SFG bats even though he
only stuck out 2 and that was weak-hitting C Mike Sadek – twice. The perfect G possibility was out of the
question from the 1st because
of a throwing error by shortstop Bill Russell. [OK, not exactly like Scherzer’s but you see the
comparison.]
-
#2 On 11-Jun-1982, Jerry Reuss recorded
27 consecutive outs in a game, with only the opponent's leadoff batter reaching
base (double by Reds' Eddie Milner, who reached third on a sacrifice bunt and
scored on a fielder's choice). Read here about Shore’s game.
FCR - Mark
Hayne, Dumfries, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Jamie Moyer, Jon Lester
FRIDAY — 13-Dec
Q. Which
National League pitcher, who has four times finished in the top three of Cy
Young Award vote recipients, hit the first pitch he saw as a batter, out of the
park?
Hint: #1
Once he got to the majors, he
never changed teams and stayed for almost two decades.
Hint: #2
His team went to the postseason eleven of his 18 seasons with them
Hint: #3
His squad won the World Series twice during his time with them, but he
was only able to participate the first time.
A. ADAM WAINWRIGHT [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. On 24-May-2006, in the 5th
inning, Wainwright hit a home run on the first pitch of the first at-bat he
ever saw in the majors. He hit it off
SFG’s Noah Lowry. Wainwright was the G’s
winning pitcher, Lowry the loser. He
added 9 more for a total of 10 career HR. Wainwright finished 3rd (2009), 2nd (2010), 2nd (2013) & 3rd
(2014) in CYA voting,
acknowledging that Lincecum, Halladay & Kershaw were formidable ballot opponents.
-
#1 Wainwright pitched for STL for
18 season, 2005-2023.
-
#2 Played 2005-2010; 2012-2023;
reached postseason in 2005-06, 2009, 2012-15, 2019-23.
- #3 STL won the WS in 2006 & again in 2011, but Wainwright was
recovering from “Tommy John” surgery in 2011.
FCR - Marc
Brubaker, Houston
Incorrect guesses: Frank Tanana, Bob Gibson, Warren Spahn
SATURDAY — 14-Dec
Q. Which
heterochromatic triple Cy Young Award winner is not done yet?
Hint: #1 His current career WAR is greater than
those of retired Hall of Famers Carl Hubbell, Whitey Ford, Jim Palmer Sandy
Koufax.
Hint: #2
A fellow Cy Young Award winner and former teammate calls him “a
machine”.
A. MAX SCHERZER [B-R
Bio]
-
Ans. Scherzer, although currently
an unsigned free agent, has publicly stated that he is not considering
retirement.
-
#1 With another of his typical
seasons, he could easily also pass Robin Roberts, Nolan Ryan &
Bob Gibson.
-
#2 Full quote is, "He's
definitely a different breed, always has been.
Just seeing the way he goes about things. He's a machine." ~ David Price, w/Scherzer on DET (2014) & LAD (2021).
FCR - Richard
Vachet, Belchertown, Massachusetts
Incorrect guesses: Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Roger Clemens,
Chris Sale
SUNDAY — 15-Dec
Q. Which
All-Star pitchers has won World Series rings with three different teams, at
least one in each league and at least one in different time zones?
Hint: #1
He once played in a World Series that had nine other postseason series
MVPs in uniform.
Hint: #2
His pitching record in American League Championship Series play was a
perfect 8-0.
A. DAVE STEWART [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Stewart has WS rings from 1981 w/LAD; 1989 w/OAK; & 1993 w/TOR.
-
#1 In the 1993 WS, these postseason MVPs
were present and in uniform:
Year Series Team Name (1993
WS connection)
1955... WS........... BRO......... Johnny Podres (Phillies pitching coach)
1972... WS........... OAK......... Gene Tenace (Blue Jays’ dugout coach)
1983... Clg.WS*... OK St....... Pete Incaviglia (Phillies LF)
1989... ALCS....... OAK......... Rickey Henderson (Blue Jays LF)
1989... WS........... OAK......... Dave Stewart (Blue Jays starting pitcher)
1990... ALCS....... OAK......... Dave Stewart (Blue Jays starting pitcher)
1991... WS........... MIN.......... Jack Morris (Blue Jays bullpen. In uniform; did not play.)
1992... ALCS....... TOR......... Roberto Alomar (Blue Jays 2nd baseman)
1992... WS........... TOR......... Pat Borders (Blue Jays catcher)
1993... NLCS....... PHI........... Curt Schilling (Phillies starting pitcher)
1993... ALCS....... TOR......... Dave Stewart (Blue Jays starting pitcher)
1993... WS........... TOR......... Paul Molitor (Blue Jays DH)
2001... WS........... ARI........... Curt Schilling (Phillies starting pitcher)
*NCAA college WS, Played for OK St.
- #2 Stewart
pitched in the ALCS for OAK (6-0) & TOR (2-0)
FCR - Bruce
Duncan, Niceville, Florida
Incorrect guesses: Will Smith, Jack Morris
SUNDAY EXTRA — 15-Dec
Q. Who was
the first pitcher to lead the majors in ERA while pitching for an expansion franchise?
Hint: #1
He was the last Boston native to play for the Boston Braves.
Hint: #2
He was fortunate to have eleven Hall of Famers as teammates.
A. DICK DONOVAN [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1961, with the newly-launched
Washington Senators, a team that lost 100
G that year, Donovan led everybody with a 2.40 ERA.
-
#1 B. 07-Dec-1927 in Boston. Player for BSN 1950, 1951, 1952.
-
#2 His Hall of Fame teammates
were Billy Southworth (Mgr.), Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, Al Kaline, Nellie
Fox, George Kell, Minnie Minoso, Luis Aparicio, Larry Doby, Al Lopez
(Mgr.), Early Wynn (2 X).
FCR - Terry
Gans, San Carlos, California
Incorrect guesses: John Lackey, Dean Chance
SUNDAY BONUS — 15-Dec
Q. Which
one-time Red Sox pitcher was the last Dodgers hurler to have more than ten complete
games in a season?
Hint: #1
He was the first pitcher to win a game against the expansion
Miami/Florida Marlins.
Hint: #2
Baseball-Reference says he bats left-handed. Wikipedia list him as a switch-hitter. ChatGPT asserts that he bats only
right-handed
A. RAMON MARTINEZ [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. In 1990, Martinez completed 12
MLB G for LAD. Pitched for BOS in 1999 & 2000.
-
#1 In their 2nd ever
G, the Marlins on 06-Apr-1993 were beaten by Martinez & the Dodgers.
-
#2 ¿Qien sabe?
FCR - Bill
Deane, Cooperstown
Incorrect guesses: Charlie Hough, Pedro Martinez
WEEK’S
FINALE — 15-Dec
Q. Who was the first player in
the Korean Baseball Organization history to go directly from the KBO to Major
League Baseball via the posting system?
Hint:
#1 He won both the KBO MVP and the KBO
Rookie of the Year Award before coming to MLB.
Hint:
#2 One day after a teammate threw a
no-hitter, he was perfect through seven.
A. HYUN-JIN
RYU [B-R Bio]
- Ans. The
Los Angeles Dodgers won the bidding rights in 2012, signing him to a 6-year,
$36 million deal.
- #1 He
won both awards in the same season, 2006, the first KBO player to do so.
- #2 On 26-May-2014,
Ryu held CIN off the bases until the 8th inning. On 25-May-2014
teammate Josh Beckett
no-hit PHI.
FCR - Steve Berman, Bergenfield, New Jersey
Incorrect
guesses: Chan Ho Park
Year Winner Team # 1-Vote
guy Team
2021 AL CYA. Robbie Ray..............TOR.... 15....... Cole....................... CHW
2021 AL CYA. Warren
Spahn..........MLN.... 29....... Donovan.................NYY
1988 AL CYA. Frank
Viola...............MIN..... 27....... Eckersley.................OAK
1990 NL CYA. Doug
Drabek............PIT...... 23....... Martinez...................LAD
1969 NL CYA. Tom
Seaver..............NYM... 23....... Niekro.......................ATL
1970 NL CYA Bob Gibson...............STL..... 23....... Perry....................... SFO
1980 NL CYA. Steve
Carlton...........PHI..... 23....... Reuss....................... LAD
2018 NL CYA. Jacob deGrom.........PHI..... 29....... Scherzer......................WSN
2019 NL CYA. Jacob deGrom.........PHI..... 29....... Ryu.............................. LAD
1989 AL CYA. Bret Saberhagen......KCR.... 27....... Stewart....................... OAK
2013 NL CYA. Clayton Kershaw.....LAD.... 29....... Wainwright..................STL
First Correct Respondent identifying theme – {The null set}
Incorrect
theme guesses:
Mon - 300
career wins and 3,000 career strikeouts
Tues - Members
of the 1975 Indians
-
Hall
of fame pitchers that had opening day starts for Cleveland
-
Players
in multiple teams' Halls of Fame
-
Pitcher
who had a complete-game victory in a win-or-go-home Division Series game
If you know
someone who would enjoy receiving daily Horsehide Trivia questions, they need
only drop an email request to horsehidetrivia@aol.com.
Click here
=> THIS WEEK’s quiz, compete with
questions, answers and even the incorrect guesses.
Scroll back
to see previous Horsehide Trivia posts as far back as 2010. Quizzes before that may also be available
upon request.
Horsehide Trivia encourages independent research. ⚾️
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14612189/140001160.0.jpg){kind=link}
