MONDAY — 01-Apr
Q. Which one-time
Giants player was the first catcher to hit thirty home runs in a season?
Hint: #1 He was also
the first catcher to hit twenty home runs in a season.
Hint: #2 At the time
of his retirement, he held the catchers’ career records for games, plate
appearances, at-bats, hits, singles, doubles, home runs, runs batted in and total
bases.
Hint: #3 He hit
baseball’s most famous crepuscular home run.
A. GABBY HARTNETT [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Hartnett hit 37 HR in 1930 for CHC. No other catcher had yet hit even 20 HR in a
season. He ended his career w/NYG in 1941.
- #1 He hit 24 HR in 1925.
- #2 His career G= 1,793; PA = 7,300; AB = 6,432;
1 H = 1,912; 1B = 1,216; 2B = 396; HR = 236; RBI = 1,179; & TB = 3,194.
- #3 “The Homer in the Gloamin’” is what sportswriters called Hartnett’s HR on 28-Sep-1938. It was hit in the bottom of the 9th
as daylight faded from Wrigley Field. It
won the G for CHC, essentially winning them the NL pennant.
FCR - Eric Savage, Short
Hills, New Jersey
Incorrect guesses: Ernie
Barney, Ernie Lombardi, Willard Marshall, Walker Cooper
TUESDAY — 02-Apr
Q. Which one-time
Cincinnati Reds shortstop played on three major league teams in Chicago, but
never played for the White Sox.
Hint: #1 He once seriously
threatened teammate Harry Steinfeldt in a clubhouse argument.
Hint: #2 He also gave
a three-decade cold shoulder to an equally famous teammate who was once very
close.
A. JOE TINKER [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Tinker played
for the Chicago Cubs (CHC) 1902-12,1916; The Chicago Chi-Feds (CHI) 1913; and
the Chicago Whales (CHI) 1914 [Same franchise as the ChiFeds, but operating
under a different team name.]
- #1 Tinker actually wielded a pair of the
trainer's shears, threatening to kill Steinfeldt until cooler heads prevailed.
- #2 Tinker refused to speak to 2nd-base
teammate & known hothead, Johnny Evers, for 33 years following an argument
over a cab ride. Here are 3 fleet birds with
their infield partner: Photo
FCR - Michael Green,
Las Vegas
Incorrect guesses: Johnny
Evers, Buck Weaver, Dutch Zwilling, Cap Anson
WEDNESDAY — 03-Apr
Q. Who is the only
manager to lead two different American League teams to a World Series title?
Hint: #1 No younger
manager has led any team to a championship.
Hint: #2 Before he
became a manager, he led the majors in being hit by pitch three years in a row.
A. BUCKY HARRIS [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Harris led the 1924 Washington Senators & 1947 New York Yankees to World Series
titles.
- #1 As a rookie at age 27 in 1924, he is by 3 years
the youngest WS-winning skipper.
(Lou Boudreau was 30 in 1948.)
- #2 In 1921-23, Harris took 21,18
& 14, respectively, for the team.
FCR - Barry Goel, Baltimore
Incorrect guesses: Don
Baylor, Walt Alston, John McGraw, Joe McCarthy, Ralph Houk, Dick Williams
MIDWEEK BONUS
— 03-Apr
Q. Which
light-hitting (WAR = -0.3 that year) rookie shortstop helped his team beat a
powerful World Series opponent for his only championship ring and the team’s
only one for the next eighty-eight years?
Hint: #1
He resented his new Hall of Famer to-be teammate’s generous salary so
much that he refused to speak with him.
Hint: #2
There is a discernable difference between his performances in his first
and last World Series.
A. SWEDE RISBERG [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. The Chicago White Sox took down
the mighty New York Giants in the 1917 WS with young Risberg at
SS.
-
#1 Can’t imagine that Eddie
Collins put too much stock in his teammates’ (Chick Gandil joined Risberg in
the oral boycott.) attitude. He made
$15,000 to their $2,500 & $4,000 respectively.
-
#2 Just taking BA, Risberg hit
.500 in 1917 & .080 in 1919 with only 1 hit in 28 PA.
FCR - Andrew
Milner, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Incorrect guesses: Mark Koenig, Lou Boudreau, Rabbit Maranville,
Roger Peckinpaugh, Joe Sewell, Everett Scott
THURSDAY — 04-Apr
Q. Whose
no-hitter was thrown on the same calendar day as those of one pitcher before his
and five after?
Hint: #1
Lasting less than ninety minutes, his no-hitter was played before the
smallest National League crowd to watch a nine-inning major league game in the
twentieth century.
Hint: #2
The last time anyone on his team had thrown a no-hitter, it was the
second consecutive such thrown by the same pitcher.
A. CLYDE SHOUN [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. On May 15th,
major league no-hitters were thrown in:
1915 (Claude
Hendrix, 10-0);
1944 (Shoun,
1-0);
1952 (Virgil Trucks, 1-0);
1960(2) (Don Cardwell, 4-0);
1973 (Nolan
Ryan, 3-0)
1981* (Len
Barker, 3-0);
2022 (Hunter
Greene & Al Warren, 0-1 loss)
*Perfect game
-
#1 Shoun’s no-no,
stretching play all the way to 1:19 was witnessed by 1,012 paying spectators on
a Monday afternoon in Cincinnati. Shoun
himself hit a double, but all the game’s scoring came on Chuck
Aleno’s solo HR in the 5th inning, doubling his career total. The only play that prevented a perfect game
was the BB, Shoun’s opposite number, Jim Tobin, drew in the 3rd
inning. Tobin had thrown a no-hitter
himself less than 3 weeks earlier.
-
#2 On 11-Jun- & 15-Jun-1938,
Johnny Vander Meer’s famous back-to-back no-hitters were logged.
FCR - Evan
Thompson, Mesa
Incorrect guesses: Tom Browning, Johnny Vander Meer, Jim Maloney,
Walter Johnson
FRIDAY — 05-Apr
Q. Whose
Minnesota Twins hitting streak record did Ken Landreaux break in 1980?
Hint: #1
He was once traded for the reigning league Rookie of Year.
Hint: #2
He would have had a World Series
ring, but the team that won it released him mid-season.
Hint: #3
His first hit in the Big Leagues was a bases-clearing triple.
A. LENNY GREEN [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. Green had a 24-game hitting
streak May 1–28, 1961, the 1st season when he played 150+ G. Landreaux’ record was 31 G, tied for the
longest in the AL since Dom DiMaggio's 34 in 1949.
-
#1 Albie Pearson, AL ROY in 1958, was sent from WSH to
BAL in exchange for Green 26‑May‑1959.
-
#2 Green’s last stop in the
majors was with his hometown Detroit Tigers.
In 1968, he played lightly for a few months and then was cut
-
#3 Green’s 3-bagger = 29-Aug-1957.
FCR - Victor
Piacentile, l Yorktown Heights, New York
Incorrect guesses: Ewell Blackwell, Rod Carew, Bryce Harper, Heinie
Manush
SATURDAY — 06-Apr
Q. Which
National Leaguer led the majors in pitching win percentage the same year he no-hit
that same season’s World Series champions?
Hint: #1
He played professionally only for the franchise that drafted him and
spent a decade with the big club.
Hint: #2
He surrendered the four hundredth career home run to a former MVP and
future Hall of Famer.
-
Ans. Moose had a record of 14-3
in 1969 & his .824 led the majors working equally as a starter
and reliever for PIT. On 20-Sep-1969,
Moose held the Mets hitless, w/ 3 BB
& 6 K. NYM upset BAL in the 1969 WS.
-
#1 Drafted #348 in 1965, Moose was a
Pittsburgh Pirate from 1967 through 1976.
-
#2 In Candlestick Park on 15-Jul-1973,
Moose & 4 relievers were on the wrong side of a Juan Marichal 21-0
shutout. In the 3rd inning, Willie
McCovey, the 1969 NL MVP,
hit a solo HR off Moose. It was the 16th
of the 29 McCovey hit that year & the 400th of the 521 that defined his
career. [Stretch’s 401st came
2 innings later off PIT’s Bob Johnson.]
FCR - Jerry
Wolper, Pittsburgh
Incorrect guesses: Bert Blyleven, Ron Bryant, Sandy Koufax
SUNDAY — 07-Apr
Q. Who
was the first batter in the twentieth century to collect five hits in an
Opening Day game?
Hint: #1
The season he led the National League in hits and doubles, he received
no consideration at all for any postseason awards.
Hint: #2
He was the twentieth century’s first player to steal home in extra
innings.
A. BOBBY BYRNE [SABR Bio]
-
Ans. On 12-Apr-1911,
Byrne had 5 H as he and his PIT teammates throttled CIN 14-0.
-
#1 Byrne got 178 H & 43
2B, both personal bests in 1910, the year before the first MVPs were
awarded.
-
#2 On 25-Aug-1910,
in the 12th inning, Byrne successfully stole home, giving PIT a “walk-off”
victory over BRO.
FCR - Jesse
Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma
Incorrect guesses: Wee Willie Keeler, Chuck Klein, Nap Lajoie, Babe
Ruth
WEEK’S THEME – A
hand-picked sampling of major league players who died on their own birthdays.
Player Born Died MLB years
Byrne.................... 31-Dec-1884............ 31-Dec-1964......... 11
Green.................... 06-Jan-1933............. 06-Jan-2019......... 12
Harris.................... 08-Nov-1896............ 08-Nov-1977... 12, 22
Hartnett................. 20-Dec-1900............ 20-Dec-1972......... 20
Moose................... 09-Oct-1947............. 09-Oct-1976......... 10
Risberg................. 13-Oct-1894............. 13-Oct-1975........... 4
Shoun................... 20-Mar-1912............. 20-Mar-1968......... 14
Tinker..................... 27-Jul-1880.............. 27-Jul-1948.......... 15
First
Correct Respondent identifying theme – Jerry Kahn, New York City (On Monday! Possibly the fastest FCR ever.)
Incorrect theme
guesses:
Tues - Cubs
Hall of Fame members
- HOF
Cubs who acted on stage or in a movie
- Cubs
players who died on their birthdays
- Pennant
winning playing managers
- Oldest
players to die on their birthday
Wed - Hall
of Famers who dies on their birthday
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