Monday, January 19, 2026

2026-01-12 Select first-day starting pitchers in their team’s new stadium, those built since WWII

MONDAY  — 12-Jan-2026

Q.  Which native Buffalo southpaw won more pitching victories in his career than any other lefty in any major league?

Hint: #1  No National League pitcher ever hit more home runs.

Hint: #2  He won the second ever Cy Young Award and did it at age thirty-six.

A.  WARREN SPAHN  [SABR Doc]

-  Ans.  You could say he “buffaloed” opponents 363 times and got the win for 6th place all-time.  The next lefty in that list is Steve Carlton with 329.

-  #1  Spahn’s 21-year career was only with NL teams, the Braves, the Mets & the Giants, but all 35 of his career homers were hit as a Brave.  He hit 7 HR as a Boston Brave & 28 as a Milwaukee Brave.  He left the Braves just 2 seasons before they relocated to Atlanta.

-  #2  He was the first left-handed Cy Young Award winner when he won in 1957, 1 vote from being unanimous.

FCR -  Eric Morrison, Myerstown, Pennsylvania

Incorrect guesses: 

 

 

TUESDAY  — 13-Jan-2026

Q.  Which one-time Colorado Rockies pitcher holds the record for most major league home runs surrendered?

Hint: #1  Only four players can claim more seasons of major league service.

Hint: #2  In the same game last century, he got his one thousandth strikeout and one hundredth win.

A.  JAMIE MOYER  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Moyer gave up 522 pitches to batters who scored before he next pitch was thrown.  He pitched for COL in 2012.

-  #1  He was on one of 8 major league teams for a total of 25 years of service.  The only players with more are Nolan Ryan & Cap Anson (27); Tied for 3rd are Deacon McGuire & Tommy John (26); Then Rickey Henderson, Eddie Collins, Bobby Wallace, Charlie Hough & Moyer each played 25 years.

-  #2  Pitching for SEA in Cleveland on 27-Apr-1988, Moyer pitched six innings, struck out David Bell in the 6th and got the win for his 100th.  He got 169 more wins before retiring.

FCR -  Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan

Incorrect guesses:  Phil Niekro, Bert Blyleven, Charlie Hough

 

 

WEDNESDAY  — 14-Jan-2026

Q.  Which one-time Orioles pitcher had led the majors in wins for the Yankees in his second seasons with them?

Hint: #1  Seven years earlier, he led the majors in ERA and ERA+.

Hint: #2  In each of those seasons, he finished second in Cy Young Award voting.

A.  JIMMY KEY  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Key joined NYY10-Dec-1992 via free agency.  He led MLB with 17 W in strike-shortened 1994.  He finished with BAL 1997 & 1998.

-  #1  With TOR in 1987, Key’s 2.76 ERA & 164 ERA+ both led MLB.

-  #2  In 1987, Key finished behind Roger Clemens for AL CYA.  In 1994, it was former teammate David Cone who won.

FCR -  Shaun Montana, Medway, Massachusetts

Incorrect guesses:  Mike Mussina, Scott McGregor, David Cone, David Wells, Mike Torrez

 

 

THURSDAY  — 15-Jan-2026

Q.  Who was the first pitcher to pick off Rickey Henderson?

Hint: #1  He still leads all Kansas City Royals pitchers in games started, career wins, innings pitched and batters faced.

Hint: #2  In spite of his reliable workmanlike efforts over fifteen seasons, he was never selected to All-Star team.

A.  PAUL SPLITTORF  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In Henderson’s 3rd MLB game on 26-Jun-1979, he drew a walk as the leadoff batter of the 3rd inning.  On the next pitch, he broke for second, but Splittorf threw to 1st base and he was caught in a P-1B-SS-1B rundown, George Scott & Freddie Patek being the infielders involved.

-  #1  Splittorf finished with 392 GS, 166 W, 2,554⅔ IP & 10,829 BF.

-  #2  He did received CYA votes in 1978.

FCR – Mark Pattison, Washington, DC

Incorrect guesses:  Dennis Leonard, Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, Larry Gura

 

 

FRIDAY  — 16-Jan-2026

Q.  Who was the first pitcher born outside the United States to throw a regular-season perfect game for a team domiciled outside the United States?

Hint: #1  His perfecto didn’t come until the sixteenth of his twenty-three seasons in the majors.

Hint: #2  He enjoyed the company of many of the game’s best players, including Hall o Famers such as Reggie Jackson, Randy Johnson and Jim Thome.

Hint: #3  He is the only native of his country to lead the majors in pitching victories for a season.

A.  DENNIS MARTINEZ  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Martinez is famously a native of Nicaragua & while employed by the Montreal Expos, threw a perfect game against LAD in LA on 28-Jul-1991.

-  #1  He debuted with BAL in 1976 and finished in 1998 with ATL.  He played with MON, CLE & SEA between those 2.

-  #2  Hall of Fame teammates included Jackson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray (a future perfect game victim), Cal Ripken, Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Johnson, Thome, Ken Griffey Jr, Greg  Maddux, Edgar Martinez (no relation), Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz & possibly… Andruw Jones (?).

-  #3  In the shortened season of 1981, Martinez led with 14 W for BAL.  His Ws tied with those of Steve McCatty, Pete Vuckovich & Hall of Famers Tom Seaver & Jack Morris, all 4 natives of the USA.

FCR -  Jake Bell, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Incorrect guesses:  Pascual Perez

 

 

SATURDAY  — 17-Jan-2026

Q.  Which onetime St. Louis Cardinal player was the first Los Angeles Dodger pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year Award?

Hint: #1  He only won the Cy Young Award once, but he won it unanimously.

Hint: #2  He hit his first career home run off Tom Seaver.

A.  RICK SUTCLIFFE  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  In 1979, Sutcliffe was LAD’s 1st pitcher to be ROY.  (There had been 2 in Brooklyn.)  He ended his playing career with STL in 1994.

-  #1  In 1984, he was the NL CYA and took all the first-place votes

-  #2  HR off Seaver = 25-May-1979, the 1st of his 4 HR in MOB.

FCR -  Scott Morissey, Hamilton, Ontario

Incorrect guesses:  Fernando Valenzuela, Dennis Martinez, Hoyt Wilhelm

 

 

SATURDAY BONUS — 08-Mar-2025

Q.  Who was the team’s pitching coach when his star reliever gave up the most famous home run ever hit in Toronto?

Hint: #1  There’s a statue of him in Cooperstown commemorating his most famous accomplishment.

Hint: #2  He taught Cy Young Award-winning Fran k Viola a career-changing changeup.

A. JOHNNY PODRES  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Podres was the Phillies’ pitching coach 1991-1996.  Here is the HR in question.

-  #1  Click here for the Hall of Fame statue.

-  #2  Viola was 11-25 in his first 2 seasons, then had 6 straight years over .500 including the 1988 AL CYA.

FCR -  Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma

Incorrect guesses:  Mel Stottlemyre, Jim Kaat, Jesse Orosco, Don Drysdale, Tom House

 

 

SUNDAY  — 18-Jan-2026

Q.  Who spent his whole career in the Cy Young Award Era, threw a no-hitter and a perfect game, yet received only a single CYA vote in his whole career?

Hint: #1  He is the only pitcher who surrendered an inside-the-park home run to Hank Aaron.

Hint: #2  He played for both leagues and served in both chambers.

A.  JIM BUNNING  [SABR Bio]

-  Ans.  Bunning threw a no-hitter for DET 20-Jul-1958(1), a perfect game for PHI on 21-Jun -1964(1).  Then in 1967, he received one (1) vote for the NL CYA that SFG’s Mike McCormick won that year.

-  #1  On 10-May-1967(1), Aaron’s only hit of the game was a 2-run IPHR With Bunning on the mound.

-  #2  Bunning played 9 years in the AL & 8 years in the NL.  He represented Kentucky in the U.S. House of Representatives for four 2-year terms & in the U.S. Senate for two six-year terms.

FCR -  Jim Lovelace, Kent, Ohio

Incorrect guesses:  Jim Bouton

 

 

 

 

Weekly theme:  Select first-day starting pitchers in their team’s new stadium, those built since WWII, sorted by career WAR.

 

County Stadium.............. MLN... 14-Apr-1953.. W........... Spahn... 100.1

Veterans Stadium........... PHI..... 10-Apr-1971.. W........... Bunning.. 59.4

Safeco Field................... SEA.... 15-Jul-1999... L............ Moyer..... 49.8

SkyDome........................ TOR... 05-Jun-1989. L............ Key......... 48.9

Jacobs Field................... CLE.... 04-Apr-1994.. W........... Martinez. 48.7

OPCY............................. BAL.... 06-Apr-1992.. W........... Sutcliffe... 33.9

Dodger Stadium............. LAD.... 10-Apr-1962.. L............ Podres... 29.8

Veterans Stadium........... PHI..... 10-Apr-1971.. W........... Bunning.. 59.4

Kauffman Stadium.......... KCR... 04-Apr-1973.. W........... Splittorf... 23.0

 

 

First Correct Respondent identifying theme – Nobody

 

 

Incorrect theme guesses:

 

Mon     -  Oldest LHP to throw a shutout

 

Tues    -  Oldest players to record an RBI

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