MONDAY
Q. Which
Tigers star broke the American League record for most home runs in a season by
a catcher which had been shared by Yogi Berra and Gus Triandos?
Hint: He
only held the record for one season.
Hint: From
1982-86, when the Tigers played the Rangers box scores often included the first
three letters of his first name.
Hint: He
was a bodyguard for Tina Turner.
Twint: He
accounted for all three outs (K, GIDP) in the top of the first inning on
13-Apr-1984.
A. Lance Parrish (32 HR in 1982, broke
record of 30 held by Berra
[1952] & Triandos
[1958]; broken by Carlton Fisk
in 1983; Larry
Parrish played for TEX, so box scores frequently identified them as
LarParrish & LanParrish)
FCR - Jeff Bergida, Albany, NY
TUESDAY
Q. Who
was the first player to hit a home run in his first two World Series plate
appearances?
Hint: He
had previously gone 1-20 in postseason play.
Hint: His
.211 batting average was the lowest average by a modern player who led the
league in walks.
Twint: Jimmy
Wynn and Adam Dunn have since submarined his mark.
A. Gene Tenace (2 HR in 1972 WS Game 1;
0-3 in 1971
ALCS, 1-17 in 1972 ALCS;
.211 w-110 BB in 1974, Yank
Robinson [118 BB .208 AVG in 1889] held the all-time record; Wynn [127
BB .207 AVG in 1976] & Dunn [105
BB .204 AVG in 2012] eclipsed Tenace and Robinson)
FCR - Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, AR
TUESDAY TWICE
Q. Who
continued playing with a fractured and separated shoulder after colliding with
Pete Rose, only to have his season later ended by a broken index finger?
Hint: He
was the Indians’ first-ever draft pick, chosen ahead of Johnny Bench in the
inaugural June Free Agent Draft.
Hint: He
suffered a crushed disk in his neck while trying to break up a fight between
Reggie Jackson and Bill North.
Twint: He
only played 19 games after tripping in a hole while running down the first base
line in a spring training game.
Twint: Why
there was a hole on the first base line, only the groundskeeper knows.
A. Ray Fosse (Rose collision in 1970
All-Star Game, broken finger 03-Sep-1970;
7th pick in 1965
draft, Bench
chosen 36th;
Jackson-North duel 05-Jun-1974; hole trip during 1978 spring training, on DL
entire 1978 season, played 19 games in 1979 before retiring)
FCR - Morris Buenemann, Florissant, MO
WEDNESDAY
Q. Which
top prospect was traded for Michael Pineda prior to the 2012 season?
Hint:
Although a catcher in the minors, he was projected to be primarily a designated
hitter due to his defensive liabilities.
Hint: After
signing for a $2,000,000 bonus, the sides renegotiated the bonus down to
$1,650,000 without disclosing their reasons.
Hint: Although
he struck out with the bases loaded in his first major league at-bat, he scored
the go-ahead run that day in his team’s crucial victory.
Twint: He
was the first Mariners rookie to start as designated hitter on Opening Day.
A. Jesus Montero (traded w- Hector Noesi
for Pineda
on 23-Jan-2012; debut 10-Sep-2011;
OD DH start 28-Mar-2012)
FCR - Elijah Kaplan, Teaneck, NJ
MIDWEEK BONUS
Q. Who
is the only major leaguer catcher to play 140 games in a season eight times?
Hint: His
father did it once.
Hint: He
is in fifth place on the career HBP list.
Twint: He
was the first Pirate to hit for the cycle at Three Rivers Stadium.
A. Jason Kendall (140 G caught in 1997-98,
2000, 2002-06, 2008; Fred Kendall
146 G caught in 1976; 254 HBP; Pirate cycle 19-May-2000)
FCR - David Krassin, New York, NY
THURSDAY
Q. Who
finally stuck in the majors when Tom Glavine insisted on using him as a personal
catcher?
Hint: He
may be best-known for a headstand.
Hint: His
only American League hit was called “the longest single in the history of the
Metrodome” by Kirby Puckett.
Twint: He
was named to the NL All-Star team in his rookie season after spending more than
eight years toiling in the minors.
A. Greg Olson (Glavine’s personal catcher;
bowled
over by Dan Gladden
in the 3rd inning 19‑Oct‑1991
of the 1991
WS; hit line drive off the top of the left field Plexiglas at Metrodome on 01-Jul-1989,
held to a single when ball caromed directly to Chili Davis, holding him to a
long single; Minors
1982-90)
FCR - David Krassin, New York, NY
FRIDAY
Q. Which
Jewish player has appeared in the most Major League games?
Hint: While
sitting out during Yom Kippur he joked that he was “trying to atone for my poor
first half.”
Hint: He
was the manager of the Israel National Baseball Team during the qualifying
round of the 2012-13 WBC.
Hint: The
team did not advance.
Twint: He
was a high school teammate of Hall of Famer Brian Leetch.
A. Brad Ausmus (1,971 ML games; Yom Kippur
in 2001; Ausmus & Leetch
teammates at Cheshire
HS, Leetch
elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009)
FCR - Rick Brody, Austin, TX
FRIDAY FREEBIE
Q.
Who was the last player to bat against Sandy Koufax?
Hint: He
led the York Revolution to back-to-back Atlantic League championships in
2010-11.
Hint: He
has been bench coach for Tom Trebelhorn and Davey Johnson.
Twint: He
helped save teammate Frank Robinson from drowning during Robinson’s Triple
Crown season.
A. Andy Etchebarren (GIDP vs. Koufax
in 1966 WS Game 2;
bench coach for Trebelhorn
with 1987-88 Brewers & for Johnson
with 1996-97 Orioles; Robinson pool
incident 22‑Aug‑1966)
FCR - Dave Raglin, McLean, VA
SATURDAY
Q. Who
was the first manager of the Atlantic League York Revolution?
Hint: Before
reaching the majors he was traded for Fred Lynn.
Hint: He
was just the third rookie catcher to win an American League fielding title.
Hint: The
prior two winners played for the same franchise.
Twint: He
is second only to Rick Dempsey in games caught for the Orioles.
Twint: He
hit a home run may be considered the "most ultimate" grand slam of
all time, as he hit his home run on a full 3-2 count with 2 outs, the only time
in major league history this has ever been recorded.
A. Chris Hoiles (named Revolution manager
for the 2007 season; Lynn trade
31-Aug-1988; 819 G @ C for BAL, Dempsey
1,230; Clint
Courtney [pre-relocation St. Louis Browns] won 1952
AL C fielding title, Johnny Oates
won in 1972;
GS
HR 17‑May‑1996
off future teammate and battery mate Norm
Charlton)
FCR - Bill Lewers, McLean, VA
WEEKEND BONUS
Q. Who
was the first Major League manager of Armenian heritage?
Hint: He
insisted that his players call him “Skip Johnson.”
Hint: A
Chicago Cubs blog employs a writer who uses the moniker in honor of this former
Cubs pilot.
Twint: Nephews
Chris & Scott Demetral played in the minors.
Twint: He
managed nephew Ted Demetral on the Greek team in the 2010 European
Championship.
A. Jim Essian (“Skip” has a weekly column
on Cubs blog Hire Jim Essian!; Greek team)
FCR - John Michael Pierobon, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL
SUNDAY
Q. Which
player was arrested on the field for punching opposing manager Clark Griffith
in the face during a brawl?
Hint: All
charges were later dropped and three years later, Griffith purchased him for
the Senators.
Hint: In
his first year in the Pacific Coast League, he was hailed as the only catcher
in America to play 100 games without allowing a passed ball.
Hint: During
his rookie season in the majors, his jaw was broken by a Joe Engel fastball.
Twint: He
was the only catcher on the 1916 Red Sox roster who did not play in the World
Series that year.
A. Sam Agnew (fight/arrest 30-Jun-1916;
Purchase to Washington Jan‑1919; broken jaw 25‑Jul‑1913; 1916 WS)
FCR - Steve Bonfield, Calgary, AB
SUNDAY SERMONIZER
Q. Which
player, immediately after leading the American League in fielding, was traded
along with $60,000 and two other players for Wally Schang, Bullet Joe Bush and
Amos Strunk?
Hint: He
never played for the team that acquired him and his contract was sold six months
later.
Hint: According
to legend, he nearly lost an eye during a mugging in San Francisco the year
before he reached the majors.
Twint: Belying
his nickname, he went 0-for-his-last-16 as a pinch-hitter.
A. Pinch Thomas (led AL C in fielding 1917,
traded to PHA 14‑Dec‑1917; Sold to CLE 01‑Jun‑1918; attacked by “toughs” in San
Francisco in 1911)
FCR - Damian Begley, New York, NY
WEEKLY THEME
– Players who caught combined no-hitters
Catcher Game Pitchers Opponent
Oddities:
1. The Ruth/Shore game was perfect
after Ruth was ejected following a disputed first-batter walk.
2. In Etchebarren’s game, the Orioles
actually lost to the Tigers.
3. Paul Lindblad was involved in both
games in the 1970s.
4. There are two guys named Greg(g)
Olson on this list.
5. In the game Mercker won, the loser Greg Harris
pitched a complete game.
First Correct Respondent
to Identify Theme – Jeff
Bergida, Albany, NY (after the Fosse question)
Horsehide Trivia blog has the
questions and answers from this week as well as from previous weeks: http://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/
Horsehide Trivia home page: https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia
