Monday, January 2, 2017

26-Dec-2016 - 01-Jan-2017 Questions most often answered incorrectly in 2016

MONDAY
Q.        Who was the first Atlanta Brave to reach the 200 hit mark in a season?
Hint:     It was enough to lead the majors.
A.         FELIPE ALOU (18-Mar-2016)
- 218 H, 1966 - the year they moved to Atlanta from Milwaukee.
FCR -  Rich Klein, Plano, TX
Incorrect answers:  Ralph Garr, Ron Gant, Rico Carty, Matty Alou, Joe Torre, Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Dale Murphy

TUESDAY
Q.       Who is the only player to finish in the top 10 in the National League both batting average and home runs in the same season 12 times during his career?
Hint:     As a result, he is the only player to rank in the top 30 in career hits, singles, doubles, triples and home runs.
A.         STAN MUSIAL
FCR -  Dave Johnson, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Incorrect answers:  Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols, Larry Walker, Todd Helton, Johnny Mize, Roberto Clemente

WEDNESDAY
Q.       Which Newfie manqué played for the Royals before he played with the Cubs?
Hint:   Once, after hitting a home run, he slid into second base, cartwheeled to third base then crawled home.
A.         CHUCK CONNORS
- Parents had moved from Newfoundland shortly before he was born in the U.S.  Played for the 1945-46 NBL’s Rochester Royals.
- HR antics were in the PCL in 1952, playing for the AAA Los Angeles Angels.
FCR -  Stephan Bonfield, Calgary
Incorrect answers:  Jimmy Piersall, Willie Wilson, Bill Schuster, Stan Musial, Ben Zobrist, Frank Baker, Nap Lajoie

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.       What batter won a home run title the same year his strikeout total was in single digits?
Hint:   His franchise from sought greener pastures just a year after he managed the team.
A.       TOMMY HOLMES
- Hit 28 HR’s in 1945 and struck out exactly nine (9!) times.  Both marks paced the NL that season.
- Holmes was player/manager for part of 1951 and managed the team in 1952 but did not play.  Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953
FCR -  Fred Brillhart, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Incorrect answers:  Lloyd Waner, Ted Williams, Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron

THURSDAY
Q.        Who was the first Giants player to achieve the pitching triple crown?
Hint:     He won 4 of the 6 games for the victorious Giants when they won their first postseason series.
A.         TIM KEEFE
- 1888 led NL with ERA 1.74, 35 Wins, and 335 K’s.
-The World Series prior to 1903 were exhibition games.  Still, the Giants beat the Cards 6-3 in 1889.
FCR – Scott Matteson, Shawnee, Kansas
Incorrect answers: Carl Hubbell, Christy Mathewson, Juan Marichal, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Amos Rusie

FRIDAY
Q.       Who was the first bench coach in Diamondbacks history?
Hint:   He was the first manager for the Portland Sea Dogs.
Hint:   He never played pro ball and, in fact, was cut from his college team.
A.       CARLOS TOSCA
-     Diamondbacks bench coach 1998-2000 (Glenn Sherlock began at the same time as Tosca, but does not, of course, satisfy the hints.)
-     Portland Sea Dogs manager 1994-96
-     Joined & cut from University of South Florida team in 1975
FCR -  Gary Sarnoff, Alexandria, Virginia
Incorrect answers:  Robin Yount, Glenn Sherlock, Kevin Boles

SATURDAY
Q.        What future New York Yankee hit .401 for the San Francisco Seals in 1925?
Hint:     He was not born in the United States.
A.         PAUL WANER
- Played for NYY in 1944 & 1945; averaged .378 over his three seasons with Seals.
- Born in the Oklahoma Territory 16-Apr-1903, over 4 years before Oklahoma was granted statehood 16-Nov-1907.
FCR -  Richard Tharp, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Incorrect answers:  George Sisler, Tony Lazzeri, George Selkirk, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty O’Doul

NEW YEAR’S BONUS
Q.        Who was the first native of Canada to be selected to a National League All-Star team?
Hint:     He had double-unique status for a decade.
A.         GOODY ROSEN
- All-Star team in 1945.  Game not played due to World War II.
- The majors had never seen another Goody or another Rosen.  He was therefore “Double Unique”* for almost exactly 10 years until Al Rosen’s debut.
FCR -  Steve Berman, Bergenfield, New Jersey
Incorrect answers:  Fergie Jenkins, Claude Raymond, Larry Walker, George Selkirk, Tip O’Neill

SUNDAY
Q.        Who is credited with inventing the pregame clubhouse meeting?
Hint:     His obituary had these words, "He did not allow the platitudes of the multitudes to turn his head".
A. BUCK EWING
FCR -  Jeff Kallman, Las Vegas
Incorrect answers:  John McGraw, Bill Terry, Connie Mack, Bucky Harris


WEEKLY THEME – Select Horsehide Trivia questions most often answered incorrectly by our readers in 2016.  (This week was scant improvement.)

First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – [null set]


Questions archived here:  http://horsehidetriviA.       blogspot.com/

Horsehide Trivia home page:  https://sites.google.com/site/tnfotobbpics/home/horsehide-trivia


* "Double unique" is a silly thing I came up with 20 years ago, inspired by a colleague at work.  Having been cursed with a brutally pedestrian name, I have long been fascinated with those whose monikers make them immediately recognizable. A former colleague of mine named Theda Wamboldt got me thinking about people who don’t really need a last name because their first name is unique, at least in certain circles. But what if their last name is unique too?!  And what if they could easily be identified by either name?  They are Double Unique.

This list uses the names found in the SABR database and on www.baseball-reference.com.  If the spelling differs, e.g., MacPhee and McPhee, they are counted as separate and eligible for the list.  Additions or edits are always welcome.

Much work remains to be done, including the 2016 edits, but here is the list:  Double Uniques.  Pay particular attention to the second tab.


P.S.  Ms. Theda has gotten married since those days.  Her new last name?  You guessed it… Smith!




~ Bruce Brown

Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, December 25, 2016

2016-12-19 Players who stole home twice in a game in the modern era

MONDAY/TUESDAY
Q. Who is the only player with a career batting average higher than .350 who is not in the Hall of Fame?
Hint: He holds the record for highest batting average by a qualifying rookie.
Hint: His favorite bat was hickory and was famously stained dark with tobacco juice.
Hint: According to SABR, relief pitching was one of his duties with his first professional team.
Hint: He made it to the majors the same year he became a pro.
- .356; Only Cobb‘s (.366) and Hornsby‘s (.359) are higher.
-  He hit .408 in 1911 for the Cleveland Naps (Indians)
- Called his bat “Black Betsy”.  It was admired and copied by Babe Ruth.  Ruth also claimed he copied Jackson’s batting stance.
- Jackson’s first professional team was the Greenville Spinners of the Carolina Association in 1908, but by August of that year he joined the Philadelphia A’s.  See SABR Bio.
FCR - Jake Hopper, Houston
Incorrect answers:  Lefty O’Doul, Ross Barnes
WEDNESDAY
Q. Whose record of 8 career National League batting titles did Tony Gwynn tie in 1997?
Hint: When he was elected to the Hall of Fame, no other infielder had ever received more votes.
Hint: He led the NL in RBI one season with a total less than 100.  He was more accustomed to better performances, having led the previous year with a total over 125.
Hint: Only he can claim five (5!) career inside-the-park grand slams.
- Wagner’s 8th and final batting title was in 1911.  The first was in 1900.
- Elected in the very first Hall of Fame class in 1936.  Two outfielders and two pitchers were the only other players elected that year.
- 91 RBI in 1902; 126 in 1901
FCR - Rich Zucker, St. Louis
Incorrect answers:  Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Dave Orr, Mike Schmidt, Stan Musial
THURSDAY
Q. Who is the only position player to win Gold Gloves while playing for 4 different teams?
Hint: His last name has only one generation of ancestral lineage.
Hint: He was the first native of his country to receive a Hall of Fame vote.
Hint: He will forever hold the record for the longest hitting streak in Kansas City A’s history.
- GG in 1958 (KCA & CLE), 1959-61 (CLE), 1963 (MIN) and 1964 (MIN & LAA).   Ironic since Yankees president Dan Topping once opined, “Our scouting reports rate Power a good hitter, but a poor fielder.”
- His mother’s birth name was Pove and was arbitrarily changed by a teacher who thought the girl was getting her own name wrong.
- Received HOF votes in 1971-72, but not enough to stay on the ballot.  First Puerto Rican to receive votes.  (Yes, we know it’s not technically a “country”.)
- 22-G hitting streak in 1958 (Tied with Hector Lopez who did it in 1957)
FCR - Fred Worth, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Incorrect answers:  Hector Lopez, Jimmie Foxx, Rocky Colavito, Napoleon Lajoie, Amos Otis, Bert Campaneris, Roberto Alomar, Dane Iorg
FRIDAY
Q. What versatile Cantabrigian’s boisterous, enthusiastic style earned him the ironic nickname of “Whispering Bill”?
Hint: He played every position except catcher during his career in the Bigs, including a perfect 1-0 record as a pitcher.
Hint: His talent was not in question, but his loud, opinionated style was a leading reason he played for and was released from or traded away by 11 different professional teams.
Hint: His most outstanding season was 1927, but drew scant attention because his White Sox finished almost 40 games behind you-know-who.
Hint: His hometown Red Sox once held a “Day” for him even though at the time he was playing for the visiting team.
- People from Cambridge, Massachusetts are called Cantabrigians.  Barrett was born, died and was buried there.  He even got to play 117 games for his beloved Red Sox toward the end of his career 1929-30.
FCR - Mark DeLodovico, Rockville, Maryland
Incorrect answers:  Bill Dickey, Willie Kamm
SATURDAY
Q. What bi-lingual Cantabrigian became an all-scholastic catcher after dropping out of school, but being convinced to return by his work colleague Pie Traynor.  (Yes, THAT Pie Traynor.)
Hint: He was first scouted by Jack Barry, formerly of the $100,000 infield.
Hint: He is today in the Holy Cross Hall of Fame, mostly based on an outstanding baseball career in college there.
Hint: In the majors, teammate Dave Bancroft, a future Hall of Famer, sang his praises.  
- Bancroft said “He covers more ground than a thunder shower and makes his plays like lightening.” Bancroft predicted that Doc “will be another Eddie Collins’ in two more years.”
FCR - Dr. David Henly, Stillwater, Minnesota
Incorrect answers:  Joe Dugan, Rosy Ryan, Moe Berg, Gene Desautels
SUNDAY
Q. Who was the first batter to come to the plate in Fenway Park?
Hint: He was the first Jewish major leaguer born in the state of West Virginia.
Hint: One of his baseball cards is the only known one of its kind and has been controversially valued at as much as $125,000.
Hint: He played in all major leagues possible during his five-year career.
- B. 13-Feb-1887 in Holbrook, WV
FCR - Ken Auerbach, Bronxville, New York
Incorrect answers:  Ezra Midkiff, Dana Wingate, Jake Stahl, Heinie Manush


THEME FOR THE WEEK - Players who stole home twice in a game in the modern era.
Wagner   20-Jun-1901
Jackson      11-Aug-1912
Zinn           15-Aug-1912
Barrett       01-May-1924
Power         14-Aug-1958


First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme – Steve Berman, Bergenfield, NJ (after Power)






Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)