MONDAY — 01-Feb
Q. Who is the only pitcher in the Modern Era to have a double-digit strikeout game in the majors before he turned eighteen years old?
Hint: #1 He rated Bill Dickey as the best catcher he ever threw to.
Hint #2 He heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor on his way to negotiate his contract and decided to enlist in the military instead.
Hint: #3 He was the first American League pitcher to go by his given name to start an All-Star game.
A. BOB FELLER [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Feller had 4of ‘em! 23-Aug-1936; 07-Sep-1936; 13-Sep-1936; & 23-Sep-1936. No one else K’d more than 4 at that age.
- #1 Threw to NYY’s Dickeyin the 1939& 1941ASG.
- #2 Pearl Harbor attack was on 07-Dec-1941. Fellerenlisted in the Navy shortly thereafter, the first major leaguer to do so.
- #3 Known as “Bob”. His only career ASG start = 1941. AL ASG starters 1933-1940 were the “Leftys” (Gomez1933-35, 37-38 & Grove1936) or “Red” (Ruffing1939-40)
FCR - Patrick Roth, Chicago
Incorrect guesses: Joe Nuxhall, Vic Raschi, Lefty Gomez
GROUNDHOG DAZE — 02-Feb
Q. Who is the only pitcher to surrender an inside-the-park home run to Hank Aaron.
Hint: #1 He ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor or his home state, but was defeated.
Hint: #2 Most people don’t remember his stints with the Pirates or Dodgers.
A. JIM BUNNING [SABR Bio]
- Ans. IPHR = 10-May-1967
- #1 Lost the 1983 Kentucky gubernatorial race to Martha Layne Collins
- #2 Played w/PIT 1968-69; w/LAD 1969
FCR - Stu Simms, Laurel, Maryland
Incorrect guesses: Wilmer Mizell, Bob Feller, Hoyt Wilhelm,
TUESDAY — 02-Feb
Q. Which Hall of Famer owns the highest season qualifying batting average in the majors since Tony Gwynn’s run at .400 in 1994?
Hint: #1 He was only the third league Most Valuable Player from a National League expansion team.
Hint: #2 He won multiple Gold Gloves for two teams.
Hint: #3 His career OPS is 15th all-time, ahead of such notables as Willie Mays, Joe Jackson & Ty Cobb.
A. LARRY WALKER [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Hit .379 in 1999. Gwynn settled at .394 in 1994 which was the highest since 1941.
- #1 MVP in 1997 for COL. Preceding him were Jeff Bagwell for HOU in 1994 & Ken Caminiti for SDP in 1996.
- #2 Won GG for MON in 1992-93; won GG for COL in 1997-99, 2001-02.
- #3 Career OPS is .965.
FCR - Humbert Kilanowski, Providence
Incorrect guesses: Andres Galarraga, Vladimir Guerrero, Paul Goldschmidt, Todd Helton, Ichiro Suzuki
WEDNESDAY — 03-Feb
Q. Which three-time Silver Slugger winner won a Gold Glove in spite of his controversial methods in the field?
Hint: #1 In only his second year in the majors, he became the first left fielder since The Depression to amass 400 outfield putouts in a season.
Hint: #2 In a statement that must be taken metaphorically, Bill James opined, “If you split him in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers.”
A. RICKEY HENDERSON [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Won SS in 1981 85 & 90. Won GG in 1981. He became known for snapping or snatching fly balls out of the air for outs to the dismay of coaches at all levels stressing how important it was NOT to do it that way.
- #1 Had 412 PO in 1980. Cleveland’s Jo Vosmik had 424 such in 1932. These are the only 2 LF to top 400 PO in a season in the 20th century. No NL LF has even done it.
- #2 James implies that halving some of Henderson’s numbers, he would still be Hall-worthy.
FCR - Adam Balutis, Alexandria, Virginia
Incorrect guesses: Barry Bonds, Willie Mays
THURSDAY — 04-Feb
Q. Which Hall of Famer was born and died in the same city where he played for teams in two major leagues?
Hint: #1 He once helped start a triple play by not catching a fly ball.
Hint: #2 In his first participation in postseason championship baseball, he had 41 plate appearances equaling 41 at-bats.
A. TOMMY McCARTHY [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Born 24-Jul-1863; died 05-Aug-1922—both events in Boston, Massachusetts. He played the short-lived Boston Reds of the equally short-lived, 12-team Union Association in 1884. He played for NL’s Beaneaters in 1885 and again 1892-95.
- #1 As recounted in the home papers of both teams, on Wednesday, 15-Aug-1894, at the South End Grounds in Boston, McCarthy let a 9th-inning fly ball drop in front of him then threw to teammate Bobby Lowe at second base who got 2 outs on a force and a tag. Veteran McCarthy then sprinted to an unprotected home plate to nail the runner who had tried to score from second. Triple play 15-Aug-1894.
- #2 The 1888 WS which saw McCarthy’s St. Louis Browns beaten by the New York Giants 6 games to 4, he had 41 trips to the plate without a single K and nary a BB. (He did have 10 H including a 2B and one of the series’ 6 HR.)
FCR - Sarah Grynpas, Toronto
Incorrect guesses: Cap Anson, Wee Willie Keeler, Jim Bottomley, Stan Musial, Bud Harrelson, Willie Mays
FRIDAY — 05-Feb
Q. Whose 8,967 assists are more than any other player made in the recorded history of major league baseball?
Hint: #1 He ranks seventh all-time in Defensive WAR.
Hint: #2 Pete Rose broke his record for most seasons played in the National League.
Hint: #3 He debuted with a team that had spent four of its previous six seasons in last place. By his third season with them, they had won the World Series.
A. RABBIT MARANVILLE [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Career Assist Leaders. #2 on that list is Ozzie Smith, but he’s almost 600 assists behind Maranville.
- #1 Defensive WAR leaders. Here’s where Ozzie is #1.
- #2 When Rose, suited up for CIN in 1986, it was his 24th season in the NL, thereby surpassing Maranville’s record of 23 years in the Senior Circuit.
- #3 When Maranville broke in with the Braves in 1912, his Boston NL team finished in last place, just as they had done in 4 of the 6 prior seasons. They had just been renamed the Braves that year. Their most recent sobriquets had been the Doves, Rustlers & Beaneaters. However, in 1914, even though in last place as late as 18-July, they rebounded spectacularly to win the pennant and sweep the mighty PHA in the WS, outscoring them 16-6 in the 4 G.
FCR - Len Levin, Providence
Incorrect guesses: Eddie Collins, Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Omar Vizquel
T.G.I.F. BONUS — 04-Feb
Q. Which lefty pitched for Southern Cal the first time a Rod Dedeaux-coached team won the college World Series?
Hint: #1 In the minors, he rose from C to AAA ball in the space of one season in the Orioles system.
Hint: #2 Though a native Californian, he is today in the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame (No, not Ontario, California!) and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
A. PAT GILLICK [B-R Bio]
- Ans. Gillick pitched for USC when they won in 1958. Coach Dedeaux also led the Trojans to championships in 1961, 63, 68, 70-74 & 78—10 in all. Dedeaux was on the USC staff in 1948 as well, but the records credit Sam Berry as the head coach that year.
- #1 Gillick’s minor league record
- #2 Chronologically, Gillick was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Level of Excellencein 2002, the National Baseball Hall of Fame on 24-Jul-2011, the Ontario Sports Hall of Famein 2013 & the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2018.
FCR - Sarah Grynpas, Toronto
Incorrect guesses: Bill Lee, Steve Barber, Mike Flanagan, Randy Johnson, Curt Blefary
SATURDAY — 06-Feb
Q. Who is the only player to be taken out of an All-Star game then reinserted into the lineup?
Hint: #1 He coached the Braves then they lost to the Yankees in the World Series, but his last coaching job was with the Padres.
Hint: #2 Nobody else has ever had more hits in a game on Opening Day.
Hint: #3 He holds the National League career batting average record in All-Star games. (5 G min.)
A. BILLY HERMAN [SABR Bio]
- Ans. 1934 ASG. Herman pinch-hit for P Carl Hubbell in the 3rdinning but was taken out before the next ½ inning. Later in the game, NL mgr Bill Terry needed someone to take over for Frankie Frisch who had twisted his ankle earlier in the game. Terry requested that Herman be allowed to re-enter the game to relieve Frisch. AL mgr Joe Cronin gave his permission & Herman went back into the G and hit a 2b in his next AB.
- #1 Was a coach w/MIL in 1958. Was a coach last w/SDP in 1979.
- #2 Had 5 H on OD 14-Apr-1936, a record he shares with at least 11 additional players.
- #3 Batted .433 in 7 ASG.
FCR - Barry Zamoff, Washington DC
Incorrect guesses: Red Schoendienst, Richie Ashburn, Merv Rettenmund
WEEKEND BONUS — 06-Feb
Q. Which BB batter has the best ERA for a season among right-handed pitchers in the Modern Era?
Hint: #1 His efforts that year were no doubt instrumental in leading his team to their first league championship.
Hint: #2 In that same season, he and his opposite number threw one-hitters in the same game.
Hint: #3 He had nicknames based on his name and previous occupation.
A. MORDECAI BROWN [SABR Bio]
- Ans. In 1906 his ERA was just under 1.04. Brown’s ERA mark was only bested by southpaw Dutch Leonard’s 0.96 of 1914.
- #1 His Cubs won the NL pennant in 1906. Their franchise however, had finished first in the NL under the name White Stockings (1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886) and had also been known at the Colts (1890-97) and Orphans (1898-1902). In that WS, however, they did not fare as well, losing 4-2 to their cross-town rivals the White Sox. Brown was a switch-hitter.
- #2 He and Lefty Leifield each gave up only 1 H when they faced each other 04-Jul-1906(1). Brown prevailed 1-0.
- #3 His teammates called him “Brownie”. (Hmm.) He was also known as “The Miner” because he had worked in the coal mines as a teenager in Indiana.
FCR - Sarah Grynpas, Toronto
Incorrect guesses: Hippo Vaughn, Dutch Leonard, Cy Young, Eddie Cicotte, Addie Joss, Preacher Roe, Walter Johnson, Jim Perry, Billy O’Dell, Pedro Ramos
SUNDAY — 07-Feb
Q. Which baserunner was hit by a batted ball on the very day the leagues sent out a directive to umpires warning them to watch for intentional interference by runners?
Hint: #1 Three years later, it was he who grounded into the only all-Cuban triple play.
Hint: #2 His nickname was of norvegicus alabaster.
Hint: #3 His quotes to the press are among the most memorable.
A. WHITEY HERZOG [SABR Bio]
- Ans. Hit by batted ball 25-Apr-1957 in the bottom of the 2nd. It was ruled correctly: Herzog was ruled out on the play.
- #1 TP 3rd inning on 23-Jul-1960. Herzog lined out to P Pedro Ramos (Pinar del Rio) who threw to 1B Julio Becquer (La Habana) to double off runner Jerry Lumpe. Becquer then fired to SS Jose Valdivielso (Matanzas) at 2B to catch runner Bill Tuttle. (Herzog then homered in the 8th.)
- #2 Herzog was the “White Rat”. All white or albino rats which are bred for laboratory use belong to a single species called Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).
- #3 Herzog is the author of each of the following, at one time or another:
- “Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it.”
- “Your life or mine?” (After being offered a lifetime contract by 80-year-old Cardinals owner Gussie Busch.)
- “He got hit so hard I had to get the married men off the field.” (on pitcher Ken Dayley)
- “We need three kinds of pitching: left handed, right handed and relief.”
- “We need just two players to be a contender—Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax.”
FCR - Mike Sparks, Sarasota
Incorrect guesses: Reggie Jackson, Gary Gaetti
WEEKLY THEME – Hall of Famers with two middle names.
Brown......................... Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown
Bunning...................... James Paul David Bunning
Feller.......................... Robert William Andrew Feller
Gillick.......................... Lawrence Patrick David Gillick
Henderson.................. Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson
Herman...................... William Jennings Bryan Herman*
Herzog........................ Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog
Maranville................... Walter James Vincent Maranville
McCarthy.................... Thomas Francis Michael McCarthy
Walker........................ Larry Kenneth Robert Walker
*Herman’s SABR Bio by Joseph Wancho contains this passage: “Although ‘Bryan’ is often included as part of his name, Herman wrote in a player survey given by Cliff Kachline of the Hall of Fame, ‘My name is William Jennings in a survey given by Cliff Kachline of the Hall of Fame, “My name is William Jennings Herman.” His HOF plaquemakes no mention of “Bryan”. Democratic Party politician William Jennings Bryan had lost 3 runs as his party’s candidate for the U.S. presidency in 1896, 1900 & 1908. Billy Herman was born in 1909 and it is hard to believe that pol Bryan was not an influence of some kind in Herman’s naming.
First Correct Respondent to Identify Theme– Warren Kent, Whitehall, Michigan (After Maranville)
Incorrect theme guesses:
Tuesday - Pitchers who appeared in August 17, 1955 Indians-Tigers game
- Multiple seasons with 40+ starts
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