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Wednesday, April 10, 2019

MLB Players Part Two

Second edition of baseball player profiles, and how these players are related.
 
SANDY KOUFAX [SABR Bio] was the only pitcher in major league history besides Tim Lincecum to throw multiple no-hitters, win multiple Cy Young award, and win multiple World Series championships. He was the youngest player ever elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, at age 36. He is the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter in each of four consecutive seasons. Four no-hitters = (1) 30-Jun-1962 vs. NYM; (2) 11-May-1963 vs. SFG; (3) 04-Jun-1964 vs. PHI; and (4) 09-Sep-1965 vs. CHC [perfect game]. Through his father, Koufax inherited his Hungarian lineage. Father Jack Braun was a Sephardic Jews of Hungarian descent.
 
BOB GIBSON [SABR Bio] was the first National League pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters in his career. 3,000th K 17-Jul-1974Cesar Geronimo was the victim. Amazingly Geronimo was also Nolan Ryan's 3,000th six years later. Gibson finished with 3,117 K, then 2nd all-time behind only the great Walter Johnson. Strikeout have exploded since then. He is now 14th on the list (Johnson is 9th). Gibson shared nicknames with Walter Evers and Gilbert Brack. He was called "Hoot" and "Gibby" calling to mind Hoot Evers & Gibby Brack. Gibson is the only pitcher to start the seventh game of a World Series more than twice in his career. Started Game 7 of the 1964, 1967 & 1968 WS. He went the distance in all 3, winning the first two.

PHIL NIEKRO  [SABR Bio] Former Cleveland Indian was the first player elected to the Hall of Fame who had played for the Toronto Blue Jays. Started three games for TOR in 1987 after having started 20+ G for CLE the same year. His last start ever, also in 1987, was for his longtime team, the Braves. He played for the same major league franchise for 21 seasons. Played for MLN/ATL 1964-83, 87. They were also the last team he played for the in the majors. In one three-season stretch he led the majors every year in games started, innings pitched, batters faced and hits surrendered. Amazing 3-yr streak 1977, 78 & 79.

DAVE McNALLY  [SABR Bio] led the American League in pitching victories the year BEFORE four Oriole pitchers each won 20 games. Tied with teammate Mike Cuellar and Cy Young Award winner Twin Jim Perry w/24 w apiece. McNally surrendered a 3,000th hit to a Hall of Fame player born in the exact city where he had the best years of his career. Gave up Al Kaline's 3,000th. Kaline was born in Baltimore. McNally was the first pitcher to hit Reggie Jackson with a pitch in major league game. Jackson HBP in the 1st inning of 14-Jun-1967, less than a week after Jackson's MLB debut.
 
DENNY McLAIN [SABR Bio] is the only pitcher to win the Most Valuable Players Award unanimously. MVP 1968; His battery mate came in second in the MVP voting that season. Bill Freehan was the 2nd place finisher. As you might suspect, his Cy Young Award vote that year was also unanimous. Cy Young 1968 Incorrect guesses: Don Newcombe, Bob Gibson, Steve Blass, Sandy Koufax, Ron Guidry, Roger Clemens
 
LUIS TIANT [SABR Bio] was the first pitcher to face a designated hitter in a regular-season major league game. Faced first DH Ron Blomberg, 06-Apr-1973. Had Tiant been more efficient in those first two innings, Orlando Cepeda would have been the first DH. Tiant is the only pitcher since expansion began to have two (2!) scoreless innings streaks of 40 innings or more. 41 scoreless innings from 28-Apr-1968 to 17-May-1968 and 40 scoreless innings from 18-May-1972 to 04-Jun-1972. He hurled more career shutouts than did Addie Joss, Kid Nichols, Mickey Welch, Chief Bender or Tim Keefe. Had 49 ShO, tied for 21st all-time
 
DEAN CHANCE [SABR Bio] a future former Cleveland Indian was the first American League pitcher to win the Cy Young award before his 25th birthday. Won the CYA in 1964. He didn't receive a single Cy Young votes in any other season of his 11 year career. He was the winning pitcher in both games of Tommy John's 0-2 debut season. John losses" 14-Sep-1963 & 21-Sep-1963
 
GARY PETERS [SABR Bio] holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs by a pitcher. Hit 15 HR as a pitcher, but had 4 additional as a pinch-hitter. He never surrendered a grand slam in his 14-year major league pitching career, but he did hit one. GS 05-May-1968 off Al Downing. He narrowly beat out a teammate for Rookie of The Year honors. Out-pointed Pete Ward (…referred to by Dean Chance as the AL's toughest clutch hitter) for the 1963 AL ROY. Interestingly, The Sporting News gave their version of the award to Ward for 1963.
 
SAM McDOWELL [SABR Bio] was who Dick Radatz apocryphally quipped, "We thought he was stupid. Turned out he was just never sober." Led the American League in strikeouts five times, including the majors thrice, and finished second once - he had more strikeouts than any pitcher in the majors from 1964 to 1971. Never did, however, strike out Radatz. He was arguably the fastest pitcher in the game. Traded to the NL for a future Hall of Famer. Was traded to SFG for Frank Duffy and Gaylord Perry.
 
BOB BOLIN [SABR Bio] The Giants fireballer finished second to Bob Gibson in ERA in 1968 in the National League. Finished 1968 w/ERA that rounded to 1.99. In his 13-season career, he finished in the National League's top ten 3 times for ERA and WHIP, twice for shutouts, strikeouts per nine innings pitched and winning percentage. Pitched for MIL & BOS after his 9 years with the Giants. He was recruited by the Yankees, who sent Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez to sign him. In a brief interchange, he told Gomez he was not interested in the Yankees whereupon Gomez got back in his car and drove off. After baseball, he and his wife Irene achieved Diamond status as Amway distributors. Related this story after his time in the majors: "We were playing a Class B team and after I struck out the last batter of the game, two women, who had been drinking, came on the field, picked me up and carried me off the field."
 
TOMMY JOHN [SABR Bio] gave up Mark McGwire's first major league hit. McGwire's 1st H = 2b on  24-Aug-1986 His career is second in duration only to Nolan Ryan and Cap Anson's 27. Pitched for 26 years in the majors in spite of taking 1975 off. In 1975 he underwent the operation that is now commonly known by his name. He led the National League in win/loss percentage twice just before having a certain procedure.
 
JOE HORLEN [SABR Bio] earned two Cy Young votes in 1967, denying Jim Lonborg a unanimous vote for his Cy Young Award. 1967 CYA vote = 18.0 to 2.0. His September no-hitter probably had a lot to do with it. No-no = 10-Sep-1967. It was a HBP shy of being a perfect game. (In retaliation, Horlen himself was HBP the next inning). Or maybe it was the fact that he led the league in ERA that season. His 2.06 ERA led the AL in 1967. Seventeen years after his major league career, he played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. His team in the SPBA was the St. Lucie Legends whose roster also included such luminaries as Bobby Bonds, Luis Tiant, Vida Blue, Graig Nettles, George Foster and Bill Madlock.
 
THEME – Qualifying pitchers with a sub-2.00 ERA season in the 1960s.
 
Gibson..................... 1968........ 1.12
Tiant........................ 1968........ 1.60
Chance.................... 1964........ 1.65
Koufax..................... 1966........ 1.73
     "......................... 1964........ 1.74
     "......................... 1963........ 1.81
Niekro...................... 1967........ 1.87
Horlen..................... 1964........ 1.88
McNally................... 1968........ 1.95
McDowell................ 1968........ 1.95
McLain.................... 1968........ 1.96
Peters...................... 1966........ 1.98
John........................ 1968........ 1.99
Bolin........................ 1968........ 1.99
 
WALTER JOHNSON [SABR Bio] was the first pitcher to accumulate 3,000 career strikeouts. Johnson's 3,000th K was future fellow Hall-of-Fame-pitcher-to-be Stan Coveleski of the Cleveland Indians on 22-Jul-1923. Closest career K total at the time was the 2,803 by Cy Young. Johnson finished with 3,509 in an era when strikeouts were rarer and disdained. His total is now 9th on the all-time list, just behind that of Gaylord Perry. The first time an American League batter homered in his first career at bat, it was Johnson who surrendered it. 21-year-old St. Louis Brown second baseman Tom Stuart hit an inside-the-park homer off Johnson 08-Aug-1921. It was Stuart's only HR in the majors, in fact it was his only hit in the majors. Legendary ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian graduated from the high school named for this pitcher. Kurkjian graduated from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland in 1974.
 
TOM SEAVER [SABR Bio] His record for highest percentage Hall of Fame votes was broken by Ken Griffey, Jr. Seaver garnered 98.84% of the vote in 1992. Griffey came in hot with 99.32% in 2016. The current record won't be broken. His record of striking out 200 or more batters in nine consecutive seasons remains unmatched - 200+ K 1968-1975. In 5 of those seasons he led the league. His record of striking out ten consecutive batters in a game is equally uniquely his. On 22-Apr-1970, he threw a two-hitter against SDP for a 2-1 win. He fanned 19 of the 31 batters he faced, including the last 10 in a row. Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez and reliever Heath Hembree combined to strike out 11 straight 25-Sep-2016.
 
JOE DiMAGGIO [SABR Bio] Before Alex Rodriguez did it in 2007, Joe had been the last New York Yankee to drive in 150 runs in a season - 155 RBI in 1948 to lead the majors by almost 20. It was his 2nd best RBI year. His uniform was the first of that number to be retired. His #5 was retired on 18-Apr-1952, the Yankee home opener that year. The Sporting News wrote, "… fans regard him as the Moses who is to lead their club out of the second-place wilderness." Quote is by Dan Daniel in the March 26 edition of TSN, during DiMaggio's rookie spring training camp. The prior season, 1935, he had hit .398 w/34 HR & 154 RBI in San Francisco in the PCL.
 
KEN GRIFFEY, Jr. [SABR Bio] His record for most home runs in the month of April was broken by Albert Pujols. Griffey hit 13 in April 1997; Pujols had 14 in 2006 and was tied in 2007 by A‑Rod. He was the last player to collect eight RBI in a game in the 20th century - 8 RBI = 08-Jul-2000. He admitted to a failed suicide attempt shortly after his professional career began. Ingested 277 aspirin (by his own count) in 1988.
 
FRANK ROBINSON [SABR Bio] was whom was the arcane "HERE" sign hoisted. An orange flag with simply the word HERE in black, block letters, was planted at the exact location where Robinson's towing home run landed beyond the confines of Baltimore's old Veterans Memorial Stadium. It was the only documented home run to leave the stadium in its history. The Texas native was the youngest of 10 children. He was born in Beaumont, Texas but the family moved to Oakland, California when he was very young. He was arrested during the same season he led his team to their first pennant in over two decades. In 1961, he was arrested for carrying a firearm without a permit. The matter was settled when he apologized and paid a $250.00 fine.
 
EDDIE MURRAY amassed an unprecedented 1,296 MVP votes over 9 major league seasons without ever winning the award. Received MVP votes 1978-85, 1990. For five consecutive seasons he finished in the top five, including second place twice. From 1981 through 1985, he finished 5th, 2nd, 2nd, 4th, & 5th then 5th again in 1990. He is the only player to get his 3,000th career hit the same season he played in the World Series - 3,000th hit 30-Jun-1995 for CLE; 1995 WS CLE vs. ATL. He holds another unusual record: he had the longest stretch between the first and last times he hit home runs from each side of the plate in the same game, a span of 16 years, 8 months & 18 days, from 03-Aug-1977 to 21-Apr-1994. This question correctly answered by the husband of my college buddy Sharon Langley.
 
HARRY HEILMANN [SABR Bio] a Hall of Famer, was forced into an early retirement because of arthritis. Retired in 1930 at age 35 because of the pain in his wrists, but did come back two years later for 15 G w/CIN. Only three other right-handed batters have a higher career batting average. Heilmann hit .342 (.3416 rounded up) over his 17-year career. Righties above him are Hornsby [.356], Delahanty [.349] and Dave Orr [.3420]. The year Babe Ruth had an otherworldly 230 OPS+, over 450 total bases and a slugging percentage of almost .850, he still would have needed 34 more hits just to beat this guy in that category. In 1921 Ruth had 204 H, but Heilmann led the AL and MLB. Grew up less than 4 blocks from what is now Oracle Park (formerly AT&T Park; previously SBC Park; nee Pacific Bell Park). Heilmann lived with his family at 708A Brannan Street in what is now the South of Market district of San Francisco.
 
FRANK CHANCE [SABR Bio] In the modern era, the fleet first baseman led the majors in stolen bases twice before Ty Cobb did even once. 67 SB in 1903 & 57 SB in 1906. No first baseman has ever stolen more in a single year [Cobb's 1st was 1909]. He was the best player on the best team of the first decade of the last century and accomplished most of it while also managing the team. He was 1st or 2nd in WAR on the Cubs every year 1903-1906. Those familiar with his even temperament might be surprised to know that he was an accomplished boxer during the off-season. James J. Corbett and John L. Sullivan, among the best fighters of the era, both considered Chance "the greatest amateur brawler of all time."
 
ARKY VAUGHN [SABR Bio] wore uniform #21 for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1932-39. He was the first player to hit two home runs in one All-Star game. 2 AS HR 08-Jul-1941, 7th & 8th innings off Sid Hudson & Eddie Smith. Vaughn has since been joined by Ted Williams (1946), Al Rosen (1954), Willie McCovey (1969), Gary Carter (1981). He was a high school classmate of Richard Nixon at Fullerton Union High School, class of 1930. His nephew Sparky played briefly in the majors Glenn "Sparky" Vaughn played with HOU in 1963.
 
JOE CRONIN [SABR Bio] was the first teenager to play for the Pirates in the 20th century (25 G min). Debuted in the majors for PIT on 29-Apr-1926 at age 19 yr 199 days. Played 38 G. Between his first and second cycles, 3,987 days elapsed. The entire 1930s came and went before he achieved his second cycle - First cycle 02-Sep-1929; next cycle 02-Aug-1940. Set an American League record by hitting five pinch-hit home runs in one season. He was the first man to play, manage and coach in an All-Star game - AS player 1933-35, 37-39, 41; AS manager 1934, 40, 47; AS coach 1936.
 
OZZIE SMITH [SABR Bio] is the career leader in assists by a shortstop - 8,375 A as SS. He is not likely to be caught soon. The leading current shortstop needs over 3,500 more to catch up. Elvis Andrus has 4,052 going into today's game. Smith was the first National League player to receive the Branch Rickey award, in B.R.A. 1994. The year he led his team a pennant, he finished 2nd in MVP voting to player on a last-place team!  In 1987 STL won the NL pennant w/Smith's 6.4 WAR leading the team. The NL MVP, however, went to Andre Dawson of the Cubs, 11 to 9. Dawson's 4.0 WAR didn't even lead his last-place team.
 
BARRY LARKIN – the former MVP hit his first career grand slam in the 1,823rd game of his career, in his 7,897th career plate appearance. He hit it just after The Naked Cowboy streaked across Cinergy Field on 20-Apr-2001. Naked Cowboy = Robert John Burck. HR surrendered by Al Leiter. NL MVP in 1995. Played shortstop and won the Silver Slugger award 9 times. His brother got his first hit in the majors off the Pirates Jose Silva. Brother Stephen got his only MLB hit 27-Sep-1998.
 
TONY LAZZERI [SABR Bio]  was the first player in organized baseball to hit sixty home runs in a season - 60 HR for the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League in 1925 in 197 games. He is the only player to hit a natural cycle, culminating with a grand slam, on 03-Jun-1932. He was the first player to appear with teams in different leagues in consecutive World Series. Played for NYY in the 1937 WS; played for CHC in the 1938 WS.
 
ERNIE LOMBARDI [SABR Bio] caught both of Johnny Vander Meer's no-hitters. Vandy's no-no's: 11-Jun- & 15-Jun-1938. He set the record for most time grounded into a double play, both for one season and for a career - 30 GDP in 1938.
 
THEME – Hall of Fame players who went to a high school that another Hall of Famer also attended.
 
 
Murray & Smith - Locke High School (LA, CA)
 
 
 
 
Griffey & Larkin - Archbishop Moeller HS (Cincinnati)  
 
YOGI BERRA [SABR Bio] - his recent exhaustive biography concludes that he is the greatest catcher of all time. Allen Barra's ground-breaking effort, Yogi Berra, Eternal Yankee, is a captivating read.  Well-documented yet very accessible. His findings are hard to refute. He is so well-liked, there's more than a statue in his honor, there's an entire museum! Take the chance if you haven't to visit his museum at Montclair State University in New Jersey. His name has been copied, but his style in inimitable. A lawsuit ensued when Hanna-Barbera produced pick-a-nick-basket-stealing smarter-than-average rascal named Yogi Bear.
 
LOU BROCK [SABR Bio] was the first player to hit five home runs in his team's first four games of a season - 5 HR = 1967: #1 Opening Day 11-Apr, It presage a good season as he and his teammates celebrated a World Series championship at the end of that season 1967 WS. The very next year, he led MLB in doubles, triples and stolen bases - 1968 = 46 2b, 14 3b & 62 SB.
 
MEL HARDER [SABR Bio] was the first multiple-time 20-game-winning pitcher to be seen on the field wearing glasses. Lee Meadows may well have beat Harder with his 20-9 record in 1926 and was famous for wearing glasses, so we'll retroactively edit in the words "multiple-time" to the question. Meadows, of course, doesn't satisfy the hints. The first year he wore them he led the league in ERA, with an ERA of 2.95 for the Tribe, leading the junior circuit in 1933. He pitched for two solid decades, but his coaching career outdid even that. Played for CLE for 20 seasons, 1928-47, but coached in the majors for 23 years 1947-1969 mostly, but not uniquely for the Indians.
 
BENNIE DANIELS [SABR Bio] was the pitcher credited with the only Opening Day victory in the first ten years of existence of the team called the "Expansion Washington Senators." The Senators would win only one more Opening Day game before becoming the Texas Rangers. Even though he was the losing pitcher in his own MLB debut, he made history that day - 09-Apr-1962. He was the losing pitcher in the last MLB game ever played in Ebbets Field: 24‑Sep‑1957. He pitched 7 strong innings only surrendering a single earned run against a Dodger team with a former Rookie of the Year, one with 3 MVPs, 2 Hall of Famers and a line-up with a total of 30 All-Star appearances. On the other team that day was a player from his high school who be a Hall of Famer Duke Snider, also a Compton High School alum, did not play that day. Daniels himself, however, is not eligible for Hall of Famer glory. With only 9 years in the Bigs, Daniels doesn't qualify for HOF nomination. He might have garnered the odd vote. Ya never know.
 
JOHNNY ORSINO's home run was the fifth of the five hit in the ninth inning of a game against the Reds in Cincinnati the year the Reds won the National League pennant - 5-HR inning: 23-Aug-1961. Two of the other four homers were hit by Hall of Famers, by Orlando Cepeda, Felipe Alou, Jim Davenport (ITPHR), Willie Mays & Orsino. It was only his seventeenth major league game and only his second career home run. He played a key role in another famous game, this time one between two pitchers who each threw complete-game one-hitters - double one-hitter: 12-Sep-1964. His double in the 8th eventually provided the game's only run. After his playing days he was the baseball coach at a university in the Northeast Conference, at Fairleigh-Dickinson University.
 
BILL HENRY  [SABR Bio] served up the home run to Johnny Orsino, the 9th batter of the inning on 23‑Aug‑1961 - 5-HR inning: 23-Aug-1961. He was the star of the Pasadena High School basketball team that won the state championship. In a bizarre turn of events, a man in Florida passed away having lived much of his adult life claiming he WAS this pitcher. It was only discovered an unraveled after the man's death. Impersonation saga (Click here).
 
JACK CURTIS was the first person traded straight-up for the person with the worst batting average in the history of documented major league baseball. (As always, reasonable minimums apply) - traded from CHC to MLN for Bob Buhl 30-Apr-1962. Buhl, a very serviceable pitcher with a solid 15-year career, could only assemble a batting average of .089. The only players ahead of him in Rookie of the Year voting are all now in the Hall of Fame. He finished 3rd behind Billy Williams and Joe Torre for 1961 NL ROY. He didn't win as many games in the entire remainder of his career added together as he did as a rookie - 10 Wins in 1961; a total of 8 over the next two seasons. 3-year career.
 
THEME – Players on the baseball cards in the treehouse in the movie "The Sandlot". Check each out individually by clicking on them: Berra Brock Curtis Daniels Harder Henry Orsino. This week, archived (includes all incorrect guesses) https://horsehidetrivia.blogspot.com/2019/04/2019-04-01-players-whose-baseball-cards.html

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