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It's time once again for a Batter's Box Trivia Challenge; let's start with an easy one for GTO baseball fans ...

Only once in the last 50 years has a pitcher picked off at least three runners in the same game -- and he got four, though he took the loss, in extra innings, to a terrible Oakland team in 1977. Name this young lefty, who was in the midst of what would turn out to be his only double-digit wins campaign.

As always, the Bauxite who posts the correct answer first asks the next question. "Correctness" of the answer can be confirmed by any member of the Batter's Box roster or by any Bauxite who includes a link to a corroborating page ...

Fire away!

And He Picked Him Off (Again)! | 223 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Thomas - Tuesday, January 16 2007 @ 04:32 PM EST (#162036) #
Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Tippy Martinez picked off 3 Blue Jays in a single inning. Since he isn't the answer you're looking for (he had his double-digit win season in 1979 and was facing the Blue Jays in that game, not Oakland), I don't know. But I don't think the question is worded correctly.
Magpie - Tuesday, January 16 2007 @ 05:45 PM EST (#162039) #
I don't remember the game, but my instant first guess turned out to be on the money.

For the record, Our Unnamed Hero recorded two straight pickoffs and two pickoffs resulting in a caught stealing (although an error allowed the runner to stay alive on one of them).

And the Tippy Martinez game was August 24, 1983. Read it and weep...

BLUE JAYS 10TH: LOWENSTEIN CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B);
ROENICKE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 3B); SAKATA CHANGED POSITIONS
(PLAYING C ); AYALA STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); STODDARD
REPLACED MCGREGOR (PITCHING); Johnson homered; Bonnell singled
to center; COLLINS BATTED FOR BARFIELD; T. MARTINEZ REPLACED
STODDARD (PITCHING); Bonnell was picked off and caught stealing
second (pitcher to first); Collins walked; Collins was picked
off first (pitcher to first); Upshaw singled to second; Upshaw
was picked off first (pitcher to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Blue Jays 4, Orioles 3.

ORIOLES 10TH: BONNELL CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING RF); COLLINS
STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING LF); Ripken homered; Murray walked;
Lowenstein grounded out (first unassisted) [Murray to second];
Shelby was walked intentionally; MOFFITT REPLACED MCLAUGHLIN
(PITCHING); Roenicke struck out; Sakata homered [Murray scored,
Shelby scored]; 4 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Blue Jays 4, Orioles 7.

You watch enough baseball, you think you've seen everything.

Not even close...
Phil - Tuesday, January 16 2007 @ 08:15 PM EST (#162042) #
Boy, I'm glad I wasn't following the Jays back then. Watching that game would have been...annoying.
vw_fan17 - Tuesday, January 16 2007 @ 10:05 PM EST (#162047) #
As I recall, it was even more annoying listening to it when I was supposed to have been asleep :-)

VW

Matthew E - Tuesday, January 16 2007 @ 10:34 PM EST (#162050) #
The Tippy Martinez game was described in excruciating detail in Jon Caulfield's excellent book <i>Jays: A Fan's Diary</i>. I like to measure the 'Blow Jays' era from this game through to Game 4 of the '92 ALCS.
Magpie - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 01:18 AM EST (#162064) #
No one has provided the answer to the question - it was, of course, Jerry Garvin back in Year One. Here is your play-by-play:

Try this.

Since the dawn of recorded history, on 60 occasions a member of the Blue Jays has been named AL Player of the Week. Twenty-nine different Blue Jay players have won the award: Roberto Alomar, Jesse Barfield, George Bell, Homer Bush, Joe Carter, Frank Catalanotto, Jim Clancy, Roger Clemens, Jose Cruz, Carlos Delgado, Kelvim Escobar, Junior Felix, Tony Fernandez, Shawn Green, Kelly Gruber, Roy Halladay, Pat Hentgen, Cliff Johnson, Luis Leal, Nelson Liriano, Paul Molitor, Raul Mondesi, Lloyd Moseby, John Olerud, Lyle Overbay, Shannon Stewart, Dave Stieb, Willie Upshaw, Otto Velez, and Vernon Wells.

But wait - there are thirty names listed above. One of those men was never named the AL Player of the Week while wearing Blue Jays colours.

Tell me who.

AWeb - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:06 AM EST (#162067) #
But wait - there are thirty names listed above. One of those men was never named the AL Player of the Week while wearing Blue Jays colours.

Tell me who.


OK, that's a harsh question, but why not make a guess? From the "while wearing Blue Jays colours", I assume they won it with someone else instead. So I'll guess Shawn Green, who must've won it when he went on that 2 week homer binge a few years back for the Dodgers.
Magpie - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:56 AM EST (#162068) #
Well done, AWeb! That was quick.

 Shawn Green has never been the AL Player of the Week. (Bell and Delgado 8 times apiece to lead the way; Carter and Moseby 4 times; Stieb and Clancy 3 times; Catalanotto, Clemens, Cruz, Gruber, Halladay, Olerud, and Wells 2 times; everybody else once. Except Shawn.)
Geoff - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:07 AM EST (#162069) #
I'd say Jose Cruz Jr. is the culprit to never have played well enough for the Jays.
AWeb - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:23 AM EST (#162072) #
Wow, I just wanted to keep the thread going by starting out with a guess. OK, my question:

Baseball reference tracks something called "award shares" for players, which for each year is the percentage of points a player earned compared to the maximum he could earn. So getting all the first place votes gets you a 1.00 for the year. Barry Bonds leads the career total for MVP awards with 9.30 (Musial is second with 6.96), Pujols is moving up the list quickly and might have a shot at Bonds.  Old Jay Carlos Delgado has racked 1.35 award shares without winning.

So, my question is : who is the all-time leader in MVP awards shares among those who never won an MVP award?

Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:32 AM EST (#162073) #
I don't remember Eddie Murray winning an MVP award, and I do think that he finished top 5 a bunch of times.
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:32 AM EST (#162074) #
Wow, great question. My initial guesses were Pete Rose and Mike Piazza, but in looking it up, it turns out Rose won one (1973) and Piazza is apparently second to ... well, I looked it up so am ineligible to answer. And I would have bet money this guy won an MVP. But noooo ...
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:34 AM EST (#162075) #
Mike, Murray is correct! You are up.
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:40 AM EST (#162076) #
Who are the two oldest living Hall of Famers?
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:41 AM EST (#162077) #
I should clarify.  I am referring to players only.
AWeb - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:48 AM EST (#162078) #
How about Bob Feller and Stan Musial? I recall both as being alive last time I heard.



Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 10:54 AM EST (#162079) #
Both alive, and both close but no cigar.
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 11:33 AM EST (#162083) #
Here's a clue.  These two would have made a fine double play combination if they didn't play for long-time rivals.
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 11:36 AM EST (#162086) #
I would think Phil Rizzuto is one. (Assuming you're not taking the "who should be a HOFer?" angle) ... are you counting all players, or just MLB players?
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 11:46 AM EST (#162087) #
I'm looking at all players.  Actually, there don't appear to be any living Negro League Hall of Famers, who did not also play in MLB.  Monte Irvin is close to the oldest living Hall of Famer.

Keep going, Mick.

Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 11:52 AM EST (#162090) #
Okay, from your clue, which I didn't see until just now, I am assuming Scooter is one ... then a Red Sox 2B, so probably Bobby Doerr? I'm actually not even positive he's in the Hall, but it's as good a guess as I can make ...
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 12:08 PM EST (#162094) #
Right you are, Mick.
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 12:13 PM EST (#162095) #

Next question tests your Blue Jays history acumen ...

Doug Ault hit the team's first home run in franchise history; Joe Carter hit the team's first World Series home run. But what Blue Jay hit the team's first post-season home run, way back in 1985?

TimberLee - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 12:58 PM EST (#162099) #
Barfield
kinguy - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 01:06 PM EST (#162101) #
Al Oliver?
TimberLee - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 01:15 PM EST (#162102) #
Well, if it wasn't Jesse, it must have been Rance. Because I sort of remember....
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 01:34 PM EST (#162104) #
It was Barfield. Timberlee, you are up!
TimberLee - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 01:48 PM EST (#162106) #

I'll start a list and you tell me a title for the list.

  Joe DiMaggio, but not Ted Williams

  George Brett, but not Frank White

  Greg Maddux, but not Tom Glavine.....

 (I'll give more if necessary)

Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 02:14 PM EST (#162107) #

"Ballplayers Who Had Brothers Who Were Also MLB Players."

I will be away from the PC for a while, so if that's what you were looking for, post another question or hand it off to someone else!

TimberLee - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 02:19 PM EST (#162108) #

Yes, brothers in the Majors.

OK, here's a quick one. When Alfredo Griffin won Rookie of the Year, he actually tied. With whom?

Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 02:57 PM EST (#162110) #
I'm 99% sure that it was John Castino.
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:02 PM EST (#162111) #
I checked and it was. 

My question is tougher than I thought: who is the active career leader in triples?  I imagine that it would probably have been easier to answer this question in 1977, 1987 or 1997.

SNB - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:08 PM EST (#162112) #
Guzman?
Mike D - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:09 PM EST (#162113) #

Good question, Mike G.  I looked it up and my guess was wrong -- way wrong.

I was amazed, however, that Barry Bonds was tied for fourth!  Slender Barry was just an amazing player in his own right.

Carl Crawford seems to be a lock to hold this crown one day.

SNB - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:11 PM EST (#162114) #
Looked it up and it's definitely not Guzman. Never would have even thought of this guy.

Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:12 PM EST (#162115) #
You're right about Carl Crawford, Mike D. 

Guzman is not the man, SNB. 
dan gordon - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:37 PM EST (#162116) #
Steve Finley???
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 03:52 PM EST (#162121) #
Very good, Dan Gordon.  You're up.
dan gordon - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:02 PM EST (#162123) #

Excellent!!  It helped, being a Giants fan.

OK, heading into this season there are 20 guys with 500 or more HR's.  I guess a lot of you could name most, if not all of them.  How about the next tier down, though?  There are 22 guys with 400-499 HR's heading into this season.  9 are listed as active on Baseball Reference.  I am deleting Bagwell and Juan Gonzalez, as probably not active, leaving 7 active guys between 400 and 499.  Can you get them all?

 

Jim - TBG - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:21 PM EST (#162126) #

Thomas, Delgado, Sheffield, Ramirez, ARod... then it gets tricky.

Giambi? Chipper's getting close and I imagine Edmonds is as well, but I don't think they're there yet.

Craig B - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:27 PM EST (#162128) #

Thomas, Delgado, Sheffield, Ramirez, ARod... then it gets tricky.

I'll say those five plus Griffey and Thome.

Jim - TBG - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:29 PM EST (#162129) #

Thome I completely missed, but Griff is over 500.

Jim - TBG - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:30 PM EST (#162130) #
Piazza?
Craig B - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:33 PM EST (#162131) #
You got it, Jim.  Piazza is the seventh guy.  You're up!
dan gordon - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:35 PM EST (#162133) #

Well done Jim, Piazza was the last guy you missed the first time around.  Your turn.

The complete list, in order: Thomas, Thome, Ramirez, Rodriguez, Sheffield, Piazza, Delgado

Jim - TBG - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 04:39 PM EST (#162134) #

Ok...

Among players eligible for the Hall of Fame but not yet inducted, who are the top three in career home runs?

 

doyle - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:02 PM EST (#162138) #

Wild guesses: McGuire, Rice, Canseco?

Bruce Wrigley - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:03 PM EST (#162139) #
I will say McGwire, Kingman, and Canseco.
Magpie - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:06 PM EST (#162140) #
I think Mr Wrigley just nailed it.
SNB - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:14 PM EST (#162142) #
What about McGriff?
SNB - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:15 PM EST (#162143) #
Nevermind, I misread the question.
Jim - TBG - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:17 PM EST (#162144) #
Wrigley nailed it. He's up. McGwire 583, Canseco 462, Kingman 442.
Bruce Wrigley - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 05:22 PM EST (#162145) #

Not prepared to ask a question, but let me draw something out of the recesses of my brain...

What do Eric Chavez and Jimmie Foxx have in common?

Magpie - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 06:18 PM EST (#162149) #
Have you stumped the house?

Well... they both started out with the A's...

They both throw right-handed...

Both six feet tall...

Maybe they both have muscles in their hair?

Bruce Wrigley - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 07:08 PM EST (#162151) #

I'm looking for something a little less generic.  That both played for the A's leads you in the right direction...

Evair Montenegro - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 07:39 PM EST (#162153) #

"Greg Maddux, but not Tom Glavine....." "Ballplayers Who Had Brothers Who Were Also MLB Players." Tom Glavine´s brother, Mike, played 6 games in 2003.
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 08:10 PM EST (#162154) #
Well done, Evair.  Mike Glavine, Mike Maddux.  Mikes always have a brother who can really throw a ball, right Moffatt?

Perhaps Evair can add another trivia question to the pot. 

Evair Montenegro - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 08:26 PM EST (#162156) #
Ok, how about this one: only three panamanians have played for the Blue Jays, who are them?
gv27 - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:46 PM EST (#162161) #
Juan Berenguer, Julio Mosquera, and the newest of the three... Davis Romero.
gv27 - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:49 PM EST (#162162) #
Juan Berenguer, Julio Mosquera, and Davis Romero.
Calig23 - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:52 PM EST (#162163) #
What do Eric Chavez and Jimmie Foxx have in common?

Are they the only teenagers to play at the MLB level for the A's?
Calig23 - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:56 PM EST (#162164) #
Replying to myself... that's not it. Chavez was already 20 when he first played, and in any event, Todd Van Poppel was 19 when he first got a taste of the bigs.
Evair Montenegro - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 09:57 PM EST (#162165) #
gv27 is right.
Bruce Wrigley - Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 11:52 PM EST (#162169) #
Replying to myself... that's not it. Chavez was already 20 when he first played, and in any event, Todd Van Poppel was 19 when he first got a taste of the bigs.

That was a darned good guess, though.  Some other players to appear for the A's before their "age-20" seasons were Shoeless Joe Jackson, Eddie Collins, Clete Boyer, Stuffy McInnis, Herb Pennock, Tony LaRussa, Ctfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Blue Moon Odom, Herb Pennock, and Claudell Washington.

No, this is something that you could learn from a program.
SNB - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 02:25 AM EST (#162171) #
I wanna say something like they're tied for the lead in career homeruns for the A's ... but that can't be right ... or the only two A's to go .300/30/100 in a season or something...
AWeb - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 09:54 AM EST (#162172) #
They've each been hit by a pitch 13 times (which seems extremely low in both cases), but I don't know if that makes a program or not, plus I had to look it up of course. Number-wise I can't see much in common aside from that, given that Foxx was one of the greatest hitters of all-time.
gv27 - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 10:53 AM EST (#162175) #
Evair... I'll throw one out there.  When Alfredo Griffin was acquired by the Blue Jays in 1978 (from Cleveland), a minor leaguer came with him.  This player had a brother who would win an American League batting title.  Who was the minor leaguer?
Mick Doherty - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 11:27 AM EST (#162179) #

Ooh, ooh, one I know! Phil "Not Carney" Lansford! But I am still wondering about the Foxx/Chavez answer ... anyone have it? Apparently today is all A's, all the time!

I defer my question-asking rights to whoever answers the question still on the table about Foxx and Chavez.

kinguy - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 12:36 PM EST (#162184) #
They both wore the same number?
Mick Doherty - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 12:57 PM EST (#162185) #

Did Foxx even wear a number? Or was he too early for that? Nah, the Ruth/Gehrig Yanks wore uni numbers, so Foxx probably did, too ...

Calig23 - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 12:58 PM EST (#162186) #
I think you've got it; both wear/wore the number 3.
smcs - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 01:55 PM EST (#162188) #
I think you've got it; both wear/wore the number 3.

I looked up the answer I think we are looking for, and it is more specific than the same number.  It is something that only Foxx and Chavez have done. 

TimberLee - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 02:00 PM EST (#162189) #

I would like to apologize to Mike Glavine who probably checks this site regularly. I had to come up with a question quickly and I apparently goofed. But so did the guy who got the "correct" answer, come to think of it!

  Whoa - I didn't have to admit a mistake. I could have said "No, that's not the answer. This has nothing to do with brothers", and gone on to make some cockamamie list or other.   How long till camps open?

Bruce Wrigley - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 08:17 PM EST (#162195) #
Yes, what I was looking for was that both wore the same uniform; both wore number 3 for the Athletics.  But if smcs has something better, I'm dying to know what it is.
kinguy - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 09:03 PM EST (#162196) #
Okay, I'll throw the next one out.  Up to and including the 2006 season, the Jays have had players who were born in 45 different states.  Also, no Jay has been born in the District of Columbia.

What are the five states in which no Jay has been born?
 

mathesond - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 09:12 PM EST (#162197) #
As a completely wild guess (or 5 wild guesses, more correctly), I'll offer up Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, and Idaho

And apropos of nothing, I'd like to throw up this blast from the past



smcs - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 09:46 PM EST (#162198) #
Yes, what I was looking for was that both wore the same uniform; both wore number 3 for the Athletics. But if smcs has something better, I'm dying to know what it is.

Well then. You said something about this would be found in a media guide, so I went to Eric Chavez's bio at mlb.com.

Chavez and Foxx are the only 2 A's to have 6 or more consecutive seasons with 25 or more Home Runs. Foxx had 7 and Chavez hit 22 this past year, so his streak was stopped at 6. Remarkable, no?

McGwire hit 22 HR's in 1991 to end a 4-year streak. He followed this by going 42, 9, 9, 39, 52, 34 (plus 24 with the Cards).

Canseco got injured in 1989 and only hit 17 to stop his chances

Tejada had 4-straight, but then went to Baltimore.

Giambi also left after his 4th Consecutive 25-HR Season

Reggie Jackson had 1 of his 8 seasons as an Athletic with less than 25, and his longest streak was 5 seasons

Bob Johnson had 5 straight, and then hit 23 in 1939 to end the streak

If I have any right to ask a question, I defer to anyone else.

Magpie - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 09:58 PM EST (#162199) #
I'll offer up Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, and Idaho

As wild guesses go, that's as good as any. But sadly...

Josh Phelps: Anchorage, Alaska
Tim Johnson: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Dave Collins: Rapid City, South Dakota
Duane Ward: Park View, New Mexico
Ken Dayley: Jerome, Idaho
Magpie - Thursday, January 18 2007 @ 11:43 PM EST (#162207) #
Vermont, Maine, Nebraska, Rhode Island, West Virginia.

In the possibly over-confident assumption that I've nailed it, here's an easy one:

Who is the only Blue Jays pitcher to toss a one-hitter... and lose the game?

Mick Doherty - Friday, January 19 2007 @ 12:29 AM EST (#162208) #
I have not an earthly clue, but that sounds like something that would have happened to Jim Clancy ...
Magpie - Friday, January 19 2007 @ 01:24 AM EST (#162210) #
No, not Diamond Jim....

Oh, I have very painful memories of Clancy's one-hitter. Remember that afternoon at the Ex when he retired the first 24 men he faced?
Geoff - Friday, January 19 2007 @ 01:46 AM EST (#162211) #
My first thought was of the disappointment in this memorable game, but clearly I don't remember it that well because it was a Jays win. But I did remember that the only hit was a home run; and that the second baseman for the other team looked pretty foolish at the plate. And where has Justin Thompson gone?

My next guess would have been master of the one-hitter Stieb. But that appears incorrect.

Alex Obal - Friday, January 19 2007 @ 05:12 AM EST (#162212) #
Paul Menhart!! At Camden Yards in 1995. If memory serves, it was a Harold Baines solo homer.

Assuming (foolishly) that's correct, here is a new one:

What have Bill Selby, Bill Mueller and Vernon Wells accomplished that nobody else has?
kinguy - Friday, January 19 2007 @ 08:25 AM EST (#162216) #
Going back to the states question, albeit somewhat after the fact, Magpie was right.
Jeremy - Monday, January 22 2007 @ 08:07 AM EST (#162330) #
Selby, Mueller and Wells--Southern Mississippi University alumni who made it to the majors?
Jeremy - Monday, January 22 2007 @ 08:09 AM EST (#162331) #
Nope...that's not it.
Calig23 - Monday, January 22 2007 @ 12:01 PM EST (#162340) #
I believe I have the answer, but I did have to look it up with a bit of research. I can wait before I post it, to see if anyone can get it without looking it up.
Alex Obal - Monday, January 22 2007 @ 01:24 PM EST (#162347) #
Fire away. To research this one you had to have the right idea before you looked it up which is definitely impressive enough.
Fawaz - Monday, January 22 2007 @ 01:51 PM EST (#162350) #
Are you looking for "they all hit walk-off homers off Mariano Rivera"? I don't know if they're the only three to do it, though.
Alex Obal - Monday, January 22 2007 @ 05:36 PM EST (#162376) #
Indeed. At the major-league level, anyway. Three walk-off shots in 10 seasons as a full-time closer in the juiced-ball era... how crazy is that?
Fawaz - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 03:01 PM EST (#162448) #
After Mark McGwire, which yet to be inducted hall-eligible player has the highest career OPS (minimum 3000 PA)?
Mike Green - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 03:07 PM EST (#162449) #
Dick Allen has the OPS+ title, but I'd guess that an outfielder from the 20s/30s has the title without the era adjustment.  Let's guess Bob Johnson.
AWeb - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 03:08 PM EST (#162450) #
Albert Belle?
Mike Green - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 04:23 PM EST (#162463) #
Time for a hint, I guess.

Belle was closer than Johnson.  I did have the right idea though.
Brian W - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 04:30 PM EST (#162468) #
How about Shoeless Joe Jackson?
Mike Green - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 04:44 PM EST (#162471) #
Close, but like Allen, he's knocked down by the era.
Brian W - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 04:49 PM EST (#162475) #
And I suppose if I had read the question I would have noticed the part about "hall-eligible", which Shoeless Joe is not :) 

At any rate, the correct answer is somebody I never would have come up with.
Fawaz - Tuesday, January 23 2007 @ 04:52 PM EST (#162476) #
Jackson and Belle are #2 and #3 respectively (or would be, if Jackson was hall-eligible).
Calig23 - Wednesday, January 24 2007 @ 10:47 AM EST (#162514) #
Wild guess: Tim Raines?
Mike Green - Wednesday, January 24 2007 @ 04:10 PM EST (#162539) #
Well, it's over a day and no correct guesses.  The answer is Lefty O'Doul.  20s/30s outfielder who got a big boost from the era and just snuck in over the 3000 at-bat minimum. 

In honour of Alan Ashby's return to Toronto, this time as a broadcaster, here's a question for the oldtimers.  To the nearest 10, how many games did Ashby appear in for the Jays in 1977?

Mick Doherty - Wednesday, January 24 2007 @ 05:28 PM EST (#162547) #
I remember Ashby as a guy who played a lot for someone who couldn't hit a lick, first in Cleveland, then later in TO and elsewhere. So let's go with a nice, round estimate ... 100?
Jeremy - Wednesday, January 24 2007 @ 05:44 PM EST (#162549) #
120 (124 to be exact)

Since I'm pretty sure that's right, here's my question.

Dave Stieb's career high for strikeouts in a game was 12.  Who was his battery mate that day?

I'll give you a hint.  It's not Ernie Whitt.

Craig B - Wednesday, January 24 2007 @ 11:39 PM EST (#162571) #
Jeremy, I'll guess it was Buck Martinez.
Craig B - Wednesday, January 24 2007 @ 11:42 PM EST (#162572) #

Shoot, Jeremy, no one will ever get that! :)

(I'm wrong by the way...)

actionjackson - Thursday, January 25 2007 @ 05:52 PM EST (#162626) #
OK, Balor Moore was born on this day in Smithville, Texas in 1951. So was Vern Ruhle in Coleman, Michigan but he didn't pitch for the Expos and Blue Jays. This one's for the fans of both of Canada's major league teams who dabble in numerology.

Part 1) From 1970-1974 (missing all of 1971), Moore pitched for Canada's first major league team, wearing the number 15. Seventeen other players including Manny Mota, Larry Parrish, and Ron Darling wore that number during the 36 seasons the team played in Montreal. The player I want is a position player who wore the number 15 during the season he played in Montreal, but did not wear it as a member of your 1992 and 1993 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Part 2) From 1978-1980, Moore pitched for your Toronto Blue Jays, wearing the number 38. Fourteen other players in the 30 year history of the franchise have donned this number including Jim Gott, Aaron Small, and John ("Way Back") Wasdin. The pitcher I want wore it early in his career, but not when he was part of the pitching staff for your 1992 and 1993 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Who knew Balor Moore was responsible for those wonderful years in a six degrees of separation kind of way? Bonus points for the Bauxite who comes up with the numbers these players wore in '92 and '93.
Jeremy - Thursday, January 25 2007 @ 07:46 PM EST (#162630) #
Mark Eichhorn is the pitcher.

Randy Knorr is the position player?

actionjackson - Thursday, January 25 2007 @ 08:47 PM EST (#162633) #
Excellent job Jeremy, you are correct, sir.
actionjackson - Thursday, January 25 2007 @ 09:12 PM EST (#162634) #
Mark Eichhorn's (#38 on your Blue Jay scorecard) page is here, while Randy Knorr's (#15 on your Expo scorecard) is here. Scroll down to near the bottom for all their different uniform numbers, if you care to.
Jeremy - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 04:02 PM EST (#162667) #
Tom Seaver struck out 3640 batters in his scintillating career.  His three most frequent victims are all in the Hall of Fame.  Who are they?
Craig B - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 04:11 PM EST (#162669) #

Willie Stargell, Mike Schmidt, and Tony Perez?

Jeremy - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 04:18 PM EST (#162671) #
That's right, Craig.  Perez is first with 41, followed by Stargell with 38 and Schmidt with 35.
Mike Green - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 04:20 PM EST (#162672) #
I'll go with Schmidt, Stargell and Morgan. Joe didn't strike out much, but his career overlapped more with Seaver's.
Mick Doherty - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 05:12 PM EST (#162674) #

Here's a good one that I stumbled across today ...

In 2000, NYY uber--closer Mo Rivera had what may have been, so far, the least effective year of his career; of course, he still led the Yankees with 36 saves and was fourth in the AL with that total.

Question: who was second on the 2000 Yankees in saves with a grand total of two?

Hint: he was much better known for ... other things.

 

Rob - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 05:22 PM EST (#162675) #
Was Doc Gooden still a Yankee at that point? I'm going with him...
Mick Doherty - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 05:29 PM EST (#162676) #

Dingdingding!

Score one for the youngster! Rob, you're up!

Gooden had two of his three career saves with NYY in 2000.

 

Rob - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 05:34 PM EST (#162677) #
There are so many things wrong with that...

Okay, here's another question on a related topic. When Doc Gooden threw his no-hitter on May 14, 1996 against the Mariners, which future Yankee was Seattle's leadoff hitter, drawing one of the six walks issued?

And that guy you're thinking of? Wasn't him.
Mick Doherty - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 08:36 PM EST (#162686) #
Not Tino -- I gave in and  looked it up, so won't give it away, but criminey, that's hard! I don't even remember this guy being with the Yankees, and I lived in New York around that time.

Freakishly hard. Anyone who gets it without looking it up -- be honest! -- be sure to tell us what it was like to actually be at that game.

Rob - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 08:52 PM EST (#162688) #
I'll drop some hints -- he played for nine teams in his career, perhaps best known as a Red Sock. He was a Yankee for just a blink, playing five games (4 AB) in 2001.
Mike Green - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 09:53 PM EST (#162689) #
I was thinking a second baseman, and with the clue, I'll guess Jody Reed.
Mike Green - Friday, January 26 2007 @ 09:59 PM EST (#162690) #
Reed never played for Seattle or the Yankees.  I looked it up, and I had actually narrowed it down to one of two positions.  The funny thing is that I do think of this player as a Mariner rather than a Red Sock.

Actually, when I saw the answer, it wasn't a surprise.  He led off a lot for the Mariners for a couple of years.
AWeb - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 12:55 PM EST (#162754) #
Well, a lot of former catchers make it to manager. I'm going to look at a list of current managers as a sort of half cheat. OK, so a lot of guys for which I have no idea if they played catcher or not. I'm assuming I would have heard this about Torre or Scioscia, so I'm guessing Jerry Narron in Cincinnati?
Craig B - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 12:58 PM EST (#162756) #

Bruce Bochy.  He even has a French last name.

I'm 99% sure I'm right, so I'll confirm elsewhere and then ask the next question (which was mine to ask anyway!)

Craig B - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 01:02 PM EST (#162757) #

OK, it was Bochy as I remembered.

Next question : Carlos Delgado has had the most seasons leading the Blue Jays in OPS (on base percentage + slugging percentage) with eight.  (Only batting title qualifiers are considered.)

Who is second?

AWeb - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 01:04 PM EST (#162758) #
McGriff?
Craig B - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 01:06 PM EST (#162759) #
Good guess, but no.  McGriff is third.
Craig B - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 01:17 PM EST (#162762) #
Alomar led the team only once, in 1995 (he beat John Olerud by one point).
Craig B - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 01:20 PM EST (#162763) #
Actionjackson takes it!  The hefty lefty John Mayberry led the Blue Jays in OPS for four straight years, from 1978 to 1981.  He also led the team in home runs each of those years.
actionjackson - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 01:33 PM EST (#162764) #
Bear with me folks. In honour of Roy Campanella, who had a horrible, paralyzing car accident on this day in 1958 and Branch Rickey who was elected to the Hall of Fame, this question will have something to do with the Dodgers, when I figure out what it is.
actionjackson - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 02:01 PM EST (#162766) #
That should read that Branch Rickey was inducted into the Hall of Fame on this day in 1967. In game 1 of the 1977 NLCS between the Dodgers and the Phillies, Davey Johnson started at 1B and batted 5th for the Phillies. What future Blue Jay replaced him at 1B in the 7th inning? OK, so the Dodgers are a bit of a sideshow to the question, but at least they won the series.
actionjackson - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 02:03 PM EST (#162767) #
Of course Rickey was elected, not inducted on this day in 1967.  :)
SNB - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 02:51 PM EST (#162771) #
I dunno...Doug Ault?
Jeremy - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 05:46 PM EST (#162783) #
Tommy Hutton?
actionjackson - Monday, January 29 2007 @ 06:10 PM EST (#162784) #
Good job Jeremy. As this boxscore shows, you are indeed correct. Hutton went on to briefly be the TV colour man for the Jays and currently holds the same position with the Florida Marlins. You're up Jeremy.
Craig B - Tuesday, January 30 2007 @ 04:12 PM EST (#162818) #

Graeme Lloyd was - I'm almost sure - the primary lefty reliever on that team.  Was it him?  I can't remember the closer - I think Koch was a rookie the next year - so it might be whoever the closer was.

Watch me have the wrong season...

Craig B - Friday, February 02 2007 @ 04:06 PM EST (#162969) #

A new trivia question... OK...

Many of you will be trying to forget that Edgardo Alfonzo played for the Toronto Blue Jays this past season, in which he managed to set an all-time record (at all levels of baseball) for 4-3 groundouts in a week.

Today's question is: when Edgardo Alfonzo was a rookie with the Mets, four of his teammates that year were past or future Blue Jays (all played significant roles with the Jays - no five-game cup-of-coffee guys).  Name three of the four.

Mick Doherty - Friday, February 02 2007 @ 05:40 PM EST (#162972) #

Jeff Kent, surely. Robert Person. (I lived in New York at the time, remember.) Umm ... does David Segui qualify or was he not with TOR long enough for your parameters.

After that, I have not a clue.

Mike Green - Friday, February 02 2007 @ 05:58 PM EST (#162973) #
Mick got 3 of the 4.  The 4th is a real puzzler; Craig might have to give a clue or two for anyone to get it.
Craig B - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 11:20 AM EST (#163027) #

I completely forgot about Segui.  There were two others that I was thinking of, namely Alberto Castillo and Pete Walker.

Anyway, I asked for three, and Mick gave three, so Mick is up!  Well done, sir.

Mick Doherty - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 12:10 PM EST (#163030) #

Who holds the Montreal Expos team record for strikeouts in a single game pitched?

No, not him. Nope, not him either.

Way-out-there clue? He has something in common -- a physical condition, actually -- with Ron Santo. Bonus points if you identify the pitcher AND the condition!

actionjackson - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 12:33 PM EST (#163032) #
I didn't know Bill Gullickson had diabetes, but I remember as a young 'un, he got 18 or 19 strikeouts one day. It's strange because later in his career, he was such a pitch to contact kind of pitcher, but that's probably why you asked the question Mick.
AWeb - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 12:36 PM EST (#163033) #
Wild Guess: Mark Langston, who played 2/3 a year with them at one point? He racked up some huge K numbers for a few years...
Mick Doherty - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 02:05 PM EST (#163039) #
Gullickson is correct. (As a diabetic myself, that's one of those little trivia points that stuck with me, pardon the needle pun) ... actionjackson, you are up.
actionjackson - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 02:23 PM EST (#163042) #
The 1980 Expos are one of my favourite teams from childhood. It's the first set of Strat-O-Matic cards I ever had and I played a 36 game series with my best friend against his 1980 Orioles and won 19-17. How'd we agree on 36 games, I have no idea, but we kept stats and everything... ah, memories but I digress.

Happy Birthday to Roberto Alomar, the greatest 2nd baseman in the history of the Blue Jays, who turns 39 today. I want the name of a fellow infielder on the 1991 Jays, who played a little 3B in May when the incumbent Kelly Gruber was off on one of his many DL stints, who turns 41 today. There were 6 different 3B that year, including *shudder* Cory "Swiss Cheese Bat" Snyder, but it's not him.

Mick Doherty - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 02:28 PM EST (#163044) #
Well, I still have the birthday list I pulled the Alomar thread information from open, so I won't answer -- bud damn, that's hard! There aren't too many MLB vets who played in my lifetime about whom I can say this, but "never heard of him." Yikes!
actionjackson - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 02:41 PM EST (#163045) #
I'll offer a clue eventually, but not yet. There might be scorekeepers or birthday trivia buffs out there who would remember him from his blip during that season.
Jeremy - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 02:46 PM EST (#163046) #
I can't say I remember him either, but my best guess would be Ray Giannelli
actionjackson - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 02:48 PM EST (#163047) #
I'm confused. If you can't remember him, how did you guess his name?
Mick Doherty - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 03:12 PM EST (#163048) #

Jeremy is disqualified from answering the question, though he is invited to offer a real whiz-bang explanation as  response to actionjackson's question, and if it's impressive enough (science fiction is welcome) then this ruling will be reconsidered.

in the mean time, actionjackson, ask another one or pass it on to someone else!

actionjackson - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 03:32 PM EST (#163051) #
I will pass it to Jeremy with the condition that he follow the no internet sources, merely skull sweat and hard copy (book) sources from now on. I don't want to eliminate any trivia buffs and since I goofed and used the internet on my first go-round, earlier in this thread, I understand where he's coming from. He also asks good trivia questions and we need all hands on deck to keep threads like this going. Jeremy, if that's acceptable to you, you're up.
Craig B - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 05:58 PM EST (#163060) #

There were 6 different 3B that year, including *shudder* Cory "Swiss Cheese Bat" Snyder, but it's not him.

Snyder's Swiss Cheese Bat raises an intriguing dual possibility - did he strike out all the time because his swiss cheese bat had holes, or did he strike out all the time because Boomer Wells ate his swiss cheese bat?

Jeremy is still up...

Craig B - Monday, February 05 2007 @ 10:19 PM EST (#163068) #

I'm going to commit the unpardonable sin of shoehorning in with a question when it's not my turn.  (I think we can handle doing two questions at once anyway).

Here goes... what future major league ballplayer set a NCAA record for punt return average and led all Pac-10 basketball players in scoring, as a sophomore?

 

actionjackson - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 12:15 AM EST (#163072) #
I don't know if he ever played football, but how about Kenny Lofton for the Arizona Wildcats?
SNB - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 07:51 AM EST (#163074) #
Dave Winfield?
Mick Doherty - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 10:12 AM EST (#163077) #

Well, Winfield was a Big 10 guy (Minnesota) and I don't think Lofton played football .... let's try UCLA legend Jackie Robinson, though I don't know if he played basketball ...

Good question!

Craig B - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 12:54 PM EST (#163084) #

Mick nails it down!  Yes, it was Jackie Robinson, who smashed the NCAA record for punt return average (21 yards per return) in 1939 and led the Pac-10 basketball conference (then called the PCC) in scoring in 1939-40.  He also finished third in the Pac-10 in passing yardage, playing only part of the time at QB.   Later that year, he quit school... to take a job as a phys. ed. instructor, because he couldn't find a job as a professional athlete.

In 1938, Jackie had been the backup to football legend Kenny Washington at halfback for UCLA and averaged over 11 yards per carry.   This was the summer after he broke the national junior college record in the long jump at 25' 6 1/2", which stood for decades, and in that same summer he won the Pacific Coast 'Negro' junior boys tennis championship, despite not really being a tennis player.  He played baseball in his spare time, of course. 

Two years later, in 1942, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. cavalery - and entered the Army ping-pong championship, apparently on a whim.  He won.

Craig B - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 12:55 PM EST (#163085) #
Cavalry, darn it!
Mick Doherty - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 02:17 PM EST (#163086) #

Wow, the wild guess pans out! Okay, my turn ...

Robinson played for just one major league franchise in his career, the Dodgers; he even refused a late-career trade by retiring because he didn't want to play for anyone else.

On the other end of the spectrum, Rickey Henderson leads all Hall of Famers by having played for no less than nine different franchises. Without looking them up, name all nine.

Mike Green - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 02:40 PM EST (#163090) #
Rickey leads all Hall of Famers

No one ever accused Rickey of lacking self-confidence, but it will be a few years yet.

I don't remember the last two teams either after John Northey's seven.
Zao - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 02:46 PM EST (#163091) #
For some reason I'm thinking Boston and just a wild guess, Cincy
Mike Green - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 02:59 PM EST (#163093) #
For the record, it's not only my memory that is suffering.  John Northey's second post clearly indicates that he got six out of the nine.
AWeb - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 03:33 PM EST (#163095) #
I know (well, fairly sure) he was in Seattle. And Boston too. Which leaves another team somewhere....I'll guess Florida.
Craig B - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 04:36 PM EST (#163096) #
Seattle and Texas?
Mick Doherty - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 04:50 PM EST (#163097) #

Well, we are eight for nine so far ...

  • John Northey got six -- Oakland, Yankees, Mets, Jays, San Diego, Dodgers
  • Zao got Boston
  • Aweb got Seattle

We are missing just one ... and given how much time Rickey spent on the left coast, it's a surprise people don't remember this little foray ...

Rob - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 05:05 PM EST (#163098) #
Wild guess: since Rickey played a while as an old guy, the Giants seem to be a good fit for his ninth team.
Rob - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 05:11 PM EST (#163099) #
Okay, I'm wrong. There are only so many West Coast teams left, though, so someone should get this soon.

And it's a surprise I don't remember 32 games of .183/.343/.261 from 10 years ago? I guess nobody ever said these were easy questions.
Craig B - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 06:06 PM EST (#163102) #
Actionjackson takes it!  And you can't beg off twice in a row.  Besides, it's tradition to do it this way.  So, action, ask the next question, if you please!
Craig B - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 08:44 PM EST (#163106) #

Jeff Nelson?

AWeb - Tuesday, February 06 2007 @ 09:24 PM EST (#163108) #
Keeping with the ex-Yankee theme....Mike Stanton ?
Mick Doherty - Wednesday, February 07 2007 @ 10:09 AM EST (#163128) #

We have a new trivia thread.

Once the answer to this question is confirmed, please head on over there and Stump Da Box.

Mike Green - Wednesday, February 07 2007 @ 10:39 AM EST (#163130) #
I didn't look it up, but I know from the Lieber trade that the answer was Danny Miceli. 
Mike Green - Wednesday, February 07 2007 @ 10:41 AM EST (#163131) #
I'll ask a new question in the other thread.
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