Two years since the coronavirus affected daily life and just two days since the MLB owners and players agreed to a Collective Bargaining Agreement, 19 members and guests gathered for breakfast tacos at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q in West Austin on Saturday.
After many virtual meetings in the last two years, we were eager to be back in person again, and for the first time in a while, we enjoyed talking about the season to come rather than the labor unrest that nearly sank the 2022 season.
There was some discussion about issues that have yet to be resolved, including the rescheduling of the first two series that Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had canceled at the beginning of March. It appears that some series will be tacked at the end of the season (extending the last day of the season to Oct. 5), while other series may be scheduled as midseason doubleheaders.
Meanwhile, Jim Baker announced that he was planning Predictatron as usual. The contest in which we endeavor to pick how many games each team will win and which teams will achieve postseason glory has been a fun tradition for years. The two divisions – the Don Dingee Division and Gilbert Martinez Division – are named after the division winners from last year’s contest. Who will knock off defending champion Martinez for the Predictatron Trophy and the Postseason Champion Trophy?
Speaking of Baker, as winner of last month’s trivia quiz, he sprung a doozy of a quiz on us with questions about baseball Rudys, Rudy’s the barbecue joint, baseball-basketball dual sport stars, breakfast items, and the labor situation.
Jerry Miller proved to be up to the task, chalking up 20 out of 27 points in this fun and challenging quiz. Cy Morong was a close second with 19, and Dan Walsh had 18. Jim generously awarded Rudy’s gift cards to Jerry and Cy for their exploits.
Try your hand at Jim’s quiz below. The answers follow at the end.
This was the 184th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, a streak dating to December 2006.
We’ve not yet set the April meeting, but plan to be back in person in the middle of the month. We should be talking about games that count then! Details to come on our email list.
The Totally Relevant Quiz
Stuff that’s completely related to the here and now
By Jim Baker
The Rudy Section (Major League players named Rudy)
This Rudy was a middle reliever who broke in with the Angels at the age of 19 in 1989. Nineteen years later, he was on the Phillies, his ninth team. In 544 appearances he only had 12 saves while never starting a game. Along the way, he made postseason appearances with the Braves and Padres.
The Rudy in question here was a typical light-hitting middle infielder of the ’70s in that he hit just two homers in 709 career plate appearances and had a .267 slugging average. Most of his time was with the Angels, but he finished out his big-league career with the Cubs and Phillies.
You may or may not get this question about our next Rudy, a pitcher with over 300 career decisions. He was usually a league average sort of guy, except in 1980, when he led the A.L. in ERA, ERA+, FIP and WHIP.
The next Rudy blasted 277 home runs in his 13-year career, leading the league in homers and RBI in 1943, a season in which he finished third in the MVP voting. The slugging first baseman was a seven-time All Star.
Our last Rudy was a speedy center fielder who played all but 11 of his 749 career big league games in the 1980s. He stole 228 bases, over a third of which (77) came in 1983 for the division-winning White Sox.
The Rudy’s Section (fun facts about Rudy’s, the barbecue chain)
With its expansion to Florida, Rudy’s now has locations in six states. In total, how many Rudy’s are there?
a. 101-103
b. 64-66
c. 45-47
d. 23-25
Rudy’s was pretty much just a country store (started in 1929) until it started serving barbecue to become the restaurant we recognize today. In what year did that occur?
a. 1959
b. 1974
c. 1989
d. 2001
Where was the original Rudy’s located?
a. This one
b. Leon Springs
c. Waco
d. New Braunfels
What is Rudy’s biggest selling meat?
a. brisket
b. sausage
c. ribs
d. chicken
What type of wood does Rudy’s use to smoke its meats?
a. hickory
b. mesquite
c. apple
d. oak
Name the old-time pitcher who once went 34-5 for the Red Sox and who, if you removed his first name, but kept his nickname and last name, would describe exactly what you’re smelling right now.
The March Madness Section (MLB players who also played college hoops and then saw time in the NBA)
This one-time Blue Jay, for whom basketball proved to be a much better career choice, played his college hoops at Brigham Young University.
This former N.L. MVP is a member of both the College Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame. He played his college ball at Duke and in the NBA with the Fort Wayne Pistons for one season. His decision to focus on baseball resulted in eight All-Star appearances as well as World Series titles with St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
This former White Sox pitcher hung up his mitt after the 1965 season. This in spite of a 124 ERA+ in the majors and a 40-21 won-loss record in the minors, all while also playing with the Detroit Pistons in the off-season—part of the time as player-coach! He is best remembered as a starter on the 1969-70 and 1972-73 league champion Knicks. He played his college ball at the University of Detroit.
Of the following major league players (shown here with their college hoops team), which one did not play in the NBA?
a. Ron Reed (Notre Dame)
b. Frank Howard (Ohio State)
c. Chuck Connors (Seton Hall)
d. Mark Hendrickson (Washington State)
Remembered today mostly for his famously slow “Folly Floater,” this mostly Yankees pitcher played his college basketball at Morehead State and also spent two seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers from 1958 to 1960.
This Washington State player was taken by the Celtics in the 1952 draft and ended up playing on three of their championship teams and a total of six years in the NBA. He also pitched in 11 big league seasons, going 91-96, and appeared in Game 3 in the 1957 World Series for the champion Milwaukee Braves.
The Breakfast Section (in honor of our first-ever breakfast meeting)
Who was the man they called “Country Breakfast”?
This player, whose nickname and last name combine to make a fancy breakfast dish, caught almost a thousand games for the Braves from 1978 to 1989.
This breakfasty outfielder led the American League in steals in 2011 and also won a ring with the Red Sox.
Nicknamed “El Coffee,” this outfielder hails from the Dominican Republic, but will be playing his baseball for the Yomiuri Giants in 2022. He spent his entire eight-year big league career with the Pirates from 2014 to 2021.
Only one of the following breakfasty players was real. Which one was it?
- Eddie Bacon
- Steven Toast
- Scrapplehead Pitcairn
- Elmore “Taylor” Ham
- O.J. Johnson
The Labor Section (because of the recently resolved dispute)
Prior to the formation of the MLBPA, there were a number of attempts at organizing players. Which of the following was not the name of one of those attempts?
- Players Protective Association
- The Society of Batsmen and Moundsmen
- Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players of America
- The American Baseball Guild
In what season did the players have their own league, fittingly known today as the Players League?
a. 1914
b. 1900
c. 1890
d. 1884
In what year did the MLBPA officially get recognized as a union?
a. 1946
b. 1959
c. 1966
d. 1971
Name all the seasons in which there was a work stoppage (strike or lockout) in which regular season games were lost, never to be replayed. There are five possible answers.
What is the sum total of regular season games lost to work stoppages (strikes or lockouts)?
a. 1,700 to 1,800
b. 2,100 to 2,200
c. 2,700 to 2,800
d. 3,000 to 3,100
Answers
The Totally Relevant Quiz—Answer Key
The Rudy Section
Rudy Seánez
Rudy Meoli
Rudy May
Rudy York
Rudy Law
The Rudy’s Section
- 45-47; It might be 45, it might be 47, depending if new franchises are open yet
- 1989
- Leon Springs
- brisket
- oak
Smoky (Joe) Wood
The March Madness Section
Danny Ainge
Dick Groat
Dave DeBusschere
- Frank Howard
Steve Hamilton
Gene Conley
The Breakfast Section
Billy Butler, A’s and Royals DH
Bruce “Eggs” Benedict
Coco Crisp
Gregory Polanco
- Eddie Bacon; started one game for the woeful 1917 A’s. Walked 7, whiffed none
The Labor Section
- The Society of Batsmen and Moundsmen is fake
- 1890
- 1966
1972, 1981, 1985, 1994, 1995
a. 1,700 to 1,800: 1972: 86g, 1981: 713, 1985: 2, 1994-95: 948… 1,749 total
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