Author: Gilbert Martinez

Baseball fans love reading about their favorite major league players in many books that focus on their professional playing careers, but one SABR member wanted to know more about their exploits on the sandlot. When he didn’t find these stories, he decided to write a book.

After a 10-year interviewing and writing project, Kelly Park (pictured above) published his book last year and joined us for SABR Day on Saturday, Jan. 30.

Fifteen chapter members and guests learned how Park got the idea to write “Just Like Me: When the Pros Played on the Sandlot” on the chapter Zoom meeting.

“There was not a book out there about the sandlot,” said Park, a member of the Pee Wee Reese Chapter in Louisville, Kentucky. “So, why don’t I write this?”

But Park faced two immense challenges from the beginning – he wasn’t a baseball insider with connections to ballplayers, and he didn’t have a literary background.

Rather than pack up his ball and glove and go home, he was determined to hear these stories and share them with the world.

A chance encounter with the son of former Cubs slugger Jim Hickman led to his first interview. That led to others – so many others. His book features interviews with 18 players, including major league managers, Negro League ballplayers and women who played in the All-American Girls Professional League. He’s planning a second volume of this book project with another 18 players, including Hall of Famer Don Sutton.

When asked why he wanted to capture and tell these stories, Park said, simply, “Because that’s what I wanted to know.”

He also shared that his father, a World War II veteran of the Pacific Theater, passed away in 2012, at a time when he was getting discouraged with his book project after numerous rejections from publishers. He regretted not learning more about his father’s lifetime experiences and used that sentiment as inspiration to write his book.

He also noted that he wanted to honor the men and women who took time to share their stories with him, so he felt a responsibility to get them published.

“There’s more to professional baseball than the Major Leagues,” he said.

Plus, he noted, stories about the players’ professional careers are easily found in biographies and sports articles, but their reflections on youth baseball and growing up before their professional careers are the things that interested Park.

You can learn more about Park and his book project on his website: https://justlikemethebook.com/

His website includes a link to purchase the book from the book publisher, Sunbury Press, a list of all the players he interviewed for book one and book two, and a page to submit your own sandlot story. In fact, the webpage features a story by our very own Monte Cely.

Many thanks to Kelly Park for sharing insights about his book and making our SABR Day extra special.

Our next chapter meeting will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 via Zoom.

Tony Kemp’s pinch-hit strikeout-that-turned-into-a-home-run and Ross Ohlendorf’s immaculate inning were just two stories in a fun-filled day at the chapter’s winter meeting on Saturday.

Oakland Athletics (and former Houston Astros) utility player Tony Kemp and Austin native Ross Ohlendorf dazzled more than 30 members and guests at the 15th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research.

Tony Kemp, who made his MLB debut with the Astros in 2016, talked about the challenges in playing the shortened season in 2020 without fans because of the coronavirus. He also said he was excited and proud to play for the Oakland A’s, which won the American League West.

He remembered 2019 as a roller coaster year because he was released by the Astros and picked up by the Cubs. Having grown up a St. Louis Cardinals fan, he said it was odd to don the Cubs uniform, but he loved “being on the other side.”

He was asked about the time he struck out against Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos on Sept. 21, at Wrigley Field. Or so he thought. Because a balk was called prior to the pitch, Kemp had new life in the batter’s box with a full count. Kemp remembers the at-bat well. The balk moved Ben Zobrist from second to third.

What would Gallegos throw? Kemp thought. And what would the location be?“I [sat] on a heater,” he remembered, and he got it. All of it. He launched a two-run home run to straightaway center field that put the Cubs ahead, though they later lost the game. For more about this play, check out the video on MLB.com: https://www.mlb.com/news/tony-kemp-go-ahead-home-run-strikeout-balk

Kemp also remembered playing at Minute Maid Park in the first games played after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He had been called up from Triple-A to join a talented team that went on to win the World Series that year.

He remembered manager A.J. Hinch’s emotional pep talk to the crowd that day.

“The feeling in the clubhouse was very eerie, not nervous,” he said. “We realized that the game was bigger than us. That we were not just playing for ourselves.”

In the past year, Kemp has been active on social media and engaged with fans. After the George Floyd murder, he said he wanted to do more to address racial injustice and sought to have conversations about race relations in America. He said he’s had more than 500 conversations with people from across the country.

“I think the biggest thing is that you take yourself out of your shoes,” he said as a first step to understanding the climate in America today. “A lot of people were hurting and… needing questions answered that they never had before.”

Kemp said this inspired him to create and lead the +1 Effect movement, in which candid conversations, he hopes, can lead to healing and understanding. He partnered with BreakingT to raise money for a campaign to decrease police violence and improve race relations in America. Read more about his effort on MLB.com: https://www.mlb.com/news/tony-kemp-starts-campaign-fighting-racial-injustice

To help support Kemp and his +1 Effect campaign, you can purchase T-shirts and use a promotional code (HORNSBY) for a 15% discount at this link: https://breakingt.com/products/plus-1-effect

Kemp also talked about the Astros sign-stealing scandal and how he didn’t want any part of that when he returned to the team in September 2017. “I’m thankful for my younger self,” he said of his decision.

Before our talk ended, he gave us a tour of his memorabilia, showing signed jerseys from baseball greats such as Edgar Martinez and David Price and signed baseballs from Craig Biggio, Nolan Ryan and others. He keeps in touch with his teammates from Vanderbilt University and was part of the team that led Vandy to its first College World Series.

Later, Austin native and former MLB pitcher Ross Ohlendorf shared his memories of his Major League career pitching for the Yankees, Pirates, Padres, Nationals, Rangers and Reds. Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ohlendorf was the key prospect in the trade that sent him to the Yankees and Randy Johnson to the D’backs in 2007.

He shared how much he appreciated the great Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who took an active interest in helping Ohlendorf when he struggled.

“Some players want to be great and some want the team to be great,” Ohlendorf said, noting that Rivera was both.

“I’ve never seen someone else take such an interest in helping others — at least, in helping me,” he said. While some pitchers may watch and offer tips, Ohlendorf said Rivera would catch him on flat ground and offer guidance.

He also remembered working with Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, who he said helped him greatly with pitching mechanics and location.

“There are two parts to pitching: the right pitch and execution,” Ohlendorf explained. He said sometimes in his career, he had the right pitch but not the conviction in the moment to throw that pitch, causing poor execution. He said he was at his best when he could align the right pitch with the confidence and conviction to throw it, which often led to better execution.

Ohlendorf finished his professional playing career in a season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2017. Though he said he wished he pitched better, he said that he and his family had a great experience in Japan, and he hopes to visit in the future with his family. Of the quality of play, Ohlendorf said that most teams had one or two players that would be good players in MLB. He also said that the style of play is different in Japan, where teams rely on small ball to score runs and defense.

Of his immaculate inning – an inning in which a pitcher retires three batters with nine pitches – Ohlendorf said he didn’t know until after the game that he had become the 40th pitcher in MLB history to achieve the feat. However, Ohlendorf, pitching for the Pirates against the Cardinals on Sept. 5, 2009, said he did think about the feat during the inning.

“When I went 0-2 on the second batter, I thought about it,” he said, noting that he had a shot. He remembered also that all three strikeouts were completed with putouts by the catcher to the first baseman.

You can watch each strike and out at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VViT34ETHBU

Before Ohlendorf finished, he talked about the lineup cards displayed on his wall at home. One lineup card is from his Major League debut with the Yankees, and another was from a win with the Rangers. He got signatures from most of the players on each card.

We also thanked Ohlendorf for his participation with the chapter’s BasebALZ program, a therapy program that uses baseball memories to help Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. For more about the program, click this link: http://www.sabrhornsby.org/about-basebalz/

Longtime Round Rock Express broadcaster and award-winning journalist Mike Capps (pictured above) joined us and shared his insights about the state of Minor League Baseball and the uncertainty about the upcoming season. He plans to return to the Express broadcast booth, where he’s been known as the Voice of the Express since 2000.

After MLB contracted the number of minor league teams from 160 teams to 120 in late 2020, unknowns about the upcoming season include team schedules and the makeup of divisions. Under the new model headed by MLB, most decisions involving the minor league clubs, such as marketing, will be decided at the MLB office in New York.

Capps said it appears that the start of the minor league season may dovetail with Opening Day for the major league teams.

Another feature of our winter meeting involves having a mock Hall of Fame election to capture the chapter’s impression of the players on the ballot. Our results have often suggested how the baseball writers vote on their real ballots.

We had 22 participate in our ballot in which none of the players reached at least 75% of the vote (17 of 22). The highest vote-getters on our ballot were Barry Bonds and Rogers Clemens (each with 13 of 22 votes, or 59%), Curt Schilling (12 of 22 votes, or 55%) and Scott Rolen (11 of 22 votes, or 50%). No other player on our ballot reached double digits in votes.

We’ll see how our mock election compares with the real deal on Tuesday, Jan. 26, when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announces its results.

Longtime chapter member Jim Baker opened our meeting with a collection of photos of baseball players with dogs and invited participants to share interesting tidbits about the players such as Hank Aaron (seen above), Ichiro Suzuki, David Ortiz, Willie Mays and Rogers Hornsby, among others.

Sprinkled throughout the meeting, some participants shared their favorite memorabilia. Monte Cely shared his 1958 J.C. Higgins glove (Don Blasingame model); Mike McNulty shared a souvenir minibat from the 1932 World Series between the Cubs and Yankees (his uncle obtained the bat at the game in which Babe Ruth famously called his home run shot); Jerry Miller shared a variety of items related to Dodgers great Tommy Lasorda; Jan Larson shared a ballcap for the now-defunct Minor League team the New Orleans Baby Cakes; Bob Dorrill shared a signed card featuring Nolan Ryan and Reid Ryan in uniform; Linda Nichols shared a 25th Anniversary Commemorative Ticket of the opening of the Houston Astros’ Astrodome; guest Ryan Gonzalez, who worked as a live content creator for MLB and the Astros, shared confetti that landed on the mound after the Astros won the AL pennant in 2017, and I shared a Craig Biggio ball he signed the night of his 3,000th hit on June 28, 2007 (Biggio signed the ball and gave it to Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, who gave it to Steve Braccini, former Hornsby Chapter member, who gave it to me).

Ryan Pollack crafted a quiz about runners-up in a variety of career and single-season categories. Inspired by Tom Melecki’s turkey quiz in November, Ryan noted that we often know the names of the players with the highest accomplishments, so he tested our knowledge of those with second most.

Use this link to access the quiz: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ORM1vRLMu4ZQ1b7t6TOwjwMKYVNELjgVLh-9RnC1mc8/edit?ts=5ffb3d28#slide=id.p

Correct answers can be found by clicking on the lower-right side of each slide and deleting the box to uncover the correct answer.

Gary McIntosh won the quiz with four (4) points, followed by Cy Morong with three (3) and Jim Baker with two (2).

This was the 15th annual winter meeting and the first held virtually online. We also took a few minutes at the beginning to recognize and remember Bill Gilbert, for whom the winter meeting is named; he founded the Rogers Hornsby Chapter in 2005 and the Larry Dierker Chapter and conceived of the winter meeting.

Many thanks to Tony Kemp, Ross Ohlendorf, Mike Capps and Jim Baker for filling out a great day of baseball. Also, thanks to everyone who joined us for a fun-filled day. And special thanks to Ryan Pollack for coordinating and planning the winter meeting with help from Monte Cely, Jan Larson and myself.

 

Eighteen SABR members and guests from across Texas and the nation joined us on Saturday for the December chapter meeting.

Scott Barzilla, member of the Larry Dierker Chapter and author of the recently published “The Hall of Fame Index Part II,” talked about his book, which endeavors to use statistical analysis to determine the best players by position and offer suggestions on those worthy to be Hall of Fame players.

Barzilla (pictured above) said his formula combines different WAR (Wins Above Replacement) assessments from Baseball Reference and Fangraphs and examines career value and peak value. He said it’s similar to Jay Jaffe’s JAWS (Jaffe Wins Above Replacement Score) formulation, but Barzilla said that while Jaffe examines seven years of a player’s peak value, he looks at 10 years of that value.

Barzilla added that he thought the baseball writers who have voted in the Hall of Fame balloting have done a good job for the most part, though he said Harold Baines was “the worst recent addition to the Hall of Fame.” In fact, he said that selection inspired him to revisit his formula and write this follow-up book.

He thinks that the voters, when evaluating a player, should ask themselves: “Is he the best player not currently in the Hall of Fame?”

Barzilla said his book, which provides the top 50 players by position, is intended to inform and educate voters about which players, by his formulation, deserve enshrinement and how they compare with other players at those positions.

At the end of his presentation, he polled meeting participants about nine of the most likely players to be considered by the Eras Committee (formerly the veterans committee) next year. Only Dick Allen received 75% of the vote (or 12 of 16 votes). The second highest vote-getter was Minnie Minoso (44% or 7 of 16). Two participants opted for none of the players. See vote totals below.

Here’s a link to Barzilla’s book for those interested: https://www.amazon.com/Hall-Fame-Index-Part-II/dp/B0851LKDHP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hall+of+fame+index+part+II&qid=1607994324&sr=8-1

As a follow-up to Tom Melecki’s “turkey” quiz last month, Monte Cely put together leftovers for a quiz about the St. Louis Browns. He also showed us his impressive book collection about the Browns, perhaps the largest such collection in the region, the state and, Jim Baker suggested, perhaps the world! Quiz-taker extraordinaire Cy Morong flexed his memory muscles, taking 1st place with 16 out of 25 points. Jerry Miller was hot on his tail for 2nd place with 14 points, and Jim was 3rd with 11 points. Try your hand at the quiz below (answers follow the questions).

Other topics discussed included the Round Rock Express’ reunion with the Texas Rangers, MLB’s pending decision about how to align the restructured Minor League ball clubs and Al Michaels’ selection for the Ford C. Frick Award.

This was the ninth consecutive month we’ve meet virtually on Zoom because of the pandemic. This was also the start of our 15th year of consecutive monthly meetings with Meeting No. 169.

Next meeting will be the 15th Annual Rogers Hornsby Chapter Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. Details have been sent to the Hornsby Chapter Google Group email list.

We are also planning on having Kelly Park of the Louisville SABR Chapter and author of “Just Like Me – When the Pros Played on the Sandlot,” join us virtually for a SABR Day meeting on Saturday, Jan. 30. More details to come.

“First in Booze, First in Shoes, and Last in the American League”

A quick history of the St. Louis Browns

By Monte Cely                                                                   

EVEN BEFORE THE AMERICAN LEAGUE

Unlike the American League Browns, the 19^th Century American Association St. Louis Brown Stockings were a powerhouse. Eventually the Brown Stockings became the National League Cardinals, but they had a shared heritage with the 20^th Century Browns – not to mention their share of colorful characters.

1. The Brown Stockings owner was a German-born saloon keeper who realized that baseball fans wanted to be entertained at the ballpark and drink beer.
2. During the 1880s, how many American Association titles did the Brown Stockings win?
3. How many 19^th Century World’s Series did they win?
4. The Brown Stockings’ manager and first baseman is in the Hall of Fame; in 1939 he was voted in as a Founding Executive. Who is he?

ENTRY INTO THE AMERICAN LEAGUE

5. The American League is generally considered to be a major league as of 1901, but the A.L. Browns did not start play in St. Louis until 1902. Where was that franchise for the 1901 season?

THE YEAR THAT ALMOST WAS

The Browns had their winning-est year ever in 1922, finishing only one game behind the Yankees for the AL pennant.  They had a powerful lineup with enough pitching to win 93 games.  Here were some of the league-leaders:

6. Their first baseman led the AL in batting avg. (.420) and stolen bases (51).
7. Their ace pitcher led the AL with 149 strikeouts.
8. Their power-hitting and speedy left fielder led the AL in home runs (39), RBI (155) and also was the Major Leagues’ first “30-30” man, stealing 31 bags.
9. The Browns’ outfield was one of the best hitting outfields of all time. The previous season in 1921, the three starters combined for a composite batting average of .351.  We just talked about the LF; who are the other two outfielders?   
10. Who was the Browns manager in 1922?

REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!

11. The Browns scheduled a press conference for Monday, December 8, 1941 at the American League meetings in Chicago. They planned to relocate the team for the 1942 season.  The Japanese attack on Sunday cancelled their plans. Where were they going to move?  
    

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS – 1944

12. Who was the skipper of the pennant-winning 1944 Browns?
13. This power-hitting Browns SS led the AL with 109 RBI in 1944.
14. It took two HR by this Brownie OF to clinch the AL pennant on the last day of the season. Who was he? 
15. The Browns lost the World Series to the Cardinals, 4 games to 2. Two pitchers had the distinction of being the only hurlers to ever record World Series wins for the Browns.  Who were they? (Hint – both were later traded to the Boston Red Sox.  In the Red Sox near-miss in 1948 – one led the Boston pitching staff with 18 wins and the other had the further distinction of losing the only pre-expansion American League playoff game ever played, against the Cleveland Indians.)

POST-WAR YEARS

16. The Browns signed two black players to break the St. Louis major league color barrier in 1947. One later played in the majors’ first all-black outfield, along with Willie Mays and Monte Irvin on the New York Giants.  The other is in the Hall of Fame.  Who are they? 
17. This St. Louis native went to high school with my Mom and was AL Rookie of the Year with the Browns in 1949.
18. This Browns infielder gained much greater fame as a soap-opera TV star – he played Dr. Steve Hardy in the series General Hospital for over 30 years. He is also the only player to have a World Series ring AND a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Who is he?
19. These two pitchers came to the majors with the Browns in the early ‘50s. They both went on to fame with the Yankees – one earning a Cy Young Award and the other accomplishing a one-and-only World Series pitching performance.  Name them.
20. The Browns’ last owner is in the Hall of Fame. Who is he?     
21. What was the last season the Browns played in St. Louis?

TOTAL == 25 points

Quiz Answers

1. Chris Von Der Ahe
2. 4
3. Won 1, tied 1
4. Charlie Comiskey
5. They were the Milwaukee Brewers
6. George Sisler
7. Urban Shocker
8. Ken Williams
9. Jack Tobin and “Baby Doll” Jacobsen
10. Lee Fohl
11. Los Angeles
12. Luke Sewell
13. Vern “Junior” Stephens
14. Chet Laabs
15. Danny Galehouse and Jack Kramer
16. Hank Thompson and Willard Brown
17. Roy Sievers
18. Johnny Berardino
19. Bob Turley and Don Larsen
20. Bill Veeck
21. 1953

The Rogers Hornsby Chapter recognized Jim Kenton, the creator of the chapter’s BasebALZ reminiscence program, with its Rajah Award at the November meeting with more than 30 chapter members, SABR members and guests in attendance, including many of Jim’s friends and relatives.

With the help of Jim’s wife, Kathy, arrangements were made ahead of time to present Jim with the Rajah Award trophy just as Monte Cely announced the award on Saturday, Nov. 21. It is only the second time in chapter history that this recognition has been made. In 2011, the chapter honored Bill Gilbert, who founded both our chapter and the Larry Dierker Chapter.

A video recording of the presentation of the Rajah Award to Jim can be viewed at this link: https://mediaflo.txstate.edu/Watch/Cn29Bom8  

For nearly six years, Jim Kenton has worked tirelessly to create baseball-themed reminiscence programs in Austin, Kerrville, San Antonio and Sun City Texas. This program of talking baseball, called BasebALZ, utilizes baseball memories to provide activities and comfort for those with Alzheimer’s and their loved ones and caregivers.

Thanks to Jim’s perseverance, other SABR chapters in Los Angeles, New York and Connecticut have begun their own programs and, in August, SABR launched the Baseball Reminiscence online chartered community.

Jim’s family and friends, and SABR members from across the country, shared their appreciation for Jim for his unwavering commitment to the Alzheimer’s community, his passion in spreading the effectiveness of this method far and wide, and his enthusiasm to help those in need.

Chapter members, many of whom volunteer for BasebALZ programs in Central Texas, added their thanks and appreciation for Jim for creating this special program that has meant so much to so many.

This was our eighth consecutive monthly meeting online, a shift made necessary because of the pandemic. It was also the 168th consecutive monthly meeting (14 years!), a streak that dates to December 2006.

With Thanksgiving Day just around the corner, Tom Melecki created a turkey-themed trivia quiz that made turkeys of many of us. The MLB Turkeys Quiz sought to test our knowledge of baseball players and teams with less than stellar accomplishments, and even included some questions about bad calls by umpires.

Cy Morong gobbled up these questions for 30 total points (out of a maximum of 58 points); Jim Baker was second with 26. Take your bite of Tom’s quiz below (answers follow the questions). Tom Melecki generously offered Cy a St. Louis Browns ballcap for his much-greater-than-turkey performance on the quiz.

The group also discussed recent announcements about Minor League Baseball, including the Houston Astros’ acquisition of the Sugar Land Skeeters as the team’s Triple-A affiliate. This leaves the Round Rock Express currently without a partnership with a major league team and creates doubts about other minor league affiliates across the country.

We also talked about how MLB’s suspension of Robinson Canó for a second-time PED offense actually works in favor of the New York Mets and new owner Steve Cohen because the team saves the $24 million it would’ve paid Canó this upcoming season. It remains to be seen just how much of Cohen’s wealth will go to free agent acquisitions, but Mets fans are hopeful.

Monte Cely and others noted that Saturday, Nov. 21, was the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Cardinals great Stan Musial. It was also noted that he shares a birthday with fellow Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. And, because this is what we do during our chapter meetings, it was further noted by several members that not only do Musial and Griffey share a birthday, but also a hometown: both were born in Donora, Pa.

We also took a few moments to remember chapter member Craig Lukshin, who passed away in September. A three-time Hornsby Chapter Postseason Predictatron Champion, Craig was an active member, joining us for SABR Day lunches, Express games and monthly meetings. The picture below, from the 2017 SABR Day lunch, includes Craig sporting an autographed Tim Raines Expos jersey.

Our next chapter meeting will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, via Zoom. Information about registering for the meeting will be sent through our email list in early December. Best wishes for a safe Thanksgiving holiday to you and your loved ones.

The MLB Turkeys Quiz

By Tom Melecki

November 2020

PART 1: TURKEYS ON THE PLATE About Batters Who Began Their MLB Careers After 1900
1	I’m the batter who holds the MLB record for the most regular season strikeouts in a career: •  What’s my name (1 point)? •  Within 10, how many times did I strike out (1 point)?		2 points
2	During my 12-year MLB career, I had 3,379 at-bats but hit only 1 home run, giving me the lowest home run to at-bat ratio since the dead ball era. •  Who am I (1 point)?		1 point
3	I set the MLB single season for the fewest RBIs by a hitter with 500 or more at-bats. This record has stood for 61 years. •  Who am I (1 point)? •  How many RBIs did I get in my 564 at-bats in that season (1 point)?		2 points
4	I made more outs during my career than any other MLB batter. •  What’s my name?		1 point
5	Our fans usually cheered when we stepped up to the plate with runners on base but, since 1933, we’ve hit into the most double and triple plays of all right and left-handed MLB batters. •  I’m the right-hander. Who am I (1 point)? •  I’m the left-hander. Who am I (1 point)?		2 points

 

6	Ricky Henderson holds the MLB career record for stolen bases, with 1,406. •  What player holds the MLB career record for most times caught stealing (1 point)? •  How many times was this player caught stealing (within 10 of the actual number, 1 point)?		2 points
7	Among currently active players, he’s the most likely to win the “Honey, I forgot to duck!” award because he’s been hit by pitches more than any other batter. •  Who is he (1 point)? •  How many times has he been hit by pitches (within 5 of actual number, 1 point)?		2 points

 

PART 2: TURKEYS ON THE HILL All Questions About Pitchers Who Began Their MLB Careers After 1900
8	I hold the distinction of having posted the highest career ERA among pitchers who logged 90 or more career innings. •  What’s my name (1 point)? •  Within 1 run either way, what’s my career ERA (1 point)?		2 points
9	I lost more times in a single, 162 game season than any other MLB pitcher. Who am I (1 point)? How many games did I lose that season (1 point)? For what team did I pitch that season (1 point)? In what season did I set this record (1 point)?		4 points
10	This fire-balling right-hander posted the most MLB career losses. •  Who is he (1 point)? •  How many games did he lose in his career (1 point)? •  For which of the teams for which he pitched did he suffer the most losses (1 point)?		3 points
11	Another fire-balling right-hander issued more bases-on-balls in a single season than any other MLB pitcher. •  His name is (1 point)? •  Within 10, how many base-on-balls did he give up in that season?		2 points

 

12	It’s almost as if these two pitchers were brothers from the same nasty and long-lived mother. They rank first and second in the number of batters hit over the course of an MLB career. •  Who’s number one (1 point)? •  Who’s number two (1 point)?		2 points
13	Clearly, any lucky stiff can throw a no-hitter. After all, since 1900 there have been 262 no-hitters in MLB. But me? I hold the MLB record for the most hits given up in a single game! •  What’s my name (at least last name, 1 point)? •  How many hits did I give up in this game (1 point)?		2 points
14	During my 25-year career with 8 different teams, I gave up more career home runs than any other pitcher in MLB history. •  Who am I (1 point)? •  Within 10, how many home runs did I give up (1 point)?		2 points

 

PART 3: FLOCKS OF TURKEYS All Questions About MLB Teams After 1900
15	We are one of the original 8 American League franchises, but we have lost more games (regular and postseason) than any other MLB franchise since we began play in 1901. •  Which franchise are we (1 point)? •  How many games have we lost – within 100 (1 point)?		2 points

 

16	Our franchise has lost more postseason games than any other franchise in MLB history. •  Who are we (1 point)? •  Within 5, how many postseason games have we lost since 1901 (1 point)?		2 points
17	Since 1901, not other MLB team has lost more consecutive regular season games than us. •  Name our team (1 point)? •  How many consecutive regular season games did we lose (1 point)? •  In what season did we lose all these games (1 point)?		3 points
18	For some of us, it is painfully apparent that the Cleveland Indians have gone 72 years without winning a World Series – although 2021 is sure to be the year when they win it all. •  What are the 6 MLB franchises that have never won the World Series (1 point each)?		6 points
19	When it comes to All-Star teams, we hold the distinction of having lost the All-Star game by the most lopsided margin since MLB began that game in 1933. •  Which league did we represent (1 point)? •  In what year did we lose this All-Star game (1 point)? •  What was this All-Star game’s final score (1 point)? •  In what MLB ballpark was this All-Star game played (1 point)?		4 points

 

PART 4: TURKEYS IN THE FIELD All Questions About MLB Fielders After 1900
20	The July 15, 1995, New York Times published my obituary by leading off with the story of my passed ball in the 9th inning of the 1941 World Series with 2 outs and strikes on the batter. That passed ball allowed the batter to reach first base, and the other team to score 4 runs, which led to a 7-4 loss for my team. The other team beat us again the following day and won the 1941 World Series 4 games to 1. •  What’s my name (1 point)? •  For what team was I catching in that World Series (1 point)? •  Who was the other team (1 point)?		3 points
21	Of all the MLB players whose careers began since 1900, I committed the most career errors during my 23-year career as a shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman. •  What’s my name – at least my last name (1 point)? •  Within 50, how many errors did I commit in the more than 16,000 fielding chances I had (1 point)?		2 points
22	Everybody remembers Bill Buckner’s error in the 1986 World Series. But that was in game 6, and the Red Sox still had a chance to win that Series by winning game 7. But me? I made an error 11 years after Buckner’s. It was in the 11th inning of the 7th game of the World Series, and it ultimately cost my team that Series. •  Who am I (1 point)?		1 point

 

PART 5: REALLY BAD TURKEY CALLS All Questions About Mistakes After 1900
23	It’s June 2, 2010. Not only are the Tigers winning 3–0 with 2 outs in the top of the 9th inning, but their starting pitcher has a perfect game going. The 27th opposing batter hits a grounder to the right of Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who throws the ball to the Tigers pitcher as he races over to cover the bag. The pitcher steps on first a full stride ahead of the runner. Perfect game, right? No! The first base umpire inexplicably calls the batter safe! •  Who was the first base umpire who blew that call (1 point)? •  Who was the Tigers pitcher he robbed of that perfect game (1 point)?		2 points
24	Mike Trout is arguably the best player in MLB today. He’s won Rookie of the Year, 3 American League MVP awards, a 7-time Silver Slugger and 8-time All Star. •  But how many players were drafted ahead of Trout in MLB’s 2009 amateur draft (1 point)? •  In fact, the Angels drafted another player ahead of Trout in that draft. Who is he (1 point)?		2 points
25	Remember Earl Weaver? Remember all the times he got ejected by umpires? Well, when it comes to being ejected by umpires from games I was managing, I far surpassed Earl’s total. •  Which Hall of Fame manager am I? •  From how many games was I ejected?		2 points

 

PART 5: THIS TURKEY IS ALL TIED UP Tie Breaker
Tie Breaker	Going back to that question about players drafted in 2009 ahead of Mike Trout . . . •  Name the 5 other players (besides Randal Grichuck) who were still on MLB rosters during the 2020 season.		5 points

Total Possible Points

• Without Tie Breaker = 58
• With Tie Breaker = 62

The MLB Turkeys Quiz Answer Key

Part 1: Turkeys on the Plate

About batter who began their MLB careers after 1900

Question 1

• Reggie Jackson
  • 2,597 regular season strikeouts – giving him 13 more strikeouts than his 2,584 career hits.

Question 2

• Duane Kuiper, Indians 1974-81, Giants 1982-85. Ironically, Kuiper hit his only home run in 1977 off his future broadcasting partner, Steve Stone, who was then pitching for the White Sox.

Question 3

• Richie Ashburn, then with the Phillies.
• 20 RBIs.
  Ashburn was actually a pretty mediocre RBI guy. In his 15-year career with the Phillies, Cubs, and Mets he had only 586 RBIs – an average of just 39 per year.

Question 4

• Pete Rose. While Pete holds the MLB records for most hits (4,265) and most commissioners killed (1), he also made 10,328 outs in his 24-year career.

Question 5

• Right-hander: Albert Pujols, 399 times.
• Left-hander: Carl Yastrzemski, 323 times.

Question 6

• Ricky Henderson. • 335 times.

Question 7

• Anthony Rizzo. • 155 times.

Part 2: Turkeys on the Hill

About pitchers who began their MLB careers after 1900

Question 8

• John Van Benschoten. • 9.10 ERA. He pitched for the Pirates in 2004, 2007, and 2008 en route to a 2-13 record and surrendering 92 earned runs in exactly 90 innings.

Question 9

• Roger Craig. • 24 losses.
  • New York Mets. • 1962.

Question 10

• Nolan Ryan 1966-93. • 292 career losses.
  • The Angels, for which he lost 121 games over 8 years, 1972-79. Of course, he also won 324 games, including 138 games while pitching for the Angels.

Question 11

• Bob Feller, Indians, 1938. • 208 base-on-balls. By the way, in 1977, Nolan Ryan came close to Feller’s record, allowing 204 bases-on-balls.

Question 12

• Walter Johnson, 205 hit batsmen, 1907-27.
• Randy Johnson, 190 hits batsmen, 1988-09.

Question 13

• Alan Travers. • 26 hits.

On May 18, 1912, the Detroit Tigers went on strike over the suspension of Ty Cobb for beating up a handicapped fan that was heckling him. Travers was a 20-year old junior at Philadelphia’s St. Joseph College, where he’d been cut from the baseball team. The Tigers paid Travers and 8 other strikebreakers $50 each to play the Athletics that day. Travers threw 8 complete innings and lost, 24-2. The regular Tiger players returned to the lineup the following day and Travers, who eventually became a Roman Catholic priest, never pitched in MLB again.

Question 14

• Jamie Moyer.
  • 522 home runs.

Nevertheless, Moyer posted a 269- 209-career win-loss record.

Part 3: Flocks of Turkeys

About MLB teams after 1900

Question 15

• Baltimore Orioles
  • 9,797 games lost in their 119- year history.

By the way, we all know the Orioles were the St. Louis Browns from 1902 – 1953, but did you also know they spent their first season (1901) in Milwaukee, where they were known as the Brewers?

Question 16

• New York Yankees.
  • 171 losses through the 2020 postseason.

But, the Yankees, who began as the Baltimore Orioles in 1901 before relocating to New York, have also won 241 postseason games and 27 World Series.

Question 17

• Philadelphia Phillies. • 23 consecutive games.
  • 1961, a season in which the Phillies went 47 and 107 (.305).

Question 18

• Texas Rangers (began as the Washington Senators 1961).
• San Diego Padres (1969).
• Milwaukee Brewers (1970).
• Seattle Mariners (1977).
• Colorado Rockies (1993).
• Tampa Bay Rays (1998).

Question 19

• National League.
• 1946
• American League 12, National League 0.
• Fenway Park. Bob Feller was the winning pitcher. Claude Passeau of the Cubs was the losing pitcher. Ted Williams had 4 hits, 2 home runs, and 5 RBIs.

Question 20

• Mickey Owen. • Brooklyn Dodgers. • New York Yankees.

Sadly, this was the only World Series in which Mickey Owen ever played during his 13-year career. It came after he caught 128 regular season games for the Dodgers with only 2 passed balls and a .995 fielding percentage – the best of his career.

Question 21

• Rabbit Maranville. • 711 errors.

His career ran from 1912 through 1935, during which he posted a .956 career fielding percentage while playing for the Boston Braves, Pirates, Cardinals, and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954.

Question 22

Tony Fernandez. While playing second base for the Indians in the 1997 World Series, he made an error that put the Marlin’s Craig Counsel on base. Three batters later, Counsel crossed the plate with the winning run, giving the Marlins their first-ever World Series win.

Question 23

• Jim Joyce.
  • Armando Galarraga.

Joyce, who then had 22 years’ experience as an MLB umpire, subsequently admitted he blew the call.

Galarraga, now a resident of the greater Austin area, did not argue with Joyce. Instead, he went back to the mound and got the 28th out. Later, he went to the umpire’s dressing room, gave Joyce a big hug, and forgave him. To this day, he has never complained publicly about Joyce’s blown call.

Question 24

• 24 others.
  • The Angels drafted outfielder

Randal Grichuk ahead of Trout.

Grichuk never played for the Angels, but he finally made it to the big leagues in 2014 with the Cardinals. He’s a .246 lifetime hitter through the 2020 season, during which he played in 55 games for the Blue Jays.

Question 25

• Bobby Cox. • 162 games.

In 4,508 games during his 29-year managerial career, Cox’s 162 ejections surpassed those of:

– John McGraw (132 ejections in 2,541 games managed); and

– Leo Derocher (94 ejections in in 3,739 games managed) and Earl Weaver (94 ejections in 2,541 games managed).

Part 5: This Turkey is All Tied Up

Tie Breaker

• Kyle Gibson, pitcher, appeared in 12 games in 2020 with the Rangers; he was drafted 22nd in the 2009 by the Twins.
• Mike Minor, pitcher, was in 5 games in 2020 with the Athletics; he was drafted 7th in the 2009 by the Braves.
• J. Pollock, outfielder, played in 55 games in 2020 with the Dodgers; he was drafted 17th in the 2009 by the Diamondbacks.
• Stephen Strasburg, pitcher, appeared in only 2 games in 2020 with the Nationals; he was drafted 1st in the 2009 by the Nationals.
• Zach Wheeler, pitcher, pitched in 11 games in 2020 for the Phillies; he was drafted 6th in the 2009 by the Giants.

Total Possible Points

Without Tie Breaker = 58

With Tie Breaker = 62

 

Longtime Astros broadcaster Bill Brown joined our October meeting on Saturday, sharing his insights about Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, the 2020 season and playoffs and his broadcasting career.

Brownie has long been a good friend to the Hornsby Chapter, presenting at our winter meetings in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

Remembering the late Joe Morgan, who died on Oct. 11, Brownie also noted that he and his wife, Dianne, moved to Cincinnati just as Joe Morgan joined the Reds in 1972.

“He was an immediate hit,” Brownie recalled with a chuckle. “But I wasn’t,” he added wryly.

But for the Big Red Machine, Brownie said there was no doubt about Morgan’s importance.

“He was the biggest ingredient,” he said.

Brownie joined the Cincinnati Reds Television Network in 1976. In 1987, he joined the Astros broadcast team, where he did play-by-play until he retired in 2016. Since then, he’s been a community outreach executive with the team.

As the master of ceremonies for the inaugural class of the Astros Hall of Fame, unveiled in 2019, Brownie recalled a widely circulated photo from that day featuring Hall of Famers Morgan and Craig Biggio with José Altuve. He didn’t know then how special that photo would be now as we remember Morgan’s career.

In remembering Morgan, Alyson Footer, an MLB reporter, shared photos from that ceremony on social media.

Brownie said he was greatly influenced by Jack Buck, a broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals who shared the booth then with Harry Caray.

“All of my buddies liked Harry Caray,” he said, “but I liked Jack Buck.”

Brownie also credited Jon Miller on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts to help him loosen up and partner well in the Astros broadcast booth with Jim Deshaies, now with the Cubs television broadcast.

He’s also written another book, “Sportscasting 101: The road to play-by-play,” which he said was written as a way to share insights about sports broadcasting with young people interested in the career. He interviewed a wide range of broadcasters for the book just as the pandemic hit and sports were shut down for a time. More information about the book can be found at this link: www.sportscasting101.com

He also discussed how grateful he was to have baseball this year during the pandemic. “It’s better than nothing,” he said.

He also talked about minor league contraction, the Astros playoff run in the 2020 season in the aftermath of the sign-stealing scandal, and the new rules instituted this season.

We also had a terrific trivia quiz, “First and Last,” by Dan Walsh, who obtained the honor of quiz maker because he won last month’s quiz. Cy Morong dominated the field with 26 total points. Jerry Miller was second with 23. The rest of us were in the teens and lower. Try your hand at Dan’s quiz at the end of this summary (answers follow the questions).

As this is being written, the Braves and Dodgers are engaged in NLCS Game 6. The Dodgers are trying to win to force Game 7 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Astros and Rays are playing ALCS Game 7 tonight.

I asked the group to predict winners.

 

What will happen? We’ll see!

This was the 167th consecutive month in which the chapter has held a meeting and the eighth consecutive month in which the meeting was held via video conferencing.

The next meeting will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, on Zoom. Hope you can join us.

 FIRST and LAST

SABR QUIZ by Dan Walsh

All questions relate only to events in the “modern era” (1900 – present).  No 19^th century baseball.

1. Name the first player to hit four home runs in a game; and name the last player to hit four HR in a game.
2. Name the first relief pitcher to win a Cy Young award; and name the last relief pitcher to win a CY award.
3. Name the last left-handed pitcher to win at least 25 games in a season; and name the last right-handed pitcher to win 25 games in a season.
4. Name the last player to steal at least 100 bases in a season.
5. Name the first pitcher to throw a perfect game; name the last pitcher to throw a perfect game.
6. Name the first AL player to hit .400 in a season
7. Name the last NL player to hit .400 in a season
8. Name first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in both leagues; and name last pitcher to throw a no-hitter in both leagues.
9. Name the first NL player to hit 50 or more HR in a season
10. Name the last pitcher with 300 or more innings pitched in a season.
11. Name the last pitcher to start at least 40 games in one season.
12. Name the first player with a 40/40 season – 40 HR/40 SB; and name the last player with a 40/40 season
13. Name the first third baseman to win a Gold Glove
14. Name the first pitcher with three saves in a World Series; and name the last pitcher to get three saves in a World Series
15. After Jackie Robinson, name the first NL player to be named Rookie of the Year; and name the first AL Rookie of the year.
16. Name first manager elected to the Hall of Fame.
17. Name the first catcher elected to the Hall of Fame; name the last catcher elected to the Hall of Fame.
18. Name the first shortstop to have 100 RBI in a season;and name the last shortstop to have 100 RBI in a season.
19. Name the first catcher to have 100 RBI in a season; and name the last catcher to have 100 RBI in a season.
20. Name the first second baseman to hit 40 HR in a season; name the last second baseman to hit 40 HR in a season.
21. Name the first NL player to win a Gold Glove in seven consecutive seasons; and name the first AL player to win a Gold Glove in seven consecutive seasons.
22. Name the first player to hit a home run in the Astrodome; name the last player to homer in the Astrodome.
23. For the following players, name the first team they played for and the last team they played for:

Player                                                  First Team                    Last Team

Roger Maris                                         

Randy Johnson                                     

Goose Gossage                                    

Jim Edmonds                                       

Moises Alou                                         

Sparky Lyle                                          

Kenny Lofton                                       

FIRST and LAST QUIZ ANSWERS

1. LOU GEHRIG (1932) and D. MARTINEZ (2017)
2. MIKE MARSHALL (1972) and GREG GAGNE (2004)
3. RON GUIDRY (1978, 25); and BOB WELCH (1990, 27)
4. VINCE COLEMAN (1987)
5. CY YOUNG (1904); and FELIX HERNANDEZ (2012)
6. NAP LAJOIE (1901 -.426)
7. BILL TERRY (1930 – .401)
8. JIM BUNNING (1958-Det, 1964-PHI); RANDY JOHNSON (1990-SEA, 2004-ARI)
9. HACK WILSON (1930 – 56)
10. STEVE CARLTON (1980)
11. CHARLIE HOUGH (1987)
12. JOSE CANSECO (1988 – 42/40) and ALFONSO SORIANO (2006 – 46/41)
13. FRANK MALZONE (1957)
14. ROY FACE (1960); and SERGIO ROMO (2012)
15. AL DARK (1948), ROY SIEVERS (1949)
16. CONNIE MACK and JOHN McGRAW (1937)
17. BUCK EWING (1939), TED SIMMONS (2020)
18. HONUS WAGNER (1903) ;XANDER BOGAERTS (2019)
19. GABBY HATNETT (1930); BUSTER POSEY (2012)
20. ROGERS HORNSBY (1922); BRIAN DOZIER (2016)
21. WILLIE MAYS (1957-68); VIC POWER (1958-1964)
22. MICKEY MANTLE (1965); KEN CAMINITI (1999)
23. Player First Team                    Last Team

Roger Maris                                          Indians                         Cardinals

Randy Johnson                                     Expos                           Giants

Goose Gossage                                     White Sox                    Mariners

Jim Edmonds                                        Angels                          Reds

Moises Alou                                         Pirates                         Mets

Sparky Lyle                                           Red Sox                        White Sox

Kenny Lofton                                        Astros                          Indians

Remembering Hall-of-Famers Tom Seaver and Lou Brock and discussing the tightening playoff race dominated our conversation at the monthly meeting on Saturday.

Fourteen chapter members and guests enjoyed hearing from one of the Hornsby Chapter’s newest members, Joe Gallagher. He had a long career in baseball broadcasting, serving as a producer for the New York Mets television and radio broadcasts and NBC’s Game of the Week in the 1960s.

Joe also shared his memories of Seaver and Brock. He remembered how the Mets had long struggled since their inception in 1962, but when Seaver arrived, he said that changed the culture.

“We’re not accepting losing,” he recalled Seaver saying on a broadcast. “We have to learn how to win.”

Joe said he was impressed with Seaver’s determination to win from the start of his career.

For Brock, Joe remembered an impressive home run he hit to the center field bleachers at the Polo Grounds. Many of us have seen the video of Willie Mays and his famous over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series, so it was fun to imagine Brock’s blast.

We’ll endeavor to include more of Joe’s memories and experiences in future meetings. You can read more about Joe’s extensive career in this profile written in 2018 by The Quadrangle, the student newspaper of Manhattan College, from which he graduated in 1949: https://mcquad.org/2018/04/27/joseph-gallagher-49-highlighting-the-former-sports-editors-astounding-career/

Monte also shared that he saw Brock’s 3,000th career hit in August 1979 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

We started off the meeting by remembering Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died the night before the meeting. We shared some interesting stories, including one in which her clerks had beaten the clerks of a fellow justice in fantasy baseball. You can read more about that at this link: https://clcjbooks.rutgers.edu/books/notorious-rbg-the-life-and-times-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg/

We also talked about a photo that Jeff Idelson, former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, shared on his Twitter account from when Ginsburg once paid a visit.

Because Cy won last month’s quiz, he was imbued with the power to create this month’s quiz. He focused on team and league leaders in a variety of categories with an eye toward asking questions about teams popular in our chapter. Congratulations to Dan for winning Cy’s quiz with 28 total points. Jim was second with 22, and Ryan P. was third with 17. Your humble reporter achieved double digits with 11! Try your hand at Cy’s quiz below (answers are followed by the questions). For his impressive tally, Dan’s gets our hearty (virtual) handshakes and congratulations, and the honor to create next month’s quiz.

We also polled the meeting attendees on a variety of baseball questions. Everyone thinks the Dodgers are destined for another National League pennant, while the group favored the Rays (55%) over the A’s (27%) and White Sox (18%) to win the AL pennant.

Among second-place teams, the group thought that the favorites to win the World Series were the Yankees and Padres.

Of the wild card teams (entering play on Saturday, Sept. 19), the group thought the Indians (45%) were most likely to surprise the world and win the World Series, with the Phillies (27%), Blue Jays (18%) and Reds (9%) trailing in the poll results.

We also asked the group to pick one of the new baseball rules to retain for next season and beyond. Overwhelmingly, by a 75% vote, the group chose the universal DH rule over the other rules such as the runner-on-second-for-extra-innings rule (17%) and the seven-inning doubleheader rule (8%). No one supported continuing the expanded playoffs implemented this season.

This was the sixth consecutive month we’ve met online on Zoom since the beginning of the pandemic. It was also the 166th consecutive month in which the chapter has had a meeting.

The next Hornsby Chapter meeting will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, via Zoom. Information about the meeting will be shared via our email list in early October. Hope to see you there!

Teams and league leaders quiz

All questions worth 2 points except where noted.

By Cy Morong

1. Who was the first Astros player to win a batting title?
2. Who is the only Mets player to win a batting title?
3. Who was the most recent Yankee to win a batting title, prior to 2020? 
4. Who won the most batting titles as a member of the Cardinals?
5. Who was the most recent member of the Indians to win a batting title, prior to 2020? 
6. Since 1900, who is the only member of the Cubs to win back to back batting titles?
7. Who was the first Ranger to win a batting title? (since 1972)
8. Babe Ruth had 10 HR titles as a Yankee. Who is second on the Yankees in HR titles?
9. Who was the first White Sox player to lead the AL in HRs?
10. Who was the last Cardinal to win a HR crown before McGwire did it in 1998?
11. Who is the only Cub to win 3 straight HR crowns since 1900?
12. Who was the first Oriole to lead the AL in HRs (since 1954)?
13. Who was the first member of the Red Sox to lead the AL in HRs more than once?
14. Who was the last Brooklyn Dodger to lead the NL in HRs?
15. Who was the first Astro pitcher to lead the NL in strikeouts?
16. Who was the first Dodger to lead the NL in strikeouts and ERA in the same year?
17. Besides Tom Seaver, name either one of the two Mets to lead the NL in strikeouts more than once.
18. Who was the first Oriole to lead the AL in ERA since 1954?
19. Who was the first Boston pitcher to lead the AL in ERA?
20. Since 1920, who is the only Indians pitcher to win 2 ERA titles?
21. Name any 5 Rangers who led the AL in HRs, RBIs or AVG since 1972 (1 point each for a max of 5).
22. Name any 5 White Sox players who led the AL in HRs, RBIs or AVG (1 point each for a max of 5).

Answer Key: Teams and league leaders quiz. All questions worth 2 points except where noted.

1. Altuve
2. Jose Reyes
3. Bernie Williams
4. Musial (7)
5. Avila
6. Madlock
7. Julio Franco
8. Mantle 4
9. Melton
10. Mize
11. Hack Wilson
12. Frank Robinson
13. Ruth
14. Duke Snider
15. J.R. Richard
16. Vance
17. Gooden, Cone.
18. Wilhelm
19. Cy Young
20. Garcia
21. Hamilton, Young, Franco, AROD, Juan Gonzalez, Sierra and Burroughs
22. Allen, Abreu, Anderson, Thomas, Appling and Melton

The general manager of the Round Rock Express joined our monthly meeting yesterday to share how the club has endured the pandemic without a Triple-A season.

Tim Jackson, who’s been with the Express for 10 years, the last five as general manager, explained how devastating 2020 has been on the club and minor league baseball to 14 SABR members who took part in our fifth consecutive virtual meeting via Zoom.

With 95 percent of revenue generated from Express games, Jackson said the club had to make the hard decision to lay off half its staff in late May. As a result, the Express explored other ways to maintain community relations amid an unprecedented pandemic.

“This place is much bigger than 70 Express baseball games,” Jackson said, adding that Dell Diamond has hosted movie nights, concerts and the Texas Collegiate League. The wood-bat league featured amateur players from the University of Houston and Baylor, among other area programs. Jackson estimated they had about 500 people at the stadium with social distancing and mask rules at the beginning. By the end of the home schedule of about 12 games, Jackson said they had 1,200 to 1,500 people attending games. The last two home games were canceled after a few players tested positive for COVID-19 while asymptomatic.

Jackson was also a guest speaker at our Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting last January at Texas State University in San Marcos. With regard to the stalemate between MLB and MiLB, he said not much has changed with MLB’s plan to contract the number of minor league teams. He expects the current agreement between the entities to expire in September and is unsure what may happen next.

While he’s hopeful there will be a way to save the threatened minor league clubs, he’s worried about them.

“It’s as grim as I thought it looked in January,” Jackson said.

Meanwhile, Jackson said, the club is exploring other ways to connect with the community by offering a range of events, including a drive-in event on Aug. 29 in which participants can enjoy a Metallica concert broadcast on screens around the Dell Diamond parking lots and audio broadcast on FM radio.

More information about this concert and other events can be found on the Round Rock Express website: https://www.milb.com/round-rock

We’re very grateful for Tim Jackson’s time and candor. We look forward to catching up with him again and hope it’s in better circumstances.

Jim Baker created a number-centric quiz challenging us to name significant numbers in baseball history, some of which, he said, all baseball fans should know. One in particular — most career no-hitters thrown by a pitcher — is one that everyone in Texas should know. Out of 100 total points, Cy Morong pounded the field with 72 points. Jerry Miller was second with 50 points and Jan Larson had 46. Take your swings at Baker’s quiz below (answer follow the questions).

We also had a few poll questions to consider which first- or second-place teams were our favorites to win league pennants, and which last-place team might manage to rebound and make the playoffs. The Dodgers were nearly unanimous as the NL pennant winner (one vote for the Cubs). The AL picture is more competitive in our voting; five chose the Yankees, three chose the A’s, and one vote apiece came for the Rays and Indians. As for which last-place teams might yet rebound and make the playoffs, our group favored the Nationals and the Tigers (though the Angels got some love, too).

When asked about the new rules implemented this season, such as the universal DH, the reliever three-batter rule, and the runner-on-second extra innings rule, most of our group disliked them, two voted neither like nor dislike, and one hated them.

Are our members watching more games or fewer games? It turns out that most are watching about the same number of games, while one voted more and one voted fewer.

In light of the recent discussion about Fernando Tatis Jr. swinging away on a 3-0 count with his team leading by seven runs in the eighth inning, we asked our members how they felt about a batter in this situation. Six voted that it’s the batter’s prerogative to swing away, two said the unwritten rules were more important and should result in no swing, and one voted that it depends (allowable in some situations but not all).

This was the 165th consecutive month in which the chapter has met.

Details for next month’s meeting will be forthcoming early in September.

NUMBER, PLEASE

By Jim Baker

This quiz will ask you to name famous baseball numbers that represents extreme accomplishments or failures to accomplish. You don’t need to know who achieved these numbers, nor do you need to know when they occurred. If you do, that’s great—but it won’t get you extra credit on this particular quiz. All numbers must be exact unless otherwise specified and all numbers apply to the Major Leagues only.

The quiz is broken into four sections: Game, Streaks, Season and Career. There are 50 numbers that need to be named. Each is worth two points.

GAME

1. The most RBI by a player in a game.
2. The number of players who have done this.
3. The most hits by a batter in a 9-inning game.
4. The most batters struck out by a pitcher in a 9-inning game.
5. The number of pitchers who have done this.
6. Most consecutive batters struck out by a pitcher in a single game.
7. Most consecutive batters retired by a pitcher in one game.
8. The most runs scored in an inning by one team (since 1901).
9. The most runs scored in a game by one team (since 1901).
10. The most runs scored in a game by both teams (since 1901).
11. Most runs scored by a player in a 9-inning game (since 1901).
12. The most total bases by a player in a single game.

STREAKS

1. Most consecutive games with a hit.
2. Most consecutive games with a hit by a National Leaguer (within one).
3. Most consecutive games with a home run.
4. Number of players who have done this.
5. Most consecutive games with a home run by a pitcher.
6. Most consecutive league home run titles by a player.
7. Most consecutive wins by a team (since 1901, tie games excluded).
8. Most consecutive team losses (since 1901).
9. Most consecutive losses to one team. (Hint: If the Tigers had been swept by the Indians in their weekend series of 8/21 to 8/23/20, they would have tied this record.)
10. Most consecutive team losses in the playoffs. (This is a current streak.)
11. Most consecutive wins by a pitcher without a charged loss.
12. The second-most consecutive games played by a player.

SEASON

1. The most pitching victories in a season (since 1946).
2. The most pitching victories in a season (since 2000).
3. The most saves in a season by a pitcher.
4. The most team victories in a 154-game scheduled season since 1904.
5. The most team victories in a 162-game scheduled season.
6. The fewest team victories in a 154-game scheduled season.
7. The fewest team victories since 1961, excluding strike-shortened seasons.
8. Most hits by a player in a season.
9. Most doubles by a player in a season.
10. Most triples by a player in a season.
11. Most home runs by a player in a season.
12. Most runs scored by a player in a season (since 1901; within two).
13. The most RBI in a season by a player (within two).
14. The number of plate appearances per team game played required for a player to qualify for a batting title. (No rounding.)
15. The number of innings pitched per team game played required for a pitcher to qualify for the ERA title.

CAREER

1. The most career pitching victories.
2. The most career pitching losses (within one).
3. The most no hitters pitched by one pitcher.
4. The most career shutouts by one pitcher.
5. The most consecutive seasons played with one team.
6. The most grand slams.
7. The most three-homer games. (This record was tied in 2020.)
8. The highest career batting average (within .001).
9. The most doubles.
10. The most triples.
11. Most World Championships (team).

TIEBREAKER

1. The number of stitches in a baseball. (Either the individual or double-stitch number is acceptable.)

ANSWERS

GAME

1. 12
2. 2: Jim Bottomley on 9/16/24 and Mark Whiten on 9/7/1993
3. 7: Wilbert Robinson 6/10/1892 and Rennie Stennett on 9/16/1975
4. 20
5. 4: Roger Clemens on 4/29/86 and 9/18/96, Kerry Wood on 5/6/98, Randy Johnson on 5/8/01 and Max Scherzer on 5/11/16
6. 10: Tom Seaver, Mets; 4/22/1970 vs. Padres
7. 36: Harvey Haddix, Pirates; 5/26/1959 vs. Braves
8. 17: Red Sox vs. Tigers, 6/18/1953
9. 30: Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles, 8/22/2007
10. 49: Cubs 26 Phillies 23 on 8/25/1922
11. 6: By 15 players. Joe Randa was the last. Mel Ott did it twice. Guy Hecker scored 7 in a game in 1887.
12. 19: Shawn Green, LA Dodgers on 5/23/2002

STREAKS

1. 56: Joe DiMaggio in 1941
2. 45: Wee Wille Keeler (one game in 1896, 44 in 1897) and Pete Rose (44 games in 1978)
3. 8
4. 3: Dale Long in 1956, Don Mattingly in 1987, Ken Griffey, Jr., in 1993
5. 4: Ken Brett, Philadelphia Phillies in 1973
6. 7: Ralph Kiner, 1946 to 1952
7. 26: 1916 New York Giants
8. 23: 1961 Philadelphia Phillies
9. 23: Also 23. In 1969, the Royals beat the Orioles in their first-ever encounter and then lost the next 23 games to them, losing 11 in 1969 and getting swept 12-0 in 1970. The Yankees currently have an 18-game streak against the Orioles.
10. 14: Minnesota Twins
11. 24: Carl Hubbell, NY Giants from 7/8/1936 to 5/27/1937. He went 26-6 and 22-8, leading the NL in winning percentage both seasons.
12. 2,130: Lou Gehrig

SEASON

1. 31: Denny McLain, 1968 Tigers
2. 24: Randy Johnson, D’backs, in 2003 and Justin Verlander, Tigers, in 2011
3. 62: Francisco Rodriguez, 2008 Angels
4. 116: 1906 Chicago Cubs, 116-36
5. 116: 2001 Mariners, 116-46
6. 36: 1916 A’s, 36-117
7. 40: 1962 New York Mets, 40-120
8. 262: Ichiro Suzuki, 2004 Mariners,
9. 67: Earl Webb, 1931 Red Sox
10. 36: Owen Wilson, 1912 Pirates
11. 73: Barry Bonds, 2001 Giants
12. 177: Babe Ruth, 1921 Yankees
13. 191: Hack Wilson, 1930 Cubs
14. 3.1, normally 502 in a typical season
15. 1, normally 162 in a typical season

CAREER

1. 511: Cy Young
2. 315: Cy Young
3. 7: Nolan Ryan
4. 110: Walter Johnson
5. 23: Brooks Robinson (Orioles) and Carl Yastrzemski (Red Sox)
6. 25: Alex Rodriguez
7. 6: Mookie Betts, Johnny Mize, Sammy Sosa
8. .366: Ty Cobb
9. 792: Tris Speaker
10. 309: Sam Crawford
11. 27: New York Yankees

TIEBREAKER

108/216: There are 108 double stitches on a baseball, or 216 individual stitches.

Eighteen SABR members vied for supremacy in a challenging quiz about the middle names of Hall of Fame members at the July meeting on Zoom yesterday.

Jerry Miller spent quite some time researching and verifying information about middle names and crafted a fun and sometimes perplexing quiz won by Cy Morong with 62 out of 100 points. Other notable scores were 38 by Jim Baker, 30 by Frank Rechtorovic, 24 by Jan Larson and 17 by Mike Dillon. Your faithful correspondent broke double digits, though just barely with 11! Frequent quiz-maker Jim noted that the mark of a good quiz is having at least one participant score greater than 50 percent correct. Try your hand at the quiz below (answers follow the questions). Many thanks to Jerry for the quiz.

With the MLB shortened season less than a week away, we utilized the poll function on Zoom to gauge the mood of our virtual room. Because of Zoom settings, poll results were not preserved, but here are the general results of these quick poll questions.

I asked how many of the 60 scheduled MLB games might be played. Half of the participants were confident all 60 will get played, but the other half voted for ranges of games equaling less than 60. Notably, no one thought the whole season would get wiped out without a game being played.

I also asked what the group thought about the eventual 2020 World Series Champion (assuming we get that far). Most would consider that team a legitimate champion. Some mentioned that injuries are part of the game, so combating coronavirus is something with which all teams will have to contend. Does this, then, mean that the eventual champion will be the team that most successfully avoids the coronavirus? Some said that if one of the super-teams wins (Dodgers or Yankees, perhaps), then the title would largely be considered legitimate, but maybe less so if a “bad” team (such as the Marlins) gets hot and wins in a shortened season. Still, others pointed out that the playoff format will be same, so that may provide an equalizing effect.

For fun, I asked participants to imagine themselves on the mound pitching to Rob Manfred; what would they do? The majority opted to knock him on his butt, but others would choose to groove him a sweet pitch, give him a pass or pitch him tough.

In other discussions, Jan Larson and Monte Cely talked about their recent visit to the Dell Diamond to watch the Round Rock Hairy Men play. They said there was good raw talent on the field, but they sometimes saw defensive lapses.

This was our fourth consecutive virtual meeting on Zoom since the pandemic started and our 164th consecutive month with a meeting. We’re planning another Zoom meeting next month. More details to follow on our email list.

HALL OF FAME MIDDLE NAMES QUIZ

By Jerry Miller

* 25 questions, worth four points each. One point credit for each answer involving 4+ names, two points credit for each answer involving 2 names.

1)  As near as I can tell, there are two pairs of HOFers that have the same first AND middle names. The following two questions concern those HOFers.

The first pair involves two players that formerly held two of the most sacred records in baseball. However, one of them went by his middle rather than his first name. Name them. Hint: the two names are also shared by a prominent African-American scholar, author, and television personality (brownie points for naming him).

2)  The other pair were inducted into the HOF and had their numbers – more specifically, their CONSECUTIVE NUMBERS – retired by the same team. Name them.

3)  While we are on the subject of pairs, I am looking for the names of two other players. One is a HOFer and one of the greatest players of all time. The other had a .324 lifetime BA and hit .393 in a single season, yet is NOT in the HOF. The HOFer’s middle name is the same as the other player’s last name, and both of them were better known by the same nickname. Name them.

4)  This HOFer’s middle name is Louis. However, he is not known by either Louis or his first name (Vernon), but by his nickname. Name him.

5)  This HOFer was born on a train, and named after the doctor who delivered him, so his middle name is the doctor’s last name. Name him (extra brownie points if you actually know the middle/last name).

6)  The parents of this HOFer obviously liked redundancy and alliteration. Also, they liked redundancy and alliteration. His first and middle names are Frank and Francis, and his last name also begins with an “F.” Name this 3-F HOFer.

7)  Andre Dawson’s middle name is the same as a HOF pitcher that he faced 89 times and struck out against 25 times. The HOF pitcher used their shared middle name as his first name. Name him.

8)  In the category of strength up the middle, there are two HOFers with the middle name of Peter that are each generally acknowledged as the greatest or at least near-greatest at their respective positions in the middle of the diamond. Neither of them is known by their real first or middle names. Name them.

9)  Believe it or not, the most popular first name for HOFers is “George.” They include George Brett, George Davis, George Kell, George Sisler, George Weiss, and George Wright. They also include two Georges who were better known by their middle names. Name them.

10)  In addition to the two Georges better known by their middle name, there were also two Georges who were better known by their nicknames. One was a manager and one was a player. Name them.

11)  On the list of the most feminine HOFers is one whose middle name was (Don’t Call Me) “Shirley” and one whose middle name was “Louise” (sorry, no Thelmas). Because I don’t expect anyone to get this right, you can receive partial credit for naming the HOFers whose first names were “Adrian.”

12)  This HOF second baseman was born in 1918, the last year of World War I, and was given his middle name in honor of General John “Black Jack” Pershing, the commander of American forces in that war. Name him.

13)  Name two HOFers who were given their middle names in honor of Presidents.

14)  And while we are being political, this HOF second baseman was named after a three named, three time unsuccessful presidential candidate, who also served as Secretary of State and helped attack the teaching of evolution during the famous Scopes trial. Name both the player and the famous person for whom he was named.

15)  This HOFer was named for a Civil War battle site where his father was wounded, so his middle name is a geographical or geological term. Name him.

16)  This HOF player was named after a professional hockey player, and his middle name is the same as the hockey player’s last name. Name him and the hockey player for which he was named.

17)  Willie Mays shares the same middle name as this HOF pitcher, who gave up Willie’s 607th, 608th, and 621st career home runs. Name both the pitcher and their shared middle name.

18)  Besides Mays, there is one member of the 600+ Home Run club with the same middle name. Name him.

19)  A number of HOFers have unusual middle names. I won’t go so far as to ask you whose middle name is “Gazaway” (Vic Willis), but you should still be able to identify each of these HOFers from the following middle names:

1. a)  Dornel
2. b)  Moses
3. c)  Martinez (a nod to Gilbert and Raeanne)
4. d)  True

20)  As near as I can tell, the most popular middle name among HOFers is “Joseph,” which is convenient because it is also my middle name. For up to four points, name four out of the eight HOFers with the middle name “Joseph.” To help, here are clues as to the four most prominent:

1. a)  All-time leader in HRs by a catcher
2. b)  Second winningest manager in MLB history
3. c)  First third baseman elected to HOF
4. d)  One of the first two umpires elected to the HOF

21)  Two HOF players with the same middle name (Lee) each won the National League Most Valuable Player awards in consecutive years (1969 and 1970). Name them.

22)  Several HOF players are known by their middle rather than their first names. Identify the following HOFers by their first names:

1. a)  Wesley (clue: his namesake spoke at one of our winter meetings)
2. b)  Lynn (clue: same middle name as Andre Dawson)
3. c)  Jacob (clue: ended his HOF career with the Houston Colt .45s)
4. d)  James (clue: hit a HR in his first MLB at bat, then never hit another)

23-24) OK, this is technically a surname rather than a middle name question. However, in Hispanic culture, a child may be given the surname of both his father (apellido paterno) and his mother (apellido materno). As a result, several Hispanic HOFers have on their HOF plaques surnames other than those which we know them by. Name the HOFers with the following additional surnames on their HOF plaques (one point each, max of eight points):

1. a)  Walker (no, Larry doesn’t count).
2. b)  Rigal
3. c)  Velazquez
4. d)  Pennes
5. e)  Alvino
6. f)  Sanchez
7. g)  Méndez
8. h)  Torres

25) The only father-son combination in the HOF were also each named for a 19th century railroad magnate, as is a famous U.S. university. Name those two HOFers and, for extra credit, the person for whom they were named.

ANSWERS

1)  Henry Louis Aaron and Henry Louis Gehrig (also Henry Louis Gates, Jr.)

2)  Joseph Paul DiMaggio (NYY #5) and Joseph Paul Torre (NYY #6)

3)  George Herman “Babe” Ruth and Floyd Caves “Babe” Herman

4)  Vernon Louis “Lefty” Gomez

5)  Rodney Cline Carew

6)  Frankie Frisch

7)  (Lynn) Nolan Ryan, Jr.

8)  John Peter “Honus” Wagner and Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra. Note: it was mentioned that Pee Wee Reese’s full name is Harold Peter Henry Reese. I consider the question and answer of Honus Wagner to be technically correct, since he is universally regarded as one of the two or so best SSs to ever play the game, whereas no one I know would put Pee Wee in that category. Still, I would accept Pee Wee as an alternate answer.

9)  George Thomas Seaver and George Kenneth Griffey, Jr.

10)  George “Sparky” Anderson and George Herman “Babe” Ruth

11)  Hazen Shirley “Kiki” Cuyler; Effa Louise Manley; Adrian “Addie” Joss; Adrian Constantine “Cap” Anson

12)  Robert Pershing “Bobby” Doerr

13)  Grover Cleveland Alexander, Jack Roosevelt Robinson. Note: Benjamin Harrison (Ben) Taylor was born in 1889, the year after Benjamin Harrison was elected president. In addition, Oscar Charleston’s middle name was McKinley, and he was born the same year that William McKinley was elected president. However, I have been unable to find any definitive source to indicate that either was named after the presidents.

14)  William Jennings Bryan (Billy) Herman

15)  Kenesaw Mountain Landis

16)  Derek Sanderson Jeter. OK, according to one website that I just read (jockbio.com), this is an urban myth: “Derek Sanderson Jeter was born June 26, 1974 in Pequannock, New Jersey. The first of two kids—he has a sister, Sharlee—Derek grew up in a sports-crazy home. For quite some time a story circulated that his parents, Dorothy and Charles, named him after hockey star Derek Sanderson, the dynamic forward of the Boston Bruins. Derek says that isn’t true. He was named after his grandfather, Sanderson Charles Jeter.”

Even if he wasn’t named after him, it’s still ironic to note that the greatest modern Yankee has the same name as a Boston sports icon.

17)  Don Howard Sutton

18)  James Howard Thome

19) a) Wilver Dornel “Pops” Stargell

1. b)  Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove
2. c)  Reginald Martinez “Mr. October” Jackson
3. d)  Denton True “Cy” Young

20) a) Michael Joseph Piazza

1. b) John Joseph McGraw
2. c) Harold Joseph “Pie” Traynor
3. d) William Joseph (Bill) Klem

Also, Dan Joseph Brouthers; James Joseph Collins; John Joseph Evers; and Michael Joseph (King) Kelly.

Note: It was mentioned, correctly, that Jimmy Collins was the first 3B elected to the HOF (1945), whereas Traynor was not elected until 1948. Because as indicated above both of their middle names are Joseph, I would regard either as correct.

21)  Willie Lee McCovey (1969) and Johnny Lee Bench (1970).

22) a) Wesley Branch Rickey

1. b)  Lynn Nolan Ryan
2. c)  Jacob Nelson Fox
3. d)  James Hoyt Wilhelm

23-24) a) Roberto Clemente Walker

1. b)  Atanacio Pérez Rigal (Tony Pérez)
2. c)  Roberto Alomar Velazquez
3. d)  Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes
4. e)  Vladimir Guerrero Alvino
5. f)  Juan Antonio Marichal Sanchez
6. g) José de la Caridad Méndez Baez
7. h) Iván Rodríguez Torres

A: Note: Other HOFers include Luis Ernesto Aparicio and Montiel Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos, but their full names are not on their HOF plaques.

25) Leland Stanford (Larry) MacPhail; Leland Stanford (Lee) MacPhail, Jr.

A fun and challenging quiz about baseball awards, a discussion about the current state of Major League Baseball and suggestions to find professional baseball near and far dominated the third consecutive monthly meeting on Zoom on Saturday.

Two dozen chapter members and guests shared views about the deadlock between baseball owners and players. Many of us lamented how much we miss baseball and worry that even if they come to an agreement, the coronavirus continues to threaten more than just professional baseball.

Even so, professional baseball continues to be played in Asia. Joining South Korea and China, Japan kicked off its shortened 2020 season over the weekend. In addition, venues in Texas hope to have baseball soon. For example, some Minor League Baseball owners announced that they were hosting a six-team Texas Collegiate League, including the Round Rock Express, the San Antonio Missions and the Frisco RoughRiders. This wood-bat league is scheduled to kick off on June 30.

The Sugar Land Skeeters are planning a four-team independent baseball league beginning July 3 with 25% capacity of the stadium allowed for attendance.

Meanwhile, Cy Morong created a quiz about baseball awards and, like Hank Aaron, brought the hammer. Jerry Miller dominated the contest with 10 correct answers, leaving many of us in the dust. Take your crack at the quiz below (answers at the very end). Good luck! You’re gonna need it. Many thanks to Cy for the quiz. Because Jerry won, he’ll author the quiz for next month.

Scott Barzilla of the Larry Dierker Chapter joined us to share details about his newly published “The Hall of Fame Index Part II,” a follow-up to his first book, published in 2010. Using a new formula, Barzilla examines the credentials of players already in the Hall and those, perhaps, who should be. This update can be purchased on Amazon.com: a printed version is $14.99 and the ebook is $5.99.

We also spent some time discussing the likelihood that MLB owners and players would reach an agreement for a 2020 season. Arguments on both sides were examined, and many of us wondered if the two sides could find middle ground between the players’ proposal for 70 games against the owners’ plan for 60. Because of many monetary factors, that may prove to be too large a gap to bridge.

After nearly two hours of camaraderie and baseball community, I shared a short clip featuring a massive home run hit by Yuki Yanagita, center fielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, on June 20. Without any fans in the stands, the cheers by his teammates are particularly noticeable. The clip also features the home run blast from multiple angles.

Some members expressed an appreciation for our monthly Zoom meetings. Frank R. shared that he gets a lot out of Zoom meetings. We also had SABR members join us from out of state.

Next month’s meeting will most likely be on Zoom once again. Mark your calendars for 11 a.m. (Central Time) Saturday, July 18. We will send out a request for RSVPs in mid-July. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe out there, and let’s keep our fingers crossed for an MLB season announcement soon.

June 2020 Hornsby Chapter Quiz

By Cy Morong

1. Who won the first World Series MVP award?

2. Who was the first non-pitcher to win the World Series MVP award?

3. Who was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award and the World Series MVP award in the same year?

4. Who was the first Cy Young Award winner not to pitch for a first-place team?

5. Who was the first pitcher to win the World Series MVP award twice?

6. Who was the first position player to win the World Series MVP award twice?

7. Who was the first position player to win the World Series MVP in the same year he won the regular season MVP award?

8. Who was the first man to win the World Series MVP while playing for the losing team?

9. Who was the first player to win the All-Star Game MVP in the same year he won the regular season MVP award?

10. Who was the first player to win the Rookie of the Year award and then go on to win the regular season MVP award in a later year?

11. Since 1931, who was the first man in the American League to win back-to-back regular season MVP awards?

12. Since 1931, who was the first man in the National League to win back-to-back regular season MVP awards?

13. Since 1931, who was the first man in either league to win three regular season MVP awards?

14. Who was the first National League pitcher to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards?

15. Who was the first American League pitcher to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards?

16. Who was the first pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year award and then go on to win the Cy Young Award in a later year?

17. Who was the first pitcher to win the All-Star game MVP in the same year he won the Cy Young Award?

18. Since 1931, who was the first pitcher in either league to win two regular season MVP awards?

19. Since 1931, of the 16 original franchises, which was the last to have a player win an MVP award for the first time?

20. Who was that MVP winner for the team in question 19?

Answers

1. Johnny Podres
2. Bobby Richardson
3. Bob Turley
4. Dean Chance
5. Sandy Koufax
6. Reggie Jackson
7. Frank Robinson
8. Bobby Richardson
9. Maury Wills
10. Jackie Robinson
11. Jimmie Foxx
12. Ernie Banks
13. Jimmie Foxx
14. Sandy Koufax
15. Denny McLain
16. Don Newcombe
17. Roger Clemens
18. Carl Hubbell
19. Senators/Twins
20. Zoilo Versalles