Category: Hornsby News

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

The Hornsby Chapter’s June meeting will again be held remotely using Zoom on Saturday afternoon, June 20 at 1:00 p.m. CDT.  We will discuss the current state of baseball (if there is one) and Cy Morong will be presenting a trivia quiz.

Those interested in participating please send an RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com no later than 7:00 p.m. CDT on  Friday June 19.  The Zoom meeting ID and passcode will be distributed later that evening to those that have submitted RSVPs by the cutoff time. 

Note that when you login to Zoom to attend the meeting you will be placed in a “waiting room” until the moderator admits you to the meeting.   Only those that have submitted an RSVP will be admitted.

With the success of the first online Hornsby Chapter meeting, we will be holding our second virtual meeting on Saturday, May 16 beginning at 1:00 p.m. CDT.

Once again, we will be utilizing the Zoom platform and request that those interested in participating please send an RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com.  The Zoom meeting ID and passcode will be distributed on Friday evening, May 15 to those that have submitted RSVPs . 

Note that when you login to Zoom to attend the meeting you will be placed in a “waiting room” until the moderator admits you to the meeting.   Only those that have submitted an RSVP will be admitted.

Eighteen chapter members and guests – including SABR members from across the country – joined the Hornsby Chapter’s first-ever virtual meeting on Zoom on Saturday.

With stay-at-home orders for most of us, meeting monthly at our favorite local barbecue, Italian and Mexican food restaurants is on hold until it will be safe to do so. As a result, we took to Zoom to set aside our coronavirus concerns and enjoy nearly two hours pondering baseball trivia and contemplating the 2020 season.

Tom Wancho prepared an Opening Day-themed quiz for March that worked perfectly for us in our virtual meeting. I read questions one by one, giving participants a chance to write their answers.

It was a close call – Jerry Miller took top prize with a score of 22. Cy Morong was second with 21. Mike Dillon and Don Dingee were next with 20 apiece. Try your hand at the quiz with questions and answers below.

We also considered what favorite ballpark food and beverage we missed most. Popular favorites include hot dogs (with a special shout-out to the Dodger Dog), Cracker Jack, garlic fries, peanuts, brats with Budweiser, tater tots with burnt ends (a new culinary offering at Minute Maid Park last season) and pretzels.

We also considered how many games in a shortened season would be necessary to provide a competitive schedule. Some thought at least half (81 games) of a normal season, while others figured 50 or 60 might do. Ryan Pollack said whatever happens at the end of the shortened season shouldn’t be called the World Series.

Another question that came up was whether the delay of the 2020 season might suppress the anger directed at the Astros because of the sign-stealing scandal. Some think that when baseball returns, most people will just be happy to celebrate the return of baseball, while others weren’t so sure that ire directed at the Astros will subside.

This was the chapter’s 161st consecutive month with a meeting and first virtual meeting. Our meeting streak dates to December 2006.

We were glad to welcome SABR members from other chapters. We had members from the Larry Dierker Chapter, the Emil Rothe/Chicago Chapter, the Casey Stengel/New York Chapter, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter and the Indianapolis Chapter.

We’re planning another Zoom chapter meeting in May, as it seems likely we’ll still be unable to meet safely in person. More details to follow next month on our email list and on this website.

OPENING DAZE

By Tom Wancho

1. Whenever this season begins, Clayton Kershaw will start his ninth consecutive Dodgers Opening Day, extending his club record. Which pitchers, who share a first name, are tied for second in Dodgers history? (one point for each correct answer)

2. On April 8, 1975 Frank Robinson debuted as the first black manager in the major leagues. Robinson, who was actually a player/manager, hit a home run in his first at-bat off of this Yankees pitcher. Name that pitcher. (one point)

3. Name the 17 sitting U.S. Presidents who threw out an Opening Day first pitch (one point for each correct answer).

4. Name the pitcher who has the most Opening Day starts? (one point)

5. This team sports an MLB-best .661 Opening Day winning percentage. Name them. (one point)

6. This National League team set an Opening Day attendance record of 80,327. Name the team (one point), the stadium (one point), and the year (one point).

7. This pitcher started seven Opening Days for three different American League teams Blue Jays, Yankees, and Orioles) and won all of them, retiring in 1998 with an unblemished 7-0 record in season lidlifters. Name him. (one point)

8. These two teams (one NL, one AL) hold the record for most consecutive Opening Day wins with nine. Name them. (one point for each correct answer).

9. This career National Leaguer collected a record 31 Opening Day hits. Name him. (one point)

10. Two of the three players who share the record for most home runs hit on Opening Day (with 8 apiece) are in the Hall of Fame. The third makes his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2020. For one point each, name each of these three players.

11. Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record of 714 with his first swing of the 1974 season against what team (one point) in what stadium (one point)?

Answers (33 total points)

1. Don Drysdale, Don Sutton
2. Doc Medich
3. (Robert Taft, 1910; Woodrow Wilson, 1913, 1915-1916; Warren Harding, 1921, 1922, 1923; Calvin Coolidge, 1924, 1927, 1928; Herbert Hoover, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931; FDR 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941; Harry Truman 1946, 194, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952; Dwight Eisenhower 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960; John Kennedy 1961, 1962; LBJ 1964, 1965. 1967; Richard Nixon 1969, 1970; Gerald Ford 1976; Ronald Reagan 1984, 1986; George H. W. Bush 1989, 1990,1991, 1992; Bill Clinton 1993, 1994, 1996; George W. Bush 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008; Barack Obama 2009, 2010.
4. Tom Seaver – 16
5. The Mets, even though they lost their first eight Opening Days, have gone 39-20 since they began playing in 1962. New York has won 39 of its last 51 Opening Days.
6. Rockies, Denver’s Mile High Stadium, 1993
7. Jimmy Key
8. Reds 1983-1991) and Tigers (2009-2017
9. Pete Rose
10. Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson, and Adam Dunn
11. The Reds in Riverfront Stadium

We hope you and your loved ones are safe as we all endure the effects of the coronavirus. We’re missing a lot more than baseball.

We have a plan to continue our monthly meeting streak by having a video conference on Zoom later this month. At 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18, you can join our call with a desktop or laptop computer, electronic tablet or smartphone. If your device has a camera, then you can be part of our video conference, or you can be on the call with audio only.

To ensure a secure call, we’ll send out the meeting details and instructions to those who RSVP to Jan Larson (jan.a.larson@gmail.com). If you intend to join the video conference, please let Jan know by Friday, April 17.

Even though there’s no baseball (yet) and we can’t gather at our favorite local restaurants, we can still connect and talk baseball. Hope you can join us!

After taking the unprecedented step of cancelling the “official” March lunch meeting in the interest of caution due to the coronavirus pandemic, three chapter members decided to meet at the County Line BBQ anyway to (1) keep the 160 month streak of consecutive monthly meetings intact, (2) enjoy the BBQ and talk baseball and (3) enjoy what might be the end of the aforementioned streak.  No one knows what conditions might be like next month so if this is the end, well there are probably more important things to be worried about.

The atmosphere at the County Line was understandably different than usual.   The crowd was smaller and diners were seated at dispersed tables to ostensibly reduce person-to-person contact.  Each of the three attendees followed prescribed protocols by refraining from the usual handshakes and, after handling the menus and placing orders, excused themselves to the men’s room to take advantage of the hot water and soap.

The baseball-related conversations included the delay of the start of the season, the proposed expansion of the playoffs, the Astros on-going sign stealing saga and Trevor Bauer’s “sandlot” game.   Although baseball was discussed and all would have preferred to discuss baseball exclusively, the conversation always seemed to return to the virus.  The consensus was to be safe out there!

In light of the coronavirus pandemic and given the fluid nature of the situation, it has been decided to cancel the lunch meeting in the interest of caution.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

The March meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be once again held at the birthplace of the Chapter – the County Line BBQ located at 5204 Ranch Road 2222 in Austin (a short distance east of Hwy 360 on 2222) at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 15.  With spring training in full swing and the season rapidly approaching, there should be plenty to discuss.  Members, guests and baseball fans in general are welcome to attend.

Please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.