Rogers Hornsby Chapter

Five members and guests of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter braved 100+ degree temperatures to watch the home standing Austin Weirdos (Pecos League) fall to the visiting Roswell Invaders by a score of 25-11 in 10 innings in a game played in a not-so-snappy 5:08. 

Austin trailed 5-0 before plating eight runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a grand slam home run by center fielder Christian Jones, his ninth home run of the season.

 

Things would fall apart of the Weirdos in the ninth which started with Austin leading 11-8.  Roswell tied the game by plating three runs and then, after holding Austin scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, exploded for 14 runs in the top of the tenth.  The explosion was aided by 10 (count ’em) walks issued by the gassed Weirdo pitching staff in the tenth inning.  By the time the dust settled (the field is not watered down before the game so there is actual dust flying) the Invaders had scored a 25-11 victory.

The gathering marked the 188th consecutive monthly meeting of the chapter.  The August meeting will be another weekend breakfast meeting.  More information to come.

 

The July meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will include a trip to an Austin Weirdos baseball game as the Weirdos take on the Roswell Invaders at Parque Zaragosa in East Austin at 6:30 pm. on Saturday, July 9.  The Weirdos are playing their inaugural season in the independent Pecos League.

A Weirdos game is vastly different than a game at the home of an affiliated team, such as the Round Rock Express.  Seating consists of covered bleachers behind home plate (bring along a stadium seat if you want anything resembling comfort).  Concessions are very limited and the restrooms are porta-johns.  The PA system consists of a guy and a bullhorn.  There is no scoreboard so spectators must pay attention!

Game tickets are $10 each and may be purchased online on the Weirdos’ website.   There is parking along both sides of Gonzales Street to the south of the field.  Just be careful not to park in the home run zone beyond the right/right center field fence!

For what may be the first time in chapter history, we had a perfect score on a trivia quiz. Congratulations to Ryan Pollack for this outstanding accomplishment!

Fifteen chapter members and guest enjoyed a laid-back beach-inspired setting at Hurricane Grill & Wings in Round Rock for the monthly meeting on Sunday, June 12.

Jim Baker created a quiz that challenged us to name the current manager of each of the 30 Major League teams. Ryan Pollack demolished the competition with a perfect score, winning a Hurricane Grill gift card generously provided by Jim. Jerry Miller took second with 20, and Jan Larson and I tied for third with 18. Because of Ryan’s perfect score, the tie-breaker questions were not needed. Try your hand at the quiz below. The quiz answers are provided after the quiz questions.

Our newest member, Bailey, brought a book she found at library book sale called “Change Up: An Oral History of 8 Key Events that Shaped Modern Baseball” by Larry Burke and Peter Thomas Fornatale with the chapter’s very own Jim Baker! She asked Jim to sign it for her.

It was the chapter’s 187th consecutive month with a meeting, a streak dating to December 2006.

Our next chapter meeting will be to watch the Austin Weirdos, which is part of the independent Pecos League, at Parque Zaragosa on Saturday, July 9. More details will be shared on the chapter’s email list in the coming weeks. For more information about the Weirdos, please go to their website: http://www.weirdosbaseball.com/

Jim Baker’s Manager Quiz

Name the current manager of each Major League team.

BAL ________             ATL ________

BOS ________            MIA ________

NYY ________             NYM ________

TBR ________             PHI ________

TOR ________            WAS ________

CWS ________            CHC ________

CLE ________             CIN ________

DET ________             MIL ________

KCR ________             PIT ________

MIN ________            STL ________

LAA ________             ARI ________

HOU ________           COL ________

OAK ________            LAD ________

SEA ________             SDP ________

TEX ________             SFG ________

Tie Breaker #1: Which of these managers has been in his current managerial job the longest?

Tie Breaker #2: Which of these managers has a perfect managerial record (before game play on Sunday, June 12)?

Tie Breaker #3: Aside from the answer to #2, which of these managers has the best career  winning percentage?

Answers

BAL Brandon Hyde      ATL Brian Snitker

BOS Alex Cora             MIA Don Mattingly

NYY Aaron Boone       NYM Buck Showalter

TBR Kevin Cash           PHI Rob Thompson

TOR Charlie Montoyo WAS Dave Martinez

CWS Tony LaRussa      CHC David Ross

CLE Terry Francona     CIN David Bell

DET A.J. Hinch             MIL Craig Counsell

KCR Mike Matheny     PIT Derek Shelton

MIN Rocco Baldelli      STL Oliver Marmol

LAA Phil Nevin             ARI Torey Lovullo

HOU Dusty Baker        COL Bud Black

OAK Mark Kotsay        LAD Dave Roberts

SEA Scott Servais        SDP Bob Melvin

TEX Chris Woodward  SFG Gabe Kapler

Tie Breaker #1: Terry Francona

Tie Breaker #2: Rob Thompson

Tie Breaker #3: Dave Roberts

The Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be dining at a different venue for our June lunch meeting; one that hopefully is more accessible to chapter members in the northern reaches of the Austin metro area.  We will be meeting on Sunday, June 12 at the Hurricane Grill located at 2701 Parker Road in Round Rock.  Don’t be confused by the obscure address, Parker Road is perpendicular to the westbound service road (W. Louis Henna Blvd) of Toll 45 just west of I-35 at the La Frontera shopping area.  In other words, it is easy to get to the Hurricane Grill.  Note that no tolls are required.  We will be meeting at 12:30 on the 12th.  Please RSVP to Jan Larson if you plan to attend so we can get an accurate head count.

Eleven chapter members saw a minor league game at Dell Diamond on Saturday that featured former Blue Jays/Giants/Red Sox/Rockies/Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar and Eddy Alvarez, a winter and summer U.S. Olympic champion.

Both Pillar and Alvarez, who play for the Oklahoma City Dodgers, contributed to building a lead against the Round Rock Express. Pillar was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI, while Alvarez was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.

Though the Express lost to the Dodgers 5-1, fans were treated after the game to a screening of a new documentary, “Facing Nolan,” about the career of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.

The documentary opens in a limited release on May 24, including some screenings in the Austin area.

A smaller group gathered at Salt Lick BBQ for an early pre-game dinner.

This was the 186th consecutive month in which the chapter has had a meeting.

The chapter’s next meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 12, at Hurricane Grill & Wings (2701 Parker Road, Round Rock). A request for RSVPs will go out on the email list soon.

The Hornsby Chapter’s monthly meeting in May will include a trip to the Dell Diamond to take in the Round Rock Express versus the Oklahoma City Dodgers in exciting AAA baseball action starting at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

Different this year is that, unfortunately, I will no longer be able to use discounted vouchers to obtain seats.  Instead, each party will be responsible for obtaining their own tickets prior to the game.  The link to the ticket selection page is shown below:

https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=MILB_MPV&orgid=22433&pid=8978432&tfl=#/event/8978432/seatmap/?seatmapId=9504&selectBuyers=false&minPrice=20&maxPrice=60&quantity=1&sort=price_desc&ada=false&seatSelection=true&onlyCoupon=true&onlyVoucher=false

I have reserved two seats for myself in section 121, row 23, seats 18 and 19.  On the seat map accessible via the above link, these seats are shown grayed out near the right end of row 23.   Members wishing to attend and sit with the group are encouraged to select seats near these (same row, row below, row above as desired) and are also encouraged to purchase seats as soon as you have identified your ticket requirements.

We will meet at the nearby Salt Lick restaurant for a pregame BBQ dinner at 4:30 pm.  Those wishing to attend the dinner should send their RSVP to jan.a.larson@gmail.com so we can have a headcount to give to the staff at the Salt Lick.  NOTE:  The Salt Lick does NOT do separate checks so please bring sufficient cash to cover the cost of your meal + tip.

Baseball fans have long looked forward to spring, when hope springs eternal. And despite a week’s delay in the start of the season, we are all glad that the 2022 season is under way.

In addition to enjoying the start of the season, 14 chapter members and guests had the opportunity to welcome Bailey, our newest member! She’s a freshman in high school with a knack for math and a love for baseball. Bailey (pictured above, first on the left) is interested in statistical research and roots for the Chicago Cubs. According to unofficial records, she may be our youngest member ever! Welcome to the chapter, Bailey! And thanks to Bailey’s parents, Brian Hall and Nicole Bryan-Hall (who took the above photo) for joining us, too.

We talked about a wide range of topics, including the start of the season, Apple TV’s new foray into Friday night baseball, and new baseball rules.

Jerry Miller, winner of last month’s quiz, brought an alliterative-themed quiz to challenge, stymie and stump us. Jim Baker won with 18 points. Ira Siegel followed with 15, and Jan Larson had 14. Jerry presented nice prizes for first and second place (Photos below by Charles Kaufman; Jim Baker, left, and Ira Siegel, right).

Take your swing at Jerry’s quiz below. The answers follow the questions.

This was our 185th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, a streak dating to December 2006.

We’re making plans to attend a Round Rock Express game on May 14 with a traditional pregame dinner at Salt Lick BBQ. More details about purchasing tickets will be forthcoming to the chapter list.

ALLITERATIVE BASEBALL PLAYERS QUIZ

By Jerry Miller

The following quiz is comprised primarily of ballplayers with alliterative names (Don Drysdale, Barry Bonds, etc.). Each letter of the alphabet has been represented; however, where there is no suitable answer, your quiz master has exercised his discretion to temporarily suspend the rules, as indicated. Players’ first names are those used to identify them in baseball-reference.com (e.g.,
Dick Allen rather than Richie Allen, Bob Boone rather than Robert Boone, etc.).

1) A.A.      Caught Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking fifth no-hitter in 1981.
2) B.B.      Utility player who was the first pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1977 American League expansion draft.
3) C.C.      Journeyman shortstop who hit extra inning walkoff home run to clinch the 2016 National League West title for the Dodgers in Vin Scully’s last home game.
4) D.D.      Relief pitcher for six American League teams who gave up Hank Aaron’s 755th and last home run in 1976.
5) E.E.      Slugging third baseman later converted to a full time DH who hit 424 career home runs, good for third among active players as of his last season (2020).
6) F.F.      Three decade pitcher for New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, whose rotundity earned him the nickname “Fat” and made him a Triple F.
7) G.G.      Third baseman for 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins, who hit 360 career home runs, but whose devout Christianity offended free spirit teammate Kent Hrbek.
8) H.H.      Hall of Fame outfielder who won four batting titles, and whose .342 career batting average is behind only Hornsby and Delahanty among right-handed batters.
9) ii      Larry Csonka’s running mate for undefeated Miami Dolphins team of 1972, whose last name included a “double eye.”
10) J.J.      50s/60s pitcher for Braves and Reds who was the first Little League Baseball graduate to play in the major leagues.
11) K.K.      Cleveland Indians third baseman who made several dazzling plays to help break Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak in 1941.
12) L.L.       Third baseman/outfielder who was the last Dodger player to wear #34 before Fernando Valenzuela (it has not been worn since).
13) M.M.      Outfielder for Pirates, Expos, and Dodgers, who retired as the all-time leader in pinch hits (since eclipsed).
14) N.N.      Rookie pitcher who appeared in six games for Yankees in 2020.
15) O.O.      Well-traveled right handed pitcher who pitched for eight teams between 1990 and 2001, including five years with the Cardinals. He won a combined 15 games for two teams in 1999 and was the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to get an RBI.
16) P.P.      Journeyman ’60s/’70s infielder who was traded by the Dodgers to reacquire Maury Wills.
17) _.Q.      Other half, along with MVP Zoilo Versalles, of 1965 American League champion Minnesota Twins’ double play combination; also later managed the Twins (last name only starts with “Q”).
18) R.R.      Utility player for six teams (mostly Phillies and Padres) in ’80s and ’90s. Currently manages the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the AA Oxymoron League.
19) S.S.      Journeyman infielder for ’40s/’50s Boston and Milwaukee Braves. Later appeared as the manager for the opposing Pittsburgh team in the climactic scene from “The Natural.”
20) T.T.      Rookie of the Year outfielder for the New York Yankees. Appeared in three straight World Series 1962-63-64.
21) U.U.      1999 National League saves leader for Montreal, and the only person that could possibly qualify as the answer to this question.
22) V.V.      Six year major league pitcher who appeared in six games for the Phillies in 2020, and who prevented me from being forced to ask for the name of the actress who played Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy” (Vivian Vance).
23) W.W.      ‘60s/’70s outfielder, primarily for White Sox, affectionately known as “No Neck” (and he really did have no neck).
24) xx      Hall of Fame slugger whose last name ends with two Xs, hence his nickname.
25) Y.Y.      Journeyman early 2000s reliever for Dodgers whose first name began and ended with “Y.” Or, you can name a right handed relief pitcher from Japan who pitched two seasons for the Royals in 2008-09.
26) zz      Name two of the three Hall of Famers (one a 2B, one a SS, one a C) with a “Double-Z” in their last names.

Answers:
Alan Ashby
Bob Bailor
Charlie Culberson
Dick Drago
Edwin Encarnacion
“Fat” Freddy Fitzsimmons
Gary Gaetti
Harry Heilmann
Jim Kiick
Joey Jay
Ken Keltner
Lee Lacy
Manny Mota
Nick Nelson
Omar Oliveres
Paul Popovich
Frank Quillici
Randy Ready
Sibby Sisti
Tom Tresh
Ugueth Urbina
Vince Velasquez
Walt Williams
Jimmie Foxx
Yhency Brazobán/Yazuhiko Yabuta
Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, Mike Piazza

P.S.: After preparing this quiz, I discovered a pitcher for the 1913-15 Chicago Cubs named Zip Zabel (real name George Washington Zabel). It turns out he holds the record for most innings thrown by a relief pitcher in a single game, replacing an injured starter in the first inning and pitching 18 1/3 innings until his team scored the winning run in the 19th. It also turns out that, according to his SABR biography, the nickname “Zip” was rarely used. So, if you knew about this guy, you obviously have way too much time on your hands.

The April meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be 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 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, 2022.  Members, guests and baseball fans in general are welcome to attend.

So we can have an accurate headcount, please RSVP to Jan Larson at jan.a.larson@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Two years since the coronavirus affected daily life and just two days since the MLB owners and players agreed to a Collective Bargaining Agreement, 19 members and guests gathered for breakfast tacos at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q in West Austin on Saturday.

After many virtual meetings in the last two years, we were eager to be back in person again, and for the first time in a while, we enjoyed talking about the season to come rather than the labor unrest that nearly sank the 2022 season.

There was some discussion about issues that have yet to be resolved, including the rescheduling of the first two series that Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had canceled at the beginning of March. It appears that some series will be tacked at the end of the season (extending the last day of the season to Oct. 5), while other series may be scheduled as midseason doubleheaders.

Meanwhile, Jim Baker announced that he was planning Predictatron as usual. The contest in which we endeavor to pick how many games each team will win and which teams will achieve postseason glory has been a fun tradition for years. The two divisions – the Don Dingee Division and Gilbert Martinez Division – are named after the division winners from last year’s contest. Who will knock off defending champion Martinez for the Predictatron Trophy and the Postseason Champion Trophy?

Speaking of Baker, as winner of last month’s trivia quiz, he sprung a doozy of a quiz on us with questions about baseball Rudys, Rudy’s the barbecue joint, baseball-basketball dual sport stars, breakfast items, and the labor situation.

Jerry Miller proved to be up to the task, chalking up 20 out of 27 points in this fun and challenging quiz. Cy Morong was a close second with 19, and Dan Walsh had 18. Jim generously awarded Rudy’s gift cards to Jerry and Cy for their exploits.

Try your hand at Jim’s quiz below. The answers follow at the end.

This was the 184th consecutive month in which the chapter has met, a streak dating to December 2006.

We’ve not yet set the April meeting, but plan to be back in person in the middle of the month. We should be talking about games that count then! Details to come on our email list.

The Totally Relevant Quiz

Stuff that’s completely related to the here and now

By Jim Baker

The Rudy Section (Major League players named Rudy)

This Rudy was a middle reliever who broke in with the Angels at the age of 19 in 1989. Nineteen years later, he was on the Phillies, his ninth team. In 544 appearances he only had 12 saves while never starting a game. Along the way, he made postseason appearances with the Braves and Padres.

The Rudy in question here was a typical light-hitting middle infielder of the ’70s in that he hit just two homers in 709 career plate appearances and had a .267 slugging average. Most of his time was with the Angels, but he finished out his big-league career with the Cubs and Phillies.

You may or may not get this question about our next Rudy, a pitcher with over 300 career decisions. He was usually a league average sort of guy, except in 1980, when he led the A.L. in ERA, ERA+, FIP and WHIP.

The next Rudy blasted 277 home runs in his 13-year career, leading the league in homers and RBI in 1943, a season in which he finished third in the MVP voting. The slugging first baseman was a seven-time All Star.

Our last Rudy was a speedy center fielder who played all but 11 of his 749 career big league games in the 1980s. He stole 228 bases, over a third of which (77) came in 1983 for the division-winning White Sox.

The Rudy’s Section (fun facts about Rudy’s, the barbecue chain)

With its expansion to Florida, Rudy’s now has locations in six states. In total, how many Rudy’s are there?

a. 101-103

b. 64-66   

c. 45-47    

d. 23-25

Rudy’s was pretty much just a country store (started in 1929) until it started serving barbecue to become the restaurant we recognize today. In what year did that occur?

a. 1959

b. 1974

c. 1989

d. 2001

Where was the original Rudy’s located?

a. This one

b. Leon Springs  

c. Waco   

d. New Braunfels

What is Rudy’s biggest selling meat?

a. brisket

b. sausage  

c. ribs   

d. chicken

What type of wood does Rudy’s use to smoke its meats?

a. hickory

b. mesquite   

c. apple   

d. oak

Name the old-time pitcher who once went 34-5 for the Red Sox and who, if you removed his first name, but kept his nickname and last name, would describe exactly what you’re smelling right now.

The March Madness Section (MLB players who also played college hoops and then saw time in the NBA)

This one-time Blue Jay, for whom basketball proved to be a much better career choice, played his college hoops at Brigham Young University.

This former N.L. MVP is a member of both the College Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame. He played his college ball at Duke and in the NBA with the Fort Wayne Pistons for one season. His decision to focus on baseball resulted in eight All-Star appearances as well as World Series titles with St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

This former White Sox pitcher hung up his mitt after the 1965 season. This in spite of a 124 ERA+ in the majors and a 40-21 won-loss record in the minors, all while also playing with the Detroit Pistons in the off-season—part of the time as player-coach! He is best remembered as a starter on the 1969-70 and 1972-73 league champion Knicks. He played his college ball at the University of Detroit.

Of the following major league players (shown here with their college hoops team), which one did not play in the NBA?

a. Ron Reed (Notre Dame)           

b. Frank Howard (Ohio State)

c. Chuck Connors (Seton Hall)    

d. Mark Hendrickson (Washington State)

Remembered today mostly for his famously slow “Folly Floater,” this mostly Yankees pitcher played his college basketball at Morehead State and also spent two seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers from 1958 to 1960.

This Washington State player was taken by the Celtics in the 1952 draft and ended up playing on three of their championship teams and a total of six years in the NBA. He also pitched in 11 big league seasons, going 91-96, and appeared in Game 3 in the 1957 World Series for the champion Milwaukee Braves.

The Breakfast Section (in honor of our first-ever breakfast meeting)

Who was the man they called “Country Breakfast”?

This player, whose nickname and last name combine to make a fancy breakfast dish, caught almost a thousand games for the Braves from 1978 to 1989.

This breakfasty outfielder led the American League in steals in 2011 and also won a ring with the Red Sox.

Nicknamed “El Coffee,” this outfielder hails from the Dominican Republic, but will be playing his baseball for the Yomiuri Giants in 2022. He spent his entire eight-year big league career with the Pirates from 2014 to 2021.

Only one of the following breakfasty players was real. Which one was it?

1. Eddie Bacon
2. Steven Toast
3. Scrapplehead Pitcairn
4. Elmore “Taylor” Ham
5. O.J. Johnson

The Labor Section (because of the recently resolved dispute)

Prior to the formation of the MLBPA, there were a number of attempts at organizing players. Which of the following was not the name of one of those attempts?

1. Players Protective Association
2. The Society of Batsmen and Moundsmen
3. Fraternity of Professional Baseball Players of America
4. The American Baseball Guild

In what season did the players have their own league, fittingly known today as the Players League?

a. 1914 

b.  1900 

c. 1890  

d. 1884

In what year did the MLBPA officially get recognized as a union?

a. 1946

b. 1959 

c. 1966 

d. 1971

Name all the seasons in which there was a work stoppage (strike or lockout) in which regular season games were lost, never to be replayed. There are five possible answers.

What is the sum total of regular season games lost to work stoppages (strikes or lockouts)?

a. 1,700 to 1,800

b. 2,100 to 2,200

c. 2,700 to 2,800

d. 3,000 to 3,100

Answers

The Totally Relevant Quiz—Answer Key

The Rudy Section

Rudy Seánez

Rudy Meoli

Rudy May

Rudy York

Rudy Law

The Rudy’s Section

1. 45-47; It might be 45, it might be 47, depending if new franchises are open yet
2. 1989
3. Leon Springs
4. brisket
5. oak

Smoky (Joe) Wood

The March Madness Section

Danny Ainge

Dick Groat

Dave DeBusschere

1. Frank Howard

Steve Hamilton

Gene Conley

The Breakfast Section

Billy Butler, A’s and Royals DH

Bruce “Eggs” Benedict

Coco Crisp

Gregory Polanco

1. Eddie Bacon; started one game for the woeful 1917 A’s. Walked 7, whiffed none

The Labor Section

1. The Society of Batsmen and Moundsmen is fake
2. 1890
3. 1966

1972, 1981, 1985, 1994, 1995

a. 1,700 to 1,800: 1972: 86g, 1981: 713, 1985: 2, 1994-95: 948… 1,749 total