Baseball Trivia

[Lith]

Great question !
Dick Selma was the teammate ('65-68 Mets)
Bobby Jones (Mets), Jim Maloney and Dick Ellsworth all went there but no HOF there,
Any clues?

None of us on this site could have ever seen him play. He was a player-manager for a team that won the pennant thanks to a famous blunder, or should I say a famous “boner”


Sent from my iPad using JetNation.com mobile app

[The Crimson King]

1 hour ago, Lith said:

 

None of us on this site could have ever seen him play. He was a player-manager for a team that won the pennant thanks to a famous blunder, or should I say a famous “boner”


Sent from my iPad using JetNation.com mobile app

 

Gave it away with that clue

Backing into it, it was obviously Merkle's Boner. Giants-Cubs WS so the answer has to be Frank Chance, right?

 What a great trivia question. I am going to permanently rip this one off !

[section314]

17 hours ago, The Crimson King said:

Answer is Al Ferrera (now THAT'S a Brooklyn name) ,,, so name the other 9 he K'd in the streak (just kidding )

One more Seaver question before we get back to the rest of baseball:

A Mets teammate also was a teammate in high school. Know who?

Was this player on the Mets when Tom was a rookie, or did he come to Mets after he was here?  Also, position hint please? 

[Lith]

10 hours ago, The Crimson King said:

Gave it away with that clue

Backing into it, it was obviously Merkle's Boner. Giants-Cubs WS so the answer has to be Frank Chance, right?

 What a great trivia question. I am going to permanently rip this one off !

I knew the clue would give it away.  I was trying to come up with some clever reference to Tinker and Evers, but it was just too late at night to be clever.

Anyway, here is another question.  In the history of MLB, there have been 13 back-to-back MVP winners. 

The first 9 back-to-back winners included one player at each position: P,C 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and 3 OFs.  Can you name them (first 9 guys to win back-to-back MVPs.)?

[The Crimson King]

1 hour ago, section314 said:

Was this player on the Mets when Tom was a rookie, or did he come to Mets after he was here?  Also, position hint please? 

Ha, answered it above so don't look

So clues:

1.  Signed by Mets out of high school
2.  Was thought of as the hardest thrower in the organization, even after Nolan Ryan's rookie league year. Of course that changed real fast :) 
3.  Was one of four Mets pitchers on the cover of a 1968 Sporting News, first time the Mets were on the cover. Seaver, Koosman and Ryan were the others and the theme was a bright future of the Mets
4.  Drafted by the Padres in the expansion draft
5.  Was on the '69 Cubs and lost a key July game at Wrigley by giving up a HR to Al Weis 

[The Crimson King]

1 hour ago, Lith said:

I knew the clue would give it away.  I was trying to come up with some clever reference to Tinker and Evers, but it was just too late at night to be clever.

Anyway, here is another question.  In the history of MLB, there have been 13 back-to-back MVP winners. 

The first 9 back-to-back winners included one player at each position: P,C 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and 3 OFs.  Can you name them (first 9 guys to win back-to-back MVPs.)?

good one !

Don't want to bogart this either so one at a time:

P:  Hal Newhouser

[section314]

14 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

Ha, answered it above so don't look

So clues:

1.  Signed by Mets out of high school
2.  Was thought of as the hardest thrower in the organization, even after Nolan Ryan's rookie league year. Of course that changed real fast  
3.  Was one of four Mets pitchers on the cover of a 1968 Sporting News, first time the Mets were on the cover. Seaver, Koosman and Ryan were the others and the theme was a bright future of the Mets
4.  Drafted by the Padres in the expansion draft
5.  Was on the '69 Cubs and lost a key July game at Wrigley by giving up a HR to Al Weis 

Without looking, I promise. Dennis Reibant?

[section314]

27 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

Ha, answered it above so don't look

So clues:

1.  Signed by Mets out of high school
2.  Was thought of as the hardest thrower in the organization, even after Nolan Ryan's rookie league year. Of course that changed real fast  
3.  Was one of four Mets pitchers on the cover of a 1968 Sporting News, first time the Mets were on the cover. Seaver, Koosman and Ryan were the others and the theme was a bright future of the Mets
4.  Drafted by the Padres in the expansion draft
5.  Was on the '69 Cubs and lost a key July game at Wrigley by giving up a HR to Al Weis 

Disregard first answer.Dick Selma

[The Crimson King]

16 minutes ago, section314 said:

Disregard first answer.Dick Selma

That's the guy !

Dennis Ribant was acquired for Frank Lary in '64 and traded after the '66 season for Cardwell and Mets great Don Bosch (still not in the Mets HOF)

In 1966, Ribant did something no Met pitcher had done before? What was it? 

[section314]

15 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

That's the guy !

Dennis Ribant was acquired for Frank Lary in '64 and traded after the '66 season for Cardwell and Mets great Don Bosch (still not in the Mets HOF)

In 1966, Ribant did something no Met pitcher had done before? What was it? 

Beat Juan Marichal?

[The Crimson King]

12 minutes ago, section314 said:

Beat Juan Marichal?

Nope, but that's a good question that I don't know the answer to. 

Ribant's record had to do with season stats. 

[section314]

16 minutes ago, The Crimson King said:

Nope, but that's a good question that I don't know the answer to. 

Ribant's record had to do with season stats. 

1st Met pitcher to strike out 200 guys?

[Lith]

1 hour ago, The Crimson King said:

good one !

Don't want to bogart this either so one at a time:

P:  Hal Newhouser

Yup.  That is the first one.  And usually the toughest; either you know it or you don't, because who in their right mind would guess Newhouser.  Won back-to-back MVPs during the war years.

[section314]

5 hours ago, Lith said:

I knew the clue would give it away.  I was trying to come up with some clever reference to Tinker and Evers, but it was just too late at night to be clever.

Anyway, here is another question.  In the history of MLB, there have been 13 back-to-back MVP winners. 

The first 9 back-to-back winners included one player at each position: P,C 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and 3 OFs.  Can you name them (first 9 guys to win back-to-back MVPs.)?

Here goes.....  c) Yogi  1b) Lou Gehrig 2b) Joe Morgan 3b) Eddie Mathews ss) Lou Boudreau  OF) Stan Musial  OF) Ted Williams  OF)Frank Robinson

[Lith]

1 hour ago, section314 said:

Here goes.....  c) Yogi  1b) Lou Gehrig 2b) Joe Morgan 3b) Eddie Mathews ss) Lou Boudreau  OF) Stan Musial  OF) Ted Williams  OF)Frank Robinson

Yogi and Joe Morgan are correct. The rest, all good guesses, but not back to back winners.

So far"

P Hal Newhouser

C Yogi Berra

2B Joe Morgan

[section314]

1 minute ago, Lith said:

Yogi and Joe Morgan are correct. The rest, all good guesses, but not back to back winners.

So far"

P Hal Newhouser

C Yogi Berra

2B Joe Morgan

Thanks. I'll try one more OF guess, it was the other "entry" from that era. Joe D. They probably canceled each other out for many of those years but the writers didn't like Ted.

[Lith]

10 minutes ago, section314 said:

Thanks. I'll try one more OF guess, it was the other "entry" from that era. Joe D. They probably canceled each other out for many of those years but the writers didn't like Ted.

Not Joe D.  He won 3 MVPs, but none consecutive.  But 2 of the remaining guys played for the Yankees.  One is easy, the other a bit more challenging.  And for 1st base, you were in the right era.

[section314]

1 minute ago, Lith said:

Not Joe D.  He won 3 MVPs, but none consecutive.  But 2 of the remaining guys played for the Yankees.  One is easy, the other a bit more challenging.  And for 1st base, you were in the right era.

Mickey Mantle. Roger Maris.

[Lith]

6 minutes ago, section314 said:

Mickey Mantle. Roger Maris.

Yup.  Maris won his two MVPs in 60 & 61, but only finished in the top 25 one other time in his career, in 1964.  Had he played 40 years later, we would all have assumed that he was juicing, especially in 61.

[section314]

1 minute ago, Lith said:

Yup.  Maris won his two MVPs in 60 & 61, but only finished in the top 25 one other time in his career, in 1964.  Had he played 40 years later, we would all have assumed that he was juicing, especially in 61.

Probably. Was that just a hint?  Could the other outfielder be Barry Bonds?

[Lith]

7 minutes ago, section314 said:

Probably. Was that just a hint?  Could the other outfielder be Barry Bonds?

Bonds was one of 13 back-to-back winners, and he went back to back a few times, but he was not one of the first 9 guys to do it. 

Question is the first 9 guys -- one at each position.  

[section314]

9 minutes ago, Lith said:

Bonds was one of 13 back-to-back winners, and he went back to back a few times, but he was not one of the first 9 guys to do it. 

Question is the first 9 guys -- one at each position.  

This is it for tonight......1B) Jimmy Foxx  3B) Mike Schmidt

[Lith]

3 hours ago, section314 said:

This is it for tonight......1B) Jimmy Foxx  3B) Mike Schmidt

Correct.  Got 7 of the 9: Newhouser, Berra, Foxx, Morgan, Schmidt, Mantle and Maris.

2 more to go.  Shortstop and an outfielder.  Two players who played 37 total seasons and pver 4,600 games between them.  One of them never played in a post-season game in his career, and the other played 3 post season games and lost all 3.  

[The Crimson King]

9 hours ago, section314 said:

1st Met pitcher to strike out 200 guys?

No, that was Seaver in '68

Ribant was the first Mets starter to have a record over .500 (11-9 with a 3.20 ERA). Actually was a hero at Shea for one year. Then they traded him. Luckily, the next year Seaver came along and all was forgotten about Dennis Ribant.  

[The Crimson King]

48 minutes ago, Lith said:

Correct.  Got 7 of the 9: Newhouser, Berra, Foxx, Morgan, Schmidt, Mantle and Maris.

2 more to go.  Shortstop and an outfielder.  Two players who played 37 total seasons and pver 4,600 games between them.  One of them never played in a post-season game in his career, and the other played 3 post season games and lost all 3.  

SS is one of the easiest, Ernie Banks

another OF? Hmmmm ….

[section314]

11 hours ago, Lith said:

Correct.  Got 7 of the 9: Newhouser, Berra, Foxx, Morgan, Schmidt, Mantle and Maris.

2 more to go.  Shortstop and an outfielder.  Two players who played 37 total seasons and pver 4,600 games between them.  One of them never played in a post-season game in his career, and the other played 3 post season games and lost all 3.  

Guess here. The clue that he played 3 playoff games, lost all three, got me thinking. I think the 82 Braves, Joe Torre’ s team, I think, got swept by the Cards. I’m gonna go with Dale Murphy.

[The Crimson King]

On 1/5/2020 at 3:35 PM, The Crimson King said:

In 1967, a film crew from the original Odd Couple movie came to Shea to film a scene before the game. Real players were used. The scene was when Felix calls Oscar in the press box to tell him that they were having hot dogs for dinner so don't have then at the ballpark. While Oscar was on the phone his back was to the field and he missed a 5-4-3 triple play. Remember that? Well, do you remember …

1.  Who was the opponent? 
2.  Who was the batter? 
3.  Who was the pitcher?
4.  Who was at third, second and first in the field? 

It doesn't get more trivial than that ! 

Well you have seen the Odd Couple movie no? Or was that too long ago. J

Just in case anyone was curious about this or wants to win some money in a bar bet, here’s the answer:

Jack Fisher pitching, Bill Mazeroski at bat. Triple play went 5 (Boyer) to 4 (Buchek) to 3 (Kranepool). You can see it clearly in the movie clip.

The story is that Roberto Clemente was the batter at first but they couldn’t get the TP because he kept beating the throw to first and they were running out of time because the real Mets-Pirates game needed to get on with it. So they tossed him and substituted with Mazeroski, who was not as quite fleet of foot. After a few pitches they got the shot on one take.  

The day also held other notes for Mets fans.

Dennis Bennett started his first game as a Met. He’s pretty much forgotten now but at one time he was a huge prospect for the Phillies and written up as the next Koufax. He was valuable enough to be traded straight up for Dick Stuart who was only a season off his big year. Although he developed arm trouble with the Red Sox, the Mets traded one of their top prospects, Al Yates for him a few days before the above mentioned game. You can see Yates briefly in one of those Mets yearbooks they show on SNY and also in the paper yearbook under future stars with such luminaries as Wilbur Huckle, Lloyd Flodin and Derrell Harrelson.

School was out by then and this was a day game so the choice was either go to pool in the park and look at girls or watch the Mets game.  Well Dennis Bennett, the future Koufax was pitching and we didn’t know how short the girl window was back then before they started spreading like offensive linemen (too mean?).

Before the game, one of Bob, Lindsey or Ralph went on about the filming (second best announcing crew in history after G,K & R, we’ve been lucky there). Bennett got bombed early but the Mets were still leading. Then the Pirates scored a couple of runs on an extra base hit and Wes Westrum, the Mets manager came out of the dugout. He talked to the umpire and Bob, Lindsey or Ralph wondered what he was protesting against. Then Westrum waved all his players off the field and into the dugout. We thought that they must be filming another movie scene and it took a while to sort things out.

Turns out that Harry Walker, the Pirates manager, turned in one line up card at home plate and posted a  different one in the dugout. This resulting in two batters at the bottom of the lineup being switched, so they batted out of order. The first time they came through the lineup, Westrum kept quiet. The second time resulted in the multi-run hit by one of the out of order batters. That’s when Westrum came out, negating the runs.

This is one of the reasons that we love this game. You never know what will happen. It was worth it to have stayed home that day for this memory. The girls never looked back anyway.     

[Lith]

7 hours ago, section314 said:

Guess here. The clue that he played 3 playoff games, lost all three, got me thinking. I think the 82 Braves, Joe Torre’ s team, I think, got swept by the Cards. I’m gonna go with Dale Murphy.

Excellent.  Thats the guy.  Dale Murphy.  MVP in 82 & 83

[section314]

55 minutes ago, Lith said:

Excellent.  Thats the guy.  Dale Murphy.  MVP in 82 & 83

Whew!  Finally. Between you @The Crimson King I feel like I"m back in college calculus class.? This is lots of fun. I'm gonna have to up my game as far as my trivia questions go.

[Lith]

2 hours ago, section314 said:

Whew!  Finally. Between you @The Crimson King I feel like I"m back in college calculus class.? This is lots of fun. I'm gonna have to up my game as far as my trivia questions go.

I am not anywhere near Crimson King's level.  I don't think anyone is at his level.

[section314]

11 hours ago, Lith said:

I am not anywhere near Crimson King's level.  I don't think anyone is at his level.

Agreed. We are in the presence of greatness.?

[Jetsfan80]

Dammit I was late to the back-to-back MVP party.  I was gonna get at least two of them (Maris, Newhouser).  

[The Crimson King]

3 hours ago, section314 said:

Agreed. We are in the presence of greatness.?

I gotta show this to the wife :). 

In all fairness these are Mets questions and we spent 10 seasons sitting in the same seats every day with real nuts who knew the answers to questions like, "name every Met who only played one game in MLB" or "he had a 4.28 ERA in 1965" or "Seaver was second in strikeouts in the only year he played in the minor leagues. Who led the league that year?"

This was 1985-1994 so it was before you could check answers on the i phone. The 4.28 ERA was a huge dispute and took all game to resolve (answer was Jim Bethke). The answer to the Seaver question was Tom Phoebus in '66 BTW. I actually knew that one, we used to scour the Sporting News back then.

I need to hold down the Mets stuff because we need more folks in this thread to make it work. 

[Jetsfan80]

Btw my Dad is the event manager for the NY Baseball Writer's Dinner every January (where all the major awards + NYC baseball awards are presented).  I help him out a bit every year.  He had an idea to put trivia questions at every table for the guests to have fun with while they eat.  

He tasked me with coming up with questions to ask related to the Mets, Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Giants.  I'll likely be using some questions posted by you guys in this thread.  

[Jetsfan80]

2 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Btw my Dad is the event manager for the NY Baseball Writer's Dinner every January (where all the major awards + NYC baseball awards are presented).  I help him out a bit every year.  He had an idea to put trivia questions at every table for the guests to have fun with while they eat.  

He tasked me with coming up with questions to ask related to the Mets, Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Giants.  I'll likely be using some questions posted by you guys in this thread.  

 

You guys might also appreciate this.  If you go to Sandy Koufax's Wikipedia page and scroll down, you'll find the picture below.  My Dad is the guy just to the right of Sandy in the photo.