A gift exchange between an Astros and a Phillies fan, a challenging baseball winter meeting-themed quiz and a chapter milestone kept us warm on a chilly, rainy day in Austin on Saturday.
Fourteen chapter members and guests gathered at Serranos in Southwest Austin to enjoy Tex-Mex lunch with a side of hot stove questions crafted by Ira Siegel.
With a maximum score of 49 on the quiz, the best we could muster was 12 points by Cy Morong for first place, 11 points by Jim Baker for second place, and nine points by Ryan Pollack for third. Some of us were grateful to get at least one right to prevent the goose egg.
Take your swing at Siegel’s quiz below. The answers follow the questions.
We were also happy to have the voice of the Round Rock Express, Mike Capps, join us for lunch. He’s one of the newest chapter members and is scheduled to join us again in January for the 17th Annual Bill Gilbert Winter Meeting. He shared stories about his experience as a broadcaster. One observation that stuck out was that 46 players who played in the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals had also played at the Dell Diamond earlier in their careers – a remarkable number!
Speaking of numbers, it was the 192nd consecutive month the chapter has meet, marking 16 full years of monthly meetings.
Phillies fan David Curtoys (left in photo below) gave Gilbert Martinez a replica of Dusty Baker’s 2021 AL Championship ring. It was the giveaway at the Phillies-Astros game on Oct. 3, when Philadelphia clinched the last playoff spot. Little did either one of us know that our teams would face each other in the World Series three weeks later!
Martinez, meanwhile, gave Curtoys a Kyle Schwarber Topps Now card documenting the slugger’s first-inning home run off Justin Verlander that, at the time, tied World Series Game 5.
For the record, no fights broke out as Astros and Phillies fans alike shared lunch and gifts with one another!
Speaking of Curtoys, he was the winner of the Hornsby Chapter Postseason Predictatron contest, while Chuck Kaufman was the winner of the Hornsby Chapter Regular Season Predictatron. Both will receive trophies for their amazing prognostication accomplishments from Predictatron impresario Jim Baker at the winter meeting in January.
We scheduled the next month’s meeting for 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at Rudy’s BBQ (2451 S. Capital of Texas Highway).
Also, please save Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, for the winter meeting at Texas State University. More information about the lineup will be forthcoming.
Baseball Winter Meetings Trades Quiz
By Ira Siegel
There are 20 questions. Each answer is worth one point. A perfect score is 49 points. Good luck!
1—Name the 3 players who went to the Reds from the Orioles in 1965 for Frank Robinson.
2 – In 2007, who were the 2 more significant acquisitions (i.e., NOT named Rabelo, de la Cruz, Trahern, or Badenhop) who Miami received from the Tigers in exchange for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis?
3—Who were the two players sent to (A) Toronto and the two sent to (B) San Diego in their 1990 blockbuster? There were no others involved.
4—Name the two (left side of the) infielders swapped on 12/8/78 going from (A) Cleveland to Texas and (B) Texas to Cleveland. One played MLB for 17 years; the other, 18.
5—From the initial meeting in 1927 through 1945, all were held in NYC or Chicago, except for one. Name the year, the city, and why for one point each.
6—On 12/12/18, the Reds and Nationals exchanged pitchers with the same first name. What was that first name?
7—Name the other 6 players in the 1959 trade of Roger Maris to the Yankees for one point each.
8—Zac Gallen, who is now with Arizona, led the NL in 2022 in WHIP and fewest hits per 9 innings. He was previously traded along with three other players for an outfielder. Name the outfielder they were traded for and the headliner (a pitcher) who was traded along with Gallen, for a point each.
9—In 1941, Brooklyn sent four players to Pittsburgh for a future HOF infielder. He was an All Star from 1934-1942 and in his last year (1942) he led the league in runs scored, steals, and caught stealing. Who is that HOFer?
10—In 1991, the Mariners sent 3 RHPs to SF for 1989 MVP Kevin Mitchell and Mike Remlinger. For a point each, who were the 3 pitchers?
11—In 1980, a HOF pitcher and a catcher were traded by SD to StL. Four days later, StL sent the pitcher to the Brewers along with Pete Vukovich and a different HOFer. Name the HOF pitcher, the catcher, the other HOFer, and the Brewer acquired by the Cardinals. One point each…4 total.
12—In 2016, the White Sox acquired Yoan Moncada and 3 others from an AL team. Who was the one player they traded?
13—In 1950, Cleveland acquired a 36-year-old catcher from the Red Sox for cash. The catcher later managed the then Cincinnati Redlegs, then the then Milwaukee Brewers, and then the then Cleveland Indians. Who was he?
14—For a point each, what was the year and the city for the only Winter Meeting held outside the United States?
15—Also in 1967, the Mets traded RHP Bill Denehy and $100,000 to the Senators. Who did they acquire in the deal?
16—In 1967, the Twins sent 3 players (two were pitchers) to the Dodgers for 2 players (one was a pitcher). It’s a point each for these 5 players. Hint: all played in the 1965 World Series. Hint #2: arguably four of the players were really good players and the fifth one played for lots and lots and lots of teams.
17—For a point each, name the player traded in 1989 from Cleveland to San Diego and the 3 players sent to Cleveland. Hint: don’t waste too much time on one of the 3, even though he was 6th in NL ROY voting in 1987 with Philadelphia. Y’all know the other 3 players! Hint #2: none were pitchers.
18—In 2003, who did the Yankees get for sending Jeff Weaver and two other players to the Dodgers?
19—Who did the Cardinals get in the 1980 trade with Cubs for Leon Durham and Ken Reitz? He was an RHP.
20—2011 free agent signing: he had led his league in hits, doubles, and batting average once each…all in 2003.
Answers
1—MILT PAPPAS, JACK BALDSCHUN, & DICK SIMPSON
2—ANDREW MILLER & CAMERON MAYBIN
3—A) ROBERTO ALOMAR & JOE CARTER TO TOR B) FRED MCGRIFF & TONY FERNANDEZ TO SD
4—A) BUDDY BELL TO TX; B) TOBY HARRAH TO CLEVE
5—1939 IN CINCINNATI FOR “CENTENNIAL” (DOUBLEDAY) AS FIRST PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM
6—TANNER ROARK (TO REDS) FOR TANNER RAINEY (TO NATS)
7—JOE DEMASTRI & KENT HADLEY TO NYY
LARSEN, BAUER, SIEBERN, & THRONEBERRY TO KC
8—GALLEN: MARCEL OZUNA TO STL; SANDY ALCANTRARA TO MIAMI
9—ARKY VAUGHAN
10—BILL SWIFT, MICHAEL JACKSON, & DAVE BURBA
11—FINGERS (4 DAYS), TENACE, SIMMONS (HOF), & LEZCANO
12—MONCADA: CHRIS SALE TO BOSTON
13—BIRDIE TEBBETTS
14—1967 IN MEXICO CITY
15—GIL HODGES
16—ROSEBORO, PERRANOSKI, MILLER, GRANT, & VERSALLES
17—JOE CARTER TO SD
S. ALOMAR JR, CARLOS BAERGA, & CHRIS JAMES TO CLEVE
18—KEVIN BROWN
19—BRUCE SUTTER
20—ALBERT PUJOLS
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