George Will’s Opening Day Quiz

George Will’s Opening Day Quiz

(presented at the monthly meeting on Apr. 19, 2011)

(Move the mouse over the blank space to see the answer)
1. Which two players hold the record for most seasons played with the same team?

Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski
2. What two managers had 6 100-win seasons? Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy
3.

 Who was the player and in what year who led the league in HRs and RBI, started every World Series game, and never crossed the Mississippi?

 Larry Doby
4. Who is the only catcher to lead the league in batting average, OBP, and slugging in the same season? Joe Mauer
5.

What two players share the record for most hits in a month?

 Ty Cobb (July ’22) and Tris Speaker (July ’23)
6.

 From 2000-2009 Roy Halladay led pitchers with 14 shutouts. Who led the decade of the 70s with 44?

 Jim Palmer
7.

What pitcher won World Series games in three decades?

 Jim Palmer
8.

What player won batting titles in three decades?

George Brett
9.

Since 1900, what two pitchers won at least 20 games in a season 13 times?

Warren Spahn and Christy Mathewson
10. Who had at least 200 hits and 100 walks in four straight seasons? Wade Boggs
11. Who got ten hits in a World Series with two different teams? Paul Molitor
12. Bobby Richardson set a record with 12 RBI in the ’60 series. Within five, how many did he have during the season? 26
13. Name the six pitchers who struck out 3,000 without or before issuing 1,000 walks. Ferguson Jenkins, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz & Roger Clemens
14.

What team has won its last nine World Series games?

 Cincinnati Reds

 

 

April Meeting Wrap-up

Twelve chapter members gathered at Iron Works BBQ for traditional Texas barbeque and baseball talk.  Chapter "godfather," Bill Gilbert made a triumphant return after an extended stint on the disabled list.

Michael Bass presented a challenging trivia quiz that had been written by Washington Post columnist George Will.  Bill showed no signs of rust in taking the first place prize.

Topics of discussion included the Orioles’ hot start to the 2011 season but recent woes, Norman Macht’s forthcoming second edition of his Connie Mack trilogy, Gilbert Martinez’ research project on pitcher no-decisions that he will present at the SABR41 convention and Jim Baker’s "predictatron" contest.

Norman Macht also posed a question for discussion, that being whether pitcher wins, losses, saves and ERA are obsolete measures of pitcher effectiveness.

The May meeting will be held at Iron Works on Tuesday, May 17 starting at 6:00 p.m.

March Meeting Summary

A dozen chapter members and guests met at Iron Works BBQ in downtown Austin for dinner and baseball chatter. It was the group’s first meeting at this location, and most members reported little traffic problems and found convenient parking nearby. One member walked to the meeting from work downtown and another rode his bike to the meeting.

 

Thanks to Norman Macht and Monte Cely, the tables were arranged in a square so that the group could see each other and take part in a large group conversation. Our location on the back patio plus the pleasant spring weather made for an enjoyable combination.

 

Several topics were discussed: the New York Mets releasing Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo in recent weeks (and eating their salaries), the update on Albert Pujols’ contract situation with the St. Louis Cardinals (the update is there is no update), the future of data analytics in making game strategy decisions, how the Houston Astros might fare this season, and other topics.

 

Norman Macht updated the group about Volume 2 of Connie Mack’s biography. It is written and currently undergoing copy editing. He expects the book to be published early next year. Norman is turning his attention to Volume 3. (For those not familiar, you should check out the first volume, “Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball,” published in 2007 by the University of Nebraska Press).

 

This was the 52nd consecutive month in which the chapter has met. Plans are underway for the August meeting, which will be the 57th consecutive month with a meeting, thereby “breaking” Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak.

 

The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at Iron Works BBQ in downtown Austin. We’ll send out a reminder and request for RSVPs closer to the meeting.

 

March Meeting Announcement – New Location!

We will be gathering at Iron Works BBQ located at 100 Red River in downtown Austin on Tuesday, March 22 starting at 6:00 p.m.  NOTE:  The meeting date has been moved to Tuesday the 22nd from the originally announced Thursday the 24th to avoid conflict with the NCAA tournament.

There is a small parking lot on-site and large pay lots across the street.  Please RSVP to Norman Macht at nlm@grandecom.net if you plan to attend.

 


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February Meeting Wrap-Up

Eleven members and guests gathered at Third Base in Austin for the chapter’s 51st consecutive monthly meeting.  Monte Cely presented a quiz on the Caribbean World Series which he and his son recently attended in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.  Norman Macht was the quiz winner and took home a Caribbean World Series official cap.

Topics of discussion included Albert Pujols’ contract situation with the Cardinals, some recent MLB Network programs and the chapter’s April trip to see the Corpus Christi Hooks.

Given that Third Base tends to be loud which makes conversation difficult, it was tentively decided to try a new venue for the March meeting.  Further details will be forthcoming.

Book Review : Odd Man Out

Odd Man Out
A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit
 
by Matt McCarthy
 
A Baseball Book Review
Jan Larson
 
             Matt McCarthy was a left-handed starter on four bad teams at Yale University and in the summer of 2002 hoped to be chosen in the major league free agent draft.  The Anaheim Angels gave McCarthy at shot at his dream of playing in the Major Leagues by selecting him in the 21st round.  He quickly accepted a $1000 signing bonus and boarded a plane for training camp in Mesa, Arizona.
 
             Odd Man Out is McCarthy’s sometimes raunchy and always entertaining recollection of his one season pitching (or not) with the Class A Pioneer League’s Provo Angels.  McCarthy opens the clubhouse doors as he recounts tales of baudy behavior, excessive drinking, the temptation of steroids, good games and bad, pink slips, Dominicans, Weenie Wednesday and Larry King Night.
 
             McCarthy and his Angels teammates endured the culture shock of heavily Mormon Provo, 17 hour bus trips to Medicine Hat, Alberta, the endless search for "slump busters" and the assorted motivational techniques of manager Tom Kotchman.  Rally Monkey?  "Kotch" had other ways to "rally" his players.
 
             The book provides an insight into the life in the low minor leagues and is recommended for anyone that ever had such aspirations.
             
Here are the key statistics:
Book: Odd Man Out 
                        A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit
Author:  Matt McCarthy
Author’s Credentials: McCarthy is currently an intern at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.
Published: 2009, Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group; ISBN: 978-0-670-02070-6
Length: 304 pages.
Price: Retail list – $25.95;    Online – from $1.04 (used) + shipping.

 

February Meeting

The next meeting of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at Third Base, 1717 W. 6th St. in Austin. Monte Cely will have a trivia quiz ready to stump us all.

It will also be the 51st consecutive month that the chapter has met. Hope you can join us.

SABR Day Summary

A total of 12 members and guests of the Rogers Hornsby chapter gathered at the home of Jan and Connie Larson in Cedar Park, Texas for a SABR Day pot luck dinner, baseball talk and general socializing.  Craig Lukshin distributed unopened 48-card packs of 1987 series Topps baseball cards to all guests as “party favors.”  The group also enjoyed a screening of the baseball classic “Field of Dreams” (which featured Mystery Science Theater 3000-type commentary by Jim Baker – a stickler for historical accuracy) and for the night owls in the group, the second feature was “The Natural.”

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Hornsby Chapter members.  Back row (left to right):  Craig Lukshin, Mike Dillon, Jim Baker, Raeanne Martinez.  Front row (left to right) : Gilbert Martinez, Jan Larson, Michael Hammon, Monte Cely.  Not pictured:  Michael Bass.