Knowledge Test No. 12

Knowledge Test No. 12
1.	In 1905, Christy Mathewson performed the most amazing pitching feat in World Series history, when he posted three shutouts in a five-game series that took place over six days. His mastery of the Philadelphia Athletics led the New York Giants to an easy victory. Mathewson's mound opponent in Game 1 of that series was Hall of Fame lefthander Eddie Plank. Plank also appeared in the World Series for the A's in 1911, '13 and '14, winning decisions in two of those series. Mathewson's teammate, Rube Marquard, was the first National League lefthander to win two decisions in one World Series when he put up a pair of wins in the 1912 classic. Another Hall of Famer was the first American League lefthander to post two wins in one World Series. Can you name him?
2.	It is a somewhat unusual occurrence that a shortstop wins the Most Valuable Player Award. When it happens, it usually means his field generalship was the principal reason that his team won a title. Notable exceptions to that rule were Ernie Banks, who played for losing teams in 1958 and '59 and Cal Ripken Jr, who played for a losing team in 1991. Perhaps the most celebrated MVP shortstop of all is Cleveland's Lou Boudreau, who was also the AL batting champ and the manager of the 1948 World Series champion Tribe. MVP shortstops like Marty Marion (1944), Dick Groat (1960) and Zoilo Versalles (1965) are remembered as being instrumental to their teams' World Series hopes, while enjoying only modest success with the bat. Despite being known for his remarkable fielding prowess, there was an MVP shortstop, who led his team into the World Series and once he got there, committed a World Series record eight errors-including a critical, late-inning Game 7 miscue-causing his team to lose the series. Can you name this classic World Series goat? Hint: He was the youngest man ever to manage a major-league team, and was also the manager Lou Boudreau succeeded in 1942, when he became the youngest man ever to manage a club from the beginning of a season.
3.	Pete Rose collected the last 52 of his record 4,256 hits in 1986 at the age of 45. Rose finished his celebrated career with an astounding 10 200-hit seasons. His last 200-hit season came in 1979 at the age of 38. At age 40, in the strike-truncated 1981 season, he was on pace to finish with 210 hits if given the opportunity to play 162 games (he played in 162 in 1980 and '82). That would have made him only the second man to get 200 hits after turning 40. Can you name the Hall of Famer, who's the only player in history to post a 200-hit season after turning 40?
4.	Both Lou Boudreau and Pete Rose were noted playing managers. In the early days, many distinguished players performed in both roles. Rogers Hornsby's 1926 St. Louis Cardinals were World Champions. So were Bill Terry's 1933 Giants. Hall of Famers Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb, George Sisler, Joe Cronin, Eddie Collins and Mel Ott were all among The Game's most notable playing managers. In recent years, Rose, Joe Torre and Frank Robinson managed their clubs before the end of their playing days. Boudreau was the last regular playing manager to win a World Series. Can you recall the last time two playing managers opposed each other in the World Series?
5.	Among Colorado first baseman Todd Helton's most eye-opening feats in his magnificent 2000 campaign was his mark of 405 total bases. The milestone mark of 400 total bases has been reached only 24 times in history. Helton is the third player in four years to compile 400 total bases in a season. He joined teammate Larry Walker (409 in 1997) and Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa (416 in 1998). Another guy playing in the same hitter-friendly park as Helton and Walker, Colorado's Ellis Burks, came close in 1996 (392), as Sammy Sosa did again last year (397). In the AL in recent years, only Ken Griffey Jr (392, Kingdome, 1997) and Albert Belle (399 Camden Yards, 1998) have come close to the magic mark. Of course, Babe Ruth was the first to reach the mark in 1921, when he set the record of 457 total bases that still stands today. It was reached five more times in the '20s, and a whopping 13 times in the 1930s. Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx and Chuck Klein all topped 400 total bases more than once. Gehrig reached the mark five times! Between Joe Medwick's 406 in 1937, and Larry Walker's 409 in 1997, the mark was reached only three times-once in the AL and twice in the NL. Name the only three sluggers to have 400 total bases in a season between 1937 and 1997.
6.	Hall of Famer Warren Spahn is The Game's all-time winningest left-handed pitcher. In a career spent entirely in the National League, Spahn recorded 363 wins, all but seven of them for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves. He won 20 or more games an astounding 13 times. He led or tied for the lead in wins eight times. Late in the 1959 season, Spahn broke the record for most wins by a National League lefthander when he recorded his 267th. Can you name the Hall of Famer, whose record for most wins by an NL lefty, was shattered by Spahn? 7. Spahn was an amazing workhorse, posting 250 innings in 16 of 17 seasons durin
7.	Spahn was an amazing workhorse, posting 250 innings in 16 of 17 seasons during his prime (he had 246 in the other). He led the league in complete games nine times, finishing his brilliant career with an amazing 382. Cy Young leads the list with a preposterous 751 complete games. Twentieth century greats Walter Johnson (531), Grover Cleveland Alexander (436) and Christy Mathewson (434) all topped the 400 mark. Hall of Famer Lefty Grove, who finished his career with exactly 300 wins, also finished with exactly 300 complete games. The mark of 300 career complete games is one of those milestones that may never be reached again. In fact, of all the pitchers who pitched most or all of their games since World War II, there have been only three who finished with 300 or more complete games. Spahn is one of them. Can you name the other two pitchers since World War II to pitch 300 or more complete games? They're both Hall of Famers.
8.	Greg Maddux is the only active pitcher with over 3,000 innings pitched, who boasts a lifetime earned run average under 3.00. He finished at an even 3.00 in 2000 to bring his lifetime ERA to 2.83. Since 1913, which is the point in the record book at which ERA stats become official for both leagues, Maddux' 2.83 mark is the fourth best in history behind Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Whitey Ford. There are only 12 other pitchers with a career ERA under 3.00. Only two of those 12 are not in the Hall of Fame. One was Wilbur Cooper, a four-time 20-game winner, who finished his career with 216 wins and an ERA of 2.89. Can you name the only other 3,000-inning pitcher with a career ERA under 3.00 who's not in the Hall of Fame?
9.	Manny Mota, who played from 1962 through 1980-with a token plate appearance in 1982-is baseball's all-time leader with 150 career pinch hits. Mota's accomplishment will never land him in Cooperstown. You wouldn't expect a Hall of Famer to be someone who is an accomplished pinch hitter. In a game against Mota's Dodgers on July 6, 1980, Hall of Famer Willie McCovey made his last major-league appearance. It was as a pinch-hitter. He nearly hit one out of the park, but instead was retired on a game-tying sacrifice fly to the wall. McCovey is high on the list of Hall of Famers with 66 career pinch hits. But one Hall of Famer had as many as 77 career pinch hits. He even led his league in pinch hits one year and led his league in pinch-hit at-bats in another. Can you name the Hall of Famer with the most career pinch hits?
10.	In 1934, Dizzy Dean won 30 games for the Cardinals-making him the last NL hurler to win 30 games in a season. His brother, Paul "Daffy" Dean won 19 the same year. The Deans' 49 wins in one season is the record for two brothers. Another pair of brothers came close with 47 wins in one season. They're the only pair of brothers to win the Cy Young Award. Can you name them?
11.	In 1971, Vida Blue followed up a promising rookie season in which he threw a no-hitter with one of the finest seasons of his generation. Blue had a 24-8 won-loss record with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts in 312 innings. He won the Cy Young Award and the MVP as the A's won the West. But he became the first pitcher in history to strike out 300 or more batters without leading the league in strikeouts. The man who led the league in strikeouts also had more wins and more innings pitched than Blue. Can you name the unsung hurler who had more strikeouts, wins and innings pitched than Vida Blue during his MVP year of 1971?
12.	In June of 1971, Philadelphia's Rick Wise had about the best day a pitcher could ever dream of having. He pitched a no-hitter and hit two home runs! Several other pitchers have hit two home runs in one game. The Braves' Tony Cloninger once hit two grand slams! Going into the 2000 season, a player hit three homers in one game on 374 occasions. On only one of those occasions, it was done by a pitcher. Can you name the only pitcher in history to hit three home runs in one game?

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