I'm going to guess Turner Ward and... man, who was the backup catcher after they traded Myers? Randy Knorr? I'll guess Knorr. I know Maksudian was around but I don't think he made the postseason roster.

Not Ward and Knorr.

Myers would be my first guess, unless Cito pinch ran for Borders. Ducey would be my other guess, unless Cito pinch ran for Borders.

Well I looked up in a book who did play... but I'm not sure who all was on the roster... I'm going to guess Randy Knorr and Bob MacDonald

Actually, one of them was probably a reliever. Rob Macdonald?

I think '92 was the year that Myers and Ducey were traded to the Angels for Eichhorn in midsummer, so it couldn't have been either of them.

Are multiple guesses allowed? Was Jeff Kent still with the Jays or did he get traded that year. I'll say Jeff Kent and Bob Macdonald.

Kent was traded for David Cone down the stretch.

Scratch that, I'm pretty sure that was the year Kent was traded. This is a good question. Let's try Turner Ward and Bob MacDonald.

How about Al Leiter and Domingo Martinez?

P.S. the ball icon on the front page for this story is not loading properly!

Multiple guesses are not allowed.

No one has the right answer so far. Only one of the two players has even been mentioned so far.

I'll guess Bob Macdonald and Derek Bell.

Dave Stieb and Randy Knorr

I'll go with Maksudian and Derek Bell. For some strange reason I have a feeling Maksudian was around as a third catcher.

For some reason I think this was the year of the infamous Eddie Zosky (I know Craig said no guesses)- but I can't recall if Zosky made the postseason roster or not? My other guess would be the original Butler brother (can't remember if that's Rob or Rich)

Some excellent guesses on here, but no correct answers so far. Again, only one of the two players has been mentioned yet.

Can't be Derek Bell. He walked on four pitches before Ed Sprague's HR. He had tunnel vision that at-bat. It was just him and the pitcher.

TRENCHES!! TRENCHES!!

Me Grimlock has seen that WS video too many times!

Me Grimlock's guess? Turner Ward and Bob MacDonald.

Pat Hentgen was the pitcher.

Bah, me Grimlock used his one and only guess on a guess already made!!! BOOO!!

Tom Quinlan was the other player

I think I've got it but I already surpassed the guessed limit. Come on guys, someone get this one!

I'm pretty sure I remember Randy Knorr covered in beer and champagne. Craig said not "Ward and Knorr" so it could be one of them, just not both. And one of the two must be a catcher since Ed Sprague was used as a PH to hit that HR and Cito wouldn't have used his 2nd catcher to pinch hit, would he?

So guess #1 is Randy Knorr.

Bell played. He was on when Sprague hit the HR mentioned above. Butler didn't debut until 1993. I remember because I was at that game. I seem to recall Stieb and Mulliniks covered in beer as well but both were injured...likely there but not on the roster. I can't think of who would have backed up Gruber at 3B. Sprague was still a C-1B at that point.

Marc says Tom Quinlan with authority and he fits what I'm thinking.

So, Guess #2 is Tom Quinlan

Trying to visualize the celebration and recall inactive names. Here's my shot: Doug Linton and Turner Ward? Either way, excellent question!

Hey all.

First timer here, so be gentle!

My guess is Randy Knorr and Rance Mulliniks.

And edtjeerd gets it correct! Randy Knorr and Rance Mulliniks. (Mulliniks took the place of Tom Quinlan between the LCS and the World Series.)

Edtjeerd, you get to ask the next question.

Poor Rance! He was a member of the 1980 Kansas City Royals, and I believe he was on the postseason roster that year and didn't play then either.

I wonder whether there is anybody who has been on more World Series rosters without ever getting to play in a single game. I thought of the Yankee backup catchers from the Yogi era, but both Charlie Silvera and Ralph Houk actually appeared in at least one World Series. (Though they probably both had a lot of years where they DNP'd.)

Woo hoo, Mulliniks got a ring. I'm quite pleased about that. Too bad he couldn't have actually contributed to the victory.

Nice question, Craig.

OK, not to step on edtjeerd's toes, but I'll offer this question to keep the discussion running.

The Jays are 21-20 in their postseason history. Five pitchers of record have (a) earned at least one postseason victory over the Jays AND (b) suffered at least one postseason loss to Toronto.

Name the five hurlers who have both beaten and lost to the Jays in the playoffs.

Since it seems they have played oakland a bit in the playoffs ...i will go with Dave Stewart..my other guess how about Tom Glavine

The best I can do is one name...
the only person I can think of is Schilling who went 1-1 in the 93 world series.

Glavine's right for sure. Won 3-1 in Game 1, lost 2-1 in Game 4 in 1992.

I bet Charlie Leibrandt, who lost Game 6 in '92 and was with the Royals in the mid-'80s, is on the list.

This one was actually too easy for me, because Total Baseball has all the answers.

Charlie Liebrandt is the first one. He lost Game 1 and won Game 7 in the '85 ALCS (otherwise known as The Passion Of Dave Stieb). He also lost a WS game in '92!

Glavine, as Jdog remembers, was a second.

Curt Schilling, who lost Game 1 and won Game 5 in the '93 Series, is a third one.

Four is really hard. It's the now-forgotten A's pitcher Mike Moore, who beat the Jays in '89 and lost to them twice in '92.

The fifth was the hardest of all. Danny Jackson pitched an incredible shutout in Game 5 in '85 to bring KC from 3-1 to 3-2 down and set up the Game 6 and 7 heroics. Then all the way forward to '93, he lost Game 4 and would have been the Game 7 starter for Philly if Touch 'Em All Joe hadn't intervened.

Anyway, since I looked up the answer (boo, hiss) I will just ask the next question now.

Since the MLB entry draft began in 1965, 400 players have been selected in the Top 10 of those drafts.

Four of those 400 players are in the Hall of Fame. Name the four players.

Four top 10 draft picks in the Hall of Fame?

Off of the top of my head: Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield.. and... ummm.. wow. This is getting tough. Kirby Puckett? Dennis Eckersley?

I'll take those four. I don't think Brett or Schmidt were drafted that high, but it might be them as well.

Jackson and Winfield, as mentioned. And I believe the long-time Brew brothers, Yount and Molitor were both rop-10 picks? Hey, that'd mean two of the four ended up Blud Jays.

Sorry to hi-jack, don't know if its even worth posting but Jays fans might wanna know.

Ted Lily and Josh Towers will be the Blue Jays appearing and signing autographs at Blue Jays Swing into Spring Festival Saturday.

I'll take Jackson and Winfield too. Wasn't Yount taken somewhere close to Winfield? And, of course, everything about Paul Molitor is pretty fresh in everyone's mind. Or not. That's my four.

Oh, I got so excited I didn't read Mick's comment properly. At least I get to feel good about myself.

Hey all. Sorry I didn't post a question when I got the answer earlier, but I only have the internet at work, and I had left by then.

Yount and Winfield went 3 and 4 back in the mid 70's, I think.

Reggie Jackson went early, as did Molitor and Puckett, I think...can't remember if it was in the top ten though.

What about Carlton Fisk? He was a high draft pick too.

My guess is Yount, Winfield, Jackson, and Fisk.

Jackson, Winfield, Yount, and Molitor is correct. Mick!

I just looked up my two "wrong" selections. I think there may be more than 4 guys. Check out Puckett. :)

What about him? Puckett was picked in the January supplemental draft, not the Amateur Draft.

Ooops.. I just read third overall.

Time for more coffee...

Since they don't have the January draft anymore, it's an easy mistake to make. I might have included him myself, but I was going from a list of Top 10 picks which just listed the June phase picks.

Oh, goody, my turn to ask a question. But I used up my favourite "Who was Harry Steinfeldt?" last time we did one of these on the old Batter's Box, so lemme thinkg for a minute ...

Sorry to interupt Mick, but I heard someone say Nelson Briles died last week (I was on my honeymoon). He won a pair of WS with the Cardinals and Pirates ('67 and '71). Does anyone know how he passed?

gv27, here is the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story:

Former Cardinal Nelson Briles dies

HTH.

And a new trivia question ...

According to my brief, unscientific research, 53 men have played in the major leagues and been known primarily by the nickname "Doc." This does not include Dock Ellis. Other than Halladay and Gooden, without resorting to BBRef OR any other online or print reference, name six other "Docs.'

This, of course, will give us ammo for "Snow White and the Seven Docs."

Thanks Mick. I appreciate the link.

I guess "Doc" Ron Taylor doesn't count ;-)

The only one that immediately comes to mind is Doc Medich.

Doc Marshall was a 2B/SS with the New York Giants from 1929 to '32 and Doc Laven played SS for Branch Rickey's 1919 St. Louis squad. Beyond that, I'm tapped out. Now, if you can name me the outfielder nicknamed "Bunny" from the '71 Brewers, I'll really be impressed!

The only ones I can come up with off the top of my head are

1 - Doc White, a deadball-era pitcher
2 - Doc Prothro, an infielder from the 1920s
3 - Doc Cramer, a pre-war centerfielder with a very long career

Geez guys, I count six, and if someone would put them all together, that person will be our next question-asker!

Doc Medich, Doc Marshall, Doc Laven, Doc White, Doc Prothro, Doc Cramer. That's so unfair. :)

I defer to Craig, gv27, or kinguy -- whoever wants to ask, go ahead.

OK then, I'll ask another one! (One shouldn't be shy about asking questions, though... it's the winner's privilege).

On September 14, 1986, a well-known major leaguer (who remains well-known to this day) was pressed into service, out of position, at third base. He responded with four errors in one inning. Ouch. It didn't matter, though, since he hit two home runs, including the game winner in the bottom of the ninth.

Who was the player?

I'll guess Dale Murphy.

Jose (Juice) Canseco? It was his rookie year (and 4 errors sounds 'bout right...)

Your new Cubs TV analyst, Bob Brenly.

One shouldn't be shy about asking questions, though... it's the winner's privilege

Yeah, but I've never heard of any of those players. Sure, I scored, but it was a garbage goal.

Bob Brenly is correct, by the way.

Oh goody. Okay, who is the only player to be a teammate of the two greatest home run hitters of all time? He's a pretty well-known player.

Hey, they all count.

And yes, Elijah is correct! It was Bob Brenly. Ask away!

I think it was Davey Johnson. IIRC he was in the on-deck circle when both Oh and Aaron hit record-breaking home runs.

Good job, Moffatt. It was indeed Davey Johnson. Although I think Dusty Baker was in the on-deck circle for Aaron's 715th. I just checked and Johnson was in-the-hole. Why isn't Sadaharu Oh in the HOF anyway? Well, that's a debate for another time.

Okay, next question!

I was going to guess Don Blasingame. Nice one, Mikey.

Difficulty: Really, really hard.

Unless I've missed someone, there are exactly *5* players who have played 300+ games with both the Yankees and Red Sox.

Name 4 of them. The first three aren't that difficult. The last two will likely give you some trouble. But you only need one of them. :)

Aw, geez. This is rough.

Ruth is probably the first.

Red Ruffing might be the second - I think he used to pinch-hit a lot for Boston.

Wade Boggs, probably.

Jack Clark for a fourth?

<i>Ruth is probably the first.</i> - Yes!<p>

<i>Red Ruffing</i> - Close but no cigar. Right era, wrong player.<p>

<i>Wade Boggs, probably.</i> - Yep!<p>

<i>Jack Clark for a fourth?</i> - Nope. More recent than Clark.<p>

That's two. Can anyone get the other two? One is recent, the other two are from the Ruth era. Like I said, it's hard. :)

D'oh! Forgot to turn on the HTML.

Going to guess Everett Scott.

Mike Stanley must be on the list; he was on each team like 3 times.

Nice question, Moffat.

I got the four that have been named easy. I then listed every player I could think of from the 20 years or so that Boston and NY seemed to swap players like '70s Yankee wives, and still couldn't come up with the fifth guy. So I cheated. Really good, really tough question.

or Moffat(T), as it were. Damn.

Carl Mays?

You guys got it. The recent one was Mike Stanley.

The two Ruth era players were shortstop Everett Scott and catcher Wally Schang.

I'll throw a question out until previous winners sort themselves out. Can you name the player who was the winning pitcher in the All-Star game and lost 20-games all in the same year? In fact, he was the only pitcher in the majors to lose 20 in the year of his All-Star win.

Great question!

I have absolutely no idea who it is.

My first hunch would be that it would be some guy from the 30s where losing 20 games wasn't all that uncommon. My first guess would be Lefty Gomez because he was the winning pitcher in the first ever All-Star game in 1933 (why didn't you ask *that* as a question?) :) , but he didn't lose 20 that year.

So I have no idea.

Luis Tiant?

I just looked it up. I would have never gotten that in a million years. Great question!

Phil Niekro? He was 21-20 one year, though I have not a clue if he made, much less started the AS game that year.

Steve Rogers, who made the Canadian baseball hall of fame today? He lost 20 once, and might have been the token Expo on the all-star team that year. Plus, N.L. used to win every year in those days.

Here's another question after someone gets the 20 game losing All-Star game winning pitcher. Who did Babe Ruth pass for the career home run lead and in what year?

I have to admit it may have happened more than once. I haven't had a chance to check, so answers like Niekro and Rogers may also be correct.

The man in question is Ken Raffensberger in 1944. I know this to be true since he and I were good friends up until his death two years ago. We struck up a friendship by mail that lasted six years. In 2001, I finally drove down to York, PA one summer to meet him for the first time. He lived in a trailer home and was living off his small baseball pension. For many years, he used to fish every summer in Kaladar, Ontario (near Belleville) until the latter years when travel got difficult.

He was a fine man, and I miss his monthly letters. He is also part of a group of about 14 players with the longest surnames in major league history. To my knowledge, no player has ever surpassed 13 letters. Can you name some others?

There's William Van Landingham, who pitched for the Giants during the mid 90's.

I think Ken Raffensberger was the only one RE: 20 losses and an All-Star win. He's the only one I found when I "looked it up", which promopted me to state I wouldn't have gotten it in a million years.

You're bang on with Van Landingham. Others include Todd Hollandsworth, Bill and Art Knickerbocker (I don't think they were related), and former A's Steve Wojciechowski and Kirk Dressendorfer. Recent addition to the list is Pittsburgh's John Van Benschoten. The Jays have a kid in the system - Vito Chiaravalloti - who will join the club if he gets to the majors.

Hey Pepper. When you say you "looked it up", was that simply a google search, or is there a site that has quick reference to wacky questions like that one?

I was craftier than that. I remembered that baseball Reference has a page of <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/20gameLosers.shtml">guys who have lost 20 games</a>. I just looked down the list for guys who could have pitched in an All-Star game and after about a dozen dead ends, found Ken Raffensberger.<p>

I wish my usual research was that easy. If it were, I wouldn't be on this computer 12 hours a day for the last month trying to finish my thesis. :)

Ooops.. I'll try that again.

I was craftier than that. I remembered that baseball Reference has a page of guys who have lost 20 games. I just looked down the list for guys who could have pitched in an All-Star game and after about a dozen dead ends, found Ken Raffensberger.

I wish my usual research was that easy. If it were, I wouldn't be on this computer 12 hours a day for the last month trying to finish my thesis. :)

The Jays have a kid in the system - Vito Chiaravalloti - who will join the club if he gets to the majors.

Did you know there are 259,459,200 ways to rearrange the letters in Chiaravalloti?

I plan on mentioning that every time someone brings up Big Vito...

You're bang on with Van Landingham. Others include Todd Hollandsworth, Bill and Art Knickerbocker (I don't think they were related), and former A's Steve Wojciechowski and Kirk Dressendorfer. Recent addition to the list is Pittsburgh's John Van Benschoten. The Jays have a kid in the system - Vito Chiaravalloti - who will join the club if he gets to the majors.

And of course there's Ossie Schreckengost.

Have I told my Kirk Dressendorfer story before? Not much of a story, but it's my enduring memory of him as a ballplayer.

1991. Oakland has just won three consecutive pennants, with a World Series in there too. I look at a linescore in spring training and it has the following pitchers going for Oakland: Harris, Dressendorfer, Slusarski and Klink. I said to myself, "The Oakland dynasty is over. Any team who would throw that collection of names out there in one game can't win anything." And in fact Oakland didn't win the division that year. Blame Kirk.

Ruth broke Connor's record in 1921. I don't know what it was, though.

As long as we're asking random questions, amd that "longest name" deal is on the board, who has the shortest name in the history of the game?

I admit up front, I don't know the answer to this question. I assume the smallest combination of first and last name would be four letters; I can think of the old Pirate C Ed Ott at five.

I think you've got the answer in Ott, Mick. I can offer some six letter names like Ad Yale, Al Bool, Lu Blue, Les Cox (1926 Chicago White Sox) or Red Cox (1920 Detroit Tigers).

I can't think of any to beat Ed Ott, either.

Other 6's I know of are: Ron Cey, Ken Ash, Al Aber and Al Todd.

Ed Hug was first noted by VBF during our Valentine's Day impromptu Hall of Names. There are a huge number of 6s- Ron Cey and Al Weis (from the '69 Mets) come to mind quickly.

And of course Mel Ott!

Lest we get bogged down here, how about another Trivia Question? Say ...

I've written about this on Da Box before, but I bet nobody remembers the answer anwyay. Who was the last -- and to date, the only -- New York Yankee 1B to win the American League home run championship (while playing with the Yankees, of course)?

The guy you're thinking of? It's not him. The next guy? You're thiking of? It's not him, either. And the ... well, you get the idea.

If it's "the only" as well as the first, it must be Gehrig, who won three home run crowns.

In case I'm right, I'll ask the next question now as I'm headed out the door.

Who was the last first baseman to lead his league in triples?

(By "first baseman" I mean that in the season in question the player played more games at first base than any other position).

I just went and looked this up, and there have been three Yankee 1Bmen to lead the league in homers. I never ever would have been able to guess the most recent one, though.

And, on the other subject, let's not forget about former Blue Jay Ted Cox. (And, if we stretch things a bit, Man Lee.)

For the triples question, does Molitor count if his primary defensive position was first, even if he was mostly a DH?

As for HR, Gehrig and (I think) Pipp did it, and I suspect you're talking about neither.

Pipp did do it. Did Jacques Fournier lead the league in triples one year?

Seeing as Craig is out, I checked. Molitor did lead the league, but played most of his games as a DH. I don't think that's who Craig had in mind.

But, in a way, Fawaz, you're on the right track. That's my obscure hint.

Did Erstad ever lead the league in triples?

Nope, Erstad didn't.

First clue: it's a Hall of Famer.

yes, I misremembered and asked the question wrong ... It should've been "the most recent" Yankee 1B to lead the league in homers. The answer, as you all know of course, is Nick Etten, who hit 22 in 1944 during the WWII years. The year before that he knocked in 107 and finished seventh in the AL MVP voting. He was the Yankee regular 1B for three and a half seasons. By 1946,, Tommy Henrich was back from Europe, and after '47 and a lackluster age 33 season with PHI, Etten was out of the majors.

In the 61 years of Skowron, Pepitone, Chambliss, Mattingly, Martinez and Giambi since, no Yankee 1B has matched Etten's feat, though I believe all of the above named outhomered his league-leading total at some point in a single season.

A fast Hall of Famer who played 1b?

I've got to think it's Rod Carew.

If I wasn't clear,Rod Carew was my answer to the triples question.

I think I deserve a mulligan on Molitor. As such, I shall cleverly merge my two new guesses into one super-guess in an effort stay within the one guess rule: Stan 'The Man' Gehrig.

Carew looks like a good guess, but if it's not him I'll guess Bill Terry.

I'm 99% sure that it's Carew (late '70s). Unless Craig objects, let's have Mr. Spicol get the ball rolling again.

It was indeed Carew, in 1977, as confirmed by Baseball-Reference (COMN). Fire away, Spicol!

Indeed, it was Carew. Curiously, John Castino led the league in strike-shortened 1981. Maybe Metropolitan Stadium favoured triples. Actually, I checked and there was a corner in deep right center that was 430 feet from the plate.

Sorry, I missed the correct answer during my lunch break.

All right, I'll play quizmaster. Which player has led the National League in runs scored in a season the most times?

Pete Rose.

When Joe hit *the* HR, he had to run past the 5 members of the Philly infield (I'm including the catcher). Who were those 5 infielders?

NO Retrosheet! Or any other Internet sources!

No, it wasn't Pete Rose. Why don't we save this question until after Spicol's is done?

Kruk, Morandini, Stocker, Hollins and Daulton.

Darren Daulton, John Kruk, Mickey Morandini, Kevin Stocker, Dave Hollins. I can't be right, though -- it was too easy.

...After looking it up, I have the wrong answer. What a great question.

Oh yes, it sounds easy. You fail to factor in how evil I am.

To give the others a hint: gv27 and I missed the same position. We were both 4-for-5.

Did they put Kim Batiste in for Hollins defensively for the ninth? I'll say Kruk, Duncan, Stocker, Batiste, Daulton.

In that case, scratch Duncan and put Morandini back in. Kruk, Morandini, Stocker, Batiste, Daulton.

I looked it up as well Rob. You're right - an excellent question. The man in question would later become a teamate of Barry Bonds - but only briefly.

Mike D = BUZZ

We've got a nice parting gift for you though.

Ok, Mike D's second guess got it.

Cheating will get you everywhere. G'head Mike.

OK, I'm cooking up a good one. I just need to verify it...

Even in Retrosheet format, I get chills reading it:

BLUE JAYS 9TH: BATISTE REPLACED HOLLINS (PLAYING 3B); WILLIAMS REPLACED ANDERSEN (PITCHING); Henderson walked; White flied to left; Molitor singled to center [Henderson to second]; Carter homered [Henderson scored, Molitor scored]; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Phillies 6, Blue Jays 8.

I can still see Rickey stepping out just as Wild Thing throws his first pitch...

OK. Got it.

Let's stay with Joe's World Series walk-off. As soon as he touched home plate, there was a huge, happy throng of guys in Jays uniforms jumping up and down.

Four of them had received first-place votes in American League MVP voting prior to that date. Name them.

Crap, one of the few I knew I missed.

What game was it where they put in Batiste for Hollins and he promptly made an error? That was early in the series, if I remember correctly.

Thomas, I think that was in the NLCS against Atlanta.

That would make sense, actually.

And I'll guess, Henderson, Alomar, Molitor and Morris?

Thomas is 2 for 4. I'll discuss his incorrect guesses after the question's solved.

Henderson (won in '90), Alomar and Carter (I'm sure). Based on your phrasing I'll guess that the 4th was a coach.

I'll guess Henderson, Alomar, Carter, and Gaston.

I figured I'd be 3 for 4. The fact I only got 2 is suprising. I guess that's why it's a trivia challenge.

And I missed AMERICAN LEAGUE. Now I'll guess Hisle.

Max is oh-so-close. 3 for 4.

Max got it with his revised guess. Hisle had one first-place vote in 1977, when he finished 12th overall in voting.

And Max Parkinson nails it! Very impressive.

Joe got first-place votes in '91 and '92.

Robbie also got first-place votes in '91 and '92 (and later in '99 and 2001).

Rickey got first-place votes in '81 and '90 (when he won it).

And good old Larry Hisle got a first-place vote in 1977!

Molitor never got a first-place vote. Jack Morris received some first-place Cy Young votes, but never first-place MVP. For that matter, the same was true for fellow celebrant Dave Stewart.

Over to you, Max!

Those three plus Winfield?

In the interest of time, I'll throw out a semi-softball.

What teammates hold the AL and NL records for combined HRs + RBIs? AL - very easy. NL - a little easy.

Memo to self: hit refresh before posting.

I'm not sure I understand the HR/RBI question. Are you asking for which 2 teammates had the highest number of HR+RBI in a single season?

If so...Ruth and Gehrig for the AL in 1927? Hack Wilson and Gabby Harnett for the NL in 1930?

Ruth/Gehrig and Wilson/Hartnett would be my guess, too.

Told y'all it was easy.

Fire away, Spicol.

Some guys like to just hit 'em in.

Of all the players in MLB history with 1500+ career RBI, this somewhat recent player has the fewest amount of career Runs scored, with fewer than 1200. Who am I thinking of?

I'll guess Joe Carter. (I was originally going to say Kingman, but figured Carter was a more likely answer for someone on this site to set up.)

My first thought was Homerin' Harmon Killebrew, lots of homers and RBIs, but played on lots of mediocre teams ...

Carter would have been a lay-up.

Kingman is warmer than Carter.

Jim Rice?

Jim Rice is almost the right era.

He's a Hall of Famer.

I can't stay, so I'll put you out of your misery. Willie Stargell is the mystery man who always drove in the runners and rarely was driven in himself. This despite a .360 lifetime OBP! Let's go back to Mike's question: Which player has led the National League in runs scored in a season the most times?

There is a poetic justice to that. I attempted to post Willie Stargell, and my internet connection crapped out. I wonder how many times pinch-runners for Stargell scored.

I've heard this question with different answers in the past - it depends on whether you mean leading outright, or sharing the league lead.

Leading outright, but it doesn't look to me that it makes a difference.

Actually, Max, you're right, it does.

Hornsby?

Oh, I never had a chance with this one.

What game was it where they put in Batiste for Hollins and he promptly made an error?

That happened twice in the NLCS. Schilling left with a 3-2 lead after 8 in Game 1. Mitch Williams came in, walked Bill Pecota (Bill Pecota!), and induced a sharp grounder to Batiste off the bat of Mark Lemke. Batiste threw it into right field. The Braves tied it at 3, but in the 10th, Batiste poked a one-out double down the line past Terry Pendleton to score John Kruk from second with the winning run.

In Game 5, Schilling led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Jeff Blauser led off with a walk, Schilling was yanked in favour of Williams, and Batiste was sent out to play third. As the narrator of the '93 World Series video puts it, "Batiste once again entered the game, and with a runner on first, he promptly made another error." (I'm guessing this is the one you're thinking of.) Four hits later, the Braves tied it at 3 again, but Williams whiffed Lemke and escaped. Lenny Dykstra homered in the top of the 10th and Larry Andersen nailed down the save to put Philly up 3-2.

Sweet Jesus Colome, I've watched that video way too many times.

To Mike's question, Stan Musial?

Hornsby led, if you include ties. You get another guess, Fawaz.

Sorry, Fawaz, about the late reply. My internet connection is unstable this afternoon.

No, it's not Musial.

Oh, God, this player's career was in the first half of the 20th century.

Here is the last clue because I've got to go in 5 minutes. He was a teammate of Larry Doyle's.

And the answer is George Burns.

Since there hasn't been a quiz posted in about four hours, I'll throw one out for those who wish to continue the thread. How many brother combinations can you name who hit home runs in the same game? I'll start off with three: Jason and Jeremy Giambi, Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero, and a set of siblings who have done it more than once: Jim and Craig Nettles.

The Alomars?

I think the Canseco's might have done it if I recall.

I can rule out the Cansecos. Ozzie never homered in the majors.

What about the Ripkens?

OK, my curiousity got the better of me. Billy and Cal homered in the same game on two occasions. First was September 15, 1990 vs. Toronto and the second was May 28, 1996 vs. Seattle. I would guess they also hold the record for combined home runs by siblings in one game as Cal hit three in the 1996 game.

Here's a question, though I can't verify it as completely accurate, it's one of those of "I heard it in a barroom bet" variety ... What major leauge players have homered off their own brother? I am thinking of two, and both did it in the 1970s.

George Brett off Ken Brett I seem to remember. As for my second guess...hmmm...I'll take a wild guess, as I can't remember many hitter/pitcher siblings, that one of the Niekros hit one off the other.

You're bang on, AWeb -- Joe Niekro hit one off Phil and George Brett off Ken (though Ken was a heckuva hitter, I don't think Geo. ever pitched!) ... you're up, or someoned else can ask the next one.

All right, got one!
How about:
Who holds the AL record for fewest homeruns in a year they won the batting title? (post 1900 only)

Oooh.. I know this one!

Rod Carew, 1972, 0 HR.

I bet this isn't what you had in mind ...

Willie McGee won the 199 NL batting title while playing for the AL Oakland A's after being traded in mid-season. He hit zero homers for the A's.

Do I get point for creativity?

Definite points for creativity (are those given out here anymore?), but I was thinking of Carew. No homers, 6 triples, and 21 doubles while hitting .318. Reminds me a lot of Ichiro.

Of course, anyone can ask another question.

Since I got the last one, I'll ask this one.

Who is the only player to play for both the Seattle Pilots and the Seattle Mariners?

Diego Segui, I believe.

Diego Segui is correct. Fire away, Thomas!

I almost had that one, but I refreshed the page and Thomas got it.

Incidentally, "Calle Johanssons" just finished playing on the radio. I couldn't find that old thread to explain to anyone who doesn't get it, but I will not get that song out of my head until Opening Day.

Who is the oldest rookie in National League history?

Diomedes Olivo.

Correct. 41-year old rookie that pitched 4 games for the 1960 Pirates. Interestingly, he didn't pitch in the majors in 1961, but returned with 62 appearances in 1962 and 19 in 1963. There's likely a very interesting story behind that and perhaps, when I have a free day.....

Ask away.

Ok.. According to Baseball-ref, who is the heaviest pitcher to strike out at least 250 batters in a season?

I know Mickey Lolich had a 300+ IK season, or about one punchout for every pound ...

Didn't Lolich get into the donut business after his career ended? Off the top of my head, I can think of a few large hurlers. Gaylord Perry, Lamar Hoyt, David Wells. Mike Fetters always looks large, though he'd never come close to big K totals. My current favourite among well-built pitchers? TJ Tucker of the Washington Nationals.

BBref only has Lolich at 210.

I know the weight statistic is a little crude since it doesn't really take into account weight fluctuations--

All I have to say is think BIG.

I thought really big, but Jumbo Brown didn't strike out many...

Hmmm. Think BIG. Well, it's not Big Train Walter Johnson or Big Unit Randy Johnson ... they weren't really all that big. Other bigger guys like Don Drysdale and Sam McDowell, they were sorta big, but neither anywhere near Lolich -- thougha admittedly, they might be listed as heavier, if I was listed at BBRef it'd be at about 175 and that was a LOONNG time ago. And I have no idea why Hippo Vaughn got his nickname, I assume it was for size reasons, but don't know if he won a K crown.

Fid this person get mentioend in our All-F.A.T. discussion over the winter?

P.S. gv27 yes, Lolich started a donut business, but was about as successful at it as his buddy Denny McLain was with the whole gambling second career.

Since you dropped the hint BIG, I'll go with The Big Unit, Randy Johnson. He's not fat, but he's heavy.

I didn't see Mick's mention of Randy Johnson. My bad. How about Roger Clemens? Or Sam McDowell?

Well the answer is Randy Johnson at a hefty 225 pounds. He may not be fat but he is still big. Since Mick dismissed him right away, I'll give the honours to gv27.

Sorry for the delay (I was at Starbucks). Here's a weird one, so feel free to use any source to connect the dots. It involves an original Blue Jay from the 1977 team. The previous year (1976) he made his ML debut while wearing the shoes of a future Hall-of-Famer. Who was he, and whose cleats was he wearing? Have fun!

I have absolutely no idea, so I'm going to guess Ernie Whitt was wearing Carlton Fisk's shoes.

Excellent guess, but incorrect. You're in the right League though. No more clues.

A shoe question? It has to be Steve Bowling! Two Hall of Famers on the '76 Brewers though... I'll go with Hank Aaron's shoes.

I'll take the other half of that 50/50 choice. Bowling wearing Robin Yount's shoes.

Brian W! Come on down, you're the next contestant. Bowling was a September call-up in '76. While en route to join the team, he realized he'd left his shoes behind. Figuring he was headed for the big leagues, they'd have a pair ready. He figured wrong. The Brewers - cost-cutters then, as today - had no supply. Luckily, kind-hearted Robin Yount had an extra pair his size. Good thing too. "Shoeless Steve Bowling" just doesn't sound right.

Who is the only person to be drafted by both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Calgary Flames?

I stink at baseball trivia, so I'm not going to throw a guess out there, but I'd like to point out that gv27 was at Starbucks for over four hours.

So I'm not the only one. I'm going to print this thread out and give it to my wife.

C'mon now ... a question about bowling shoes? What next?

I've spent six or seven hours at Starbucks before. :(

There's about a half dozen coffee shops in London where they know my order. That's rather sad.

RE: The question. I'm a HUGE Calgary Flames fan and I have absolutely no idea. So I'm going to guess Danny Ainge. :)

My only guess is Ted Drury, based on the fact that brother/cousin Chris once played for the Flames. Chris pitched on a Little League World Series champion when he was a kid. If I'm right, someone else take the next question. I'm going to Starbucks.

I'll throw out a hint to help narrow it down:

The player in question chose baseball instead of hockey and eventually made it to the majors with Toronto.

Come on, Jeff Ware!

Yes, I am kidding.

Tom Quinlan

We have a winner. Tom Quinlan was drafted in the 4th round of the 1986 NHL draft and the 27th round of the MLB draft.

Name two men who played together for the Blue Jays and together with Sandy Koufax.

Gotta be Ron Fairly and Bill Singer.

Bang on. Your move, Mick.

Okay, here's one -- I'll be surprised if anyone can get this without looking it up.

Since 1900, 10 men have hit four home runs in a game. Only one of those 10 failed to hit at least 100 career homers. Who was it?

I looked it up Mick. Couldn't get it, otherwise. Pat Seerey?

No, no, gv27m that's The Legendary Pat Seerey to commoners like us! (I would've guessed Mark Whiten, but he actually made it to 105.)

You're back up.

Sorry for cheating, Mick. By the way, cheat all you want on this one. The American League has produced seven unassisted triple plays. Two of the seven men once played together. Name the players and the team.

Bill Wambsganss & George Burns. They played together for the 1920 & 1921 Indians. Wambsganss had his triple play in 1920, Burns in 1923. (Thanks to the Baseball Almanac website for these).

Nice work Brian W (and BBAL). You're up.

OK, the date is March 11, 1977. The Blue Jays take the field for their first ever spring training game. Who are their opponents? (and for extra credit: what was the result?)

The Blue Jays played the New York Mets. And I think the final score was 3-1. Problem is, I'm not sure who won.

Right on both counts. The Jays beat the Mets 3-1. Once again, you're up.

Name the only man to have pinch-hit for Roger Maris, Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski

Oh, gosh, one I know right off the top of my head!

Carroll Hardy. Whodathunk?

And, as for the next question ... I got nothin' and am going to bed. I hereby abstain and toss the thread back to Craig, or whoever wants to ask the next question.

I'll step in.

In the history of the Jays, there have been four pitchers who have started (relief appearances don't count) exactly one game for Toronto. Three of them (Mike Darr, Tom Murphy and Mike Barlow) did this in the expansion years, early on. The fourth was somewhat more recent. Who was he?

Pasqual Coco?

No, Coco actually had two starts, in separate seasons.

I'll be a little more specific about the guy we're looking for. He was a righthander, and he wasn't a callup the Jays were auditioning.

That's an easy one. Gary Glover in 1999 or was it 98?

My first reaction would have been "Wayback" Wasdin, but I think that he got two starts and was used primarily as a starter. Based on your clues, I'll suppose it's someone who spent most of the season in relief and then started one game. I can't think of any righthanders who did that last year or in 2003.

My guess would be Corey Thurman, because I remember him starting a game against Chicago (I think) in 2002. He could well have started multiple times, but that's my guess.

O shoot, it wasn't a player auditioning.

Other than that I would've guessed Wasdin *shudder* or Ludwick?, but I can't remember his first name.

Glover never made a start for Toronto. Wasdin and Thurman made more than one.

Ludwick didn't start for the Jays either.

By now this may be a dead thread, but the fourth pitcher was also one-quarter of the Devon White trade, the forgettable Willie Fraser.

Keerect.

I read a thing somewhere about Fraser. He was a young starter for the Angels, and before one of his starts, a reporter asked him, jovially, if he had a lot of friends and family coming out to watch him pitch:

"How many free passes today, Willie?"
"I ain't walkin' nobody!"

Here's a hard one ...

In 1986, one major league team fielded a lineup that included an entire infield (1B, 2B, SS, 3B) of native sons -- players born in the city that was home to the team. Actually, to be fair, the shortsop split time, though he would eventually take over full-time, and the first baseman in question played sparingly but was the biggest name on the roster.

Name the team and all four players.

The city was Anaheim. California Angels: Wally Joyner 1B, Mark McLemore 2B, Dick Schofield SS, Jack Howell 3B.

I will attempt to formulate a question.

Except now I think I was thinking of something else. Never mind.

Okay, I fumbled around on bb-ref a little, and now I think I know who you mean, but if I'm thinking of the correct team I don't know who your hometown third baseman is.

It was not Anaheim. The 3B you are looking for is part of one of the grand families of baseball, if that helps you.

Who was born in Pittsburgh, PA. Not the right city, Mick, which is why you've thrown us all off!

I think you're thinking of Rose, Oester, and Larkin of the '86 Reds. But the fourth member of that infield would be Buddy Bell - born Pittsburgh, PA.

Bell grew up in Cincinnati, since his dad was traded from the Pirates to the Reds when he was less than two years old, and spent nine seasons in the Queen City.

With my correct answer, incidentally, I'm going to close down this thread, and start a new Trivia Challenge. It'll appear shortly.