Quiz Time – A Motley Crew

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A word of introduction about myself. I’m Doug, a regular participant on this Blog. Andy has been gracious enough to invite me to write a bit for HHS. I hope you find my posts interesting, and that you’ll be gentle with me (at least to start).

To begin, I’m going to go with something really easy – a quiz. Oh, and I think the quiz is also pretty easy, so don’t dismay. Here goes:

The quiz has been solved. Congratulations to Eric !

In the live-ball era (since 1920) these players, and only these players, have accomplished what feat? The list below is a query result from a one-step query using the P-I on B-R. The query criteria are simple, pre-sabermetric, stats you would have seen on the back of a baseball card when you were a kid.

So, give it shot. What common thread unites this motley crew?

Player
George Scott
Dino Restelli
Mark Quinn
J.D. Drew
Mandy Brooks
Russell Branyan
J.P. Arencibia

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com:
Generated 3/6/2012.

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Hartvig

12 years ago

I was going to guess it had something to do with hitting below .200 but then Drew never did. Next I though it might be something to do with drop in batting average from one season to the next (Drew went from .417 one year to .242 the next) but Arencibia’s average went up 0.093 in his second season. And Branyan’s average never got high enough to have a big change from one season to the next either up or down. I’m stumped.

oneblankspace

12 years ago

Hit career HRs 5 & 6 in the same game? or more generally, had a multi-HR game in their first month in the majors?

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to oneblankspace

On the right track.

Chris

12 years ago

Two multi-HR games in his first MLB month?

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Chris

Almost got it.

Bob Loblaw

12 years ago

All had a multi-homer game in MLB debut.

Bob Loblaw

12 years ago

Reply to Bob Loblaw

More specifically, 2 homeruns in their MLB debut.

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Bob Loblaw

Only 2 of those 7 players had 2+ HRs in their debut (Quinn & Arencibia).

(But thanks for taking time out from your law blog!)

Tmckelv

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Come on!!!!!!!!

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Bob Loblaw

No. That isn’t it. These are the guys who have done that.

http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/P7PLo

Eric

12 years ago

Each had two multiple-homer games in their first 20 games played.

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Eric

Eric takes the prize. Well done.

Actually, could have been first 19, 20 or 21 games played.

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Doug

I think “first 21 games” brings in Shane Spencer.

Richard Chester

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

It does bring in Spencer. Kevin Maas was close, doing it in 25 games.

12 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Shane Spencer had an interesting major league debut. In his first game, he pinch hit for Darryl Strawberry (the DH) in the bottom of the 8th with two outs. Bernie Williams was caught stealing to end the inning. Spencer is listed as playing in the game even though he didn’t have an official plate appearance and didn’t play in the field. Wonder if that’s happened to anyone else in their debut?

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Right you are, John.

Thanks for the correction.

Richard Chester

12 years ago

I don’t know the answer but I did notice that Mandy Brooks started off his ML career in 1925 like a house on fire. In his first 25 games his BA was .398 with 9 HR, 34 RBI,26 R and a 1.296 OPS. As expected he cooled off and lasted in the ML for just two years.

Lawrence Azrin

12 years ago

Looking at George Scott’s B-R page, I noticed something odd in the Leaderboards. He got no HOF votes in his first year in 1985, but is listed as getting one HOF vote in 1986. Huh? 1) Why was he even on the 1986 HOF ballot? I thought that once a HOF candidate falls below 5%, they are off the ballot. 2) He got 8 GG’s, MVP votes in 7 years, and 3 AS picks. You’d think he’d get at least a couple votes? UPDATE – Researching the MLB HOF guidelines, I saw this in wikipedia: “A player who is named… Read more »

12 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

Harvey Haddix was on the ballot in 1985. He had previously been on the ballot from 71-79 but not 80-84. Dave McNalley was on the ballot in ’81, ’82, ’85 and ’86. There are probably other examples. It’s definitely odd. For the most part, these guys weren’t serious candidates (Allen being an exception), so why put them back on?

Lawrence Azrin

12 years ago

Reply to Ed

Ed, I think it’s part of the gradual evolution of the MLB HOF formalizing their rules. Take the number of years needed to be retired, before a player is eligible to be on the ballot: -at first (1936) there were NO restrictions, everyone was eligible. Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochran, Jimmy Foxx and Rogers Hornsby all got substantial votes the first year. -then there was a requirement that a player be retired, then that they be retired for a year -the “five year waiting rule” doesn’t seem to be formalized till 1962. That’s why there are NO “first-ballot” HOFers after 1936,… Read more »

bstar

12 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

Very interesting, guys. I wonder if the ability to put names back on the ballot would help the cases of sabermetric darlings like Ted Simmons, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker,etc? I especially think Trammell could build up enough momentum for a few years and get 75%, as you rarely hear anyone talk about him being a guy who should not be in.

Lawrence Azrin

12 years ago

Reply to bstar

Ted Simmons has been retired over 21 years, so he’s eligible for the Veteran’s Commitee, or will be soon. I’m not sure what you mean concerning Trammell, he’s been on the BBWAA ballot for 11 years and slowly building up momentum,though it looks like he’s running out of time (only four more years…).

Whitaker was one-and-done and would be a good theoretical candidate to be put back on the ballot, as would be Kevin Brown. That’s not possible at the moment though, with the way the HOF have formalized it’s rules.

nightfly

12 years ago

Reply to bstar

Could the voters force a candidate back onto the ballot, perhaps by writing in someone like Whitaker on more than 5% of the ballots?

bstar

12 years ago

Reply to bstar

I was mistaken, I thought Trammell’s time on the ballot had passed.

Lawrence Azrin

12 years ago

#17/ Ed –

Larry Yount (yup, Robin’s older brother) had a similar experience.

He was announced for the game, started warming up, but hurt himself warming up. So even though he never actually threw a pitch, he is listed as playing in a MLB game (Astros, 9-15-71). Unfortunately, he never got into another MLB game, so that was the extent of his major league “experience”. He ended up pitching two innings less than Charles “Victory” Faust.

AlbaNate

12 years ago

Reply to Lawrence Azrin

This reminds me of something I read on another baseball blog a few years ago. It was about a player who was called up to the Mets from the minors, but never got in a game before being sent back down, and the player, whose name I forget, never did get into a major league game. As I recall, the article called players like this who are called up but never get into a game “Ghost Players.” I know that bbref.com has a page dedicated to “cups pf coffee,” does anyone know if there is anyplace that lists “ghost players”… Read more »

nightfly

12 years ago

Reply to AlbaNate

The Moonlight Graham All-Stars?

Evil Squirrel

12 years ago

Reply to AlbaNate

Sean Mulligan of the 1996 Padres comes close. His ML debut was as a pinch hitter on 9/1/96, and he was immediately lifted for Scott Livingstone when the other team changed pitchers. He did manage to sneak in one official plate appearance as a pinch hitter 5 days later (a groundout that was nearly a game-ending double play), and never appeared in a game again….

BTW, congrats on the promotion Doug!

12 years ago

Reply to Evil Squirrel

Not a debut but Randy Velarde had an interesting 1997. His player page has a line saying he was injured and didn’t play that year (wonder if that’s a new thing…I haven’t seen that before). But then right under that is a line showing he appeared in one game in 1997. Looking at the game log, on Sept. 1st, he entered as a pinch runner in the bottom of the 9th. That was his lone appearance all year.

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Andy

12 years ago

Wow, not a single soul congratulated Doug on his call-up to the majors…well, let me be the first to say congrats Doug!

Hartvig

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

Hey, this is the major leagues now.

You ask a challenging question of a bunch of baseball fanatics, trigger a long discussion as to the answer plus a couple of interesting tangents and no one called you an idiot or pointed out that your fly was open.

That means that you’ve done your job well and that you’ve arrived.

As professional baseball fanatics we just take as a given that Doug understands that.

Nonetheless, allow me to say: well done.

Author

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

Thanks for the opportunity and encouragement, Andy.

And, Hartvig’s right. I think it’s been almost 6 months since I was called an idiot on this blog – probably a record for me. Must be learning something. 🙂

Richard Chester

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

Doug:

Good luck in your new venture. Let’s see lots of quizzes.

bstar

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

That’s cos we’re all envious of Doug, not jealous but envious. Congrats, Doug, you’re in the show now. Here’s to hoping it’s more than a cup of coffee/September call-up for ya.

Editor

Raphy

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

Welcome Doug!

May your posts always overflow with comments.

nightfly

12 years ago

Reply to Andy

I’ll add my congratulations. It’s good to get the call. May you have a long and successful career!

Voomo Zanzibar

12 years ago

Arencibia did it over two seasons. His first game in the bigs on August 7, 2010. And the first game of last season (in which he also hit his first triple). Had a a .141 wpa in that first big league game. Two run blast in his first at bat, putting the Jays up 3-0 in the 2nd. Doubled in the third after Three Jay solo homers. Singled and scored in the fifth with an 8-5 lead. Homered in the 6th ahead 13-5. Finally made an out in the 7th. He also caught five pitchers, receiving seven ball fours and… Read more »

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

That J.P.A. game is quite the tasty salad.

Doug

12 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Arencibia’s debut is one of only 15 with 4 or more hits. Actually, 14 with 4 hits and one with 5 (in 7 AB) by Cecil Travis of the Senators in 1933. Only Arencibia’s game included a home run, and his 11 total bases are the most in a debut game.

Despite his debut heroics, Arencibia ranks last in first season BA (.143) and 2nd last in OPS (.532), among the 15 players debuting with 4+ hits. This thanks to his 1 for 30 follow-up to that 4 for 5 debut.

Richard Chester

12 years ago

Reply to Doug

One of those 15 is P Russ Van Atta of the Yankees who, on 4/25/33, shut out the Senators on 5 hits.

Editor

John Autin

12 years ago

Oh, and — yes, big props to Doug! Well done!

oneblankspace

12 years ago

One of Drew’s 2-HR games was the night McGwire tied Sosa at 66. Yes, Sosa got to 66 first, and the crowd at Busch Stadium (2) booed when he did. (My father, who was off getting hot dogs, did not see that announcement, and could not figure out from the Cardinals game why the crowd had reacted that way.) We stood up for McGwire’s next at bat. He hit one higher than the foul pole that was ruled foul, and then straightened it out before the at bat was done. The crowd did not sit down until Ray Lankford (I… Read more »