April 15 – Be Like Jackie

Jackie RobinsonQuick quiz about players who were like Jackie Robinson.

So, here goes. What do the players below have in common with each other? This shouldn’t take long to solve.

Nippy Jones
Jackie Robinson
Willie Mays
Jim Gilliam
Juan Pizarro
Ken Hunt
John Wathan

Hint: this may not be an exhaustive list

Congratulations to John Autin, who identified that all of these players played in the post-season in their debut season, and also in their final campaign. The first 6 names all link up nicely with one or more of the others, as either teammates or opponents. For John Wathan? Well, he and Jim Gilliam were both teammates of Tommy Davis, whom Ken Hunt owned, retiring Tommy all four times he faced him, including two strikeouts.

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Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago

All appeared in the playoff in their rookie season.

Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago
Reply to  Voomo Zanzibar

WS for all but Wathan

Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Well, they also all played against the Yankees…….. except Nippy Jones.

Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Well, I wanted to say that they are all also African-American, except for Nippy Jones (whose name sounds African American).

But Ken Hunt of Utah ruins that.

Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Well I’m not Autin, but I’m guessing Piazza.

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Well I’m not Autin either but I’m guessing Roy Campanella.

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

I’m thinking, Rudy York?

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

Well, not Rudy York, of course — Piazza had 50 HRs faster than Arencibia. So …

Doug
Doug
10 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

Rudy works, of course.

But, someone more recent than that, of whom you waxed eloquently not too long ago.

Ed
Ed
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Is it Mike Napoli?

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  John Autin

Ready for the reveal, Doug. I’m confused. Piazza definitely got to 50 HRs faster than Arencibia — he hit #50 in his 233rd game, when he had 940 PAs, and he hit all those HRs in games that he caught. So, if Piazza isn’t the answer, it has to be someone after Piazza.

Oh! “Vide Napoli e Mori.”

Ed
Ed
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Well I had a bit of help from the PI.

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Well, I have to quibble with the quizmaster for once … Even if we disregard Napoli, Nokes would not be the correct answer to the original question. Piazza got to 50 HRs (a) more quickly than Arencibia will, and (b) more recently than Nokes. So, Arencibia’s pace is the fastest for a catcher since Piazza.

Or so it seems to me. 🙂

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

In any case, Wilin Rosario should breeze by those guys before long.

Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago

What was John Wathan doing stealing 36 bases in 121 games as a Catcher at age 32?

Ed
Ed
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

That’s definitely not it Doug. Wathan mostly batted second that year which means he was coming up after Wilson and stealing in front of Brett, Otis and McRae. Weird. And he was at 26 steals at the all-star break but got hurt and missed most of July and didn’t steal as much when he came back. Otherwise he probably would have had 40+ steals.

Voomo Zanzibar
10 years ago
Reply to  Ed

He batted 2nd through June 24th.
23 steals in that time.
Willie missed most of April and only had 10 steals though 6/24.
So it’s not the back-end.

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago

I think they all played in the postseason in both their first and last season. In Ken Hunt’s case, those were the same season.

John Autin
Editor
10 years ago

On Jackie Robinson Day, I like to remember him not just as a pioneer, but as a spectacular player.

Despite breaking in at the advanced age of 28, Jackie’s rate of WAR per game ranks 17th among all position players with 1,000 games played. Among second basemen, only Hornsby and Utley have higher rates. He led all MLB position players in WAR 3 times in his first 6 years.

R.I.P., Mr. Robinson.

mosc
mosc
10 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Certainly not trying to take anything away from Jackie, who is as inner circle HOF to me as anybody, but the Dodger’s second basemen in 1947 was Eddie Stanky. He was both an OBP MACHINE and a slick glove. He was coming off of a .273/.436/.352/.788 line where he lead the league in OBP. He had led the league in runs just the year prior to that. His performance in 1947 was notable by his defense which was very much Robinson’s equal (just 12 errors good for 1.9 DWAR). Ironically, Stanky was a pretty similar player to Robinson in many… Read more »

deal
10 years ago

A look at where recent auctions have priced a 1953 Topps #1 Jackie Robinson Card

http://phungo.blogspot.com/2013/04/1953-topps-1-jackie-robinson.html

Timmy Pea
Timmy Pea
10 years ago

I always wondered how Jackie ended up wearing number 42. All the great everyday players before him had small numbers and now days mostly pitchers wear high numbers. I always thought it was one more way the man was sticking it too him. Turns out it might have been the lowest number available to the new rookie. They did things differently back then with numbers and Jackie’s 42 was the highest number worn by any player that year except for a late season rookie call up that wore 43. Jackie might have changed numbers later as guys retired or what… Read more »

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