It’s been like forever since I made a Quiz post. So, here’s one to sharpen your sleuthing skills as we head into a new season. I’ve characterized the pitchers in this quiz as journeymen in the best sense of the term – those who recorded solid workloads near league average performance for extended periods. But, these players are also the only pitchers to play their entire careers since 1946 and record a certain career accomplishment. What is it?

Hint: there were 77 pitchers who accomplished this feat while playing all or part of their careers from 1901 to 1945.

Seems I’ve managed to stump our esteemed panel. The solution is after the jump.

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 89th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round is the first of two adding players born in 1901 to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

The 88th round of voting for the Circle of Greats inducts Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer, winning election in only his second round on the COG ballot. The “Mechanical Man” was a mainstay in the Tiger infield for 16 seasons during which Detroit won three pennants, including a World Series championship in 1935.

More on Gehringer after the jump.

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Welcome to part four of my series on teams that had six 40-WAR players, age 30 or younger, with at least 1.0 WAR that year. (Series recap at bottom.) Our subject is the first flower of what would grow into one of baseball’s true dynasties — one of four teams ever to win three straight World Series, and the only one of those not named “Yankees.” Enjoy the ride!

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Al Rosen passed away last Friday at the age of 91. The 4-time All-Star third basemen for the Indians in the first half of the 1950s, Rosen compiled an impressive 32 WAR in a career of only 7 seasons as a regular. After his playing days, Rosen served in an executive capacity for three franchises, guiding all of them to post-season appearances, including two pennant-winning seasons.

More on Rosen after the jump.

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The Dodgers have operated continuously since their founding in 1884 as the Brooklyn Atlantics of the American Association. Brooklyn transferred to the National League in 1890, adopting the nickname Dodgers in 1911 and 1912, and returning to that moniker for good in 1932.

The Dodgers are the seventh of the original NL clubs in our Mount Rushmore series. Your task is to choose the four players who best represent this franchise. Have fun!

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 88th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1902. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

The 87th round of voting for the Circle of Greats inducts Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, winning election in his debut on the COG ballot. The original Ironman was a near-unanimous selection, appearing on the first 28 ballots cast en route to a final vote share just shy of 90%.

More on Gehrig after the jump.

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Picture a team that suffered these losses:

• En route to a championship, two aces in their prime succumbed to arm woes, and wouldn’t pitch in the World Series, nor ever win again. The team’s top winners of the last three years, they ranked 4th and 6th over all in WAR/pitch.
• Before the next year, they dealt their superstar, age 28, for two guys who’d give almost nothing in the next 4 years.
• That next year brought the swift and mostly permanent decline of two more aces (tied for the team lead at 19-8 the year before), plus three star regulars, all still in their 20s.

Suppose those eight gave 60% of team WAR in the title year, plus World Series shares of 3 wins, 62% of team hits and 73% of the RBI — but that their value to the team’s next 3 years (including trade progeny) averaged less than 1 WAR apiece.

What if that ravaged team not only repeated, but took a third title in year four: Just how much talent was there at the start?

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 87th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1903. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →