Random Baseball trivia

[xsedrinam]

Here's tough one because it requires more than baseball trivia knowledge.

Probably everybody has heard of the famous stunt pulled by Bill Veeck, Jr. when he signed a midget and had him pitch hit in a game between the Tigers and the Browns in 1951. What few know I'm guessing is that this stunt was inspired by a short story written many years earlier by a famous American writer.

Name that author! (Extra points if you can name the story and where it was first published.)

No fair looking it up. (And that's actually a hint!)

Now, we're getting somewhere. This is a juicy, Baseball Trivia question. I'd always thought and had read somewhere that Veeck pulled the publicity stunt with putting Gaedel in and had gotten the idea from New York Giants manager John McGraw who had told stories toying with a novel idea like this. I'm going to have to "peek" and look it up. Good question, though.

Also, can you name the pitcher who laughed the whole time he walked Eddie on four straight pitches?

The classic picture still makes me grin.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

James Thurber "You could look it up"

Edit: Saturday Evening Post in 1941

 

[xsedrinam]

James Thurber "You could look it up"

Edit: Saturday Evening Post in 1941

Funny, that.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

Also, can you name the pitcher who laughed the whole time he walked Eddie on four straight pitches?

Would that pitcher be Ned Garver?

 

[IJ Reilly]

James Thurber "You could look it up"

Edit: Saturday Evening Post in 1941

Excellent. Now, did you have to look it up?

Funny, that.

Everybody from Ohio should know this stuff!

 

[IJ Reilly]

Would that pitcher be Ned Garver?

Bob Cain was the pitcher. The catcher, Bob Swift, wanted to lay on his stomach, but the umpire wouldn't allow it. Gaedel (3'7") was walked on four pitches, and was replaced with a pinch runner. The Browns loaded the bases in the inning but failed to score. They lost the game 6-2. Gaedel was released the following day when the league president voided his contract.

As for inspiration, some do attribute it to John McGraw, who once told Veeck's father about a hunchbacked batboy he wanted to send up to bat, but never did. But it was Thurber's story which most closely resembles the actual events, so I think he deserves the credit.

Incidentally, Veeck used Gaedel and other midgets as vendors and for other non-playingfield stunts over the years. Gaedel died in 1961 after being beaten up outside of a bar. The only baseball player to attend his funeral was Bob Cain.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

Yes, indeed I did have to look it up

 

[furcalchick]

i formatted the 50 question quiz on espn to an iquiz format for everyone to put on their ipod. i'll post it up when i get time.

 

[topgunn]

I am sure someone will get this fairly easily but how many strikeouts can you have in one nine-inning game?

 

[mattscott306]

I am sure someone will get this fairly easily but how many strikeouts can you have in one nine-inning game?

How many strikeouts can one team have? Or both teams?

 

[WildCowboy]

I am sure someone will get this fairly easily but how many strikeouts can you have in one nine-inning game?

It's essentially unlimited, as runners can still reach base after a strikeout and not record an out if they strikeout on a wild pitch or passed ball, for example.

 

[xsedrinam]

It's essentially unlimited, as runners can still reach base after a strikeout and not record an out if they strikeout on a wild pitch or passed ball, for example.

I does have an end, but would involve calculating how many runners strike out on a passed ball or dropped third strike X innings and a win by either the home team or visiting team would show different numbers. There is a point where first based is occupied, and the batter Ks and cannot run to first. Too swamped and head-weary to do the math, though.

 

[mattscott306]

I does have an end, but would involve calculating how many runners strike out on a passed ball or dropped third strike X innings and a win by either the home team or visiting team would show different numbers. There is a point where first based is occupied, and the batter Ks and cannot run to first. Too swamped and head-weary to do the math, though.

Using that theory you'd have six batters an inning times nine innings gives you fourty five strikeouts.
The problem with that is, it's a wild pitch so you could have the batters running after the pitch, thus continuing the endless cycle.

 

[topgunn]

The theoretical answer is an infinite number of strikeout in a nine-inning game or even 1/2 an inning for that matter. Although, there is a reason why the record for the most strikeouts in an inning by one pitcher is four and that because its very hard just to get that.

Pitchers who have struck out four in an inning include greats such as Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale. More recently, Brad Penny did it last September.

OK, here is a duesy for all you true fans: What is the best way to catch a knuckleball?

 

[WildCowboy]

OK, here is a duesy for all you true fans: What is the best way to catch a knuckleball?

Bob Uecker has a great answer to that one...I assume that's the one you're looking for.

 

[xsedrinam]

Ya, that's the "Wait'll it stops rolling......" quote.

Edit: after the fact. I'll have to concede my former answer to those who saw it as infinite. I was wr...w...w....wr... I stand corrected.

 

[mattscott306]

Or Torre's answer: "You don't catch a Knuckleball, you defend against it"

 

[asxtb]

Using that theory you'd have six batters an inning times nine innings gives you fourty five strikeouts.
The problem with that is, it's a wild pitch so you could have the batters running after the pitch, thus continuing the endless cycle.

If there is a runner on 1st and strike three is a wild pitch the batter is out since 1st was occupied at the time strike three occured. The runner on 1st may advance on the pitch but the batter is still out.

However, yes the answer would still be an infinite number of strike outs given that a runner on 1st can steal before strike three and after the bases are loaded there are 2 wild pitch with every batter (one to advance the runners before strike three and one that is strike three).

Also, my question is still out there... How holds the record for the most homeruns in a career?

 

[mattscott306]

Also, my question is still out there... How holds the record for the most homeruns in a career?

You mean Who holds the record?
Hammerin' Hank Aaron...

 

[topgunn]

Also, my question is still out there... How holds the record for the most homeruns in a career?

Some might say Josh Gibson however most agree that Hank Aaron holds the record with 755 home runs. Although, I did read an article on The Onion a few weeks back about how MLB discovered 60 "lost" home runs that are being credited to Hank effective immediately. Bud Selig could only dream of such an outcome.

 

[asxtb]

You mean Who holds the record?
Hammerin' Hank Aaron...

Yeah, sorry... WHO holds the record. And not quite...

Some might say Josh Gibson however most agree that Hank Aaron holds the record with 755 home runs. Although, I did read an article on The Onion a few weeks back about how MLB discovered 60 "lost" home runs that are being credited to Hank effective immediately. Bud Selig could only dream of such an outcome.

Getting closer... Although there is a lot of debate about Josh Gibson. Officially he's number 2.

 

[topgunn]

Yeah, sorry... WHO holds the record. And not quite...


Getting closer... Although there is a lot of debate about Josh Gibson. Officially he's number 2.

Sadaharu Oh hit 868 home runs in his professional career despite signing with his original team as a pitcher (a la Babe Ruth). He played 22 seasons and averaged just under 40 home runs a year. More impressive is that he never played more than 140 games in a season.

This accomplishment is offset by the fact that Oh's home ballpark was 298 feet down each line and 388 feet to dead center. Ruth, on the other hand never played in a major league ballpark with less than 312 feet down the line or 400 feet to straight-away center. The smallest park Oh played in was only 378 feet to dead center.

Oh also played his entire career with a compressed bat that was and is illegal in MLB.

 

[xsedrinam]

Sadaharu Oh hit 868 home runs in his professional career......Oh also played his entire career with a compressed bat that was and is illegal in MLB.

Anabolic steroids, compressed bats, another day at the office, another asterisk. No wonder Hank stays away from it all, anymore.

 

[strieck]

Side notes:

Both Gehrig and Adcock just missed 5. Gehrig hit a deep fly his last at bat which barely missed, and Adcock hit a double off the wall his second at bat which barely missed.

If I recall correctly, Cameron also nearly had five. He hit a fly ball to the warning track in his last AB.

 

[asxtb]

Sadaharu Oh hit 868 home runs in his professional career despite signing with his original team as a pitcher (a la Babe Ruth). He played 22 seasons and averaged just under 40 home runs a year. More impressive is that he never played more than 140 games in a season.

This accomplishment is offset by the fact that Oh's home ballpark was 298 feet down each line and 388 feet to dead center. Ruth, on the other hand never played in a major league ballpark with less than 312 feet down the line or 400 feet to straight-away center. The smallest park Oh played in was only 378 feet to dead center.

Oh also played his entire career with a compressed bat that was and is illegal in MLB.

Right you are!
And yes, you are also right about the shorter ballparks and the comressed bat. Also there's an argument about Japanese pitchers being weaker yada yada yada. But as you said, the seasons were, and still are, shorter than the MLB (you could say the samething about Hank). And 868 is still an extremely impressive number.

Josh Gibson is listed at number 2 with 'about 800'. Since he played in the Negro Leagues there was very poor record keeping so people don't know how many he actually hit. Some claim he hit over 900 but he also played in a winter league that some people count towards his total.

Hank is number 3, but does hold the record for the most homeruns in the MLB (for now...).

And going back to Oh... Oh is currently the manager of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. And he was also the manager of the Japan team that won the World Baseball Classic. He recently underwent surgery for stomach cancer but it appears to have been a success.