Appropos of nothing, I used Baseball-Reference to create a Mets grand slam database the other day.
Figured my first use of it would be for some good, fun, trivia questions, ones a little tougher than "Who has the most grand slams in Mets history?" (Mike Piazza, 6).
Answers in the comments section
1- The record for most grand slams allowed by a pitcher against the Mets is 3. Name the pitcher who allowed them.
Hint: The Mets who hit them were Robin Ventura, Cliff Floyd, and David Wright.
2- Name the 3 Mets who hit multiple grand slams in 2006.
Hint: Two are easy. One is hard.
3- Angel Pagan became the 2nd Met whose first name started with "A" to hit a grand slam. Who was the first?
Hint: He played in the 1960s.
4- Four Hall of Famers have allowed a grand slam to the Mets. Name them.
Hint: Steve Carlton and Don Sutton didn't...
5- What Met was the first to hit 3 grand slams for them in the same season, doing so in 1976?
Hint: He played first base
6- Who is the only pitcher, who was a member of the 1969 Mets, to allow a grand slam against the Mets?
Hint: He's not someone you'd think of as a '69 Met
7- Only two Mets have hit a grand slam in October. Edgardo Alfonzo ('99 LDS) is one of them. Name the other.
Hint: He did it in the regular season in 1986.
8- Name the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Mets, who also allowed a grand slam against the Mets.
Hint: His career record was 133-119.
9- From June 21, 1988 to May 21, 1990, all four of the Mets grand slams were hit by Kevin McReynolds. Name the Met who broke that streak with a grand slam on May 22, 1990 against the Dodgers.
Hint: He's a former Dodger
10- Who has the most career home runs by a Met without hitting a grand slam?
Hint: He hit more than 100.
Showing posts with label Our Special Bonds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Special Bonds. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Our Special Bonds: 99 Bottles of Mets on the Wall
99 players have played for both the Mets and Red Sox in their careers (thank you Baseball-Reference).
Let's test your knowledge of some of them...Answers in the comments section.
1- Five pitchers have pitched for both the Mets and Red Sox and won a Cy Young Award. Tom Seaver and Pedro Martinez are two of them. Name the other three.
2- Five players who played in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series have played for both the Mets and Red Sox. Name them.
3- Name the 2 player who played for both the Mets and Red Sox who stole 20+ bases for each of them. Both had "problematic" baseball careers.
4- Name the pitcher who gave up a World Series-ending walk-off hit who pitched for both the Mets (before it) and the Red Sox (after it).
5- Name the pitcher who went 11-25 combined with the Mets and Red Sox. He pitched for them 12 years apart (Red Sox in the 1980s and Mets in the 1990s). His career record with teams other than those two: 229-211.
6- Five players who played for both the Mets and Red Sox played in the "Grand Slam Single" game (1999 NLCS Game 5). This one requires hints.
- One had 50 stolen bases combined for the two teams.
- One played 13 games for the Red Sox, and 13 has a significance to his connection to the Mets.
- One finished his career with the 2005 Red Sox.
- One allowed a walk-off home run to Chad Curtis in the World Series.
- One went 2-0 for the 1996 Red Sox, 1-0 for the 1997 Red Sox, and 8-0 for the 1999 Mets.
7- Name the relief pitcher who had a pair of 40-save seasons. He had one for the Red Sox, and one for the team to whom the Mets traded him.
8- The Mets Opening Day starter in 1984 was a not-so-well-liked former Red Sox pitcher. Name him.
9- Three players who hit 100+ home runs for the Red Sox have played for the Mets in their careers. Name them.
10- Who had the most home runs by a Met (81), who also played for the Red Sox in his career?
Let's test your knowledge of some of them...Answers in the comments section.
1- Five pitchers have pitched for both the Mets and Red Sox and won a Cy Young Award. Tom Seaver and Pedro Martinez are two of them. Name the other three.
2- Five players who played in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series have played for both the Mets and Red Sox. Name them.
3- Name the 2 player who played for both the Mets and Red Sox who stole 20+ bases for each of them. Both had "problematic" baseball careers.
4- Name the pitcher who gave up a World Series-ending walk-off hit who pitched for both the Mets (before it) and the Red Sox (after it).
5- Name the pitcher who went 11-25 combined with the Mets and Red Sox. He pitched for them 12 years apart (Red Sox in the 1980s and Mets in the 1990s). His career record with teams other than those two: 229-211.
6- Five players who played for both the Mets and Red Sox played in the "Grand Slam Single" game (1999 NLCS Game 5). This one requires hints.
- One had 50 stolen bases combined for the two teams.
- One played 13 games for the Red Sox, and 13 has a significance to his connection to the Mets.
- One finished his career with the 2005 Red Sox.
- One allowed a walk-off home run to Chad Curtis in the World Series.
- One went 2-0 for the 1996 Red Sox, 1-0 for the 1997 Red Sox, and 8-0 for the 1999 Mets.
7- Name the relief pitcher who had a pair of 40-save seasons. He had one for the Red Sox, and one for the team to whom the Mets traded him.
8- The Mets Opening Day starter in 1984 was a not-so-well-liked former Red Sox pitcher. Name him.
9- Three players who hit 100+ home runs for the Red Sox have played for the Mets in their careers. Name them.
10- Who had the most home runs by a Met (81), who also played for the Red Sox in his career?
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Our Special Bonds: The Bad Guys Won
Answers in the comments section
1- How many former Mets played for the 2008 Phillies?
2- Name the members of the 1986 Mets who also played for the Phillies at some point in their career.
3-Name the former Met who hit exactly 100 career home runs for the Phillies, most for anyone who played for both the Phillies and Mets.
4- Name the only pitcher to win 40+ games for both the Phillies and Mets.
5- Tug McGraw and this pitcher both pitched for the Mets, and the 1980 Phillies, at some point in their career. Name him.
6- Two infielders who pitched for the Mets also played for the Phillies at some point in their careers. Name them.
7- Name the only player to play for the 1962 Mets and the 1964 Phillies team that choked away the NL pennant.
8- Name the former Met who struck out with the bases loaded and two outs to end GAME 5 of the 1980 World Series.
9- Of those who played for both the Mets and Phillies, who had the most stolen bases FOR THE PHILLIES?
10- Name the members of the 2008 Mets who played for the Phillies at some point in their career.
1- How many former Mets played for the 2008 Phillies?
2- Name the members of the 1986 Mets who also played for the Phillies at some point in their career.
3-Name the former Met who hit exactly 100 career home runs for the Phillies, most for anyone who played for both the Phillies and Mets.
4- Name the only pitcher to win 40+ games for both the Phillies and Mets.
5- Tug McGraw and this pitcher both pitched for the Mets, and the 1980 Phillies, at some point in their career. Name him.
6- Two infielders who pitched for the Mets also played for the Phillies at some point in their careers. Name them.
7- Name the only player to play for the 1962 Mets and the 1964 Phillies team that choked away the NL pennant.
8- Name the former Met who struck out with the bases loaded and two outs to end GAME 5 of the 1980 World Series.
9- Of those who played for both the Mets and Phillies, who had the most stolen bases FOR THE PHILLIES?
10- Name the members of the 2008 Mets who played for the Phillies at some point in their career.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Our Special Bonds: Know Your Rays
I could have written a detailed history of Carlos Beltran's strikeouts, but instead I chose to write in honor of the best team in baseball...
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/07/our-special-bonds-know-your-rays.html
1) 20 pitchers have pitched for both the Mets and Rays. Only one of those 20 had a winning record FOR THE RAYS. Name him.
2) The Mets have employed 4 players who hit 10+ career home runs for the Rays. Here are hints for each one
Player 1- Navidad
Player 2- Shares his initials with those after whom a famous bridge is named
Player 3- If you go to Shea, buy a burger in his honor
Player 4- Currently plays in the state of Texas
3) The Mets won the first meeting with the Rays. The losing pitcher in that game pitched 2 career games for the Mets. Name him.
4) A man who played against the Mets in a postseason broke up Rick Reed's no-hitter in the 7th inning of that game. Name him.
5) The Rays hitting coach is Steve Henderson. Steve Henderson got his first MLB hit against what father of a major leaguer?
6) The Rays version of David Wright, Evan Longoria, played college baseball at Long Beach State. Two former Mets played at Long Beach State. One is also a former Ray. The other scored a very important run in the 1969 World Series. Name them.
7) The Rays all-time saves leader is a former Met. Name him.
8) The Mets made Scott Kazmir their first pick in the 2002 MLB Draft. Only one other player drafted by the Mets that year has made the major leagues. His initials are the same as "Major Leagues." Name him.
9) The Rays all-time single-season batting leader (minimum 300 plate appearances) is a former Met. Is it...
a) Rey Sanchez
b) Miguel Cairo
c) Aaron Ledesma
d) Jason Tyner
10) When the Rays picked their players in the expansion draft, prior to the 1998 season, they plucked Carlos Mendoza from the Mets. Carlos Mendoza played a role in a very significant walk-off win in 1997. What was his "brand new shiny" role?
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/07/our-special-bonds-know-your-rays.html
1) 20 pitchers have pitched for both the Mets and Rays. Only one of those 20 had a winning record FOR THE RAYS. Name him.
2) The Mets have employed 4 players who hit 10+ career home runs for the Rays. Here are hints for each one
Player 1- Navidad
Player 2- Shares his initials with those after whom a famous bridge is named
Player 3- If you go to Shea, buy a burger in his honor
Player 4- Currently plays in the state of Texas
3) The Mets won the first meeting with the Rays. The losing pitcher in that game pitched 2 career games for the Mets. Name him.
4) A man who played against the Mets in a postseason broke up Rick Reed's no-hitter in the 7th inning of that game. Name him.
5) The Rays hitting coach is Steve Henderson. Steve Henderson got his first MLB hit against what father of a major leaguer?
6) The Rays version of David Wright, Evan Longoria, played college baseball at Long Beach State. Two former Mets played at Long Beach State. One is also a former Ray. The other scored a very important run in the 1969 World Series. Name them.
7) The Rays all-time saves leader is a former Met. Name him.
8) The Mets made Scott Kazmir their first pick in the 2002 MLB Draft. Only one other player drafted by the Mets that year has made the major leagues. His initials are the same as "Major Leagues." Name him.
9) The Rays all-time single-season batting leader (minimum 300 plate appearances) is a former Met. Is it...
a) Rey Sanchez
b) Miguel Cairo
c) Aaron Ledesma
d) Jason Tyner
10) When the Rays picked their players in the expansion draft, prior to the 1998 season, they plucked Carlos Mendoza from the Mets. Carlos Mendoza played a role in a very significant walk-off win in 1997. What was his "brand new shiny" role?
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Our Special Bonds: The Spy (Questions)
In honor of the scourge pitching against the Mets on Saturday...
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/04/our-special-bonds-spy-answers.html
1) Who has more World Series titles- the Mets franchise or Tom Glavine?
2) Of the 181 hitters to have a .300 career batting average against Tom Glavine (minimum 10 plate appearances), name any of the 40 that currently or formerly played for the Mets.
3) What would be the historical significance if Tom Glavine allowed 196 earned runs without retiring a batter in his start against the Mets?
4) In the process of doing that, Glavine would jump from 19th to 6th on the all-time list for most career earned runs allowed. What two former Mets lefthanders would he pass?
5) Tom Glavine lost to the Braves 11 times in his Mets tenure from 2003 to 2007. How many other pitchers, in that span, lost to the Braves at least 11 times?
6) If Tom Glavine drove from Shea Stadium to Turner Field immediately following his final Mets start (to celebrate his defeat with his "true" teammates, of course), how many miles (according to MapQuest) would Glavine have driven?
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/04/our-special-bonds-spy-answers.html
1) Who has more World Series titles- the Mets franchise or Tom Glavine?
2) Of the 181 hitters to have a .300 career batting average against Tom Glavine (minimum 10 plate appearances), name any of the 40 that currently or formerly played for the Mets.
3) What would be the historical significance if Tom Glavine allowed 196 earned runs without retiring a batter in his start against the Mets?
4) In the process of doing that, Glavine would jump from 19th to 6th on the all-time list for most career earned runs allowed. What two former Mets lefthanders would he pass?
5) Tom Glavine lost to the Braves 11 times in his Mets tenure from 2003 to 2007. How many other pitchers, in that span, lost to the Braves at least 11 times?
6) If Tom Glavine drove from Shea Stadium to Turner Field immediately following his final Mets start (to celebrate his defeat with his "true" teammates, of course), how many miles (according to MapQuest) would Glavine have driven?
7) Of the 4 pitchers to have hit a home run off Tom Glavine, two have brothers who pitched for the Mets. Name them.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Turk Keys (Questions)
Now that you've finished your Thanksgiving meal, how about washing it down with some Turk Wendell trivia?
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/11/our-special-bonds-turk-keys-answers.html
1- Name the former Met first baseman with the highest career BA vs Wendell (minimum 10 plate appearances).
2- While a member of the 2000 Mets, Wendell gave up 3 walk-off home runs. Two of them came against former Mets. Name the two, one of whom was a second baseman, the other of whom was a shortstop.
3- Turk Wendell had 3 career major-league hits. Name the former Met who gave up his last hit, while a member of the Rockies.
4- Turk Wendell's first major-league win came against the Padres on October 3, 1993. The losing pitcher was a former Met, whose first initial matched his last initial. Name him.
5- Two batters went 0-for-8 with 6 strikeouts in their careers against Wendell. One is Shane Andrews. The other reached a significant home run milestone against the Mets. Name him.
6- This outfielder, who played for the team that originally drafted Wendell, went 1-for-24 against Wendell. That's 0-for-22 in the regular season and 1-for-2 in the postseason. Name him.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/11/our-special-bonds-turk-keys-answers.html
1- Name the former Met first baseman with the highest career BA vs Wendell (minimum 10 plate appearances).
2- While a member of the 2000 Mets, Wendell gave up 3 walk-off home runs. Two of them came against former Mets. Name the two, one of whom was a second baseman, the other of whom was a shortstop.
3- Turk Wendell had 3 career major-league hits. Name the former Met who gave up his last hit, while a member of the Rockies.
4- Turk Wendell's first major-league win came against the Padres on October 3, 1993. The losing pitcher was a former Met, whose first initial matched his last initial. Name him.
5- Two batters went 0-for-8 with 6 strikeouts in their careers against Wendell. One is Shane Andrews. The other reached a significant home run milestone against the Mets. Name him.
6- This outfielder, who played for the team that originally drafted Wendell, went 1-for-24 against Wendell. That's 0-for-22 in the regular season and 1-for-2 in the postseason. Name him.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Hoot and Holler
I want to make the quizzes on this site a consistent occurrence during the offseason (ie: weekly) and I was blocked for something to write about until I found out that Friday marks the 72nd birthday for a Mets nemesis (and former pitching coach, Bob Gibson). I've done my fair share of referencing Gibson on this site, though his 28-14 mark against the Flushing fellows makes it hard to find too many positives. I don't know the demographics of my readership, but I'm guessing those that never saw Gibson pitch will struggle mightily with this quiz, while those in the 50-and-older set, will have a better shot.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/11/our-special-bonds-hoot-and-holler.html
(As always, thank you Baseball-Reference.com)
1) Bob Gibson allowed at least five home runs to 7 different players. Two of them have a Mets connection. One played for the Mets for a single season and is not fondly remembered. The other coached for the Mets, the same year that Gibson did (1981), and shares the last name of a former Mets manager. Name them.
2) Bob Gibson struck out Willie Stargell 41 times, the most of anyone he struck out. He struck out a member of the 1969 Mets 37 times (in 74 at bats!). Name this Met, who actually didn't face Gibson once in 1969.
3) Bob Gibson allowed 4 walk-off home runs in his career. The first came in 1962, against the Dodgers, and was hit by a future one-year Met. Name him.
4) Bob Gibson's first loss to the Mets was a 1-0 defeat on July 27, 1962. The only run of the game scored on an error by the shortstop, who is related to a member of the 2007 Mets. Name the error-maker.
5) It was said that Bob Gibson would have hit his own grandmother, if she were crowding the plate. He never faced his grandma in a major-league game, but the two players he hit the most (6 times) both played for the Mets. One got hit a lot. The other became a Mets manager. Name them.
6) Bob Gibson hit one home run at Shea Stadium and the pitcher against whom he homered was pretty prominent in Mets history and in the history of another team as well. Name him.
7) Bob Gibson hit a grand slam against the Mets on July 26, 1973. The opposing pitcher was John Strohmayer (wouldn't expect you to know that). The batter before Gibson walked (perhaps intentionally) and I think it's funny that he shared his name with a famous boxer. Name that player who, to my knowledge, has no connection with the Mets.
8) One of the more famous Gibson games against the Mets was in the final weekend of the 1964 season, when he lost 1-0, keeping the NL pennant race alive into the final two days. The pitcher who beat him also beat him 1-0 in the 1962 season. And the hitter who drove in the only run hadn't even turned 20 yet. Name them both.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/11/our-special-bonds-hoot-and-holler.html
(As always, thank you Baseball-Reference.com)
1) Bob Gibson allowed at least five home runs to 7 different players. Two of them have a Mets connection. One played for the Mets for a single season and is not fondly remembered. The other coached for the Mets, the same year that Gibson did (1981), and shares the last name of a former Mets manager. Name them.
2) Bob Gibson struck out Willie Stargell 41 times, the most of anyone he struck out. He struck out a member of the 1969 Mets 37 times (in 74 at bats!). Name this Met, who actually didn't face Gibson once in 1969.
3) Bob Gibson allowed 4 walk-off home runs in his career. The first came in 1962, against the Dodgers, and was hit by a future one-year Met. Name him.
4) Bob Gibson's first loss to the Mets was a 1-0 defeat on July 27, 1962. The only run of the game scored on an error by the shortstop, who is related to a member of the 2007 Mets. Name the error-maker.
5) It was said that Bob Gibson would have hit his own grandmother, if she were crowding the plate. He never faced his grandma in a major-league game, but the two players he hit the most (6 times) both played for the Mets. One got hit a lot. The other became a Mets manager. Name them.
6) Bob Gibson hit one home run at Shea Stadium and the pitcher against whom he homered was pretty prominent in Mets history and in the history of another team as well. Name him.
7) Bob Gibson hit a grand slam against the Mets on July 26, 1973. The opposing pitcher was John Strohmayer (wouldn't expect you to know that). The batter before Gibson walked (perhaps intentionally) and I think it's funny that he shared his name with a famous boxer. Name that player who, to my knowledge, has no connection with the Mets.
8) One of the more famous Gibson games against the Mets was in the final weekend of the 1964 season, when he lost 1-0, keeping the NL pennant race alive into the final two days. The pitcher who beat him also beat him 1-0 in the 1962 season. And the hitter who drove in the only run hadn't even turned 20 yet. Name them both.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Most Mets Walk-Off HR
Got a request on Thursday from someone who was looking for a list of the Mets all-time leaders in walk-off home runs. I obliged with an answer, and it occurred to me how that query should be acknowledged among my most frequently asked questions.
Rather than to provide the list in its simplest form, let's have a little fun, with another trivia challenge. The answer to each of these questions is a Met who hit at least 3 walk-off home runs in his career. As a hint, I will provide the name of at least one pitcher against whom the answer hit a walk-off HR. That will allow you to establish the era for the player in question.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/11/our-special-bonds-most-mets-walk-off-hr.html
1) This Met hit 3 walk-off HR in his tenure and all 3 came with at least one man on base.
Pitcher hint: Blas Minor
2) I wouldn't identify this Met as being part of club royalty, but among his 3 walk-off HR was one that came in the 17th inning of a game.
Pitcher hint: Charlie Hough
3) This Met hit 4 walk-off HR, all within a 2-season span. He had a total of 12 HR with the Mets.
Pitcher hint: Dan Plesac
4) This Met hit 3 walk-off HR and all 3 were 3-run HR. Name him.
Pitcher hint: Bruce Sutter
5) This Met could teach a thing or two about hitting a walk-off home run. He had 3, all in extra-innings.
Pitcher hint: Frank Dipino (and it's not Ray Knight)
6) Slightly less than 1% of the career HR have been walk-off HR for the Mets (4).
Pitcher hint: Rheal Cormier
7) Of those on this list, he's the only one with a walk-off HR for both the Mets and Yankees. He hit 3 as a Met.
Pitcher hint: John Franco
8) This former Met had 4 walk-off HR, one in each of four consecutive seasons.
Pitcher hint: Dave Smith
9) Of those players on the list, he's the only one to hit a walk-off HR in the 60s. He had 4 as a Met, including 2 in that decade.
Pitcher hint: Ken Holtzman
Rather than to provide the list in its simplest form, let's have a little fun, with another trivia challenge. The answer to each of these questions is a Met who hit at least 3 walk-off home runs in his career. As a hint, I will provide the name of at least one pitcher against whom the answer hit a walk-off HR. That will allow you to establish the era for the player in question.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/11/our-special-bonds-most-mets-walk-off-hr.html
1) This Met hit 3 walk-off HR in his tenure and all 3 came with at least one man on base.
Pitcher hint: Blas Minor
2) I wouldn't identify this Met as being part of club royalty, but among his 3 walk-off HR was one that came in the 17th inning of a game.
Pitcher hint: Charlie Hough
3) This Met hit 4 walk-off HR, all within a 2-season span. He had a total of 12 HR with the Mets.
Pitcher hint: Dan Plesac
4) This Met hit 3 walk-off HR and all 3 were 3-run HR. Name him.
Pitcher hint: Bruce Sutter
5) This Met could teach a thing or two about hitting a walk-off home run. He had 3, all in extra-innings.
Pitcher hint: Frank Dipino (and it's not Ray Knight)
6) Slightly less than 1% of the career HR have been walk-off HR for the Mets (4).
Pitcher hint: Rheal Cormier
7) Of those on this list, he's the only one with a walk-off HR for both the Mets and Yankees. He hit 3 as a Met.
Pitcher hint: John Franco
8) This former Met had 4 walk-off HR, one in each of four consecutive seasons.
Pitcher hint: Dave Smith
9) Of those players on the list, he's the only one to hit a walk-off HR in the 60s. He had 4 as a Met, including 2 in that decade.
Pitcher hint: Ken Holtzman
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Our Special Bonds: 2007 World Series (Questions)
Going away for about 10 days or so (maybe a little less). May try to post once while I'm on the road, but don't count on it. In the meantime, try out a quiz on the 2007 World Series and its relationship to the Mets.
Answers here:
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-2007-world-series.html
1) Among pitchers Todd Helton has had more than 10 plate appearances against in his career, his highest career batting average is against this former Met, who pitched against the Rockies on Opening Day, 1995. Name him.
2) Name the Red Sox regular, who homered off a former teammate, giving his team a walk-off win against the Mets on May 29, 2004.
3) This former Mets and Rockies pitcher held Manny Ramirez to 1 hit in 10 career at-bats when the two faced each other (including postseason). He struck Ramirez out 4 times. Name the pitcher.
4) Terry Francona hit 1 career home run against the Mets. It came in 1985 against a pitcher better known for pitching in only one game for the 1986 Mets. Name the pitcher.
5) As a Mets pitcher, Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca gave up 4 career walk-off home runs. Name the former 1973 Met who hit a walk-off home run against Apodaca for the Pirates in 1975.
6) Clint Hurdle's last major league home run came against the Pirates in 1986. The opposing pitcher started Opening Day against the Mets on multiple occasions. Name him.
7) There is a coach in this series who once had a walk-off walk AGAINST the Mets. He also played for the Mets. Name him.
8) Curt Schilling once allowed 5 runs in the 9th inning against the Mets, losing via walk-off on John Olerud's 2-run single. The winning pitcher in that game once pitched for the Rockies, and shares his last name with a current Met. Name him.
9) The first time the Mets played a regular season game against the Red Sox (1997), the winning pitcher was someone who has performed well in the postseason against the Mets. Name him.
10) The first time the Rockies ever beat the Mets in 1993, the No. 3 hitter for Colorado (who went 0-4 with an RBI) was a former Met. In fact, he played for the Mets the previous season. His name fits the theme of the quiz. Name him.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Grand Slam Single (Questions)
Happy anniversary to the Grand Slam Single (October 17, 1999), and we'll make this the last of 3 straight days of Mets quizzes, with these questions specifically geared towards that game and series.
If you want to read a remembrance of the game, go here
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/08/walk-off-most-foul.html
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-grand-slam-single.html
1) Masato Yoshii started and pitched 3 innings, Octavio Dotel relieved and pitched 3 innings, but name the Met whose 3 1/3 inning stint was the longest for the Mets in Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS.
2) Three players for the Braves in that game also played for the Mets at one point in their career. Name the backup catcher, the starting outfielder, and the relief pitcher, the latter of whom was the losing pitcher in Game 4 of this series.
3) Name the (now-disdained) Met who had the team's highest batting average in the series (minimum 10 AB), though he played, but did not bat in Game 5.
4) Someone who pitched in this game finished his career with a 7-0 record at Shea Stadium, the 2nd-best unbeaten mark there, trailing only Larry Jackson's 8-0. Name the pitcher.
5) Name the Mets who had the go-ahead RBI in the 8th and 10th innings of Game 6 of the 1999 NLCS. Each played a key role in extra innings in Game 5 of the series.
6) There was another playoff game played on this date in 1999, an ALCS matchup between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Yankees won, 9-2. Name the former and future Mets who homered in that game for the Yankees.
7) Shawon Dunston's last regular season home run came in 2002 against the Padres. The pitcher against whom he homered pitched for the Mets in 1999, but did not appear in the postseason. He did pitch for the Mets in the following postseason. Name that pitcher.
8) Robin Ventura hit 18 grand slams in the regular season, including two in a game in 1995 against the Texas Rangers. The first of those grand slams was hit against someone who pitched in Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS, albeit not for long. Name the pitcher.
9) Combining the 294 regular season and 3 postseason, Robin Ventura hit 297 career home runs (the grand slam single doesn't count). There is someone who played Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS who finished his career with 297 REGULAR SEASON home runs (he also had 5 in the postseason). Name him.
10) Prior to Ventura's grand slam single, who had the Mets last hit with a runner in scoring position.
If you want to read a remembrance of the game, go here
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/08/walk-off-most-foul.html
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-grand-slam-single.html
1) Masato Yoshii started and pitched 3 innings, Octavio Dotel relieved and pitched 3 innings, but name the Met whose 3 1/3 inning stint was the longest for the Mets in Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS.
2) Three players for the Braves in that game also played for the Mets at one point in their career. Name the backup catcher, the starting outfielder, and the relief pitcher, the latter of whom was the losing pitcher in Game 4 of this series.
3) Name the (now-disdained) Met who had the team's highest batting average in the series (minimum 10 AB), though he played, but did not bat in Game 5.
4) Someone who pitched in this game finished his career with a 7-0 record at Shea Stadium, the 2nd-best unbeaten mark there, trailing only Larry Jackson's 8-0. Name the pitcher.
5) Name the Mets who had the go-ahead RBI in the 8th and 10th innings of Game 6 of the 1999 NLCS. Each played a key role in extra innings in Game 5 of the series.
6) There was another playoff game played on this date in 1999, an ALCS matchup between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Yankees won, 9-2. Name the former and future Mets who homered in that game for the Yankees.
7) Shawon Dunston's last regular season home run came in 2002 against the Padres. The pitcher against whom he homered pitched for the Mets in 1999, but did not appear in the postseason. He did pitch for the Mets in the following postseason. Name that pitcher.
8) Robin Ventura hit 18 grand slams in the regular season, including two in a game in 1995 against the Texas Rangers. The first of those grand slams was hit against someone who pitched in Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS, albeit not for long. Name the pitcher.
9) Combining the 294 regular season and 3 postseason, Robin Ventura hit 297 career home runs (the grand slam single doesn't count). There is someone who played Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS who finished his career with 297 REGULAR SEASON home runs (he also had 5 in the postseason). Name him.
10) Prior to Ventura's grand slam single, who had the Mets last hit with a runner in scoring position.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Miracle Mets
Today is a Sweet 16th in Mets history, as in a celebration of October 16th, 1969, when the Mets (the Colorado Rockies of their time) clinched the World Series with a win over the Orioles. We thought we could best commemorate that with a quiz.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-miracle-mets-answers.html
Just a note: We hope you like these quizzes...expect to see a lot of them this winter. They're easy to write. They're entertaining. They're difficult (that's the point...you shouldn't be able to easily think of the answer). And they're the kind of clever discourse we like to encourage in this space.
1) The 1969 Mets won exactly 100 games during the regular season. How many teams prior to the '69 Mets won exactly 100 games in a regular season? Name them.
5) Al Weis hit a home run against Dave McNally in Game 5. It was his 2nd career HR against McNally and came in his last at-bat against the lefty. Weis also homered in his final career at-bat against a lefthanded 300-game winner, and a lefty who nearly won 300 games. Name those two pitchers.
6) The Mets went 6-0 in the games that Jerry Koosman started in the postseason. He won 4 of those games, the most by any Mets pitcher, including Game 5 of the World Series. Name the 3 Mets pitchers tied for 2nd with 3 postseason victories.
7) No Met had a hit in all 5 games of the 1969 World Series, but one had a 5-game hitting streak within that postseason. He didn't get a hit in Game 5, but reached on an error in the 8th inning to bring home a run. Name this longtime Met.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-miracle-mets-answers.html
Just a note: We hope you like these quizzes...expect to see a lot of them this winter. They're easy to write. They're entertaining. They're difficult (that's the point...you shouldn't be able to easily think of the answer). And they're the kind of clever discourse we like to encourage in this space.
1) The 1969 Mets won exactly 100 games during the regular season. How many teams prior to the '69 Mets won exactly 100 games in a regular season? Name them.
2) The Met who took the worst 0-for in the 1969 World Series (0-for-7) had the game-winning hit in the game in which the Mets won their 100th game. Name him.
3) Three Mets finished the World Series with more than 1 RBI. They were Donn Clendenon (4), Al Weis (3), and a pitcher, who finished with a career batting average of .095 with 174 K in 285 AB. Name the pitcher.
4) Those who know Mets history well know that Davey Johnson was the final out of the World Series. But who was the second out of the 9th inning for the Orioles on this day? He was also the final out of the Mets Game 2 win.5) Al Weis hit a home run against Dave McNally in Game 5. It was his 2nd career HR against McNally and came in his last at-bat against the lefty. Weis also homered in his final career at-bat against a lefthanded 300-game winner, and a lefty who nearly won 300 games. Name those two pitchers.
6) The Mets went 6-0 in the games that Jerry Koosman started in the postseason. He won 4 of those games, the most by any Mets pitcher, including Game 5 of the World Series. Name the 3 Mets pitchers tied for 2nd with 3 postseason victories.
7) No Met had a hit in all 5 games of the 1969 World Series, but one had a 5-game hitting streak within that postseason. He didn't get a hit in Game 5, but reached on an error in the 8th inning to bring home a run. Name this longtime Met.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Our Special Bonds: 1986 NLCS Game 6 (Questions)
Monday marks the 21st anniversary of "decision-day," in which I picked going to Hebrew School over watching the seventh through ninth innings of Game 6 of the NLCS between the Mets and Astros. In honor of the memory of that game, I figured it worthwhile to offer another of my trivia quizzes. This one is 6 questions, in honor of Game 6 (instead of 16, in honor of 16 innings). As always, thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for the assistance.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-1986-nlcs-game-6.html
1) Among players with at least 50 plate appearances against the Mets in 1986, this "player of significance" had the 5th-best batting average, .347. Name him.
2) Only two players hit walk-off home runs against the Mets in 1986. One was Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. The other was an infielder, who went 0-for-3 in this game, and struck out to open the 16th inning. Name him.
3) The Mets had two hits through the first eight innings against Bob Knepper. Neither of the two players who got them were on the field at the end of the game. Name the pair.
4) Ray Knight had the game-tying RBI in the 9th inning. He also had the game-winning RBI in the 16th inning. Yet this was not the latest inning in which Knight recorded what turned out to be a game-winning RBI. Name the circumstances of the game in which Knight delivered a game-winning RBI after the 16th inning.
5) What "player of significance" from this game hit a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 9th inning against Jesse Orosco in a Mets loss to the Astros on July 26, 1987?
6) Roger McDowell pitched 5 scoreless innings of relief in this game, his longest appearance as a Met. McDowell's 2nd-longest appearance was 4 2/3 hitless innings against the Braves in a win on May 14, 1985. Name the pitcher of significance from the 1986 season (albeit not from Game 6 of the NLCS) whom McDowell relieved. The hint I can give you is that he pitched on this day as well.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-1986-nlcs-game-6.html
1) Among players with at least 50 plate appearances against the Mets in 1986, this "player of significance" had the 5th-best batting average, .347. Name him.
2) Only two players hit walk-off home runs against the Mets in 1986. One was Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. The other was an infielder, who went 0-for-3 in this game, and struck out to open the 16th inning. Name him.
3) The Mets had two hits through the first eight innings against Bob Knepper. Neither of the two players who got them were on the field at the end of the game. Name the pair.
4) Ray Knight had the game-tying RBI in the 9th inning. He also had the game-winning RBI in the 16th inning. Yet this was not the latest inning in which Knight recorded what turned out to be a game-winning RBI. Name the circumstances of the game in which Knight delivered a game-winning RBI after the 16th inning.
5) What "player of significance" from this game hit a go-ahead 3-run home run in the 9th inning against Jesse Orosco in a Mets loss to the Astros on July 26, 1987?
6) Roger McDowell pitched 5 scoreless innings of relief in this game, his longest appearance as a Met. McDowell's 2nd-longest appearance was 4 2/3 hitless innings against the Braves in a win on May 14, 1985. Name the pitcher of significance from the 1986 season (albeit not from Game 6 of the NLCS) whom McDowell relieved. The hint I can give you is that he pitched on this day as well.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Our Special Bonds: October Notables (Questions)
Faced without baseball for two days, we look for things to do to fill our spare time. In such situations, we like to fill our voids with trivia and offer up this October baseball quiz you might enjoy.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/10/our-special-bonds-october-notables.html
1) Let us begin with a question of recent significance. Prior to Jorge Posada, this Met was the only player to strike out FOR THE YANKEES to end a postseason series. Name him.
2) The opposing catchers in the October 3, 1951 game in which Bobby Thomson hit the "Shot Heard Round the World" both later worked for the Mets. Name them.
3) What future Met was the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, in which Kirk Gibson hit the game-winning home run against Dennis Eckersley?4) What former Met was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, in which Francisco Cabrera singled in the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the 9th.
5) Ralph Terry gave up the World Series-winning home run to Bill Mazeroski in 1960. Terry went on to pitch 24 games for the Mets from 1966-1967. How many games did he win?
6) In the 1996 ALCS Game 1, Armando Benitez allowed the tying HR to Derek Jeter on the famous play where fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the fence to interfere. What former Met gave up the walk-off home run to Bernie Williams in extra-innings?
7)What former Met was due up next when Chris Chambliss hit a walk-off home run to beat the Royals in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS?
8) What future Met was due up next when Aaron Boone homered to win Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox?
9) What future Met scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series?
10) Ozzie Smith won Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS with a walk-off home run ("Go crazy, folks!"). Name the future Met who had the other 2 RBI for the Cardinals that day.
11) Kenny Lofton got the walk-off hit that won the 2002 NLCS for the Giants. The batter before him, a former Met, singled. Name the man, who had a pretty famous single for the Mets as well.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Hopefully This Means Farewell (Questions)
At some point today, Tom Glavine will announce that he's declining the 2008 option on his contract, thus making himself a free agent while he contemplates retirement, a return to the Mets, or the likeliest option, signing with the Braves.
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/10/our-special-bonds-hopefully-this-means_04.html
I've already made it known that I don't want him back and I don't want to rehash my reasoning. I had this whole plan to write another essay, nicknaming him "The Stench," but it's just not worth it. I guess I softened slightly after hearing his appearance on WFAN the other day (reduced my Glavine anger to 99 on a scale of 100). I'll say this...had it just been a couple dink hits and a 2-3 run first-inning, I think I could have lived with it better. But the throwing error and the HBP basically ended any chance of us ever having a positive relationship. Let's just complete the divorce proceedings with this goodbye tribute trivia.
Answers here:
1) What former Met, best known for a positive contribution made in 1986 (despite not being on the team then) has the highest career batting average against Glavine, minimum 5 PA?
2) On September 29, 1995, Tom Glavine allowed 5 runs in the first inning, against the Mets. Three different Mets had an RBI in that inning. Name them.
3) Tom Glavine was with the Mets for 5 seasons. In how many seasons did he have a winning record against the Braves?
4) Among those who have pitched for the Mets and Braves, Tom Glavine has the most losses AS A MET, with 56. What Met, who pitched for the team in the World Series, ranks 2nd with 42.
5) Tom Glavine was the first Mets starter to last 1/3 of an inning or less in a home start since what current broadcaster?
6) Tom Glavine is one of two Mets to hail from Concord, Mass, even though he now calls Atlanta his home. The pair share the distinction of having the two worst batting averages of any player from Concord, Mass. Name the other.
7) What pitcher has held Tom Glavine to his worst stats- 0-for-15 with 11 K?
8) When Tom Glavine had his embarassing Opening Day performance in his Mets debut, he gave up 5 runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Cubs. What 2007 newsmaker actually gave up more runs than Glavine for the Mets that day.
(Mike Bacsik)
9) Eleven pitchers have thrown 1,000 or more innings as a Met. Tom Glavine is among them, as his ERA of 3.97 is 2nd-worst. Name the only pitcher to throw 1,000+ innings as a Met and have a worse ERA than Glavine.
10) The last batter (hopefully) that Tom Glavine faced in his Mets career was Dontrelle Willis. He hit Willis with a pitch. Name the other pitchers that Tom Glavine has hit with a pitch.
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/10/our-special-bonds-hopefully-this-means_04.html
I've already made it known that I don't want him back and I don't want to rehash my reasoning. I had this whole plan to write another essay, nicknaming him "The Stench," but it's just not worth it. I guess I softened slightly after hearing his appearance on WFAN the other day (reduced my Glavine anger to 99 on a scale of 100). I'll say this...had it just been a couple dink hits and a 2-3 run first-inning, I think I could have lived with it better. But the throwing error and the HBP basically ended any chance of us ever having a positive relationship. Let's just complete the divorce proceedings with this goodbye tribute trivia.
Answers here:
1) What former Met, best known for a positive contribution made in 1986 (despite not being on the team then) has the highest career batting average against Glavine, minimum 5 PA?
2) On September 29, 1995, Tom Glavine allowed 5 runs in the first inning, against the Mets. Three different Mets had an RBI in that inning. Name them.
3) Tom Glavine was with the Mets for 5 seasons. In how many seasons did he have a winning record against the Braves?
4) Among those who have pitched for the Mets and Braves, Tom Glavine has the most losses AS A MET, with 56. What Met, who pitched for the team in the World Series, ranks 2nd with 42.
5) Tom Glavine was the first Mets starter to last 1/3 of an inning or less in a home start since what current broadcaster?
6) Tom Glavine is one of two Mets to hail from Concord, Mass, even though he now calls Atlanta his home. The pair share the distinction of having the two worst batting averages of any player from Concord, Mass. Name the other.
7) What pitcher has held Tom Glavine to his worst stats- 0-for-15 with 11 K?
8) When Tom Glavine had his embarassing Opening Day performance in his Mets debut, he gave up 5 runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Cubs. What 2007 newsmaker actually gave up more runs than Glavine for the Mets that day.
(Mike Bacsik)
9) Eleven pitchers have thrown 1,000 or more innings as a Met. Tom Glavine is among them, as his ERA of 3.97 is 2nd-worst. Name the only pitcher to throw 1,000+ innings as a Met and have a worse ERA than Glavine.
10) The last batter (hopefully) that Tom Glavine faced in his Mets career was Dontrelle Willis. He hit Willis with a pitch. Name the other pitchers that Tom Glavine has hit with a pitch.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Ron Darling (questions)
Equal time for the other member of the Mets broadcast crew as we continue to wallow in the misery of this great malaise
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/09/our-special-bonds-ron-darling-answers.html
1) Ron Darling lost to the Phillies in his major-league debut. I'd ask who the winning pitcher was for the Phillies, but I don't believe that's a challenging question, once I refer to him as a former Met. So I ask instead: What future Hall of Famer struck out as the first batter of that game?
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/09/our-special-bonds-ron-darling-answers.html
1) Ron Darling lost to the Phillies in his major-league debut. I'd ask who the winning pitcher was for the Phillies, but I don't believe that's a challenging question, once I refer to him as a former Met. So I ask instead: What future Hall of Famer struck out as the first batter of that game?
2) On the subject of strikeouts. Name the Hall of Famer who was Darling's most frequent strikeout victim? From 1983 to 1991, this player (not a pitcher) had 82 AB against Darling and whiffed 21 times.
3) The first 3 batters to hit home runs against Ron Darling all played for the Mets at some point in their careers. The first played only a season for them, playing 79 games, with 10 home runs on a team that didn't hit many home runs. The second hit a grand slam, one of 11 grand slams he'd hit in his career. Four came with the Mets. The third hit 3 home runs for the Mets but is better known for being traded for someone who hit a significant Mets home run. Now that I've fully confused you with my hints, name any of the 3.
4) Darling went to Yale, as did one other Mets pitcher, whose career record with the team was 8-5. That's not bad considering how bad the team was when he pitched for them. Name this other Yalie.
5) Darling was drafted 9th by the Rangers in 1981. The Mets selected Terry Blocker with their pick, No. 4 overall. In between that pick and Darling's selection, 2 other players were drafted that went on to become Mets. One was on the field with Darling during the 1988 NLCS. The other shares the name of a city quite familiar to Darling. Name them.
6) Darling pitched a CG to clinch the 1988 NL East title, against the Phillies on September 22. The last out of that game has the same number of career home runs as Gary Carter. Name him.
7) Darling was talking about how the Terry Pendleton game-tying home run (September 11, 1987) hit his car in the parking lineup. What Darling missed during his drive to the hospital (to treat his injured hand) was how the Cardinals won the game in the 10th inning. A future Met got the go-ahead hit and a future Met score the go-ahead run. Name them, as well as the starting pitcher for that game, who also started the game in which Mike Scioscia hit his 9th-inning game-tying HR in the 1988 playoffs.
8) What former Cardinals infielder, with a connection to the Mets, hit into a double play to conclude Darling's first major-league shutout?
9) Darling's last major-league game was against the Royals in 1995. The winning pitcher in that game is best noted for pitching a shutout in his 2nd career Mets start. Name him.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Our Special Bonds: I'm Keith Hernandez (Questions)
Wednesday is the 22nd anniversary of one of my favorite regular season walk-off wins and since I don't feel I could write it any better than this
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/08/ode-to-playgrounds-and-egg-creams.html
I'm going to use it as a means of segue to ask some trivia about a favorite, whose base hit won that game, for whom there's a short film out bearing his name, and who has taken some flak from local media for spending too much time goofing off in the booth. So without further ado, let's get to some Keith Hernandez trivia questions. As always, mucho thankyous to Baseball-Reference.com, without which such frivolity would not be possible.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/09/our-special-bonds-im-keith-hernandez.html
1) Keith actually shortchanged himself on the air the other day, claiming he only he had one multi-homer game in his career. That wasn't true. He had three, and his first was against the Mets. But getting back to the two-homer game he referenced. It came on April 26, 1988 and the second home run was against former Met Charlie Puleo. Who (of Met significance) was the first homer of that game against?
2) Speaking of home runs, Hernandez had 162 in his career. Against which former Met, who had a greatly significant couple of games against the Mets, did Hernandez hit his most home runs- 6?
3) Keith Hernandez has the most 5-hit games in Mets history, with 3. Name the two other Mets who had 2.
4) Twenty five years ago today (September 12), Keith Hernandez had a 15-game hit streak snapped. It was his longest hitting streak as a member of the Cardinals. Which mediocre Mets pitcher snapped Hernandez's hit streak and pitched a complete-game three-hitter that day?
5) Lefthanded pitcher Gary Lucas hit only one lefthanded batter in the regular season in his major league career- Hernandez. He hit a lefthanded batter in the postseason and that batter played a significant role in Mets history. Name him.
6) Keith Hernandez played in one major-league game in Yankee Stadium. Among his teammates that day were two former '86 Mets, and a current Met. Name any (or all) of the three to which I'm referring.
7) Keith Hernandez was a 42nd round pick in the 1971 MLB Amateur Draft. In that draft, the Mets picked 14th in the first round and selected a player named Rich Puig. The next pick in the draft hit a lot of home runs, but faced the Mets in the postseason and didn't hit any. Name the player whom the Mets passed up.
8) What Hall of Famer was the first pitcher to strike Keith Hernandez out three times in one game?
9) Against which Hall of Famer did Keith Hernandez hit his only World Series home run?
10) Keith Hernandez went 0-for-9 or worse in his career against 4 major-league pitchers. One of the pitchers in that group is a former Met and at least Hernandez can say he reached base via error against this pitcher. Name him.
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2005/08/ode-to-playgrounds-and-egg-creams.html
I'm going to use it as a means of segue to ask some trivia about a favorite, whose base hit won that game, for whom there's a short film out bearing his name, and who has taken some flak from local media for spending too much time goofing off in the booth. So without further ado, let's get to some Keith Hernandez trivia questions. As always, mucho thankyous to Baseball-Reference.com, without which such frivolity would not be possible.
Answers here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/09/our-special-bonds-im-keith-hernandez.html
1) Keith actually shortchanged himself on the air the other day, claiming he only he had one multi-homer game in his career. That wasn't true. He had three, and his first was against the Mets. But getting back to the two-homer game he referenced. It came on April 26, 1988 and the second home run was against former Met Charlie Puleo. Who (of Met significance) was the first homer of that game against?
2) Speaking of home runs, Hernandez had 162 in his career. Against which former Met, who had a greatly significant couple of games against the Mets, did Hernandez hit his most home runs- 6?
3) Keith Hernandez has the most 5-hit games in Mets history, with 3. Name the two other Mets who had 2.
4) Twenty five years ago today (September 12), Keith Hernandez had a 15-game hit streak snapped. It was his longest hitting streak as a member of the Cardinals. Which mediocre Mets pitcher snapped Hernandez's hit streak and pitched a complete-game three-hitter that day?
5) Lefthanded pitcher Gary Lucas hit only one lefthanded batter in the regular season in his major league career- Hernandez. He hit a lefthanded batter in the postseason and that batter played a significant role in Mets history. Name him.
6) Keith Hernandez played in one major-league game in Yankee Stadium. Among his teammates that day were two former '86 Mets, and a current Met. Name any (or all) of the three to which I'm referring.
7) Keith Hernandez was a 42nd round pick in the 1971 MLB Amateur Draft. In that draft, the Mets picked 14th in the first round and selected a player named Rich Puig. The next pick in the draft hit a lot of home runs, but faced the Mets in the postseason and didn't hit any. Name the player whom the Mets passed up.
8) What Hall of Famer was the first pitcher to strike Keith Hernandez out three times in one game?
9) Against which Hall of Famer did Keith Hernandez hit his only World Series home run?
10) Keith Hernandez went 0-for-9 or worse in his career against 4 major-league pitchers. One of the pitchers in that group is a former Met and at least Hernandez can say he reached base via error against this pitcher. Name him.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Hall of Fame
As per usual, a trivia quiz (with much help from Baseball-Reference.com) centered around an appropriate theme. Perhaps it will provide you with something to do this weekend, either between games of the Mets day/night doubleheader or prior to induction ceremonies on Sunday.
Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-hall-of-fame-answers.html
1) The first player inducted into the Hall of Fame, who at the time of his induction could say that he had played in a regular season game against the Mets hit .405 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games against the Mets for his career (including the first 3-HR game against the Mets). Name the man who also happened to be a teammate of Ruben Gotay's uncle.
2) Hall of Fame pitchers went 14-3 against the 1962 Mets. Name the three Hall of Fame pitchers that the '62 team managed to beat.
3) The best example I could find of a pitcher DOMINATING a Hall of Famer is for this pitcher vs Willie Stargell. This pitcher held Stargell to 3 hits in 50 at-bats. He faced Stargell twice in the famous "Ball on the Wall" game in 1973 and retired him both times. He also lost to the Mets once in 1962. Name him.
4) Joe Morgan struck out 3 times in a game a dozen times in his career. Amazingly, four of those games came against the Mets. In two of those instances, one pitcher struck him out all three times. Name the pair of lefthanders who can say they had such success against Morgan.
5) Name the only Hall of Famer to hit into a triple play against the Mets. It took him (many) extra innings to do it, during one game in 1964, just as it took him (many) years to get into the Hall of Fame.
6) Which of these Hall of Famers never had a walk-off hit against the Mets: Cal Ripken Jr., Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey
7) Which of these Hall of Famers NEVER suffered a walk-off loss against the Mets: Steve Carlton, Dennis Eckersley, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson
8) Willie Randolph had a base hit against 9 different Hall of Fame pitchers. Name the only Hall of Famer to hold Randolph hitless. The Mets manager had 8 at-bats against this pitcher and did not record a base hit.
9) Name the Hall of Famer who went 0-for-22 against Tom Seaver. Yes, he was a pitcher, one that WFAN talk show host Mike Francesa would call "a compiluh."
Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-hall-of-fame-answers.html
1) The first player inducted into the Hall of Fame, who at the time of his induction could say that he had played in a regular season game against the Mets hit .405 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games against the Mets for his career (including the first 3-HR game against the Mets). Name the man who also happened to be a teammate of Ruben Gotay's uncle.
2) Hall of Fame pitchers went 14-3 against the 1962 Mets. Name the three Hall of Fame pitchers that the '62 team managed to beat.
3) The best example I could find of a pitcher DOMINATING a Hall of Famer is for this pitcher vs Willie Stargell. This pitcher held Stargell to 3 hits in 50 at-bats. He faced Stargell twice in the famous "Ball on the Wall" game in 1973 and retired him both times. He also lost to the Mets once in 1962. Name him.
4) Joe Morgan struck out 3 times in a game a dozen times in his career. Amazingly, four of those games came against the Mets. In two of those instances, one pitcher struck him out all three times. Name the pair of lefthanders who can say they had such success against Morgan.
5) Name the only Hall of Famer to hit into a triple play against the Mets. It took him (many) extra innings to do it, during one game in 1964, just as it took him (many) years to get into the Hall of Fame.
6) Which of these Hall of Famers never had a walk-off hit against the Mets: Cal Ripken Jr., Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey
7) Which of these Hall of Famers NEVER suffered a walk-off loss against the Mets: Steve Carlton, Dennis Eckersley, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson
8) Willie Randolph had a base hit against 9 different Hall of Fame pitchers. Name the only Hall of Famer to hold Randolph hitless. The Mets manager had 8 at-bats against this pitcher and did not record a base hit.
9) Name the Hall of Famer who went 0-for-22 against Tom Seaver. Yes, he was a pitcher, one that WFAN talk show host Mike Francesa would call "a compiluh."
10) Only one Hall of Famer has had a 5-hit game against the Mets. Name him.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Even Steven (Questions)
The Mets enter Monday's game with an all-time record of 205-205 against the Padres. In honor of that and that this blog is approaching post # 500, I figured it be worth it to break out another series of trivia questions. If you bat .500, I'll be impressed.
Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-even-steven-answers.html
1) How amazing is it that this pitcher's record as a Met was 47-47?
2) Name the six 500-HR hitters to hit a walk-off HR against the Mets
3) This Met was 36 when he joined the team. He only had 2 at-bats, but after striking out in his first, had a memorable extra-base hit in his second. Name him.
4) This man went 11-11 against the Mets, the most wins by a pitcher who finished his career with a .500 record against the Mets. He's better known for two things- having won the clinching game of a World Series, and the bizarre manner in which his career ended.
5) This former one-year Met pitcher ranks second, with a 10-10 record against the Mets. Name this man, who also, at one point in his career, won a clinching postseason game.
6) This former Met had 500 hits as a Met. He's better known as being part of a blockbuster trade, and played on a World Series winning team in each of the 2 seasons prior to becoming a Met. Name him.
7) I offer no guarantee that I'm right on this, but I believe if you counted alphabetically by last name, the 501st Met you would list is David Wright's agent (a former Met). If that's so, who's the 500th?
8) The Mets have a .500 record against one other NL team (332-332-2). Appropriately, they went 9-9 against this squad in 1962. Name that team.
Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-even-steven-answers.html
1) How amazing is it that this pitcher's record as a Met was 47-47?
2) Name the six 500-HR hitters to hit a walk-off HR against the Mets
3) This Met was 36 when he joined the team. He only had 2 at-bats, but after striking out in his first, had a memorable extra-base hit in his second. Name him.
4) This man went 11-11 against the Mets, the most wins by a pitcher who finished his career with a .500 record against the Mets. He's better known for two things- having won the clinching game of a World Series, and the bizarre manner in which his career ended.
5) This former one-year Met pitcher ranks second, with a 10-10 record against the Mets. Name this man, who also, at one point in his career, won a clinching postseason game.
6) This former Met had 500 hits as a Met. He's better known as being part of a blockbuster trade, and played on a World Series winning team in each of the 2 seasons prior to becoming a Met. Name him.
7) I offer no guarantee that I'm right on this, but I believe if you counted alphabetically by last name, the 501st Met you would list is David Wright's agent (a former Met). If that's so, who's the 500th?
8) The Mets have a .500 record against one other NL team (332-332-2). Appropriately, they went 9-9 against this squad in 1962. Name that team.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Our Special Bonds: Lucky 7s (Questions)
Seems like the right thing to do today is to pay tribute to 7/7/07 with a 7-question quiz devoted to that number. And we want to be a little more challenging than to ask questions about Jose Reyes or Dwight Gooden's total number of Mets home runs
Answers can be found here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-lucky-7s-answers.html
1) The Met who ranks 7th on the club's all-time list in home runs never hit a walk-off home run for them. The six who rank above him in home runs all had walk-off home runs for the Mets. Name the Met whose career with the team featured 120 home runs.
2) The pitcher who ranks 7th on the club's all-time wins list pitched in parts of 7 seasons for the Mets. That he was a lefty and pitched in a Game 7 for the Mets should narrow down the list (it's not Oliver Perez!). Name the pitcher whose 82 Mets wins are one more than David Cone.
3) Only one player in club history has won 7 games with a walk-off RBI. My telling you that his first and last ones came nearly exactly 10 years apart should help you figure out who that could be. Name that Met, whose contributions were quite grand.
4) If my understanding of the website Mets By The Numbers is correct, the 7th player to wear uniform number 7 for the Mets went on to become a major league manager. He wore that jersey in only one season- 1985, though he also played for the team in 1983 and 1987. Name that Met who, at one point early in his major-league career, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
5) The most common inhabitant of the 7th spot in the Mets batting order was there for parts of 473 games. He held that position 87 times for the 1969 Mets. Name him.
6) From 1962 to 2006, the Mets had a player finish a season with 7 home runs a total of 23 times. Two players have finished with that number twice. One did it in 1992 and 1993. The other did it in 2002 and 2003. Name those Mets.
7) The decisive inning of Game 7 of the 1986 World Series was the bottom of the 7th. Ray Knight led off the inning with a home run. Name the other 2 Mets to get an RBI in that inning.
Answers can be found here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-lucky-7s-answers.html
1) The Met who ranks 7th on the club's all-time list in home runs never hit a walk-off home run for them. The six who rank above him in home runs all had walk-off home runs for the Mets. Name the Met whose career with the team featured 120 home runs.
2) The pitcher who ranks 7th on the club's all-time wins list pitched in parts of 7 seasons for the Mets. That he was a lefty and pitched in a Game 7 for the Mets should narrow down the list (it's not Oliver Perez!). Name the pitcher whose 82 Mets wins are one more than David Cone.
3) Only one player in club history has won 7 games with a walk-off RBI. My telling you that his first and last ones came nearly exactly 10 years apart should help you figure out who that could be. Name that Met, whose contributions were quite grand.
4) If my understanding of the website Mets By The Numbers is correct, the 7th player to wear uniform number 7 for the Mets went on to become a major league manager. He wore that jersey in only one season- 1985, though he also played for the team in 1983 and 1987. Name that Met who, at one point early in his major-league career, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
5) The most common inhabitant of the 7th spot in the Mets batting order was there for parts of 473 games. He held that position 87 times for the 1969 Mets. Name him.
6) From 1962 to 2006, the Mets had a player finish a season with 7 home runs a total of 23 times. Two players have finished with that number twice. One did it in 1992 and 1993. The other did it in 2002 and 2003. Name those Mets.
7) The decisive inning of Game 7 of the 1986 World Series was the bottom of the 7th. Ray Knight led off the inning with a home run. Name the other 2 Mets to get an RBI in that inning.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Our Special Bonds: All-Star Stuff
Chew on these as you try to figure out who the NL's closer should be, should it have a 9th inning lead in San Francisco next Tuesday.
3) The pitcher who lost the 2001 All-Star Game happens to be a former Met, and wasn't a Met for long. Name him.
4) Three players who played in the 1969 All-Star Game went on to play for the Mets later in their careers. Willie Mays is the outfielder in that trio. Name the two infielders, the National Leaguer who is remembered fondly for his Mets stint, and the American Leaguer who isn't.
5) Name the Met who wasn't an All-Star at some point in his career: Ellis Valentine, Jose Lima, Rick Cerone, Felix Mantilla or Gary Templeton.
6) Kenny Rogers has allowed 3 All-Star Game home runs, one in each game in which he pitched. Last year he allowed one to David Wright. In 2005, he allowed one to Andruw Jones. Name the former Met who homered off Rogers in the 1995 All-Star Game.
7) Ron Guidry walked in then-Met Lee Mazzili with the game-winning run in the 1979 All-Star Game. The losing pitcher in that game was not Guidry. It was someone who went on to become a Met in Name, but never in Game. Name this NeverMet.
8)Willie Randolph's first of four All-Star Game base hits came in the 1977 All-Star Game against someone who once pitched for the Mets. Name the pitcher.
9) Take 0, 1, and 2 as possible answers. Use them each once and fill in the blanks.
Bill Buckner is a ___-time All-Star
Rich Gedman is a ___-time All-Star
Mookie Wilson is a ___-time All-Star
Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/answers-to-trivia-quiz-posted-on-july-3.html
1) In honor of snubbed John Maine, who's probably a little steamed about not making the team, the only All-Star born in Maine is also the state's winningest all-time pitcher (115 wins). He pitched in the All-Star Game in 1979 and 1983, and has a significant connection to Mets history. Name him.
2) Most really intense Mets fans probably know that Richie Ashburn was the team's first All-Star in 1962. What member of baseball royalty was the second, the next season?3) The pitcher who lost the 2001 All-Star Game happens to be a former Met, and wasn't a Met for long. Name him.
4) Three players who played in the 1969 All-Star Game went on to play for the Mets later in their careers. Willie Mays is the outfielder in that trio. Name the two infielders, the National Leaguer who is remembered fondly for his Mets stint, and the American Leaguer who isn't.
5) Name the Met who wasn't an All-Star at some point in his career: Ellis Valentine, Jose Lima, Rick Cerone, Felix Mantilla or Gary Templeton.
6) Kenny Rogers has allowed 3 All-Star Game home runs, one in each game in which he pitched. Last year he allowed one to David Wright. In 2005, he allowed one to Andruw Jones. Name the former Met who homered off Rogers in the 1995 All-Star Game.
7) Ron Guidry walked in then-Met Lee Mazzili with the game-winning run in the 1979 All-Star Game. The losing pitcher in that game was not Guidry. It was someone who went on to become a Met in Name, but never in Game. Name this NeverMet.
8)Willie Randolph's first of four All-Star Game base hits came in the 1977 All-Star Game against someone who once pitched for the Mets. Name the pitcher.
9) Take 0, 1, and 2 as possible answers. Use them each once and fill in the blanks.
Bill Buckner is a ___-time All-Star
Rich Gedman is a ___-time All-Star
Mookie Wilson is a ___-time All-Star
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