George Will's baseball trivia quiz

[SWC75]

I got 28 of 41 right. I liked the one about the 999 walks the best.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/04/03/george-wills-2015-opening-day-quiz/

 

[pfister1]

Only able to get 24.

 

[longtimefan]

33.

About 50/50 on my guesses.

 

[br801]

28. Some real tough ones in there. Fun stuff.

 

[KaiserUEO]

35, was mad at myself on a couple.

including the bonus, knew it was kiner...but went with stengel.

love that stuff.

 

[br801]

The questions about Gil Hodges reminded me again that it is a travesty he is not in the Hall of Fame.

 

[Knicks411]

The questions about Gil Hodges reminded me again that it is a travesty he is not in the Hall of Fame.

The Hodges question was worded really poorly from what I remember (did this a few days ago). I got 34

Hodges could probably make it on a combined manager/player basis, if that's a thing, but i don't th ink he had a HOF playing career

 

[HakAttack]

17. Damn. I guess I don't know as much about the history of baseball as I thought.

 

[KaiserUEO]

The Hodges question was worded really poorly from what I remember (did this a few days ago). I got 34

Hodges could probably make it on a combined manager/player basis, if that's a thing, but i don't th ink he had a HOF playing career

if anything, his managerial career holds him back.

granted, he was the manager for the Amazin mets, which should help the resume, but he didnt have a Torre-esque managerial career. it was short and pretty much abysmal.

that said, there is absolutely no reason why he is out and mazeroski is in.

the veterens committee should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Knicks411]

if anything, his managerial career holds him back.

granted, he was the manager for the Amazin mets, which should help the resume, but he didnt have a Torre-esque managerial career. it was short and pretty much abysmal.

that said, there is absolutely no reason why he is out and mazeroski is in.

the veterens committee should be ashamed of themselves.

If you think Maz is the greatest defensive 2B of all time, he's probably a better candidate, no?

 

[KaiserUEO]

If you think Maz is the greatest defensive 2B of all time, he's probably a better candidate, no?

then put Nettles in.

Maz is in because of 1 home run v the machine.

 

[longtimefan]

then put Nettles in.

Maz is in because of 1 home run v the machine.

ow
His bat was average at best. But, if you can ever track down some of those old clips of him in the field, you will gasp at how he turned a double play. I've always been a sucker for niftyness around the middle of the diamond. Which is why I'm rooting for Vizciano to make it to Cooperstown.

 

[KaiserUEO]

ow
His bat was average at best. But, if you can ever track down some of those old clips of him in the field, you will gasp at how he turned a double play. I've always been a sucker for niftyness around the middle of the diamond. Which is why I'm rooting for Vizciano to make it to Cooperstown.

i assume you mean vizquel...and not jose vizcaino??

 

[longtimefan]

i assume you mean vizquel...and not jose vizcaino??

Of course. I got those Hispanic "V's" mixed up. I do remember that Alomar was the DP partner.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I got 28 of 41 right. I liked the one about the 999 walks the best.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/04/03/george-wills-2015-opening-day-quiz/

Same.

 

[br801]

The Hodges question was worded really poorly from what I remember (did this a few days ago). I got 34

Hodges could probably make it on a combined manager/player basis, if that's a thing, but i don't th ink he had a HOF playing career

That question was worded poorly, but I believe it was meant to show that Hodges was the dominant offensive first baseman during the 1950s, an era in which which 30 HRs and 100 RBIs was a big deal. He was also one of the finest fielding first basemen of his era, and arguably among the dozen or so best of all time. To me, that puts him in the HoF.

if anything, his managerial career holds him back.

granted, he was the manager for the Amazin mets, which should help the resume, but he didnt have a Torre-esque managerial career. it was short and pretty much abysmal.

that said, there is absolutely no reason why he is out and mazeroski is in.

the veterens committee should be ashamed of themselves.

His managerial career was far from abysmal. He managed the woeful Senators to some middle-of-the pack AL finishes before taking over the woeful Mets, then somehow won a World Series with an offensively-challenged team, beating a great 109-win Oriole team in the middle of a dynastic run in five games. Had he not died suddenly at 48, he very well may have had a Torre-esque managerial career.

 

[KaiserUEO]

That question was worded poorly, but I believe it was meant to show that Hodges was the dominant offensive first baseman during the 1950s, an era in which which 30 HRs and 100 RBIs was a big deal. He was also one of the finest fielding first basemen of his era, and arguably among the dozen or so best of all time. To me, that puts him in the HoF.


His managerial career was far from abysmal. He managed the woeful Senators to some middle-of-the pack AL finishes before taking over the woeful Mets, then somehow won a World Series with an offensively-challenged team, beating a great 109-win Oriole team in the middle of a dynastic run in five games. Had he not died suddenly at 48, he very well may have had a Torre-esque managerial career.

fair enough, but we can use woulda/coulda/shoulda's...or my man Thurman Munson would long be in too.

fwiw: i am pro-Hodges to the HOF

 

[Knicks411]

That question was worded poorly, but I believe it was meant to show that Hodges was the dominant offensive first baseman during the 1950s, an era in which which 30 HRs and 100 RBIs was a big deal. He was also one of the finest fielding first basemen of his era, and arguably among the dozen or so best of all time. To me, that puts him in the HoF.

I know, like i said, it was just worded strangly to me, though I guess you could realize it wouldn't have been Foxx or Gehrig since they overlapped so much.

My opinion, from someone born well after he retired, was that he played for a great team which scored a ton of runs in a park that was gave up a lot of homers. He never finished higher than 7th in MVP voting. And the 50's was a pretty good era for runs scored, it wasnt like the 90's, but more runs were scored in the 50's than in the 3 decades that followed. Doesn't make it for me. Certainly if Jeff Bagwell can't make it then I can't support Hodges.

 

[SWC75]

I'm an advocate of what is known as the "Lefty O'Doul argument" that a person could make the Hall of Fame for a lifetime of contributions in various capacities, (ODoul was a top pitcher, hitter and manage rin the PCL back in the 20's when it was virtually a third major league, traveled east to prove himself ion the national league and in five years batted .349 with two batting titles. He then returned to the west coach to for a 20 year career as a successful PCVL manager when it was till an independent league. He hugely famous in Japan for all the work he did to get the game established there. But he's not in hte Hall because he only played in the majors for 5 years.)

I think both Joe Torre and Gil Hodges should be in Hall of Fame as borderline Hall of Fame players and successful managers of famous teams.

As to Mazeroski, Bill James says the stats how that he's best defesnsive player ever at any position. I think that deserves some recognition.

 

[br801]

I know, like i said, it was just worded strangly to me, though I guess you could realize it wouldn't have been Foxx or Gehrig since they overlapped so much.

My opinion, from someone born well after he retired, was that he played for a great team which scored a ton of runs in a park that was gave up a lot of homers. He never finished higher than 7th in MVP voting. And the 50's was a pretty good era for runs scored, it wasnt like the 90's, but more runs were scored in the 50's than in the 3 decades that followed. Doesn't make it for me. Certainly if Jeff Bagwell can't make it then I can't support Hodges.

Bagwell should be in by now, too. He's an absolute no-brainer, IMO, with first ballot numbers, just like Piazza. They will get in soon, but it looks like Hodges will forever be on the outside looking in.

 

[SWC75]

Bagwell should be in by now, too. He's an absolute no-brainer, IMO, with first ballot numbers, just like Piazza. They will get in soon, but it looks like Hodges will forever be on the outside looking in.

They are the victim of a witch-hunt. All I've heard against Piazza, who never tested positive, wasn't in the Mitchell report and wasn't named by Canesco, was that some unnamed person once saw some pimples on his back. Come on now!