Trivia

[Richie]

Yep, Vida Blue. Great job! That's a trick one.

[brewdude15]

yeah, i had to think twice about that one.

[Weirdos19]

Didn't Eddie Murray win an MVP in Baltimore? I thought so....

[Fatter than Joey]

Murray won a ROY and a HR title with 22 HRs

[UeckerAddict]

Name the first three black players in the major leagues.

[areacodes]

Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Frank Robinson?

 

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong.

[UeckerAddict]

Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Frank Robinson?

 

At least 2 of your answers would be quite popular, but would you believe me if I said 0 for 3?

[TooLiveBrew]

So this has to be a trick question, right?

[Fatter than Joey]

Fleetwood Walker

[joepepsi]

Didn't Eddie Murray win an MVP in Baltimore? I thought so....

Iirc, Eddie received more MVP votes in the 1980's than any other player, but never won the award. As Bill James once wrote about Steady Eddie: "which season was Murray's best? Every season!"

[UeckerAddict]

Fatter Than Joey got one. No, it's actually not a trick question. Breaking the color barrier does not make you the first black player if there were black players around before the color barrier was set up.

[TooLiveBrew]

Awesome question UeckerAddict.

[Fatter than Joey]

I think Fleetwood Walker had a brother as well.

[TooLiveBrew]

Mick?

[Fatter than Joey]

I think it was Wesley Walker -- I know that is the Jets WR -- but the name Wesley sticks with me. At any rate Fleetwood Walker and his brother were two of the three -- before Cap Anson and others built up the color barrier. I cannot recall the third.

 

I saw a segment regarding this in between Ken Burns making me fall asleep and turning to shows with more nudity, when I was watching the Homerifiic "Baseball" series.

[UeckerAddict]

It would be wrong of me to suggest that I am an authoritarian on this matter. It is likely one of those questions that is difficult to state as a declarative (for instance, asking who invented baseball. Some would say Doubleday, some would say Cartwright). The catch is that people always say Robinson, and the really educated also say Doby.

 

I don't think there is any dispute about Fleet Walker being one of the first three. I had always believed that the other two were William Edward White and Bud Fowler. However, this may just be one interpretation about who those first three were (a la Rashomon). Fatter Than Joey could be right about Walker's brother. I just love the way this question goes against the obvious answers that we were all taught. It does not make me cringe to hear Jackie Robinson labeled at the first black player in the major leagues, as he deserves all the credit in the world, but it is one of those historical truisms that are not completely factual (i.e. The entire Continental Congress signing the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, three wisemen in the Bible-no number was actually specified-, Edison inventing the lightbulb, etc).

 

So, the answer may not be what I thought it was, though it might be, but it still always proves to be a different answer than most people expected.

[mls4]

Who knows the given first names for the following players (without google):

 

1. Ken Griffey Jr.

2. Chipper Jones

3. Albert Pujols

4. CC Sabathia

5. Nomar Garciaparra

6. BJ Upton

7. Corey Hart

8. JD Drew

9. Roy Halladay

10. Miguel Cabrera

11. Coco Crisp

12. Seth McClung

[Fatter than Joey]

I don't think there is any dispute about Fleet Walker being one of the first three.

 

There isn't, his scuffles with Cap Anson are well documented.

 

I had always believed that the other two were William Edward White and Bud Fowler

 

Bud Fowler is definitely another one -- he was the one I couldn't remember -- William White though, I think that the jury is still out on -- I remember SABR did some research, and there were some definite loose ends.

 

Fatter Than Joey could be right about Walker's brother.

 

I am, his brother was his teammate -- I know that for a fact as well.

[DKM4Boston]

1. Ken Griffey Jr. - George

2. Chipper Jones - Larry

4. CC Sabathia - Carsten

7. Corey Hart - Jon

12. Seth McClung - Michael

[UeckerAddict]

Fatter Than Joey could be right about Walker's brother.

 

I am, his brother was his teammate -- I know that for a fact as well.

But was he one of the first three?

[brewdude15]

1. Ken Griffey Jr. - George

2. Chipper Jones - Larry

4. CC Sabathia - Carsten

7. Corey Hart - Jon

12. Seth McClung - Michael

I think you mean Carsten Charles http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Blindcheck]

Question: Who is the only player to win an MVP award, yet never appear on an All Star Roster in his entire Career?

 

(MVP and All Star game era )

[Sundown Kid]

Kirk Gibson

[cubfan1126]

The answer I have is: 1st and 2nd. Nobody Out. Batter hits a popup. Infield fly rule. 1 out. Runner on first passes runner on second. He's automatically out. 2 down. The popup then comes back to earth via the 3rd baserunner's noggin. He's automatically out. 3 down.

Been thinking about this and I have come to the (maybe faulty) conclusion that this is not possible.

Once the runner on first passes the runner on second, he is declared out and therefore no longer are there runners on first and second and therefore the infield fly rule is no longer in effect. - There is no provision that states "before the ball is hit" or anything of the sort. There is a provision that could render an umpires declaration of " Infield fly - batter out" moot - the ball bounces untouched in front of the pitcher and kicks to foul territory making it a foul ball and therefore no out even though the ump has screamed "Batter out".

[sdcheezhd]

The infield fly is called when the umpire believes the ball can be caught with ordinary effort. If he does, it's called and the force is removed and the batter is out. Period. Everything else remains the same. The runners can choose to advance at their own risk (and be doubled off if the ball is caught). It doesn't make any difference if the ball is caught or not (except if it's not it removes the chance that an advancing runner will be doubled off and increases the chance he'll reach the next base). Since the runners are advancing at their own risk, the runner on 1st still can be out if he passes the runner on 2d. So cubfan your guess that your conclusion may be faulty was well founded. I think that also means that the infield fly call cannot be "mooted" by the fielders' action or inaction re the foul ball scenario but that's a more interesting question.