Baseball: BASEBALL TRIVIA QUESTION #6

BASEBALL TRIVIA QUESTION #6


OK. I have found a GOOD trivia question--with FOUR ANSWERS-- which I think all baseball fans can try and contribute to... WITHOUT consulting Google or anything else. And before I pose the question, please know this:

NONE of the correct answers played so much as one game in the Dead Ball Era--or even in the 1920's. Only one played in the 1930's, and only two played before 1970. Both of them are very famous.

QUESTION: There are FOUR players who have won at least TWO Most Valuable Player Awards, AND who won at least one while playing one position, and at least one more while playing ANOTHER position. By "playing" a given position, I mean THAT was their dominant position during the season in question.

One of these players played almost his entire career before WWII, and died about 20 years ago. Another played his career in the 40's, 50's and 60's, and is quite old, but still living. The third has been retired for some time, but is well shy of 60. The fourth is still playing.

The first three are all in the Hall, and all of them unquestionably belong there. Barring a major disgrace (e.g., steroids or HGH), the fourth is also a mortal lock for the Hall.

NO USING ANY RESOURCE WHICH LISTS MVP WINNERS.

OK, fast now, how many of these guys can you name? It's 12:30 a.m. Eastern and 9:30 p.m. here on the REAL Coast. I'll watch at least 3 more hours. Lay your answers on me, as fast as possible.

Baseball History Nut

Current - Arod at ss and 3b

My guesses would be

Shy of 60 - Yount ss and cf or Ripken ss and 3b

Banks at ss and 1b

OK. You have taken your guesses, except as to the one who died in 1986, at age 75.

1. Alex Rodriguez is CORRECT.

2. Again, with the double-guesses, but Robin Yount is CORRECT.

3. Ernie Banks is INCORRECT, and so you have exhausted your guess as to the guy from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Banks never played in the 40's, and anyway, this guy was a MUCH better player than Ernie Banks. (That clue is for the benefits of others.

4. You have not yet taken your guess as to the guy whose career was almost completely prior to WWII, though he had a thundering return from WWII in the year of the worst baseball ever played, 1945. You are probably unaware that this guy's team once acquired Rudy York, forcing him to move to LF briefly, where he won an MVP. The thought of him in LF gives me shudders, as I'm sure it did his pitchers.

OK, you have one guy left to guess. The rest have two guys they still can guess at--the first two on the problem.

B.H.N.

CLUES, for Hootie and others, about the old-timer


1. He was born in 1911 and died in 1986, of cancer.

2. He only had 10 seasons with over 67 at bats, and 9 with over 300, yet any expert will agree he is one of the greatest ever at his position.

3. In this scant career, he hit 379 doubles, 71 triples and 331 homers--leaving us to wonder what he would have done, had he played a real career and not lost over 4 years to WWII.

4. He had a career .313 batting average, a whopping .412 career on-base average, and an absoluely magnificent .605 career slugging average, making him one of the greatest hitters ever.

5. His career runs created per 27 outs was also pretty staggering, at 9.46.

6. He was a terrible left fielder, a fact which was inevitable, but apparently Rudy York would have been even worse, and apparently the Tigers felt they had to have York in their lineup. They sure as hell had to have THIS GUY in their lineup.

7. This guy's best year was 1938. He amassed 58 HR's, which was tied for the 4th best ever for a long time, until steroid ball arrived. He also had a career-best .438 on-base and a career-base .683 slugging in 1938.

8. In 1937, he had a startling 103 extra base hits--check the list of guys with over 100 XBH in a season; until Steroid Ball, it was tiny--and drove in 183 runs, which is still the second-highest American League total ever, only one behind Lou Gehrig's 184. And this guy didn't have Babe Ruth constantly getting on base in front of him.

9. This guy was the first real Jewish baseball star, and unless I'm overlooking a real monster of a player, he's still the greatest Jewish player ever. I would take his short career over Sandy Koufax's short career, any day of the week, as long as we didn't have to play in the cavernous version of Dodger Stadium Koufax got to pitch in during his great seasons.

Bill James has said, with regard to the Phillies' Greg Luzinski and his laughably atrocious defensive flaws, that "it was like having Herman Munster play left field." I'm quite certain that's what this guy looked like out there, and personally I would not have put Rudi York at 1B for all the tea in China. But THIS GUY--well, he was without any doubt one of the greatest legitimate hitters of all time, and like Frank Howard 1.5 generations later, someone pitchers must have just DREADED facing.

I have referred to this man's enormous size in other places. I have not referred to the fact he had massively flat feet, making whatever hope he might otherwise have had of controlling his gigantic body impossible.

And please also note: The player from the 40's, 50's and 60's--who, pending the completion of A-Rod's career, is easily the greatest of these 4 players--was the answer to one of my other questions. Bill James' #8 all-time major leaguer, and probably one of my Top 10, with unbelievable stats which are getting somehow forgotten with time and because of a probably better player who shared his era and his position.

B.H.N.

The old player is Hank Greenberg.

The WW2 player is Stan Musial.

BOTH ANSWERS ARE CORRECT. GREAT JOB, HOOTIE.


Now seriously, please don't answer Question #7 until the posted 24-hour mark. I'm certain you would get at least 3 right, and if I HAD to bet, I would probably bet you would get all 4 right. I'd like some other people to guess on the four great members of "The Class of 1931," and see how many of those four great stars of the 1950's and 1960's who went on to join the 500 HR Club they can name. My next trivia question may have to do with other guys born in the 1930's who got there.

Again, Hootie, CONGRATS and GREAT JOB.

B.H.N.