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More Impossible Trivia

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 10:42 AM

The Topic: Dubious Records

  1. Most Career RBI without ever leading his league?


  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?


  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?


  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?


  5. Who had the most errors by a modern-day third baseman?


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?
Three Mets are part of our pool of correct answers.

Benjamin Grimm
Aug 14 2007 10:47 AM

A few wild guesses:

4. Phil Neikro

5. Matt Williams (by "modern day" do you mean since 1900?)



8. Ernie Banks

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 10:51 AM

No

No (Yes)

No

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 10:54 AM

1. Harold Baines

HahnSolo
Aug 14 2007 10:56 AM

4 Scott Erickson?

5 Harry Steinfeldt?

8 Ed Kranepool?

Rotblatt
Aug 14 2007 10:57 AM

3. Adam Dunn?

Gwreck
Aug 14 2007 10:58 AM

I think #1 is Rafael Palmiero.

Gwreck
Aug 14 2007 11:00 AM

#4 John Burkett?

metsguyinmichigan
Aug 14 2007 11:03 AM

Bill Gullickson posted a 3.90 ERA when he won 20 with the Tigers. (Homers in the office were saying he should have won the Cy Young that year. I said no way.)

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:08 AM

]1. Harold Baines


Nope.

]4 Scott Erickson?

5 Harry Steinfeldt?

8 Ed Kranepool?


No, no, no.

]3. Adam Dunn?


No.

]I think #1 is Rafael Palmiero.


It's not.

]#4 John Burkett?


NoNo

]Bill Gullickson posted a 3.90 ERA when he won 20 with the Tigers. (Homers in the office were saying he should have won the Cy Young that year. I said no way.)


Higher than 3.90.

Frayed Knot
Aug 14 2007 11:08 AM

#2 = Cal Ripken

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:12 AM

Frayed Knot wrote:
#2 = Cal Ripken


Yeah, sometimes Iron Man means "Iron Feet."

1) Cal Ripken 350
2) Hank Aaron 328
3) Carl Yastrzemski 323
4) Jason Phillips 317

HahnSolo
Aug 14 2007 11:12 AM

3 Dave Kingman?

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:14 AM

Seems like it, but no.

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 11:15 AM

1. If not Harold Baines, it's got to be Tony Perez.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:16 AM

Does not.

HahnSolo
Aug 14 2007 11:17 AM

6 Ryan Howard

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:23 AM

No.

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 11:27 AM

1. Willie Mays?

Benjamin Grimm
Aug 14 2007 11:27 AM

6. Joe Charboneau?

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:28 AM

Valadius wrote:
1. Willie Mays?


Indeed. It didn't have to be Harold Baines at all.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:29 AM

Yancy Street Gang wrote:
6. Joe Charboneau?


Charbo-no.

Johnny Dickshot
Aug 14 2007 11:33 AM

3. Rob Deer

Frayed Knot
Aug 14 2007 11:40 AM

#6 - David Wright?

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 11:41 AM

Fathead Sabathia hasn't had a 20-win season, has he?

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 11:42 AM

7. leiter

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:43 AM

Johnny Dickshot wrote:
3. Rob Deer


Brilliant!

Rob tops the Brewer-heavy list at 2.74 at-bats per strikeout

2) Pete Incaviglia (3.31, amazingly, never a Brewer)

3) Jose Hernandez (3.32)

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:44 AM

Frayed Knot wrote:
#6 - David Wright?


David Wrong. It would seem sort of unfair for the answer to be an active guy at the start of his career, anyhow. Good try.

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 11:44 AM

4. Or maybe it's that other tub of lard, David Wells?

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 11:45 AM

6. garret atkins

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:45 AM
Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 14 2007 11:46 AM

Valadius wrote:
Fathead Sabathia hasn't had a 20-win season, has he?


No. Nor has he had any poor-ERA seasons.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:46 AM

Valadius wrote:
4. Or maybe it's that other tub of lard, David Wells?


It's bad form not waiting for one guess to get answered before trying another. No.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 11:47 AM

metsmarathon wrote:
6. garret atkins


Try harder.

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 11:56 AM

but i don't want to...

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 12:07 PM

well, garrett atkins is more correct than ryan howard...

elvin clark adams

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 12:14 PM

Who?

  1. Most Career RBI without ever leading his league?

    Wrong Guesses:
    Valadius (Baines, Perez, -2 Point)
    Gwreck (Palmeiro, -1 Point)


    2. Correct Answer:
    Valadius (Mays, 5 Points)

  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?

    Correct Answer:
    Frayed Knot (Ripken, 5 Points)


  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?

    Correct Answer:
    Johnny Dickshot (Deer, 5 Points)


    4. Wrong Guesses:
    Rottblatt (Dunn, -1 Point)
    Hahn Solo (Kingman, -1 Point)

  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?

    Wrong Guesses:
    Yancy (Niekro, -1 Point)
    Hahn Solo (Erickson, -1 Point)
    Gwreck (Burkett, -1 Point)
    metsguyinmichigan (Gullickson, -1 point)
    Valadius (Sabathia, Wells, -2 point)


  5. Who had the most errors by a modern-day third baseman?

    Wrong Guesses:
    Yancy (Williams, -1 Point)
    Hahn Solo (Steinfeldt, -1 Point)


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?

    Wrong Guesses:
    Hahn Solo (Howard, -1 Point)
    Yancy (Charboneau, -1 POint)
    Frayed Knot (Wright, -1 POint)
    metsmarathon (Atkins, -1 Point)


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?

    Wrong Guesses:
    metsmarathon (Leiter, -1 Point)


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?

    Wrong Guesses:
    Yancy (Banks, -1 Point)
    Hahn Solo (Kranepool, -1 Point)

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 12:20 PM

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 5
Frayed Knot: 4
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
metsguyinmichigan: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5

metsguyinmichigan
Aug 14 2007 12:30 PM

OK, for the highest ERA in a 20-win season, I decided it had to be an older guy since if would be legendary if it happened from the 1970s on.

Then I thought about the war-era since there were some pretty strange things going on, like Prince Hal Newshowser winning two MVPs.

Newhouser then got me thinking about Bobo Newsome, who had some 20-win seasons. I checked, and he had one that was above 5.00. That's gotta be the winner.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 12:38 PM

Five points for the Michigander:

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 5
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 4
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5

Iubitul
Aug 14 2007 12:39 PM

Yancy Street Gang wrote:
6. Joe Charboneau?


That was my first thought, too.

DocTee
Aug 14 2007 12:39 PM

4. Mike Norris
5. Mike Schmidt
6. Tommy Herr
7. Atlee Hammaker
8. Richie Hebner

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 12:43 PM

Wow, DocTee enters late and rockets into last:


Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 5
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 4
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

Johnny Dickshot
Aug 14 2007 12:54 PM

4. Mike Torrez

Nymr83
Aug 14 2007 01:00 PM

5. Ken Caminiti?

DocTee
Aug 14 2007 01:01 PM

Just returned from the dentist--still under the influence.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 01:01 PM
Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 14 2007 01:04 PM

No, but that's why I love Dickshot. Others might play it safe until his lead is challenged. But JD shoots for the green.

Though he should have noted that we actually have a correct answer for number four.

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 4
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 01:02 PM
Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 14 2007 01:04 PM

Nymr is incorrect with Caminiti. Cam peaked with 27 errata.

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 4
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Nymr: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

Nymr83
Aug 14 2007 01:03 PM

oh you wanted single season? somehow i misread the question as most career errors

metsguyinmichigan
Aug 14 2007 01:06 PM

As for the third baseman...speaking of Tigers. Wasn't Sheffield a brutal glovesman with the Padres?
That's my guess. And he'll blame the flaxseed oil.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 01:09 PM

Not Sheffield (apparently the incorrect answer to every trivia question), though he did make a soccertastic 34 boots between two teams in 1993.

You are no longer tied for first.

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

metsguyinmichigan
Aug 14 2007 01:10 PM

OK, you have to define the modern era. Some Giant from 1900 who had 86 or something nuts like that?

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 01:12 PM

metsmarathon wrote:
well, garrett atkins is more correct than ryan howard...

6. elvin clark adams

HahnSolo
Aug 14 2007 01:17 PM

If I'd known the grading scale had been so harsh, I wouldn't have thrown out such wild guesses.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 01:19 PM

And I asked you who that was. But a little digging has told me Elvin is Buster and Buster is Elvin.

Wrong, but he was in third, with 43.8% of his RBI coming in 1945.

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -3
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 01:26 PM

missed the who. sorry. i figured war-year fill-ins was the right ticket...

HahnSolo
Aug 14 2007 01:31 PM

#8 has to be an everyday player, right? Pitchers who were on the losing team but not in the game don't count? Or do they?

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 01:33 PM

Number eight is "games played...," so earning your pay and your losses by sitting on the bench --- in the dugout or in the bullpen --- wouldn't count.

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 01:39 PM

8. ed kranepool

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 01:43 PM

Nope. Been guessed.

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
Valadius: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
metsmarathon: -4
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

Benjamin Grimm
Aug 14 2007 01:53 PM

This is getting confusing. Can we see a list of correctly answered questions?

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 02:00 PM

We have one, two, three, and four.

  1. Who had the most Career RBI without ever leading his league?

    Correct Answer: Mays

  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?

    Correct Answer: Ripken

  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?

    Correct Answer: Deer


  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?

    Correct Answer: Newsome


  5. Who had the most errors in a season (sorry, Nymr) by a modern-day third baseman?


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 02:05 PM

8. rusty staub

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 02:10 PM

Correct for five points. You are out of the red and into the black.

Score:
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
Valadius: 1
metsmarathon: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

  1. Who had the most Career RBI without ever leading his league?

    Correct Answer: Mays

  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?

    Correct Answer: Ripken

  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?

    Correct Answer: Deer


  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?

    Correct Answer: Newsome


  5. Who had the most errors in a season (sorry, Nymr) by a modern-day third baseman?


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?

    Correct Answer: Rusty Staub

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 02:11 PM

is the an at bat limit on #7?

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 02:14 PM

Let's make it 200.

Benjamin Grimm
Aug 14 2007 02:14 PM

metsmarathon wrote:
8. rusty staub


Oooh! I was thinking that too and you beat me to it!

Number 6 is the one I'm most intrigued by.

metirish
Aug 14 2007 02:18 PM

Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?

Ron Herbel

In 206 career AB's, Herbel had six hits, for a .029 average.

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 02:22 PM

And metirish, tearing through Ireland's only baseball encyclopedia, gets our last Metly answer. Don Carman was second, and Mark Clark was third.

Score:
metirish: 5
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
Valadius: 1
metsmarathon: 1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

  1. Who had the most Career RBI without ever leading his league?

    Correct Answer: Mays

  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?

    Correct Answer: Ripken

  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?

    Correct Answer: Deer


  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?

    Correct Answer: Newsome


  5. Who had the most errors in a season (sorry, Nymr) by a modern-day third baseman?


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?

    Correct Answer: Ron Herbel


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?

    Correct Answer: Rusty Staub

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 03:24 PM

5. Pie Traynor?

Mendoza Line
Aug 14 2007 03:27 PM

6. Sixto Lezcano?

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 03:48 PM

6. Tony Conigliaro?

smg58
Aug 14 2007 03:57 PM

Edgy DC wrote:
1) Cal Ripken 350
2) Hank Aaron 328
3) Carl Yastrzemski 323
4) Jason Phillips 317


The ex-Met Jason Phillips?? This is one list where a backup catcher with relatively limited service does not want to be grouped with hall-of-famers who enjoyed very long careers.

Nymr83
Aug 14 2007 04:16 PM

smg58 wrote:
="Edgy DC"]1) Cal Ripken 350
2) Hank Aaron 328
3) Carl Yastrzemski 323
4) Jason Phillips 317


The ex-Met Jason Phillips?? This is one list where a backup catcher with relatively limited service does not want to be grouped with hall-of-famers who enjoyed very long careers.


baseball-reference says Jason Phillips grounded into 56 DPs...

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 04:25 PM

Welcome A-Bordick to Mendoza line. Unfortunately, your debut answer is wrong, as is both of valadius'.

Score:
metirish: 5
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
metsmarathon: 1
Valadius: -1
Mendoza Line: -1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

I was going from memory by including Jason Phillips in there. I'm certain I personally saw him ground into at least 300 double plays. At least!

Frayed Knot
Aug 14 2007 04:41 PM

Mendoza Line wrote:
6. Sixto Lezcano?


It would be kinda cool if Sixto were the answer to question #6 though.

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 06:40 PM

6. billy brubaker - 225 rbi career, 102 in '36 for the pirates

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 07:06 PM

Brubaker is number two.

You are now at zero, a sort of Mendoza line, though still ahead of Mendoza Line.

Score:
metirish: 5
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
metsmarathon: 0
Valadius: -1
Mendoza Line: -1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 07:13 PM

6. Ray Pepper.

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 07:18 PM

if its not charlie hickman, that giant with 86 errors at the hot corner in 1900, then its gotta be lee tannehill with 76 for the chisox in '03, then, right?

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 07:19 PM

damn, as i go hunting thru the nl, valadius hits the al...

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 07:26 PM

My source says "modern." That term is usually used to refer to "since 1900." I got home and checked my source's source, and find that they mean "since 1946."

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 07:29 PM

5. Dick Allen?

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 08:15 PM

Pepper right. Allen wrong, though his 1964 is good for second.

Score:
metirish: 5
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
Valadius: 3
metsguyinmichigan: 3
metsmarathon: 0
Mendoza Line: -1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

  1. Who had the most Career RBI without ever leading his league?

    Correct Answer: Mays

  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?

    Correct Answer: Ripken

  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?

    Correct Answer: Deer


  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?

    Correct Answer: Newsome


  5. Who had the most errors in a season (sorry, Nymr) by a modern-day third baseman?


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?

    Correct Answer: Pepper


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?

    Correct Answer: Ron Herbel


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?

    Correct Answer: Rusty Staub

Valadius
Aug 14 2007 08:39 PM

5. Butch Hobson.

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 08:43 PM

rats... beat me to it...

metirish
Aug 14 2007 08:46 PM

Did I win something or what?

metsmarathon
Aug 14 2007 08:47 PM

i think valadius just leapfrogged you...

Edgy DC
Aug 14 2007 08:47 PM

And we have a winner.

Hobson's 43 errors were largely the result of an elbow injury, immortalized by the Sons of Sam Horn poster named "Butch Hobson's Bone Chips." He was forced to get a running start on his throws, and believed himself to be such a detriment that he asked Don Zimmer to yank him from the lineup.

Score:
Valadius: 8
metirish: 5
Johnny Dickshot: 4
Frayed Knot: 4
metsguyinmichigan: 3
metsmarathon: 0
Mendoza Line: -1
rottblatt: -1
Gwreck: -2
Yancy: -4
Hahn Solo: -5
DocTee: -5

  1. Who had the most Career RBI without ever leading his league?

    Correct Answer: Mays

  2. Who had the most career double-plays grounded into?

    Correct Answer: Ripken

  3. Who, with at least 100 games, was the easiest to strike out?

    Correct Answer: Deer


  4. Who had the highest ERA in a 20-win season?

    Correct Answer: Newsome


  5. Who had the most errors in a season (sorry, Nymr) by a modern-day third baseman?

    Correct Answer: Pepper


  6. Who had the fewest lifetime RBI for a player with a 100-RBI season?

    Correct Answer: Hobson


  7. Who has the lowest career batting average by a pitcher?

    Correct Answer: Ron Herbel


  8. Who has the most games played in a losing cause (since 1957)?

    Correct Answer: Rusty Staub

metirish
Aug 14 2007 08:49 PM

Should have kept my gob shut, fair play Val.....