Normally I've posted a baseball trivia question on the weekend, but I'll post this one today for reasons obvious from the clues. Also, mindful that one faithful reader thought last week's question was "too easy," I've tried to increase the level of difficulty. I'll also probably post a related entry tomorrow. Here goes!
On July 17, 1941, I did something not once, but twice. I was just doing my job, but millions around the country probably wished I hadn't done it so well. Who am I, what did I do, and why has it become part of baseball history? (Hint: I'm pictured to the right.)
Kenny Keltner of the Cleveland Indians made two outstanding backhanded stops of Dimaggio drives to end the "Yankee Clipper"s 1941 hitting streak at 56 games. What pitcher and what team did Dimaggio begin the streak against?
Bob Zinnecker
Penfield, NY
At the beginning of this question I thought it was going in another direction (it did not), so I'll just post what I thought it was: I threw two no-hitters in a row, who am I? (I know, this takes us down the path of easier questions, but it was on my mind)
Oh great. Now my own father is chiming in with a quick (and correct) response. I salute you.
As for the question he poses, I'll let another reader respond.
I'll post more on "the streak" tomorrow. Stay tuned.
OK..let's up the ante…the Cleveland Indianas last won the world series in 1948, what role did Kenny Keltner play in that wonderful season? for the dads in the house, my dad was the broadcast engineer for the Indians in 1948..r
Johnny Van Der Meer is the no-hitter guy, what makes the second no hitter a bit of a historical event in another way?
Ken Keltner led the 1948 Cleveland Indians in Slugging percentage. I think he finished second in Home Runs and Runs Batted In to my boyhood hero, Joe Gordon. Joe "Flash" Gordon was elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously earlier this year. What famous trade was he involved in?
on the joe gordon trade..it was with the yankees for the great pitcher allie reynolds..my dad always claimed the indians got one championship out of the trade and lost five or six…kenny keltner hit the key home run in the playoff game with the red soxs that got the indians into the world series…r
If anyone asks what's the most unbreakable record in baseball, I always answer Johnny Van Der Meer's two consecutive no-hitters. After all, to break it, you'd need three consecutive no-hitters. I think that's more improbable even than amassing 512 career wins.
The trade for Allie Reynolds wasn't what I had in mind. The trade I'm thinking of occurred after Gordon's playing days were over. But, as long as Allie Reynolds has come up – what was his nickname?
dan is going kill us for taking up bandwidth, but the answer is joe gordon was traded by frank the trader lane as a manager to the tigers for jimmie dykes, frank the trader also traded rocky colavito to the tigers for harvey kuenn, that was world class dumb and broke a little kid's heart (mine)
and Allie Reynolds=Superchief (i think), by the way he was a college athlete, unusual for his time..r
Good job! Gordon was traded for Dykes. As far as I can remember, it was the only trade of managers in the major leagues. Reynolds was of American Indian ancestry and was nicknamed "The Chief"
Unbreakable records. OK – Van Der Meer is right up there, but what about Cy Young's 316 (!) LOSSES.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/loss-records.shtml
Wow.
Cy Young's 316 losses pale in comparison to his 749 complete games. Think that record will ever be broken?