So after the nice reaction I got to my Barry Bonds trivia quiz, it struck me that I should make this a quasi-regular blog feature in the mold of "Best Games I Know" and "Didja Ever Notice?"
With that in mind, I went looking for a topic that I could make both educational and enjoyable. I found it in the subject of "Ownership."
I'm not talking about the kind that involves the Paysons or Wilpons. My subject is more related to something I wrote about not long ago- the idea of "Metskilledya" as it relates to the individual player.
Metskilledya- Of or relating to the idea of one being dominated by the Mets.
Origin of the word: Latvian Orthodox. Derived from the Seinfeldian "Cantstandya."
Alternate pronunciations: None, though you can give it an extra-nasal inflection, if you like.
Use in a sentence: "Darold Knowles, he of 1973 World Series heroics, came down with a case of Metskilledya later in his career, blowing saves in 4 consecutive appearances against them."
The topic came up repeatedly during this past week.
* After reading my Bonds quiz, a colleague conjured a fascinating hint as to which former Red yielded three career home runs to Cleon Jones (combine the first names of two 1969 Mets and you get Gary Nolan).
* I had a discussion with former Met pitcher Gary Kroll, who insisted he struck Willie Mays out 11 times in 18 at-bats (not true, but Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and Eddie Mathews all struggled against him)
* In advising fellow blogger Greg at Faith and Fear regarding an interview with former Met for a Minute Steve Springer, I made sure to point out that Springer went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts against Roger Clemens, a note that apparently had a good backstory to it.
So with that in mind, I went to work, trying to produce some minutiae worthy of your consumption. I should note that I've phrased the questions similar in style to a "Name That Met" quiz conducted by the Faith and Fear folks some time ago (imitation=flattery) but tried to put my own special twist on them.
A note before we begin: You'll know that such a quiz is coming if you see the "Our Special Bonds" title...I've decided, in the spirit of good wordplay, that it's an appropriate title. It's also the phrase I used to describe the attendance of my sister and I at Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, so it has a special meaning for me beyond minutiae.
Special thanks to Baseball-Reference.com without which this would have been tough to do.
Here are the questions.
The link to the answers can be found here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/04/our-special-bonds-ownership-answers.html
1) It was a hoot when Wayne Garrett or Bud Harrelson stepped to the plate against this intimidating mound presence, against whom each had a .333 batting average Ed Kranepool (.313) also hit this man well. Name him.
2) Lee Mazzilli hit more home runs (3) against Bob Sykes and these 2 Opening Day regulars (particularly against the Mets) than any other pitchers he faced. Name the two.
3) There are 2 pitchers of whom Tom Seaver can say "I hit them perfectly. 1-for-1, with a home run." One gave up a famous home run in Mets history and has at times been alleged of unsavory on-field acts. The other achieved a major baseball milestone not long before the time of the Miracle Mets and has had unsavory off-field issues. Name them.
4) I believe that Mookie Wilson had more triples against this pitcher than any other he faced (3 in just 12 at-bats). Name him.
5) Anthony Young's first major-league win came against the only team against whom he had a winning record for his career (3-2). Curt Schilling pitched in that inaugural Young victory. Name the team that Anthony Young "owned."
6) Not surprisingly, considering his and their longevity, the 3 pitchers against whom Rusty Staub had the most RBI are Hall of Famers. Name them.
7) This pitcher, well known to both Mets and Yankees fans, has a family member against whom John Olerud was very fluid, going 10-for-13 with 6 walks. Name the family.
8) Three members of the 1986 Mets faced Ron Darling 10 or more times and had a .400 or better career batting average against him. One is Tim Corcoran. The other two share a pertinent special bond of their own. Name them.
9) Most Mets fans know that Joe McEwing had some success against Randy Johnson (4-for-6 in 2000) but I think it would give them greater pleasure to know that he had a .500 career batting average (5-for-10) against a former Mets pitcher. Name him.
10) Mets manager Willie Randolph had more hits (34) against this pitcher, one with a significant connection to Mets history, than any other he faced. Name this southpaw.
With that in mind, I went looking for a topic that I could make both educational and enjoyable. I found it in the subject of "Ownership."
I'm not talking about the kind that involves the Paysons or Wilpons. My subject is more related to something I wrote about not long ago- the idea of "Metskilledya" as it relates to the individual player.
Metskilledya- Of or relating to the idea of one being dominated by the Mets.
Origin of the word: Latvian Orthodox. Derived from the Seinfeldian "Cantstandya."
Alternate pronunciations: None, though you can give it an extra-nasal inflection, if you like.
Use in a sentence: "Darold Knowles, he of 1973 World Series heroics, came down with a case of Metskilledya later in his career, blowing saves in 4 consecutive appearances against them."
The topic came up repeatedly during this past week.
* After reading my Bonds quiz, a colleague conjured a fascinating hint as to which former Red yielded three career home runs to Cleon Jones (combine the first names of two 1969 Mets and you get Gary Nolan).
* I had a discussion with former Met pitcher Gary Kroll, who insisted he struck Willie Mays out 11 times in 18 at-bats (not true, but Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and Eddie Mathews all struggled against him)
* In advising fellow blogger Greg at Faith and Fear regarding an interview with former Met for a Minute Steve Springer, I made sure to point out that Springer went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts against Roger Clemens, a note that apparently had a good backstory to it.
So with that in mind, I went to work, trying to produce some minutiae worthy of your consumption. I should note that I've phrased the questions similar in style to a "Name That Met" quiz conducted by the Faith and Fear folks some time ago (imitation=flattery) but tried to put my own special twist on them.
A note before we begin: You'll know that such a quiz is coming if you see the "Our Special Bonds" title...I've decided, in the spirit of good wordplay, that it's an appropriate title. It's also the phrase I used to describe the attendance of my sister and I at Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, so it has a special meaning for me beyond minutiae.
Special thanks to Baseball-Reference.com without which this would have been tough to do.
Here are the questions.
The link to the answers can be found here:
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/04/our-special-bonds-ownership-answers.html
1) It was a hoot when Wayne Garrett or Bud Harrelson stepped to the plate against this intimidating mound presence, against whom each had a .333 batting average Ed Kranepool (.313) also hit this man well. Name him.
2) Lee Mazzilli hit more home runs (3) against Bob Sykes and these 2 Opening Day regulars (particularly against the Mets) than any other pitchers he faced. Name the two.
3) There are 2 pitchers of whom Tom Seaver can say "I hit them perfectly. 1-for-1, with a home run." One gave up a famous home run in Mets history and has at times been alleged of unsavory on-field acts. The other achieved a major baseball milestone not long before the time of the Miracle Mets and has had unsavory off-field issues. Name them.
4) I believe that Mookie Wilson had more triples against this pitcher than any other he faced (3 in just 12 at-bats). Name him.
5) Anthony Young's first major-league win came against the only team against whom he had a winning record for his career (3-2). Curt Schilling pitched in that inaugural Young victory. Name the team that Anthony Young "owned."
6) Not surprisingly, considering his and their longevity, the 3 pitchers against whom Rusty Staub had the most RBI are Hall of Famers. Name them.
7) This pitcher, well known to both Mets and Yankees fans, has a family member against whom John Olerud was very fluid, going 10-for-13 with 6 walks. Name the family.
8) Three members of the 1986 Mets faced Ron Darling 10 or more times and had a .400 or better career batting average against him. One is Tim Corcoran. The other two share a pertinent special bond of their own. Name them.
9) Most Mets fans know that Joe McEwing had some success against Randy Johnson (4-for-6 in 2000) but I think it would give them greater pleasure to know that he had a .500 career batting average (5-for-10) against a former Mets pitcher. Name him.
10) Mets manager Willie Randolph had more hits (34) against this pitcher, one with a significant connection to Mets history, than any other he faced. Name this southpaw.
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