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Our Special Bonds: Hall of Fame

As per usual, a trivia quiz (with much help from Baseball-Reference.com) centered around an appropriate theme. Perhaps it will provide you with something to do this weekend, either between games of the Mets day/night doubleheader or prior to induction ceremonies on Sunday.

Answers here: http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2006/07/our-special-bonds-hall-of-fame-answers.html

1) The first player inducted into the Hall of Fame, who at the time of his induction could say that he had played in a regular season game against the Mets hit .405 with 6 home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games against the Mets for his career (including the first 3-HR game against the Mets). Name the man who also happened to be a teammate of Ruben Gotay's uncle.

2) Hall of Fame pitchers went 14-3 against the 1962 Mets. Name the three Hall of Fame pitchers that the '62 team managed to beat.

3) The best example I could find of a pitcher DOMINATING a Hall of Famer is for this pitcher vs Willie Stargell. This pitcher held Stargell to 3 hits in 50 at-bats. He faced Stargell twice in the famous "Ball on the Wall" game in 1973 and retired him both times. He also lost to the Mets once in 1962. Name him.


4) Joe Morgan struck out 3 times in a game a dozen times in his career. Amazingly, four of those games came against the Mets. In two of those instances, one pitcher struck him out all three times. Name the pair of lefthanders who can say they had such success against Morgan.


5) Name the only Hall of Famer to hit into a triple play against the Mets. It took him (many) extra innings to do it, during one game in 1964, just as it took him (many) years to get into the Hall of Fame.


6) Which of these Hall of Famers never had a walk-off hit against the Mets: Cal Ripken Jr., Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks, Willie McCovey


7) Which of these Hall of Famers NEVER suffered a walk-off loss against the Mets: Steve Carlton, Dennis Eckersley, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson


8) Willie Randolph had a base hit against 9 different Hall of Fame pitchers. Name the only Hall of Famer to hold Randolph hitless. The Mets manager had 8 at-bats against this pitcher and did not record a base hit.

9) Name the Hall of Famer who went 0-for-22 against Tom Seaver. Yes, he was a pitcher, one that WFAN talk show host Mike Francesa would call "a compiluh."

10) Only one Hall of Famer has had a 5-hit game against the Mets. Name him.

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