I got this book in the mail at the beginning of the season and hadn’t had a chance to play with it. From time to time, we’ll play a quick round of “Name that Ballplayer“. I’ll give you three clues. The first clue will be visible, with the 2nd and 3rd clues being ones you need to mouse highlight over to reveal. If you are able to get the correct player on the first clue, give yourself 3pts. If you’re able to get it on the second clue, 2 points. Third clue, 1 point. The first few times we play, we’ll go real simple. The key is to not cheat and look up the answer. Really, what fun is that anyway? Post how many points you got in the comment section. We’ll start off with a nice fat pitch for you to knock out of the park. Trust me, though. They won’t stay this easy. I’d also like to know if you think this is something you would enjoy seeing more of.
Clue # 1 – This Hall of Fame flamethrower of a pitcher was traded along with three other players from the Mets to the Angels in December of 1971, when he was just 24 years old, for Jim Fergosi (who would wind up with a .265 lifetime batting average) in one of the most lopsided trades ever engineered.
Clue # 2 (Highlight to reveal) – The first player to earn $1 million in a season, he packed fans into ballparks across the nation with his 100+ mph fastball; fans knew that the possibilities of a no-hitter occuring and/or a strikeout record tumbling were palpable every time he took the hill.
Clue # 3 (Highlight to reveal) – This ageless wonder broke Sandy Kofax’s single-season record when he wiffed 383 batters in 1973, one of the 11 times he led the league in K’s. In fact, he was still fanning 200 to 300 hitters when he was as old as 44.
Kinda fun. Answer was a little easy, but if there are others, I’d enjoy them.
Knew that one right a way, he was a 69 Met.
THREE! (Probably my last, but I’m happy to have one even on an easy question!)
Easy one. Talk about a record that will never be broken, 7 No Hitters!
Now a days pitchers are lucky to get 7 complete games in a career, 7 no hitters, wow. I don’t think that record will ever be broken.
Trivia- On the exact day that Nolan Ryan threw his 7th no hitter some one else in baseball set a record. Name the player and the record.
Three points, too easy. And talk about someone who’s turning around a team in a short time, it seems. It will be interesting to see how many, more or less than typical, of their “pitching prospects” fall to the wayside with his new philosophies he’s putting in place.
Too easy, I got it halfway thru the first clue. But, still fun.
I used to be proud of my trivial pursuit skills, but with google we can all find Ricky ‘s theft.
No Googling, that’s cheating.
I remember the day. Ricky stole the base, rip the base out of the ground and declared himself the greatest. “Yesterday Lou Brock was the greatest, today I am the greatest.”
Nolan Ryan walked off the field after his 7th no hitter and got on the stationary bike for his usual post game workout.
Old school humility meet new school bragadosia. Nolan made the front page of the newspaper I got the next day, Ricky and his ego was on page 4. The baseball Gods worked well that day. They had to let Ricky know the game is bigger than any one individual.
This is baseball.. it’s not called cheating, it’s called getting an edge.
Ha, so it is.
I think you misquoted that. Ricky only spoke of himself in the first person.
“Yesterday Lou Brock was the greatest, today Ricky is the greatest.”