Just a little fun - a few questions for our trivia buffs! Don't be afraid to wager a guess!

1. Name every major league team Pete Rose played for.

2. Who holds the major league record for most homeruns hit by a switch-hitter?

3. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the National League. Who was the first African American to play in the American League?

No googling!!!

lafmom,

I am not sure how long this thread will last once the answers are determined, so I think I get to have the most fun with it

1) I guess Cincinnati and Philadelphia
2) I guess Mickey Mantle
3) Living in Cleveland, I know the answer is Larry Doby.

I'll add one to number 3. Who was the first African American manager in the big leagues, what team, and what happened that was special in his first game as manager? Also, who is the only player to win MVP in both the American League and the National League?

number 1: Cinci, Philly, and Montreal

CD - Number three was just for you! I should have known you'd come up with some others though! I don't have a clue as to your questions - hopefully someone else will!

GloveMan -You're completely correct on number one! I had no idea that Rose had played for those three teams. Like CD, I guessed Philly and Cincy only!

CD:

The answer to both your questions is Frank Robinson. I am not certain which team he managed but I am guessing the Indians. What happened in his first game? I haven't a clue.

TW344 - He was not only the manager, but a player/manager and he hit a homerun in his first game as manager at old Cleveland Stadium in front of 75,000 people for opening day. What a thrill that was. Great player who is often over looked.

Now THOSE were fun games, eh CD? 75k fans....not the best views but that place rocked at times!

Not only did he hit a home run in that game, I believe it was the game winning run, wasn't it?
And, yes, Beezer that Stadium was awesome! I grew up in that place. My Mom would drop off me and my buddy on weekend games with a brown bag lunch and pick us up afterwards. We would buy cheap seats and move down to the box seats as soon as we could get away with it. Bangin' those old wooden seats to get a rally started was the best!

Daddybags - Love that story!!!!

D-Bags - one of my best memories was when my mom took me and a few friends to a night game. There was a couple hour rain delay and we ended up down by the Indians dugout because the father of one of the guys we took played with Buddy Bell. So we were standing down there talking to Buddy and all of the players. I don't even remember IF they finished the game that night but it was the best "game" ever!

The nostalgia of the old stadium is often the only thing to look back fondly upon. The reason you were able to bump down into the good seats is because no one was there. In the 70's and much of the 80's, probably less than 5000 per night. We all waited a lifetime for the Tribe to finally emerge in 1994. Now, that seems a distant memory at times.

I guess I'll keep this game going for a while. This is an easy one. Before Frank Robinson, who was the Tribe's last player/manager?

Just guessing, but did Lajoie do it?

Lajoie is a good guess and I'll have to look up whether or not he was one. The last one was Lou Boudreau who was also the last one to manage them to a World Series championship in 1948.

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
The nostalgia of the old stadium is often the only thing to look back fondly upon. The reason you were able to bump down into the good seats is because no one was there. In the 70's and much of the 80's, probably less than 5000 per night. We all waited a lifetime for the Tribe to finally emerge in 1994. Now, that seems a distant memory at times.

Imagine a 12 year old taking the local bus (#19CTS) to the old stadium by himself with 50 cents for a "box seat".

Imagine letting your kid do that today. Times have changed................how the game has changed, mostly due to dilution/expansion adding 10 more teams since the late sixties.

Go back and look at the mediocre Cleveland Indians team ERA for 1967, as an example.

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
In the 70's and much of the 80's, probably less than 5000 per night.

Those games were definitely creepy. I think, in addition to Munson, one of the reasons I'm a Yankee fan was because when NY was in town, that place was usually PACKED!

Lou Boudreau. Inventor of the 'Williams shift' where, with no one on base and Ted Williams up to bat, the 2B played almost a short right field, the SS played where the 2B usually played and the 3B played close to the shortstop's regular position. You still see variations of that shift today against certain LH hitters. Anybody ever at a game in the old Cleveland Stadium when the "Williams shift" was put on. Or am I too old?

quote:

Originally posted by TW344:
Anybody ever at a game in the old Cleveland Stadium when the "Williams shift" was put on. Or am I too old?

Matt Williams?

I'm pretty sure Lajoie was a player/coach but Boudreau was the last one.
You're right CD, there was hardly anyone in the stands but we didn't care. We just loved the atmosphere and cheering for The Rock( not the wrestler), Daddy Wags, Woody Held, Sudden Sam, etc.
That's so cool Beezer that those guys would come over and talk to you guys. How many players do you think would do that today?
And Oldslugger, I remember taking the CTS #81 downtown but I don't think I ever took the bus to any baseball games.
Hey did anybody get the switch hitter that hit the most home runs? I thought it was somebody since Mickey Mantle, but, I don't know who.

DaddyBags - If there's been anyone since Mantle, it must have been very recently. I'll confess that my questions didn't come from my own knowledge, but a trivia game of my sons! Just went through and picked some questions that I thought were interesting and of interest to our region perhaps.

I'll dig us some more out tonight! I'll say that I'm impressed with the knowledge of our posters! I feel challenged to try and stump CD!

quote:

Originally posted by DADDYBAGS:
That's so cool Beezer that those guys would come over and talk to you guys. How many players do you think would do that today?

Keep in mind, there may have been 1000 people in the place TOTALat that point so who else were they going to talk to?

Was Carlos Baerga the SH HR answer?