Not to mention Giles and Briles side-by-side.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 15 May 2024 20:01 (four months ago) link
Better come back, maybe next week, 'cause you see I'm on a losing streak. Things to remember: Curt Blefary never played center field (Wednesday), Scipio Spinks was born in Chicago (today). Yesterday's, with the Marlins, was a lost cause.
― clemenza, Saturday, 18 May 2024 20:23 (four months ago) link
9/9, 60. I was good through the first four, then Renteria, then Welch, then I just gave up and went for the 9.
https://i.postimg.cc/YSyBHgMk/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Sunday, 19 May 2024 14:19 (four months ago) link
Neither snow nor rain...9/9, 15. Could've used Stairs for the Perry box too, which has led me to the Kurt Bevacqua Rule: not Montreal, but the other three '69 teams. Took a guess on U.L. Washington, who I figured must have spelled off Brett occasionally. He did--exactly once. (Didn't he always have a toothpick in his mouth?)
https://i.postimg.cc/G3BMggW1/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Tuesday, 21 May 2024 11:57 (four months ago) link
Yes, he did (the toothpick). And he was on first when Brett hit the pine tar HR.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 21 May 2024 11:59 (four months ago) link
Periodically returned to this through the day, knowing full well I had nothing for Arizona.
https://i.postimg.cc/sDxQxqVK/grid.jpg
Was pretty good through the first seven, with an auto-fill-assisted guess on Miguel Dilone. I remembered Mark Reynolds from yesterday's strikeouts/power discussion. But the famous-again Ron Leflore still had me over 30%, so I threw in the towel with Schilling and Carroll. Tony Womack crossed my mind at one point, but forgot him by the time I finished.
So one of those grids: 9/9, 112.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 22 May 2024 22:01 (four months ago) link
Colourful curse words: 8/9, 106:
https://i.postimg.cc/8CNd9Xjq/grid.jpg
People I thought of for lifetime White Sox box: Minnie Minoso, Eddie Cicotte, Richard Dotson, Jason Bere, Al Lopez, none of whom would have been right--Al Lopez didn't even play for the Chicago (but managed them for 12 years). Who I guessed: Chico Carrasquel, who was there six out of 10 seasons. Who I should have guessed: Luke Appling or Red Faber. Who I could have guessed if I paid a lot more attention to Jays' games: Nick Nastrini, who's had three lifetime starts for the White Sox and got hammered by Toronto the other night.
― clemenza, Friday, 24 May 2024 14:41 (four months ago) link
Old Nick would have been 0.9%.
― clemenza, Friday, 24 May 2024 14:47 (four months ago) link
I don’t understand what’s going on with the no hitter cat. It’s paired with three different teams and the rules say that the no hitter has to happen with that team… when I was done (7/9) the number stated in the results screen was just over 2x the number that the bb ref page is giving me.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 26 May 2024 17:08 (four months ago) link
Not sure what you mean by "the number"...I had two days in a row where one box kept me from scoring under 10%, then today was a wipeout.
― clemenza, Sunday, 26 May 2024 17:48 (four months ago) link
Number = number of guys who pitched a no-hitter for that team? (It is team-specific, you're right.)
― clemenza, Sunday, 26 May 2024 17:49 (four months ago) link
Ya. That number.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 26 May 2024 19:00 (four months ago) link
It was higher than the actual amount should have been in the summary.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 26 May 2024 19:01 (four months ago) link
I think I figured out what was happening. The grid summary includes everyone ever involved with a no hitter - but when you click through to the BBref page, it only lists the guys who threw full games.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 27 May 2024 02:22 (four months ago) link
That'd be it, yeah. I'm not good on no-hitters. The ones I remember tend to be the famous ones--when I re-tried today's on a different browser, I typed in Dock Ellis for the Pirates--56%!.
― clemenza, Monday, 27 May 2024 03:40 (four months ago) link
9/9, 15.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4J9hYzC/grid.jpg
That's about the best I can do with Silver Slugger on there--don't think I could have got it under 10.
― clemenza, Monday, 27 May 2024 13:57 (four months ago) link
I mean, I'm surprised Dave Stapleton isn't under 0.1%--he'll definitely be my pick next time one-team-only turns up for the Red Sox.
― clemenza, Monday, 27 May 2024 13:59 (four months ago) link
Did this this morning but had to head out for the day--9/9, 9. Twice I got some auto-fill help: 1) couldn't remember Shin-Soo Choo's name, just the bizarre play in 2015 right before the bat flip. Tried three or four different things till I was fairly confident I had the right guy; 2) I knew who I wanted there, but when I started to type in Rick Helling for the Rangers' 10-game winner, Rick Honeycutt popped up at the top of the list. Figured he was an even better bet for a low rarity, so I went with him--a little cheap, I'll concede. (More likely, they're both about the same for rarity.)
https://i.postimg.cc/tgPY7npj/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Tuesday, 28 May 2024 22:02 (four months ago) link
Science fiction: in '83, Honeycutt's 2.42 led the A.L. in ERA; he struck out 56 batters in 175 IP. (His FIP was 3.52.)
― clemenza, Tuesday, 28 May 2024 22:10 (four months ago) link
9/9, 59. Easy day for a 9, but a low rarity requires threading the needle on those first two columns--probably Zito for A's Cy Young, and Jon Lester for their 2000 K.
https://i.postimg.cc/VvjtCT94/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Wednesday, 29 May 2024 10:57 (three months ago) link
I would like to register my vehement disagreement with R.A. Dickey not being 6.0 WAR the year he won the Cy Young (5.7).
― clemenza, Thursday, 30 May 2024 18:57 (three months ago) link
As well as I can do with GG involved--9/9, 30. I thought Brett would do better, reasoning that people would use him for the middle column; we read left to right, so maybe if the columns had been reversed. Ray Burris immediately popped into my head this morning--no idea why.
https://i.postimg.cc/rpB0HfTQ/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Friday, 31 May 2024 20:49 (three months ago) link
8/9, 105. Second or third Saturday in a row I've flubbed an easy one (today's was pretty much all my strongest categories)--forgot how often Yastrzemski walked; never more than 191 hits, not even in '67 or '70. Just barely over 2% for seven of these.
https://i.postimg.cc/Kj9200dQ/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Saturday, 1 June 2024 12:50 (three months ago) link
Ah! I managed to best you today! 8/9 104. Came to post this one because, assuming I got under 5% with that last answer, it would have been my personal best score without that wrong guess.
https://postimg.cc/fkGjcrMFI thought for sure Steve Garvey had over 300 HRs (to go with 200 hit season), but he fell short by like 28, the fucking bum!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 1 June 2024 16:23 (three months ago) link
I get caught on that kind of stuff all the time. Garvey's solid on 200 hits and 100 RBIs at the seasonal level.
― clemenza, Saturday, 1 June 2024 16:26 (three months ago) link
Harry Heilmann fan club in session.
― clemenza, Saturday, 1 June 2024 16:28 (three months ago) link
THE MAN WAS A GOLDEN GOD!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 1 June 2024 16:47 (three months ago) link
8/9, 104--yesterday once more. I'm not great on ROYs, so I set out with the intention of just getting a 9 and not fussing over rarity. But I started off with four under 1%, so that changed. Thought about Al Bumbry for ROY/RF, but wasn't 100% sure of the award or the position so initially passed; then I couldn't remember which Cub it was who won in '89, Jerome Walton or Dwight Smith (it was Walton--and he played center so wouldn't have worked anyway). I ended up going with Jackie Jensen, remembering that he won an award and assuming he was forgotten enough that it must have been ROY. No--MVP in '58.
https://i.postimg.cc/N05NzWvD/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Sunday, 2 June 2024 14:49 (three months ago) link
ha! we're Arky Vaughn and Alfredo Griffin twins!
i managed to tie my best score of 9. Regret going with a more obvious choice for HOF/ROY at the onset.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 2 June 2024 19:47 (three months ago) link
https://postimg.cc/Cdn9J793
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 2 June 2024 19:49 (three months ago) link
Nice! I've never heard of your middle square...which tells you how weak I am on ROYs. (Nixon's in his grave applauding our Arky Vaughn fandom--which I won't bother hiding now.)
― clemenza, Sunday, 2 June 2024 19:50 (three months ago) link
Arrrgh--sorry prospective players, you hid that and I was looking at the unhidden post. As Pavement once said, NO ARKY VAUGHN!
― clemenza, Sunday, 2 June 2024 19:51 (three months ago) link
I only remember him because his time on the jays when he jumped OVER a catcher to score a run
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 2 June 2024 20:03 (three months ago) link
Arky had a great couple of years with the Jays. (Yeah, except for Bench, you had a real shot at 3 or 4%).
― clemenza, Sunday, 2 June 2024 20:05 (three months ago) link
Was of course referring to my middle square
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 2 June 2024 20:08 (three months ago) link
9/9, 36. All I could think of for Phillies/Guardians was Cliff Lee and Carlton; don't know why I thought Lee would be lower.
https://i.postimg.cc/QN9DwrQN/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2024 14:05 (three months ago) link
9/9, 23. Not overly difficult, but got me thinking about stuff: 1) one of the rare times I was happy about a higher rarity--didn't expect Jim Abbott to be at 7%, but glad people still remember him; 2) if your default is the '70s like me, thinking of a lifetime Oakland player is hard thanks to Charlie Finley--if I hadn't remembered Washington, not sure if I would have come up with somebody there; 3) thought of a few possibilities for the Angels' 100-run guy before settling on Erstad. Most would have been right--Bobby Bonds, Tim Salmon, Carny Lansford, Troy Glaus--and a couple wouldn't have been: Grich and Fregosi. Will try to remember Brian Downing for next time. I figured Erstad's 240 hits were a sure thing. No one will have 240 hits and score fewer than 100 runs until Luis Arraez does it.
https://i.postimg.cc/1XDKX0Sc/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Wednesday, 5 June 2024 14:31 (three months ago) link
9/9, 87. Otis Nixon was my first guess, which immediately had me enter two other SB boxes I knew would be high. At that point my rarity was so high, I took some chances on the last few boxes I might not have otherwise.
https://i.postimg.cc/pdSxsPGh/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Friday, 7 June 2024 20:43 (three months ago) link
9/9, 18. New rule today, the David Wells Rule: if you want a low rarity score, avoid oversized personalities.
https://i.postimg.cc/4djqWSxR/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Saturday, 8 June 2024 21:55 (three months ago) link
8/9, 115. Ken Phelps, Ken Phelps--my baseball people love Ken Phelps. But turns out he never hit 30 HR, not for Seattle and not for anybody.
https://i.postimg.cc/0yctVzs8/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Sunday, 9 June 2024 17:20 (three months ago) link
9/9, 26. Garry Templeton, my last guess, is up to 17%--he's been rediscovered 100% because of this game. I had an 'S'-guy shortcut (Cardinals, Padres, Giants, Mariners) but of course couldn't remember him: Brett Tomko. Will try to remember Rich Wilkins instead, who had a classic outlier season in '93 for the Cubs.
https://i.postimg.cc/8cM8GPjR/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Monday, 10 June 2024 13:21 (three months ago) link
how the fuck did dave kingman never get 100 RBIs for the Mets?! 7 fucking seasons with over 30 home runs and he's only gotten 100+ RBIs twice! also why was he on 4 different teams in 1977? what happened there bro?!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 11 June 2024 02:06 (three months ago) link
Kingman's stats were freakish so many different ways. Don't ever use him for WAR (career high, 4.1, under 20 for his career); he did knock in 100 for the Cubs and A's (once each), never scored 100. Buzza alerted me to his bizarre '77 season, but I tend to forget the two non-NY teams.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 11 June 2024 02:47 (three months ago) link
9/9, 48. 31% of that is for the D-backs row, but that might actually be the lowest I've ever had for Arizona/Colorado/Miami/Tampa Bay.
https://i.postimg.cc/RVnxmYqk/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Tuesday, 11 June 2024 15:07 (three months ago) link
9/9, 25. 1970 AL batting crown: Alex Johnson, .32899; Yaz, .32862.
https://i.postimg.cc/D0CPdQkh/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Wednesday, 12 June 2024 18:42 (three months ago) link
9/9, 25. Stayed under 10% for the first seven, then gave in on Kingman and Palmeiro. Burt Hooton: when I was 12, I was able to throw a variation on the knuckle-curve (which probably still exists under some other name).
https://i.postimg.cc/0jbk7LVg/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Friday, 14 June 2024 15:21 (three months ago) link
Found this:
https://i.postimg.cc/FHmKBnRS/burt.jpg
― clemenza, Friday, 14 June 2024 15:24 (three months ago) link
9/9, 6
https://imgur.com/a/hJkdYjZ
jim gilliam is probably the most versatile <1 reliables in my arsenal, checks a lot of boxes
― buzza, Saturday, 15 June 2024 07:07 (three months ago) link
It takes the Mets and/or a lower score than mine to get you back here.
9/9, 16 today. Was glad that on Canadian HOF Induction Day, I was able to use Blue Jay legend--for one game--Doug Ault. He hit two HR in the snow on Opening Day, 1977. I was in Mr. Lightfoot's grade 12 history class listening on a transistor radio.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJRpJKq8/grid.jpg
― clemenza, Saturday, 15 June 2024 18:50 (three months ago) link
Only 15 correct answers for 200 wins/one team, of which only five look good from a rarity standpoint: Ted Lyons, Red Faber, Hooks Dauss, Mel Harder, and (maybe) Bob Lemon.
― clemenza, Saturday, 15 June 2024 18:52 (three months ago) link