Tony, the Killer, and Carew

Welcome to this month’s TwinsCards.com trivia contest. For official contest rules, please click HERE. This month’s winner will receive a 1976 Minnesota Twins Yearbook.

Please email your name and answers to trivia@twinscards.com. Answers must be received no later than 1200 EDT, Wednesday, 16 Jan. Entries received after that will not be eligible for the monthly prize. Winners will be announced next Friday, 18 Jan. The comments section has been turned off so that the answers cannot be compromised. We’re starting off easy. Depending on how it goes this week, expect a couple of tougher questions.

Questions (1 pt each)

1. What Twin made his major league debut on September 1, 1990 against the Detroit Tigers?
2. Cristian Guzman set a Twins record with 20 triples in 2000. Whose record did he eclipse?
3. Who is the only player in MLB history to win batting titles in his first two seasons?
4. Whose favorite players included Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Billy Williams and may have become a policeman if he hadn’t become a professional athlete?
5. Which former Twin studied accounting at St. John’s University?
6. What former Twins pitcher has a brother, Scott, that is a current MLB pitcher?
7. Who was the first player in Twins history to hit a pinch-hit grand-slam?
8. Which former Twin holds the record (tied) for most home runs in his first two MLB games?
9. In 1991, this pitcher ended the Rangers’ 14-game win streak. Who is he?
10. Which Twins manager hit .333 in 28 lifetime World Series games?

Bonus Question (5 pts): This former Twin was once the Southern League MVP after posting .284 average with 42 HRs and 104 RBIs. Which Twin was it?

Beginning next Friday, 12 Jan, and continuing the 2nd Friday of each month, TwinsCards.com will be holding a monthly trivia contest. The contest will run for one week with the winner & answers being revealed one week later. Each month’s winner will win a piece of Twins memorabilia from my personal collection. These pieces will include yearbooks, programs, media guides, cards, autographed cards, team sets and other assorted Twins items from my collection. Here are the official contest rules:

1. Each contest will be comprised of 10 questions and 1 Bonus question. All questions (with the exception of the bonus question) will be worth one point. The Bonus question will be worth five points.
2. The entry with the most total points will be declared the winner. In case of a tie, the winner will be selected randomly from all correct entries.
3. Multiple entries are not allowed. In the case of a multiple entry only the first entry will be considered.
4. The comments feature will be turned off for each trivia post so that answers cannot be revealed by replying to the original post.
5. All answers can be found somewhere within the 24,000+ pages of TwinsCards.com (although may be found elsewhere).
6. TwinsCards.com reserves the right to eliminate any entry/user if we feel they are abusing the rules and/or intent of the contest
7. Entry deadlines will be announced at the start of each contest.
8. All answers must be emailed to trivia @ twinscards.com (remove the spaces)
9. TwinsCards.com staff are eligible to enter but ineligible to win prizes.
10. All decisions of TwinsCards.com are final

To give you a taste of what the questions will be like, here are 5 teaser questions to get you going. (NOTE: these are not part of the contest and no prizes will be awarded).

1. Who worked his way into the record books when he cracked two doubles in one inning in a game in 1964?
2. On July 17, 1990 the Twins were the first team ever to do what twice in one game?
3. Which Twins catcher once had a 25 game hitting streak?
4. Who was the youngest catcher to spend the entire 1998 season in the major leagues?
5. This former Twins manager’s pinch-hit double broke up a no-hitter and won a World Series game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Who is he?

For these teasers, feel free to post your answers in the comments section. See you next Friday!

What do all of these players have in common?

C

1B

2B

SS

3B

LF

CF

RF

P

Here’s your weekly dose of Tuesday Twins Trivia…TwinsCards style. Each Tuesday, I will post 5 new questions that can be answered somewhere on the site. Please leave your answers and/or discuss in the comments section below. Note: All answers can be found on TwinsCards.com.

1. He was such a good basketball player (ball-handler) in High School that the famed Harlem Globetrotters wanted to sign him to a contract.
2. This Twins first baseman once tied a major league record by stealing home twice in one game. (Hint: He was not with the Twins when this happened)
3. This Twins pitcher had the best winning percentage in the majors from 1987-1989 going 25-8.
4. Who was the first Twin to sacrifice successfully 3 times in one game?
5. This Twin was once a running back at San Diego State.

Here’s your weekly dose of Tuesday Twins Trivia…TwinsCards style. There will be a slight change in the format as I will post the answers to the previous week’s questions in the comments section of that specific post. In other words, to see the answers from any previous week, go to that specific Tuesday Twins Trivia post and find the answers in the comments section. The answers will be posted on Monday and followed with the new Trivia post each Tuesday.

Each Tuesday, I will post 5 new questions that can be answered somewhere on the site. Please leave your answers and/or discuss in the comments section below. Note: All answers can be found on TwinsCards.com.

1. He led the major leagues with 20 triples, eclipsing the former team record of 19 held by this Twin? Who are both players and in what year did they hit their triples?
2. This Twin was an All-American at UCLA batting .419 with 14 homers and 43 RBIs and was a member of the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team in which year?
3. Which TWINS were high school teammates of Alex Rodriguez in Miami (yes, there were two)?
4. This Twin, signed as a Washington Senator by Floyd Baker in 1959, has written and published several songs.
5. This 1980’s Twin starter survived a 1972 Nicaraguan earthquake that destroyed half his house while he was sleeping.

Here’s your weekly dose of Tuesday Twins Trivia…TwinsCards style.  Each Tuesday, I will post 5 new questions as well as the answers to the previous week’s questions. Please leave your answers and/or discuss in the comments section below.  Note: All answers can be found on TwinsCards.com.

1. We all know that Bert Blyleven was born in Zeist, Holland, but what former Twin was born in Zaragoza, Spain?
2. In 1986, he tied the MLB record with 2 inside-the-park home runs in one game. It was the first time this feat had been accomplished in 14 years. This player also just missed a third inside-the park HR when he tripled in his third AB.
3. The Twins have had two players (when teamed up with their brothers) that hold the top two spots in major league history in combined wins by brothers. Who are they and how many wins did they achieve as a Minnesota Twin?
4. So anticipated was his arrival in
   Minnesota that one local radio station would play Handel’s “Messiah” whenever announcers mentioned his name. Unfortunately, this early/mid ‘90s phenom never lived up to the hype.
5. This former Twin died of Leukemia in 1967 at the tender age of 29. Traded to the Twins in 1966, he played in only 10 games with the Twins in 1967 before the cancer came out of remission.

Last Week’s Answers:

1. Chuck Knoblauch was named A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1991, who finished second? (A) Juan Guzman, 1992 Score #792
2. When the Twins sent this popular Minnesota native to Tacoma in 1975, outraged fans started a petition to bring him back. The petition was never needed as his .320 mark in 178 ABs brought him back to the team. (A) Jerry Terrell, 1975 SSPC #222
3. This former Twins relief pitcher (early 80’s) from Venezuela had 6 brothers and 4 sisters. (A) German Gonzalez, 1990 Upper Deck #352
4. This former pitcher compiled an unusual record in his first 3 years in the league, winning 8 games and striking out 83 men in each of his first three seasons. (A) Ray Corbin, 1975 SSPC #209
5. When he signed a five-year contract in 1981 (1/28/81), it was the longest in Twins history. (A) Butch Wynegar, 1982 Donruss, #508

In what I hope (please don’t hold me to this) to be a weekly feature, here is some Tuesday TwinsCards Trivia for your enjoyment. Each Tuesday, I will reveal the previous weeks answers as well as five new questions. Please leave your answers in the comments. All answers can be found on TwinsCards.com

1. Chuck Knoblauch was named A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1991, who finished second?
2. When the Twins sent this popular Minnesota native to Tacoma in 1975, outraged fans started a petition to bring him back. The petition was never needed as his .320 mark in 178 ABs brought him back to the team.
3. This former Twins relief pitcher (early 80’s) from Venezuela had 6 brothers and 4 sisters.
4. The former pitcher compiled an unusual record in his first 3 years in the league, winning 8 games and striking out 83 men in each of his first three seasons.
5. When he signed a five-year contract in 1981 (1/28/81), it was the longest in Twins history.

Let’s jump into the weekend with some interesting links I’ve found over the past week and we’ll top that off with a little bit of TwinsCards trivia.

Be sure to check out Coffeyville Whirlwind, TwinsCards Blogger Scot Johnson’s other historical blog. Scot has continued his 1987 Hot Stove review as he recaps World Series games 1-5. Additionally, there are some quality posts about Walter Johnson and Harmon Killebrew, the Game of the Week (Apr 25, 1970) and some in-season thoughts on the Twins thus far.

Seth Stohs continues his series with the Top 10 Twins Pitchers of the 90’s. As always, good stuff from Seth. This also may be the first and only Top 10 list that Mike Trombley has ever made!

Will Young pens several historical type posts this week. The first has to do with Bert Blyleven’s Major League debut, while the other two have to do with near trades that the Twins almost pulled off. The first is about volitile Twin’s pitcher, Dave Boswell and the other recaps a few “almosts” involving names like Tony Oliva, Duke Snider and Hoyt Wilhelm.

Twins Geek took a much deserved day off and “Phoned One In” from 5 years ago. A little peak at the Cleveland Indians and a few Twins notes. WARNING: There is a Joe Mays sighting!

TWINS TRIVIA

Nothing here that will qualify you for a spot on Jeopardy, but hopefully they are challenging enough to make you grease up the cogs for a few minutes. All answers can be found on the site. Bonus points for identifying the card or cards the information came from!

1. The Twins became the first team in either league to sweep the monthly player awards by winning AL Player of the Month, AL Pitcher of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month. When and whom?
2. Which former Twins manager previously coached 4 champion soccer teams at Baltimore University?
3. In 1982, this player had a stretch of games in which he hit safely in 40 of 41 games. Who was he?
4. What Twins pitcher left baseball for 2 years to serve as a Nicaraguan Freedom Fighter?
5. The Twins organization has had 2-300 game winners on their payroll. Who were they?

That’s it for today. Enjoy the links and trivia and thanks for making TwinsCards.com home to the biggest nerds on the intraweb.