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STARTERS WITH SAVES
Q: Who was the first pitcher to have 15 starts and 15 saves in the same season?
-- Jennifer Silverman
A: The first player to accomplish this feat was Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield. In 1999, he started 17 games, and made 32 relief appearances. He compiled a 6-11 record, along with 15 saves, and helped the Red Sox win the AL Wild Card.
Back to top	-- Christos Plakas

SLUGGING SANDBERG
Q: Who was the last Chicago Cub to hit 40 home runs in a season before Sammy Sosa?
-- Dpooj@aol.com
A: The last Cub to hit 40 home runs in a season before Sammy Sosa was Ryne Sandberg, who hit exactly 40 in 1990. He batted .306 that season, with 100 RBI, and 25 stolen bases, and finished fourth in the National League MVP voting.
Back to top	-- Christos Plakas

SMALL SLUGGER
Q: Who was the smallest player to ever play professional baseball?
--
A: The smallest player to play in the major leagues was 3'7" Eddie Gaedel. He made his only appearance on April 18, 1951 as part of a promotional stunt by the St. Louis Browns. Wearing the number 1/8, Gaedel was put in to pinch-hit for Frank Saucier in the bottom of the first. The opposing pitcher, Bob Cain, was unable to throw a pitch into Gaedel's 1½-inch strike zone, and Gaedel walked on four pitches. Gaedel was paid $100 dollars for his appearance. He was used in several other promotions over the years, but never played in another game.
Back to top	-- Christos Plakas

THE NASTY BOYS
Q: Which three relief pitchers made up the Nasty Boys?
-- Gerard Watt
A: The Nasty Boys were three relievers -- Rob Dibble (8-3, 11 saves), Norm Charlton (12-9, 2 saves), and Randy Myers (4-6, 31 saves) -- who pitched for the 1990 World Champion Cincinnati Reds. They earned their nickname for being one of the most reliable -- and feared -- bullpens in the league. After hitting a batter during the season, Charlton declared "I threw it at him. He'll be lucky if I don't take his head off next time I'm pitching." The trio teamed up to help the Reds remain in first place from Opening Day until the last game of the season -- the first ever team to go wire-to-wire. In the playoffs, Myers earned the NLCS MVP by tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings and earning 3 saves, and combined with Dibble to toss 7 2/3 scoreless innings in the World Series against the Oakland Athletics.
Back to top	-- Christos Plakas

MARINER MANAGERS
Q: How many managers have the Mariners had?
-- tgianola1
A: Since their formation in 1977, the Seattle Mariners have had 11 managers. They are: Darrell Johnson 1977-1980 Maury Wills 1981 Rene Lachemann 1981-1983 Del Crandall 1983-1984 Chuck Cottier 1984-1986 Marty Martinez 1986 Dick Williams 1986-1988 Jim Snyder 1988 Jim Lefebvre 1989-1991 Bill Plummer 1992 Lou Piniella 1993-present
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

WORLD SERIES
Q: What were the rosters for the World Series game played on October 13, 1971?
-- Kevin
A: On October 13, 1971, the Baltimore Orioles squared off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game Four of the World Series, with Baltimore leading two games to one. The rosters for the two teams that day were: Baltimore Orioles Paul Blair cf Mark Belanger ss Merv Rettenmund lf Frank Robinson rf Brooks Robinson 3b Boog Powell 1b Davey Johnson 2b Andy Etchebarren c Pat Dobson p Grant Jackson p Eddie Watt p Pete Richert p Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Cash 2b Richie Hebner 3b Roberto Clemente rf Willie Stargell lf Al Oliver cf Bob Robertson 1b Manny Sanguillen c Jackie Hernandez ss Vic Davalillo ph Luke Walker p Bruce Kison p Dave Giusti p The Pirates won the game, 4-3, and used an error in the bottom of the seventh to score the winning run. With the score tied at 3-3, and Pirates on first and second, Vic Davalillo pinch-hit for Jackie Hernandez. He hit a fly ball that was dropped by centerfielder Paul Blair, allowing the lead runner, Bob Robertson, to reach third. He scored on a single by the next batter, Jerry May. Dave Giusti shut down the Orioles the rest of the way, earning the save, and the Pirates went on to win the series in seven games.
Back to top	-- Christos Plakas

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