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YOGIISMS
Q: Could you tell me who said, "It ain't over 'til it's over?"
-- Ronald Cantoni
A: The quote is probably the most famous "Yogiism" ever coined by former catcher and manager Yogi Berra. Other examples include, "You can observe a lot by watching", "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded", "90 percent of this game is half mental", "If people don't want to come to the ballpark, how are you gonna stop them", and, to sum it all up, "I really didn't say everything I said."
Q: Which base is referred to as the "keystone base" and why?
-- Craig C. Konkel
A: The "keystone base" is second base. There are two main theories why: firstly, many "key" defensive plays occur around second base, and the base also represents the middle of the arch that makes up the basepaths when viewed from home. Since a keystone is the centerpiece of an arch, this may also have something to do with the origin of the term.
Q: Who was the relief pitcher who struck out 11 batters in a World Series game?
-- DRAHTHAAR@aol.com
A: The Orioles' Moe Drabowsky holds the record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher in a World Series game. In Game One of the '66 World Series on October 5, he threw 6 2/3 innings of relief, striking out 11 of the 20 Dodgers he retired to earn the win.
Q: Who led the Mets in saves in 1962, and with how many?
-- M. Petersen
A: In the Mets' first season, the team won only 40 games. In ten of those games relievers were granted saves, and the team leader was Craig Anderson with four. Roger Craig, who also recorded a team-high ten wins (and a league-leading 24 losses) contributed three saves, with three other pitchers picking up one apiece.
Q: How many teams were in the major leagues when the Cubs won 116 games? I was just trying to compare their season with the Yankees' 1998 season when they won 114 games.
-- Brent Andrew
A: When the 1906 Cubs won 116 games, there were just eight teams in the National League. They accomplished their feat in just 152 games for a winning percentage of .763. The 1998 Yankees, by comparison, won 114 over a 162-game schedule, losing 12 more contests than the Cubs had for a .703 winning percentage. By 1998 the major leagues had grown to 30 teams, with 14 in the American League.
A: Four managers have accomplished this feat. They are:
Yogi Berra - 192-148 with the Yankees, 292-296 with the Mets Casey Stengel - 1149-564 with the Yankees, 175-404 with the Mets Joe Torre - 487-322 with the Yankees, 286-420 with the Mets Dallas Green - 56-65 with the Yankees, 229-283 with the Mets.
A: The AL pennant-winning Boston Red Sox used a committee of shortstops in 1986. Rey Quinones filled the position early in the year, appearing in 62 games, but was traded for Spike Owen, who played 42 games at short as a member of the Sox. Ed Romero also played the position in 75 games in the regular season, but Owen played in all 14 playoff games, with Romero seeing very limited action.
Q: How long has Mark McGwire played for the St. Louis Cardinals?
-- TorrezJrt30@gateway.net
A: Mark McGwire was obtained by the St. Louis Cardinals from the Oakland Athletics on July 31, 1997 for three young pitchers -- Blake Stein, T.J. Mathews and Eric Ludwick. After the season, he decided to resign with the Cardinals instead of testing the free-agent market.
Q: Is it possible that Bobby Thomson wore #23 during his brief return to the Giants in 1957?
-- Dan Scheinman
A: Bobby Thomson wore #23 for the Giants from 1949 to 1953, but when he returned in 1957 he sported the number 21. In 1957, two players -- Bobby Hofman and Stu Miller -- wore Thomson's old number.
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