Our mailbox is always full of esoteric questions from our readers. So every week, we pass along some of their most interesting queries to baseball historians who know the answers.
» Have a question? Ask the experts at BOLexperts@idealog.com! (Due to the volume of mail received, we cannot guarantee a response.)
» Are you an expert? Let us know by writing to BOLexperts@idealog.com.
JOHNNY VANDER MEER
Q: In 1938 when Johnny Vander Meer pitched his two consecutive no-hitters against the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers, who were the losing pitchers?
Four days later, on June 15, 1938, Vander Meer threw his second consecutive no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Max Butcher got the loss for the Dodgers, giving up four runs on five hits, while not making it out of the third inning.
Q: Who holds the record for the most consecutive complete games?
-- Sentonbomb35@aol.com
A: According to The Sporting News' Complete Baseball Record Book, the record for most consecutive complete games was set way back in 1904 by St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jack Taylor. That season, Taylor finished every one of his starts -- 39 in all. He finished the year with a 21-19 record, and a 2.22 ERA.
Q: Can you please tell me who received the first million-dollar-a-year contract in major league baseball?
-- Joseph G Kelly
A: On Nov 19, 1979, Nolan Ryan became the first player to sign a contract for more than a million dollars per year. Richard Moss, Ryan's agent, helped negotiate a 4-year, $4.5 million dollar contract for the future Hall of Famer, making him the highest paid player at the time.
Richard Moss was also involved in the first arbitration case that paid a player one million dollars. On February 19, 1983, he helped Fernando Valenzuela become baseball's first million-dollar arbitration man.
Q: Who was the youngest pitcher to pitch in a postseason game?
-- MStamp40@aol.com
A: At 19 years and 20 days, the Boston Red Sox' Ken Brett was the youngest pitcher to ever pitch in a postseason game. Pitching in Game Four of the 1967 World Series, Brett picked up one strikeout while walking one.
Ken Brett also holds the record for most consecutive games hitting a home run by a pitcher. Brett slugged homeruns on June 9, 13, 18, and 23 in 1973, to set the record at four consecutive games.
Q: Who was the only Yankee pitcher to have more wins in the postseason of a particular year than the entire regular season of that year?
-- Joshua Platt
A: Mike Stanton recorded one more victory in the 2000 postseason then he posted during the entire regular season. During the season, he went 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 68 innings. However, he really turned it on in the postseason, going 3-0, with two wins in the World Series, including the clincher in Game Five.
Q: What's the record for the most home runs in the leadoff spot in one season?
-- Sentonbomb35@aol.com
A: Brady Anderson set the record for most leadoff home runs in a season in 1996, when he hit 12 for the Baltimore Orioles in 149 games. Anderson went on to hit 50 for the season, setting a new personal best.
Q: What year did Yogi Berra hit .307 with 22 home runs and 125 RBI?
-- Edward Grey
A: Yogi Berra hit .307 with 22 HR and 125 RBI in 1954. Although these offensive numbers weren't enough to help the Yankees overcome the Cleveland Indians, who won the pennant and set an AL record for team victories with a 111-43 record, they were good enough to earn Berra the second MVP award of his career.
Q: Can I see a boxscore of my first major league game? It was August 6, 1969.
--JOrou47078@aol.com
A: Here you go:
Game of Saturday 8/6/1969 -- Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees (D)
Oakland AB R H RBI New York AB R H RBI
Campaneris B, ss 4 0 1 0 Clarke H, 2b 3 0 0 0
Tartabull J, lf 4 0 1 0 Kenney J, 3b 2 0 0 0
Jackson R, rf 3 0 0 0 White R, lf 3 0 0 0
Bando S, 3b 4 0 0 0 Pepitone J, 1b 3 1 2 1
Cater D, 1b 4 0 0 0 Murcer B, rf 3 0 0 0
Monday R, cf 3 0 0 0 Hall J, cf 3 0 0 0
Green D, 2b 3 1 1 0 Michael G, ss 3 1 1 0
Duncan D, c 3 0 1 0 Gibbs J, c 3 0 1 1
Dobson C, p 2 0 0 1 Stottlemyre M, p 3 0 0 0
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
30 1 4 1 26 2 4 2
Oakland 010 000 000 -- 1
New York 000 010 01x -- 2
Oakland IP H R ER BB SO
Dobson C (L) 8.0 4 2 2 1 5
New York IP H R ER BB SO
Stottlemyre M (W) 9.0 4 1 1 1 1
Game winning RBI -- none
DP -- Oakland 1
LOB -- Oakland 4, New York 1
2B -- Green D, Michael G
3B -- Campaneris B
HR -- Pepitone J
SB -- Pepitone J
CS -- Gibbs J
SH -- Dobson C
T -- 2:16
A -- 50945
(The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested
parties may contact Retrosheet at 20 Sunset Rd., Newark, DE 19711.)
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
