Tough Trivia

[Edgy MD]

Last big leaguer to throw 10 shutouts in a season?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

?[/bigpurple]

[Benjamin Grimm]

That was my guess too! Fernsmile Doehorn!

[Frayed Knot]

Fern-Anne-D'oh Vuvuzuela

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Orel Hershiser? He had that amazing consecutive shutout inning streak.

[seawolf17]

I was thinking Fernanne Homerhorns. Knew that was wrong, though, because he never had more than eight.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'm disqualifying myself because I recently re-read a Roger Angell piece that I think supplied the answer. But when this one's over, I've got another great trivia question about shutouts.

[seawolf17]

What a run that guy had from 1981-86. But in looking him up, I see that Fernando actually is wrong. (And that even though I was making a joke, I was right; he actually never had more than 8.)

Jack Morris?

[dinosaur jesus]

[Chad ochoseis]

Toilet House did have some really good years, but I'm gonna guess Bob Gibson.


OE - checked BBRef and Toilet House had 10 in 1985, so he beats Gibby.

[batmagadanleadoff]

OK. Here's another shutout themed trivia question:

Name the only pitcher to lead both the American and National leagues in shutouts in the same season.

[seawolf17]

Had to be someone who got traded midseason in the last ten years or so.

[Chad ochoseis]

I think Edgy's trivia question remains unanswered.

But, since you asked, Randy Johnson?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

CC Sabathia

[metirish]

Roy Halladay

[batmagadanleadoff]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: CC Sabathia

Yeah. Like seawolf intimated, this feat would have been practically impossible more than 10-15 years ago. But in today's game, it's possible to lead your league in shutouts with as few as two. Which is what CC did (AL-2), (NL-3) in 2008.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: I think Edgy's trivia question remains unanswered. But, since you asked, Randy Johnson?

No it hasn't. You're the one who solved it. And the dinosaur.

[Edgy MD]

Toilet House is correct. Thirty-one-year-old John Tudor threw up 10 shutouts for the 1985 Cardinals, despite having only thrown four to that date in his career, with only two more waiting for him in the future. Fully 62.5% of his career shutouts took place in Whitey Herzog's power-mad blitz to the division and pennant. Even more, in fact, as he chalked another in the ill-fated World Series effort against Kansas City.

Among the many amazing things about Dwight Gooden's amazing Cy Young Year of 1985 was that his year was so unimpeachable that he swept the voting, despite truly spectacular efforts from Tudor and Orel Hershiser.

[seawolf17]

Edgy MD wrote: Toilet House is correct. Thirty-one-year-old John Tudor threw up 10 shutouts for the 1985 Cardinals, despite having only thrown four to that date in his career, with only two more waiting for him in the future.

ROIDS.

[Frayed Knot]

Between ...

- Rick Sutciffe in 1984: CY Winner at 16-1; 2.69; 1.08 WHiP for the Cubs following the June 13th trade from Cleveland (where he had been 4-5; 5.15; 1.66)
- John Tudor with the 1985 Cardinals: 2nd in CY; 21-8; 1.93; 0.94 and the above-mentioned shutouts
- Mike Scott with the 1986 Astros: CY; 18-10; 2.22; 0.92 plus the whole 1 run over 18 innings thing during the NLCS
- Orel Hershiser with the 1988 Dodgers: CY; 23-8; 2.26; 1.05 (and do I even have to mention the post-season?)

... the Mets of that era kept running into pitchers with the annoying habit of having their career seasons either as division or playoff rivals.

[Edgy MD]

I'd say a fair amount of the 1984 Cubs and 1988 Dodgers pitchers were having something akin to their career years.

[MFS62]

Saw this trivia question the other day, and never got the answer - who hit the first ever spring training home run for the Mets?
EDIT: The guy who asked the question finally answered it. Choo Choo Coleman.
Later