April 15 – Be Like Jackie

37 Replies

Quick quiz about players who were like Jackie Robinson.

So, here goes. What do the players below have in common with each other? This shouldn’t take long to solve.

Hint: this may not be an exhaustive list

Congratulations to John Autin, who identified that all of these players played in the post-season in their debut season, and also in their final campaign. The first 6 names all link up nicely with one or more of the others, as either teammates or opponents. For John Wathan? Well, he and Jim Gilliam were both teammates of Tommy Davis, whom Ken Hunt owned, retiring Tommy all four times he faced him, including two strikeouts.

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Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

All appeared in the playoff in their rookie season.

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

WS for all but Wathan

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

That’s half of the answer.

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well, they also all played against the Yankees…….. except Nippy Jones.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Something else.

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well, I wanted to say that they are all also African-American, except for Nippy Jones (whose name sounds African American).

But Ken Hunt of Utah ruins that.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Question for John Autin: J.P. Arencibia hit his 47th career HR tonight in career PA 941. He’s on pace to reach 50 HR at the fastest pace for a catcher since who?

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well I’m not Autin, but I’m guessing Piazza.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

That could be the answer, but there’s another guy (a JA favorite) who got to 50 HR even faster than Mike.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well I’m not Autin either but I’m guessing Roy Campanella.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Nope. Piazza has Roy beat.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

I’m thinking, Rudy York?

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Well, not Rudy York, of course — Piazza had 50 HRs faster than Arencibia. So …

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Rudy works, of course.

But, someone more recent than that, of whom you waxed eloquently not too long ago.

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Is it Mike Napoli?

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Ready for the reveal, Doug. I’m confused. Piazza definitely got to 50 HRs faster than Arencibia — he hit #50 in his 233rd game, when he had 940 PAs, and he hit all those HRs in games that he caught. So, if Piazza isn’t the answer, it has to be someone after Piazza.

Oh! “Vide Napoli e Mori.”

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

In fact, it was Tiger fave Matt Nokes, who notched his 50th dinger in game 258, at the end of which he stood at 933 PAs, just a hair sooner than Piazza. I recall your fond remembrances of him some time not that many months ago.

But, Ed has made a liar out of me – calling out Mike Napoli, who hit #50 in game 265, at at only 917 PAs.

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well I had a bit of help from the PI.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Well, I have to quibble with the quizmaster for once … Even if we disregard Napoli, Nokes would not be the correct answer to the original question. Piazza got to 50 HRs (a) more quickly than Arencibia will, and (b) more recently than Nokes. So, Arencibia’s pace is the fastest for a catcher since Piazza.

Or so it seems to me. 🙂

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

You’re quite right, John. As I phrased the question, Nokes isn’t the correct answer.

But, Voomo called out Piazza straight away, which I acknowledged was correct. But, then I indicated there was someone a bit earlier than that who got to #50 even faster.

See above at comment #9 and #10.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

In any case, Wilin Rosario should breeze by those guys before long.

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

What was John Wathan doing stealing 36 bases in 121 games as a Catcher at age 32?

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

Could have been front-ending double steals with Willie Wilson. If he gets thrown out, there’s nothing in front of Willie to slow him down.

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

That’s definitely not it Doug. Wathan mostly batted second that year which means he was coming up after Wilson and stealing in front of Brett, Otis and McRae. Weird. And he was at 26 steals at the all-star break but got hurt and missed most of July and didn’t steal as much when he came back. Otherwise he probably would have had 40+ steals.

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

Reply to Ed

He batted 2nd through June 24th.
23 steals in that time.
Willie missed most of April and only had 10 steals though 6/24.
So it’s not the back-end.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Ed

It wasn’t a bad no-look guess – catcher hitting 8th or 9th, in front of Willie. 🙂

But, 32+ year-old catcher batting 2nd. Haven’t seen that since – Jason Kendall in 2010, and Paul Lo Duca in 2006. Carlton Fisk also did it the two season after Wathan. Mickey Cochrane in 1935 rounds out the list of those to do it in 70+ games like Wathan.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

I think they all played in the postseason in both their first and last season. In Ken Hunt’s case, those were the same season.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Ding. Ding. Ding.

We have our winner.

Congrats, JA!

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

On Jackie Robinson Day, I like to remember him not just as a pioneer, but as a spectacular player.

Despite breaking in at the advanced age of 28, Jackie’s rate of WAR per game ranks 17th among all position players with 1,000 games played. Among second basemen, only Hornsby and Utley have higher rates. He led all MLB position players in WAR 3 times in his first 6 years.

R.I.P., Mr. Robinson.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Without a doubt. Only a great player and, more importantly, a great person could turn in that 1947 season, with all the baggage that came with it. With the help of a great manager, too, who had the foresight to play Robinson “out of position” that one season, to keep him in one piece, and not have him fret unduly about his defense. Nevertheless, I’m guessing there were still an unusual number of NL players that season who somehow couldn’t find the outside of the first base bag when running out grounders – but only against Brooklyn. Must have been… Read more »

mosc

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Certainly not trying to take anything away from Jackie, who is as inner circle HOF to me as anybody, but the Dodger’s second basemen in 1947 was Eddie Stanky. He was both an OBP MACHINE and a slick glove. He was coming off of a .273/.436/.352/.788 line where he lead the league in OBP. He had led the league in runs just the year prior to that. His performance in 1947 was notable by his defense which was very much Robinson’s equal (just 12 errors good for 1.9 DWAR). Ironically, Stanky was a pretty similar player to Robinson in many… Read more »

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to mosc

Good point, mosc. I believe you are quite right in your assessment. Nevertheless, whether intended or not, playing Robinson at first avoided having him suffer too much from intentional spikings (to go along with the unintentional ones) as well as Hal McRae-type slides and similar tactics to which he would more exposed at 2nd. Incidentally, the Dodger first baseman in 1946 was a kid named Ed Stevens. In the equivalent of one season before 1947, Stevens was 113 OPS+ with 14 HR, 89 RBI. Not a bad rookie season at all for a 20 or 21 year-old. As it happened,… Read more »

deal

11 years ago

A look at where recent auctions have priced a 1953 Topps #1 Jackie Robinson Card

http://phungo.blogspot.com/2013/04/1953-topps-1-jackie-robinson.html

Timmy Pea

11 years ago

I always wondered how Jackie ended up wearing number 42. All the great everyday players before him had small numbers and now days mostly pitchers wear high numbers. I always thought it was one more way the man was sticking it too him. Turns out it might have been the lowest number available to the new rookie. They did things differently back then with numbers and Jackie’s 42 was the highest number worn by any player that year except for a late season rookie call up that wore 43. Jackie might have changed numbers later as guys retired or what… Read more »

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