Winning Trivia

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 8:02 AM EDT

In celebration of the glory of a winning record and enjoyable baseball, in celebration of sending some whiny, self-aggrandizing Red Sox fans home winless, in celebration of our first three game sweep of the Red Sox since 2001 (starting pitchers - Dave Burba, CC Sabathia, and Bartolo Colon), today's trivia is all about winning.

First of all, I'm not a big enough person not to gloat. Wound? Say hello to salt. Which three pitchers have the most career wins against the Boston Red Sox?

1. Mel Harder - 44

2. Early Wynn - 39

3. Ted Lyons - 39

(If you made a top ten list of pitchers' career wins against the Red Sox, five of those guys would have had the majority of those victories as a member of the Cleveland Indians).

Second, there are 14 pitchers currently on a 25-man roster who are amongst the top ten in career wins for the franchise for whom they currently play. Eight of the 14 play for one of the teams added in the two most recent rounds of expansion (Arizona, Tampa Bay, Colorado, Florida), greatly limiting their competition. Name the pitchers...

Recent Expansion

1. James Shields - Tampa Bay Rays - 56 (1st)

2. Josh Johnson - Florida Marlins - 46 (5th)

3. Jorge de la Rosa - Colorado Rockies - 35 (8th)

4. David Price - Tampa Bay Rays - 29 (5th)

5. Ricky Nolasco - Florida Marlins - 54 (2nd)

6. Ubaldo Jimenez - Colorado Rockies - 50 (5th)

7. Andy Sonnanstine - Tampa Bay Rays - 28 (6th)

8. Jeff Niemann - Tampa Bay Rays - 27 (7th)

Other franchises

1. Tim Wakefield - Boston Red Sox - 179 (3rd)

2. Mark Buehrle - Chicago White Sox - 149 (8th)

3. Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners - 72 (5th)

4. Livan Hernandez - Washington Nationals - 62 (7th)

5. Ervin Santana - Los Angeles Angels - 76 (9th)

6. Darren Oliver - Texas Rangers - 56 (9th)

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Comments

Strictly guessing on the Red Sox question, but I will say Whitey Ford, Bob Feller and Lefty Grove.

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 8:56 AM EDT reply actions

You’ve got the right eras, but not the right pitchers. Feller is in the top ten though – #7 with 33 wins against the Red Sox.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions

How about Walter Johnson?

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions

No.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Cy Young

I'm emotional about my glove...

by JimmyAB on Apr 8, 2011 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions

No.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Uh…Bob Lemon?

by VA tribe fan on Apr 8, 2011 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Lemon would be 8th with 31 wins.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Mel Harder.
Early Wynn.

Not telling the third, although I think I know.

by FredOx on Apr 8, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes sir!

Mel Harder, the ultimate Red Sox killer, had 44 wins against Boston. I believe Ted Williams was quoted as saying he thought Harder was one of the toughest pitcher he ever faced.

Wynn is tied for 2nd with 39 wins.

All 44 of Harder’s wins, and 21/39 for Wynn, came as a member of the Indians.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

For recent expansion, I will say James Shields for TB, Jorge De La Rosa for COL, Josh Johnson for FLA

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 9:04 AM EDT reply actions

All three are correct.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Ricky Nolasco

by TribeJay on Apr 8, 2011 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

Yes. 2nd with 54 wins for the Marlins

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Ricky’s real name? Carlos Enrique.

All time Marlins win leader? Still Dontrelle.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Wakefield and Buehrle

by TribeJay on Apr 8, 2011 9:59 AM EDT reply actions

Both correct – Wakefield is 3rd with 179 for the Red Sox, Buehrle is 8th with 149 for the White Sox

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I can’t believe Wakefield is actually that high. Astonishing in fact, with the number of SP Boston has had over the years.

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

King Felix

by TribeJay on Apr 8, 2011 10:03 AM EDT reply actions

Yes, already 5th with 72 wins.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Livan Hernandez and Aaron Cook

by VA tribe fan on Apr 8, 2011 10:57 AM EDT reply actions

Livan is correct, at 7th with 62 wins. Cook would be #1 for Colorado but he’s not on the 25-man roster at the moment – he’s on the DL.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

D’oh!

by VA tribe fan on Apr 8, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Dan Haren.

Professional Lurker. Non-Baseball Posting Specialist.

by fingolfin on Apr 8, 2011 10:58 AM EDT reply actions

oops, never mind — forgot he wasn’t on Arizona anymore.

Professional Lurker. Non-Baseball Posting Specialist.

by fingolfin on Apr 8, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Dan Haren’s on Arizona. You mean Oakland?

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Angels now, right?

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh. Wait. Yeah. I’m the idiot.

Was he in Arizona long enough to climb their wins leaderboard?

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

6th, with 37 wins.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Ubaldo.

Professional Lurker. Non-Baseball Posting Specialist.

by fingolfin on Apr 8, 2011 11:01 AM EDT reply actions

Right, 5th for the Rockies with 50 wins.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions

David Price

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 11:08 AM EDT reply actions

Yep, Price is #5 with 29 wins.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Is Verlander already there?

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 11:47 AM EDT reply actions

No.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe Johan Santana if he wasn’t on the DL.

What about Scott Baker? That’s probably a stupid guess.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

Baker? Ummm. Well, no.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Is Pettitte still with the Jackasses?

Is this the whale section?

by sarcasmdave on Apr 8, 2011 11:58 AM EDT reply actions

Retired.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

More Rays — Andy Sonnanstine? Grant Balfour? (is he still on their team?)

Cubs — Kerry Wood?

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 11:58 AM EDT reply actions

Balfour is, I think, on Oakland?

I thought of Kerry Wood. Couldn’t decide if that was a reasonable guess or not.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Wood has 77 career Cubs wins, putting him well outside their top 10, which stops at 137.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow, you’d think 100 years of ineptitude would lower the bar a bit. In that case I’m guessing my Verlander guess is also way premature.

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Verlander is not Top 10 for the Tigers yet. He only has 84, #10 has 123 (Frank Lary).

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Balfour is on Oakland. Only has 14 career wins with Tampa, putting him outside top 10.

Sonnanstine is right—he’s 6th, with 28.

There’s one more Ray, if I’m counting right.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Shields, Sonnastine and Price are the 3. There’s a fourth? Must be Niemann

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Bingo.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Sonnanstine is correct – with 28 wins, he’s 6th for the Rays.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

nope on Wood according to BRef

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Figured out the 3rd career wins vs the Red Sox …. Ted Lyons of the White Sox

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:05 PM EDT reply actions

That’s right.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Here’s another trivia question I bet someone knows off the top of their head (I don’t actually know the answer):

Most career wins by a pitcher who never won 20 games in a season?

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:06 PM EDT reply actions

Dennis Martínez I believe.

I'm emotional about my glove...

by JimmyAB on Apr 8, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Knew somebody would have an answer. Was thinking about this in the shower.

by afh4 on Apr 8, 2011 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Dennis probably thought about this every time he went to the showers.

I'm emotional about my glove...

by JimmyAB on Apr 8, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

Is Jered Weaver there yet? Angels have only been around since the 60s, right?

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

No, but one of his teammates does qualify.

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions

that leaves only one more …

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Ervin Santana?

by TheDanimal on Apr 8, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

yep.

by talonk on Apr 8, 2011 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Darren Oliver, Texas Rangers

by Matt Y. on Apr 8, 2011 12:41 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, that’s the odd one. And he’s already added to his total this year.

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

a testament to how bad their pitching has been historically I guess.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Apr 8, 2011 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions

A couple more interesting things with these leader boards

- the Arizona Diamondbacks have been around for 13+ seasons, and their career wins leader is Randy Johnson with 118. The San Diego Padres have been around for 42+ years, and their career wins leader is Eric Show with 100

- of the 16 franchises that have been around since 1901 or earlier, the Reds, Red Sox, and Phillies have the weakest top tens. The Reds and Red Sox are the only two where the #1 has fewer than 200 wins. The Phillies are the only one of these franchises where any member of the top ten has fewer than 100 wins, and they actually have guys with <100 in spots 8-10.

- the strongest top ten is probably the Braves. They are the only franchise with two 300 game winners, and the group totals 2229 wins. The Giants are next at 2123.

- Tom Seaver’s 198 wins with the Mets is the highest total for any expansion (1961 or later) franchise

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

And finally, there are 10 guys who are on more than one top-ten list

John Clarkson – Braves, 10, 149 – Cubs, 10, 137
Fergie Jenkins – Cubs, 5, 167 – Rangers, 4, 93
Curt Schilling – Phillies, 6, 101 – Diamondbacks, 3, 58
Dennis Martinez – Orioles, 10, 108 – Nationals, 2, 100
Lefty Grove – Red Sox, 10, 105 – Athletics, 2, 195
Nolan Ryan – Angels, 2, 138 – Astros, 6, 106
Mark Langston – Angels, 6, 88 – Mariners, 4, 74
Kevin Brown – Rangers, 5, 78 – Marlins, 9, 33
Randy Johnson – Mariners, 2, 130 – Diamondbacks, 1, 118
Andy Benes – Padres, 6, 69 – Diamondbacks, 8, 27

by InfiniteMonkeyTypists on Apr 8, 2011 3:04 PM EDT reply actions

Remarkable list. The Martinez-Nationals connection had me confused, but I figured it out. Surprised the records carried over.

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge..." C. Darwin

by Spidey on Apr 8, 2011 8:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Rangers team records include the Washington Senators 1961-72; Twins: Washington Senators 1901-60; Orioles: Milwaukee Brewers, 1901, St. Louis Browns, 1902-53; Jackasses: Baltimore Premature Jackasses, 1901-2; Oakland: Philadelphia A’s 1901-54, Kansas City A’s, 1954-67; Atlanta: Boston, 1876-1952; Milwaukee Braves, 1953-65; Milwaukee: Your 1969 Seattle Pilots; plus the Gints and Dodgers lug along their NYC records.

by YoDaddyWags on Apr 8, 2011 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions