One True Outcome: March 2

March is upon us and baseball is getting closer and closer, hopefully. Let’s get ready for another weekly edition of baseball trivia.

1. If you remember it well, a question in one of my earlier segments showed that Shohei Ohtani was the first American League player with 40 HR and 25 SB since Curtis Granderson did it in 2011 with the New York Yankees.

Adjusting the standards a little bit, do you know which player alongside Ohtani managed 20 or more home runs, 20 or more stolen bases, and 80 or more base on balls in 2021?

• (A) Bryce Harper
• (B) Mark Canha
• (C) Tommy Pham
• (D) Robbie Grossman
• (E) José Ramirez

2. The San Francisco Giants won the National League West in 2021 with 107 wins, one more than the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. That broke off a consecutive run of eight straight division titles for their rivals.

How many seasons do the Los Angeles Dodgers have with fewer than 80 wins in the 21st century?

• (A) None
• (B) One
• (C) Two
• (D) Three
• (E) Four

3. Everyone remembers Max Scherzer’s no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015 when he hit José Tabata before getting the final out for what would have been a perfect game. It drew some controversy as to whether or not did Tabata leaned into the pitch a bit too much, however that’s not the focal point of this question.

To come within a single out of a perfect game is something rare on its own, it happened with Yu Darvish, but he was pulled from the game after allowing a hit.

Who was the last pitcher to throw a no-no and allow his first baserunner 26 outs into the game?

• (A) Justin Verlander
• (B) Jonathan Sanchez
• (C) Jack Kralick
• (D) Rick Wise
• (E) Milt Pappas

4. There are nearly 50 no-hitters in the history of baseball in which the pitcher or pitchers allowed a single baserunner throughout the entire game.

There is only one hitter whose name appears in that list twice. This player broke up two perfect games reaching base successfully via walk, hit by pitch, or throwing error. Who is he?

• (A) José Tábata
• (B) Jay Bruce
• (C) Chase Headley
• (D) Jerry Royster
• (E) Jack Clark

5. June 30th, 1908. Cy Young starts the game with a leadoff walk and proceeds to pitch virtually a perfect game, given that the baserunner was caught stealing shortly after reaching first.

There have been two other instances in which a no-hitter was pitched and the only hitter to reach base was the leadoff batter in the first inning, and the last one has a funny story behind it.

In which year did this last happen?

• (A) 1916
• (B) 1917
• (C) 1980
• (D) 2002
• (E) 2019

Answers

1. (D) Robbie Grossman had 23 home runs. 20 stolen bases and 98 walks in 2021 with the Detroit Tigers.

2. (B) One. In 2005, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season with a 71-91 record.

3. (E) Milt Pappas on September 2nd of 1972, pitched a no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs against the San Diego Padres. The only baserunner of the day came in with a base on balls by Larry Stahl on a full count with two outs in the ninth inning.

4. (C) Chase Headley playing for the San Diego Padres was the only man to reach base against Jonathan Sanchez and Tim Lincecum in their respective no-hitters in 2009 and 2014 (both with the San Francisco Giants).

5. (B) Babe Ruth started a game for the Red Sox on June 23rd, 1917. After allowing a leadoff walk, Ruth argued with the umpire and got ejected from the game.

Ernie Shore came in relief and pitched essentially a perfect game as the baserunner was caught stealing. The Red Sox beat the Senators 4-0 and Shore pitched the only individual-combined no-hitter in the history of the sport.