TOM WHITE, SABR
Larry Dierker Chapter
Houston
Baseball Trivia Writer
Tom White is both a nice guy and an ardent regular member attendee of our monthly SABR meetings in Houston. He also happens to be one smart cookie – with an incredible memory for baseball history and a penchant for coming out on or near the top of every monthly baseball trivia quiz that we impose upon ourselves as the last item on our agenda for every meeting. And that figures into the history of our baseball trivial pursuit like hand in glove. You see, the winner of each month’s quiz gets to design a quiz for the next meeting. Henceforth from this arrangement, Tom White has become both an engaging, but often repeating member of the test design task for next time.
Tom also has a minor claim to small fame that he is most proud of quietly sharing. His daughter is the actress in that J.J. Watts commercial at the school gym who tries to get the dance started by walking out onto to the gym court floor and shouting to a rather nerdy male teacher, “C’mon! Let’s Boogie!”
The Pecan Park Eagle thought you might enjoy taking one of Tom White’s baseball trivia quizs. Here’s the one from last night’s meeting at The Spaghetti Western restaurant on Shepherd near I-10. The correct answers are contained as the first item in the comment section which follows this column. Please feel free to leave your own comment, score, or opinion about the test as a comment too and – if you really love baseball, give some thought to joining SABR, The Society for American Baseball Research by contacting our Larry Dierker Chapter President, Bob Dorrill @ bdorrill@aol.com
SABR isn’t very costly and the baseball fellowship, talks by players and people in baseball, and countless other publication benefits are the greatest.
Now, without further adieu, here s the Tom White January 2015 Larry Dierker Chapter of SABR Houston Baseball Trivia Quiz:
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THE TOM WHITE 13 QUESTION QUIZ: PLAYERS WHO DIED IN 2014
Presented to the SABR Meeting in Houston on January 19, 2015
1) Right-handed hitting outfielder who led the National League in home runs for seven consecutive years. He finished his career with 369 home runs and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975. He is the only Hall of Fame member born in New Mexico. (February 6)
2) Catcher who played for two American League teams between 1977-83. He was with the Seattle Mariners in 1982 and caught Gaylord Perry’s 300th win. (March )
3) Former right-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1950-54. When e died in Havana, Cuba, at the age of 102, he was the oldest living former major league player. (April 23)
4) Right-handed pitcher and author of the ground-breaking book The Long Season in 1960. During his nine year career, he pitched for the Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, and White Sox. (June 28)
5) Infielder on the 1955 World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers and on the the last place 1962 New York Mets. He later managed four teams, including the 1989 Cubs that won the NL East title. (June 4)
6) Utility infielder for the Houston Astros who appeared in 67 games durng the 1981-82 seasons. His nickname was was “Shoes.” (June 13)
7) Right-handed pitcher who who won the Cy Young award in 1990 while a member of the Oakland A’s. (June 9)
8) Left-handed hitting outfielder who spent his entire seven year major league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He hit a pinch hit home run in Game 1 of the 1953 World Series. His nickname was “Shotgun.” (September 29 )
9) First baseman on the World Champion Milwaukee Braves and older brother of a current Hall of Fame member. (September 13)
10) Right-handed hitting shortstop who o the Rookie of the Year award in in 1948 while playing for the boston Braves. He Was the New York Giant shortstop in 1954 when they swept the Indians in the World series. He later managed a pennant-winning National League teams and a World Series winner in the American League. (November 13)
11) Left-handed pitcher who won 20 games for the 1964 St. Louis cardinals and started Game 1 of the 1964 World Series. In May 1966, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Orlando Cepeda. (November 17)
12) Right-handed relief pitcher whom the the Houston Colt .45’s acquired in a trade with the White Sox on June 25, 1962. He appeared in 53 games for the Colt .45’s during the 1962 and 1963 seasons. (December 8)
13) Left-handed hitting outfielder who spent his entire 20 year career with the San Diego padres, winning eight batting titles in the process. He retired with 3,141 hits and a career batting average of .338. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in in 2007. (June 16)
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Hope you did well! Tony Cavender was the winner of our meeting shot at the quiz, with 9 correct answers out of 13!
The Pecan Park Eagle 
January 20, 2015 at 1:53 pm |
QUIZ ANSWERS:
1) RALPH KINER
2) BUD BULLING
3) CONNIE MARRERO
4) JIM BROSNAN
5) DON ZIMMER
6) JOE PITTMAN
7) BOB WELCH
8) GEORGE SHUBA
9) FRANK TORRE
10) ALVIN DARK
11) RAY SADECKI
12) RUSS KEMMERER
13) TONY GWYNN
January 20, 2015 at 2:33 pm |
Perhaps, a presidential brain transfer on your part Dr.Bill. Tom House is the former Atlanta pitching coach who caught Hank Aaron’s 715th home run. Tom White is our SABR member who prepared this quiz. You may have been thinking White House while writing this article.
January 20, 2015 at 4:19 pm |
Thanks, Mike! – I can’t even give people a piece of my mind these days. I need that last piece of my mind to make the “White-House” missed identity errors that arise every now and then. Maybe, it’s just what Roger Clemens says got to him. – I simply “misremembered” Tom’s last name.
My apologies to you too, Tom. Hope you will cut me some slack. I’m giving it all I’ve got. (But take heart. This is Tuesday. Sometimes the old noggin works better on Wednesdays.) 🙂
January 20, 2015 at 3:41 pm |
“Colonel” Edward M. House, who was born in Houston in 1858 and served as an advisor to President Woodrow Wilson, was the son of Thomas House, a former mayor of Houston.
January 20, 2015 at 4:58 pm |
Bob Welch was an “eight-handed” pitcher?! Did he have eight arms, too? Imagine how many different angles he could have pitched from with all those extremities. : )
(I know, it’s a typo for “right-handed pitcher,” but I can’t resist a bit of humor).
January 20, 2015 at 5:06 pm |
Wow! – Thanks, Rick! That one cracks me up too. Not that my typing speed is that ferocious, but, when my three-fingered style gets really cranked up, I may often hit the “E” key next to the “R” key with fierce regularity.
Thanks to you, I will now make the change here, but save the image of the eight-handed pitcher for my first horror movie screenplay.
January 20, 2015 at 5:06 pm |
Yes, you’d think an eight-handed pitcher would have won more Gold Gloves.
January 20, 2015 at 5:07 pm |
Indeed, he would have,
January 21, 2015 at 12:07 am |
Or at least needed more gloves, of any color.
January 21, 2015 at 2:50 am |
I did enjoy it, thanks.
January 27, 2015 at 7:38 pm |
Any chance a Buff Biography or mention in any article was ever done on Robert Royal Corkhill (my great grandpa)? or Charlie Middleton (my great grandmas first husband)? They both played for the Houston Buffs in 1909 & 1910.