Random pop quiz

by Adam J. Morris on Nov 18, 2009 11:28 AM CST Comment 26 comments

From 1876 until 1980, there was only one major league team that had three outfielders hit at least 30 home runs in the same season.

Name the team, the year, and the three outfielders.

Answer later today...

UPDATE -- Answer after the jump

Well, I got this question from Bill James Historical Abstract, and it turns out James got it wrong.

There were two, not one, teams.

The 1941 Yankees, with King Kong Keller, Tommy Heinrich, and Joe DiMaggio.

And the 1963 Twins, with Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, and Harmon Killebrew.

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'61 Yankees?

That's why they call them business sox

by egriffey on Nov 18, 2009 11:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

that would have been my first guess

but that would probably be too easy, since you know 2 guys hit over 50 in that outfield. i’m not sure who their 3rd OFer was.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Nov 18, 2009 11:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta have a CF with some pop...

Gorman Thomas, Sixto and Ben Ogilvie in the late 70’s for Milf were pretty salty.

Mantle & Maris were 2/3 of the way there in ‘61 but I’m not sure who the other OF was…Yogi, Bauer and somebody else.

Snider was great for Brooklyn in the 50s but I don’t think Furillo had that kind of power.

Mays played with McCovey in the OF a little bit when Cepeda was there but one of the Alous was in the OF so it’s not them.

I’ll go with Milwaukee, ’78 or ’79.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"

by Josey Wales on Nov 18, 2009 11:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

what about the 78 red sox?

Isn’t that the year yaz won the triple crown? Yaz, dwight evans, I just can’t remember the cf

Nobody is perfect, i am nobody, therefore, i am perfect

by 34express on Nov 18, 2009 11:44 AM CST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Rice?

Favorite bumper sticker of all time, seen on a VW bus:
"Gas, Grass, or Ass. Nobody rides for free"

by tricer on Nov 18, 2009 12:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Fred Lynn

Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador

by Parman on Nov 18, 2009 1:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bing

That’s my guess. Fred had a very short career.

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

by WyoRanger on Nov 18, 2009 1:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Close with Milf

but no cigar.

Boston had Yaz & Conigliaro each hit 30 but I don’t remember the late 60’s Bosox CF.

Reggie Smith got there after Conigliaro was hurt but I’m not sure he ever hit 30 in Boston.

Wasn’t in ’78, Rick Miller was their CF.

You have to have a CF with pop and that many HR’s might happen when there is expansion, drastic rules implemented to help the hitters (mound being lowered, strike zone altered) or in a notorious hitter’s ballpark.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"

by Josey Wales on Nov 18, 2009 11:49 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

they key is figuring out the CF

by ab03 on Nov 18, 2009 12:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I've lost it per the Red Sox CF...Fred Lynn!!!

And he wasn’t on a team that did it either.

My pre 1960 knowledge of all things Great Game is nowhere near as specific so I may have to bow out.

Dimaggio had a few years with more than 30HR but I don’t know who played on either side of him.

This has to be sandwiched into the years 1920-80 and it probably didn’t happen from ’62-68 either because pitchers ruled the roost.

Not sure who played with Jimmy Foxx or Ted Williams in Philly/Boston but those late 20’s/ early 30’s Philly A’s teams were greatness.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"

by Josey Wales on Nov 18, 2009 12:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

i would think it would have to be a yankee team

i don’t really know why I think that, perhaps their history, but they would be the best bet

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Nov 18, 2009 12:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I cheated

so I won’t post the answers, but baseball reference found 2 answers, both american league teams.

by Thrill on Nov 18, 2009 12:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

and the strange thing is

the answer doesn’t change if you change the end date to 2009. There are still only 2 teams with 3 primary (>50% playing time) outfielders each having 30+ HRs, so the 1980 date seems odd

by Thrill on Nov 18, 2009 1:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

1941 New York Yankees

Dimaggio, Keller, and Henrich

by rhp on Nov 18, 2009 12:55 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

interesting... both the 41 NYY and 63 Twins...

JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook

by laxtonto on Nov 18, 2009 1:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

1963 Minnesota Twins

Kilbrew Allison and Hall..

Kilbrew had 45 that year in LF, Allison had 35 in RF and Jimmie had had his career high of 33 HR’s that year in CF. The odd thing is that Lenny Green played 145 G at CF that year as a late inning replacement.

JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook

by laxtonto on Nov 18, 2009 1:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

all off that off the top of your head?

by ab03 on Nov 18, 2009 1:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I remembered the year and the team

and then looked it up on my database to make sure it was right.

Had a trivia question about this before….

Looks like AJM’s data is wrong… I knew of the Twins and now it seems that the 41 NYY is correct as well.

JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook

by laxtonto on Nov 18, 2009 1:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If you define "Outfileder" as 1/3 or greater time in the OF

then the 64 Twins also qualify, with Killebrew, Oliva, and Allison as Allison played 71 games in teh OF that year between all 3 OF positions and 93 at 1B.

by Thrill on Nov 18, 2009 1:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

perhaps...

Allison didn’t get 30 HRs while playing in the OF. That could be the difference… and perhaps Killebrew in 63

by JShoe on Nov 18, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm

I got this from Bill James’ Historical Abstract.

James probably got it wrong because he treated Killebrew as a 3B instead of an OF.

by Adam J. Morris on Nov 18, 2009 1:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ass

by tyd3311 on Nov 18, 2009 2:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i wasn't being accusatory

just impressed

(ass)

by ab03 on Nov 18, 2009 5:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

the only reason I remembered that

was because of Green playing more games in CF than Jimmie Hall…. It was one of those do we allow this as the correct answer or not type of trivia questions… I now know why because of the NYY in 41 with Dimaggio, Keller and Hendrich

JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook

by laxtonto on Nov 18, 2009 6:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs