Monday, October 23, 2006

'06-'07 Quiz I

The last Red Sox player to hit a grand slam while a Democrat was president of the U.S. made his major league debut eight years earlier. In his first game, the starting third baseman for his team's opponents was a dude who used to do what quirky thing with his uniform?

Also, Nelson de la Rosa has died.

Comments:
wear a weird face-protector on his helmet!
 
That is incorrect, bubble-boy. (As is the Moors. It's Moops.)

Actually, I think you have the player correct. But that's not a quirky uniform thing, that's an equipment altercation. (Although you'll probably get SOME credit for this in the final standings if someone else beats you to the answer--an email to me with the player's name you're thinking of will guarantee it.)

If I were you, I'd keep the player's name off this space, and keep working on the uniform quirk, as to not let anyone else get it without having to do the research (or use their encyclopedic brain).
 
The player in question used to keep a piece of bubblegum stuck to the button on top of his cap. I think.
 
Matty, you have an uncanny ability to comment right after I put up a new post. Did I say that already?

So, I don't know about this gum thing. Proof of this will get you some credit. But not what I'm thinking of.
 
Meaning: commenting on one post and then having a new one go up right away.
 
Does this have anything to do with Jeff Kent's mullet?
 
AJM: Two other people (through personal e-mail) have thought Kent, too. Note: You, like them, have the wrong grand slam! There's a later one.
 
It looks like he would have his uniform sleeves shortened; they look much shorter than your average player. Which is funny, cause he doesn't have really big biceps or anything...
 
That still would be an alteration. What I'm thinking of was something he did on the field, relating to the uniform.
 
Ok, so now I know who the player is. Possibilities:

Wore an extra long ear flap on his helmet which covered his jaw.
Hiked his sleeves up.
Wore his left wristband way up his forearm, close to the elbow.
 
AJM: We've covered the first two and the third isn't that quirky...

It had to be some sort of Nomar-ish nervous/superstitious tic thing, like pulling his sleeves up before each pitch or something like that...he used to swing the bat around his head really high to warm up- did he jerk his sleeves up before he'd do that or something?
 
Okay, I'll modify my answer:

He cuffed the sleeves of his shirt, so the elastic band trim on the sleeve was inside out.
 
Now I'm confused. AJM's second possibility, hiking up the sleeves, was NOT covered, as Matty said it was. But then Matty said "pulling sleeves up" which to me is the same thing as hiking your sleeves up.

The point is, you're both in the right balpark now. You'll both end up getting some credit, in the as-yet-to-be- determined scoring system. Actually, when I think about what he's doing, it actually could be considered a sleeve-hike. But just a little different. Anybody?
 
Okay, so I think that's close enough, but seems a little off from how I remember it. I'm giving this another day. Answers will still be accepted.
 
Well, for what it's worth, just watched the bottom of the 11th from Game 3 of the 1997 ALCS, the only game I could find on line featuring our guy, and the only things he really does that I could see (thanks FOX, for not really featuring him) was that he taps each cleat once between pitches and stretches both arms out and up in a manner of "hiking up" his sleeves without actually tugging on them. Doesn't seem that quirky, so I'm guessing this guy developed his quirk sometime before (and gave it up) or after October 1997.
 
P.s. Am I the only one who wants to kill himself after spending most of the day (and at work, nonetheless) concentrating on the idiosyncrasies of a utility infielder?
 
Oh, and in the top of the 12th of that game, McCarver predicts the future by saying "the Orioles left 3 stranded in the top of the 12th, and the Indians left 3 stranded in the bottom of the 12th." This all before one pitch was thrown in the 12th at all, proving that the genius that is Tim McCarver was and always will be, like the air we breathe, a cosmic force of certainty that will pop up even in the moment you least expect it, like a fart in church at a funeral. That is Tim McCarver.
 
Seitzer wouldn't like you calling him a ulitily-man...

But you're officially close enough now. Seitzer would pull down--often using that shoulder-shrug motion--the shoulder areas of his jersey, creating a big collar of uniform behind his neck and a whole lot of slack around his armpits.

So, to sum up the answer: The last Red Sox player to hit a grand slam while a Democrat was U.S. President was Manny Alexander, September 5th, 2000. Alexander's debut was September 18th, 1992, for the Orioles. In that game, the opposing third baseman was the Brewers' Kevin Seitzer. He'll always be a Royal to me, though. And he did the above thing with the uniform.

Points awarded (to be explained in future post):

(ryan) m: for getting the player right before anyone else, 1 pt.

AJM: For essentially getting the answer right, 1.5 pts.

Mattysox: For narrowing it down the furthest, 1.5 pts.

mighty q: For also getting the player right, and e-mailing it to me, 1 pt.

I recommend posting answers to the comments, to get your points onto the official tally-sheet and be eligible for the prize, which WILL be awarded this season!
 
yes! partial credit!
 
Thanks Jere. We're off and rolling!!
 
FWIW, this is the picture that I was basing my last guess on:

http://www.iofferstores.com/img/1070697600/_i/2052383/1.jpg
 
AJM: Okay, good point. Too bad the points have been awarded. Still, not what I was thinking of so it wouldn't have gotten you much. Maybe a couple tenths. But the judges have taken note of your skills.
 

Post a Comment

If you're "anonymous," please leave a name, even if it's a fake one, for differentiation purposes.

If you're having trouble commenting, try signing in to whatever account you're using first, then come back here once you're signed in.



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

My Photo
Name:
Location: Rhode Island, United States