Silly baseball trivia

[gunnarthor]

I'll post the answer around 5 tonight unless someone gets it faster. One question is pretty easy, the other is insanely hard.

 

Easy first. According to b-r, only three people born in Canada have amassed 60 WAR or more in their career. Name them. (I got all three)

 

Hard question. According to b-r, only 5 people born in Canada have hit 200 HR in the majors. Name them. (I only got three).

[IndianaTwin]

I managed to get two of the three on the bWAR list. Didn't realize the guy in third was born north of the border, eh. Had I, I would have three on the HR list instead of just two. 

 

For those who would like to check their answers without giving them away, go to: 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/Canada_born.shtml

 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaTwin]

And in related news, with his final clout of last season, Max Kepler now has exactly one-fourth of the home runs hit by players born in Germany -- 101 of 404.

 

He's currently fourth in RBIs, needing 145 to surpass Mike Blower and Bill Keuhne and tie Glenn Hubbard atop the list. He's third in bWAR at 12.50, needing 5.5 to catch 1900s pitcher Pretzels Getzein and 6.72 to catch Hubbard. 

 

Ron Gardenhire remains a distant 10th in HR, with four, and 15th in bWAR, with 0.82. He's the leader in wins among managers at 1200, however, exceeding three guys born in the 1800s who totaled 59.

 

One of the other managers was Chris Von Der Ahe, who went 3-14 as manager during the time he owned the St. Louis Browns (the ones that became the Cardinals). His most noteworthy contribution to the game may be that he's considered the first to introduce hot dogs at the ballpark, so I guess he wasn't the wurst guy in the world.

[jkcarew]

 

  On 3/15/2021 at 4:57 PM, IndianaTwin said:

I managed to get two of the three on the bWAR list. Didn't realize the guy in third was born north of the border, eh. Had I, I would have three on the HR list instead of just two. 

 

For those who would like to check their answers without giving them away, go to: 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/Canada_born.shtml

Ditto...why hadn’t I heard more talk about #3 on the bWAR list? One or two of the 5 HR guys I had ‘forgotten’ about. But #3 on the WAR list, I didn’t even know he was from Canada.

 

I wonder what the highest-ever draft pick for a Canadian-born player would be?

 

Also, given that the #2 guy on the bWAR list wasn’t drafted (despite coming up in the amateur draft era)...it makes me wonder if Canadians were originally considered ‘international’ players? And if so, when did they become eligible for the amateur draft?

[IndianaTwin]

 

  On 3/15/2021 at 11:10 PM, jkcarew said:

Ditto...why hadn’t I heard more talk about #3 on the bWAR list? One or two of the 5 HR guys I had ‘forgotten’ about. But #3 on the WAR list, I didn’t even know he was from Canada.

 

I wonder what the highest-ever draft pick for a Canadian-born player would be?

 

Also, given that the #2 guy on the bWAR list wasn’t drafted (despite coming up in the amateur draft era)...it makes me wonder if Canadians were originally considered ‘international’ players? And if so, when did they become eligible for the amateur draft?

 

According to this article, Canadians became eligible for the draft in 1991. Before that, they were eligible if playing for a U.S. college. 

 

And Adam Loewen was the No. 4 pick in 2002, the same year the Twins picked fellow Canadian Jesse Crain.  
 

https://baseball.ca/preview-2020-major-league-baseball-drafthh
 

 

[mickeymental]

i wish my name was pretzels getzein.

[jkcarew]

 

  On 3/16/2021 at 3:32 AM, IndianaTwin said:

According to this article, Canadians became eligible for the draft in 1991. Before that, they were eligible if playing for a U.S. college. 

 

And Adam Loewen was the No. 4 pick in 2002, the same year the Twins picked fellow Canadian Jesse Crain.  
 

https://baseball.ca/preview-2020-major-league-baseball-drafthh

OK, that would explain it. Very interesting. Thank you!

 

[ashbury]

I was taught early that this sort of information isn't silly, and certainly is not trivial. It is lore.

[kenbuddha]

 

  On 3/16/2021 at 6:18 AM, mickeymental said:

i wish my name was pretzels getzein.

With no context I find this comment rather random and highly amusing. I suppose I'll find context by clicking somewhere at which point I'll be less amused by it. What to do, what to do...