Now You Know Baseball. Doug Lennox

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СКАЧАТЬ since the 1994 strike put an end to a season in which the Expos seemed destined for the postseason and were thought by many to be poised for a World Series run. By 2003, the state of the team was dire, and Major League Baseball had assumed ownership.

      With Expos fans already pointing fingers at MLB for the team’s woes, baseball decided that the Expos would have two homes for the 2003 season, and would play 22 games out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

      The arrangement continued in the 2004 season, which would ultimately be the team’s last as a representative of Montreal. In 2005, the Expos became the Washington Nationals — though to this day, Expos fans refer to the team not-so-lovingly as “the Gnats.”

       Who were the division leaders when the 1994 season was halted by a strike?

      One way or another, 1994 was destined to become a historic season for major league baseball. It was the first season with six divisions, and three rounds of playoffs were planned.

      The postseason never arrived, however, as a players’ strike ended the season on August 11. The playoffs and World Series were scrapped.

      The sudden end to the season was most keenly felt by fans of the teams that had playoff hopes, and in particular, the division leaders. The New York Yankees (AL East) and Montreal Expos (NL East) were the class of baseball, and held commanding leads in their divisions (six and a half and six games respectively). The Chicago White Sox held a one game lead in the new AL Central, while the Texas Rangers were also up by one in the AL West.

       Notable Moments in the Early Days of Baseball

1845:	The rules of baseball aredeveloped by Alexander JoyCartwright.
1846:	The Knickerbockers and agroup of cricket players playthe first“official” game ofbaseball.
1867:	The first (known) curveball inbaseball is thrown by CandyCummings.
1869:	An all-professional team, theCincinnati Red Stockings, takes the field for the firsttime.
1876:	The National League iscreated.
1882:	The American Baseball Association is established.
1889:	The Players’ League is created.
1900:	The American League is created.
1903:	The first World Series is played between the Boston Pilgrims and the PittsburghPirates.

      The Cincinatti Reds led the NL Central by a slim half game, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were up three and a half games in the NL West.

      Teams leading their divisions at the time of the strike were named division champions. The previous year’s league champions — the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays — were listed as reigning league champions going into the next season, and the Jays as reigning World Champions.

       Who had the best record in baseball in 1981, but failed to make the playoffs?

      The 1981 season was marred by the first-ever midseason players’ strike. Players walked out in June and didn’t return until August.

      Rather than simply continuing the season with the playoff races that were in progress at the time of the strike, owners decided to split the season in two: teams leading their divisions when the strike began were automatically awarded playoff spots, while teams leading their divisions at season’s end would also make the playoffs, and there would be an extra round to determine division champions.

      This worked out nicely for the teams that earned playoff spots, but for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, it was a travesty. The Cardinals’ overall record in the 1981 season was the best in the NL East, and yet, because they finished second to two different teams in each half, they missed the playoffs.

       Quickies

       Did you know …

      • that the first baseball catcher’s mask was a fencer’s mask introduced by Harvard’s Fred Thayer in 1877? It wasn’t until 1890 that the major leagues adopted the idea of all catchers wearing protective masks.

      The biggest outrage was that the Cincinnati Reds were excluded from the postseason. Not only did they have the best record in their division — they had the best record in all of baseball. But the Los Angeles Dodgers edged them by half a game in the first half, and the Astros by a game and a half in the second half.

       Who was the last umpire to use an external chest protector when working behind the plate?

      Nowadays umpires working home plate are required to wear a chest protector that fits under their uniforms, but for much of the 20th century the sported an external protector known as the “bubble” — a large cushion protector that they would hold in front of their bodies like a shield. National League umpires were the first to get rid of the clunky protector, and the American League followed suit in 1977.

      But like many changes in sports, the outside chest protector was grandfathered out of existence. Umpires who were active at the time of the rule change were permitted to continue using the bubble for the remainder of their careers. The last umpire to use the bubble in a game was Jerry Neudecker, who retired in 1985.

       Who were the Colorado Silver Bullets?

      The Colorado Silver Bullets were not notable because they were sponsored by Coors Brewery. Nor were they notable because they were an all-female team. What was notable about the Silver Bullets is that they were an all-female team playing against male competition.

      At first they planned to play primarily against teams from the independent Northern League, but after being shellacked in their first games in 1994, they set more modest goals, and began playing against semi-pro and amateur teams. They finished the year 6–37.

      By their fourth year, 1997, the Silver Bullets had managed a winning record, 23–22, but by then the novelty of a barnstorming team of female players had worn off, and attendance had declined. Coors pulled out as a sponsor, and the team was disbanded.

       Who won 20 games in his fi rst year in the majors, but failed to bring home Rookie of the Year honours?

      Tom Browning’s 1985 season was one that even a veteran would take pride in. He boasted a 20–9 record with a 3.55 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds. But this was a time when the stolen base was prized, perhaps more than at any other time in baseball history, and Vince Coleman’s 110 thefts captured the hearts of voters, despite his mediocre bat. It helped that he was playing for a playoff-bound team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Coleman went on to steal more than 100 bases two more times, though he never blossomed to any great extent at the plate. Browning had some solid years, but only approached the 20-win mark once, winning 18 games in 1988.

       Who managed for 27 years, winning 1,902 СКАЧАТЬ