Good Field-No Hit Shortstops Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bud Harrelson

Bud Harrelson (career batting average .236) typified the maximum-efficiency Met teams that won titles with pitching, timely hitting, and good defense. Rose may have gotten the better of Harrelson after sliding hard to break up a double play, but the Mets won the Series. Elio Chacon had a minimal baseball career, but was the Mets' shortstop in their first year of existence. Tim Foli began his career with the Mets, but made his name as a scrappy shortstop with the Montreal Expos and other clubs.

He had 10 hits for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series. Phil Linz was a utility infielder who had a brief stint with the Mets, but is mostly remembered for his years with the New York Yankees and his run-in with manager Yogi Berra, who did not appreciate Linz's harmonica technique on the team bus.

He hit two home runs in the 1964 World Series.

Answer: Roger Metzger

There have been better all-around players at short for the Astros, such as Dennis Menke, Dickie Thon, and Craig Reynolds, but Roger Metzger (career batting average .231) was the best fielder. Joey Amalfitano, Bob Lillis, and Don Buddin were all infielders for the Houston Colt .45s before the team moved to the Astrodome and changed its name.

Answer: Gene Michael

Gene Michael (career batting average .229) capably manned shortstop for the Yanks during their lean years. He later managed the Yanks and the Chicago Cubs and has since served George Steinbrenner in a variety of executive capacities. George Strickland was a weak-hitting, good-fielding shortstop for the powerful Cleveland Indian teams of the 1950s.

He had a brief go at managing the Indians in the 60s. Tony Kubek was too decent a hitter to be tagged with the "good glove-no hit" label. He was a fixture at short with the great Yankee teams of the late 50s and early 60s and later made a name for himself in the broadcasting booth. Tom Tresh was mostly an outfielder for the Yanks in the 60s, but he put in time at shortstop, particularly when Kubek was fulfilling a military commitment in 1962.

He started out as a dangerous hitter, but waned as time went on.

Answer: Mark Belanger

The Baltimore Orioles, who could rely on the bats of Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, and others, could afford to have Mark Belanger (career batting average .228) in their lineup because he was the shortstop par excellence, winning eight Gold Gloves. Willy Miranda, also of the good field-no hit variety, came from Cuba and was the Orioles' shortstop in the late 50s. Ron Hansen, who played for the O's in the early 60s, was a big man for a shortstop, but a fine fielder.

He never hit much for average, but had some pop in his bat, hitting over 20 home runs twice. Woody Held was a jack-of-all-trades who played briefly in Baltimore, but is best remembered as a Cleveland Indian.

He, too, could hit the long ball, accumulating 179 career homers.

Answer: Hal Lanier

Hal Lanier (career batting average .228) started out as a second baseman, but settled in as shortstop for the Giants in the late 60s. He managed the Astros for three seasons in the 1980s. His father was Max Lanier, a star pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in the World War II era. Jose Pagan was the Giants' regular shortstop in the early 60s and became a valued utility man for the Pittsburgh Pirates later in his career. Daryl Spencer, better known for his bat than his glove, was shortstop for the Giants when they first moved to San Francisco.

He was one of the first American players to extend his career in Japan, where he found the short fences to his liking. Eddie Bressoud was briefly shortstop for the Giants after Spencer, but his bat flourished best when he was traded to Boston, where another short fence could be found.

Answer: Ed Brinkman

This is a trick question of sorts, since all of these infielders took the field wearing spectacles. Ed Brinkman (career batting average .224) would probably have been the best fielding shortstop in the American League if it weren't for Mark Belanger. Roy McMillan was cut from the same cloth, a light-hitting, excellent shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds in the 50s and the Milwaukee Braves in the early 60s. Eddie Kasko replaced McMillan for the Reds and was a somewhat more respectable hitter. He later managed the Boston Red Sox in the early 70s. Cookie Rojas mostly played second base for the Philadelphia Phillies and later was a fan favorite with the early Kansas City Royals teams.

He managed the California Angels in 1988.

Answer: Dal Maxvill

As with the Orioles and Belanger, the Cardinals, who went to the World Series in 1967 and 1968, could afford to have Dal Maxvill (career batting average .217) in their lineup because he was such a good shortstop. He won a Gold Glove in 1968. Julio Gotay was a utility infielder for the Cards and several other teams in the 60s. Alex Grammas played shortstop for the Cards in the 50s and returned as a utility man after a stint in Cincinnati.

He managed the Milwaukee Brewers for a couple of seasons in the 1970s. Mike Tyson (not the boxer) was a shortstop for the Cards in the early 70s, but moved over to second base to make room for Gary Templeton.

Answer: Mario Mendoza

Mario Mendoza (career batting average .215) spent several seasons hovering around the .200 mark, thus giving rise to the term "Mendoza Line" (supposedly coined by George Brett) to define the bottom edge of league batting statistics. Clearly, his glove was his only reason for being in the majors. Gene Alley was a dependable shortstop for the Pirates in the 60s.

He won Gold Gloves in 1966 and 1967. Jackie Hernandez was the Kansas City Royals' shortstop in their inaugural year. A weak hitter, he is best remembered for his flawless fielding for the Pirates in the 1971 World Series. Cesar Gutierrez had a brief career and was a poor hitter, but deserves mention for one feast-or-famine occurrence: in 1970, with the Detroit Tigers, he had seven hits in seven at-bats in a twelve inning game, tying a major league record.

Answer: Bobby Wine

Bobby Wine (career batting average .215) was the epitome of the "good field-no hit" shortstop; he was an automatic out on both ends. He was later a valued bench coach for the Phillies under Dallas Green and briefly managed the Atlanta Braves. Honorable mention in this category should be given to Ruben Amaro, who won a Gold Glove playing with the Phils in 1964; he couldn't hit either. Billy Klaus was a utility infielder in the American League during the 50s who finished his career in Philadelphia in the early 60s. Joe Koppe was the Phils' regular shortstop in 1959, but was hobbled by injuries and ended up being the first shortstop for the expansion Los Angeles Angels before Jim Fregosi showed up. Larry Bowa started out as "all glove" with the Phils in the early 70s, but developed into a pesky hitter and became one of the best (if not the most temperamental) shortstops in his era.

He has managed the Phils as well as the San Diego Padres.

Answer: Ray Oyler

Ray Oyler (career batting average .175) had a paltry 29 hits in 215 at-bats in 1968, but played 111 games at short. For the World Series, however, Detroit manager Mayo Smith gambled by playing outfielder Mickey Stanley at the position. Dick Tracewski could just as easily have been the answer to this question.

He played 55 games at short for the Tigers in 1968 and hit .213. Chico Fernandez, another in a long line of Cubans that populated major league infields before Castro cut off the pipeline, surprised everyone when he hit 20 home runs for the Tigers in 1962. Dick McAuliffe was the Tigers' shortstop in the mid-60s, but became their regular second baseman thereafter.

Although he was never a great hitter for average, he could hit with power. Tom Veryzer had a good glove and held down shortstop for the Tigers in the mid-70s, but was supplanted by Alan Trammell and was traded to Cleveland.