The Crawfish Boxes: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: College Football Rankings - BlogPoll Top 25

Thursday TCB Trivia Question: Flashback to the 1999 NLDS, Braves vs. Astros

Answers:

Carl Everett, Tony Eusebio and Ricky Gutierrez

Braves' SS: Walt Weiss

Y'all are too good. Bottom line.

After last week's "easy" trivia question, hopefully this one is a little tougher for ya's. Here it is:

In 1999, the Astros played the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. Unfortunately, the Braves would win the series 3-1 and would go on to represent the NL in the World Series.

In Game 3 of the series, the teams were tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the 10th inning. Russ Springer (yes, he really did play on every ML team) was on the mound for the Bravos, and Jeff Bagwell led off for our Astros. The inning began like this:

  • Bags walked (runner on first, no outs)
  • Ken Caminiti singled (runners on first and second, no outs)
  • Stan Javier would single on an attempted sacrifice to first base (bases loaded, no outs)

Before the next Astro could bat, Bobby Cox would stride to the mound, take the ball from Springer and hand it to John Rocker. Although he was known as a kooky, closed-minded, racist-type, Rocker was a damn good relief pitcher for Atlanta. On this night, with some help from his defense, Rocker would live up to that billing in shutting down the Astro rally. Not a run would cross the plate, and subsequently the Braves won the game and the series.

My question for you all, is this:

Can you name the three Astros who would go down in order to finish out the inning?

Too random? I'll give you a hint, all three players were "up the middle" defenders.

Bonus question: The play of the series was made by the Braves' shortstop with one out in the tenth. This player ranged far to his left, fielded a sharp ground ball and threw home to force out Caminiti at home. Name that Braves shortstop.

0 recs  |  Comment 11 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

More from The Crawfish Boxes

The Last Of The 1997 Astros

Sep 2010 by David Coleman - 2 comments

The Astros Home Run Drought

Aug 2010 by David Coleman - 7 comments

A Farewell to Roy O

Aug 2010 by timmy_ - 10 comments

Comments

Display:

Everett, Eusabio, Gutierrez

As I recall, this was the game before he 18 inning extravaganza.

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.

by Caradoc on Sep 10, 2009 10:24 AM CDT reply actions  

Sounds right to me
Bonus question: The play of the series was made by the Braves’ shortstop with one out in the tenth. This player ranged far to his left, fielded a sharp ground ball and threw home to force out Caminiti at home. Name that Braves shortstop.

Walt “Motherf-ing” Weiss

Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.

by Only_A_Lad on Sep 10, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions  

Oh you meant Carl Everett (I see after HLP posted the correct answers )

I was thinking Adam Everett when I read that . I wondered how two shortstops would be playing. I figured at least one outfielder had to be in the mix.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Sep 10, 2009 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions  

the last one is easy

Walt Weiss. I believe the ball he fielded was off the bat of Tony Eusebio.

by lnewcomer on Sep 10, 2009 10:40 AM CDT reply actions  

Walt Weiss

lives in my nightmares!

Sadly I don’t remember the 3 batters, I just remember the ball heading up the middle and me going “YYEEE…what the crap he got the out?!?!”

by timmy_ on Sep 10, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions  

No Clue again

I was going to say Derek Bell, Julio Lugo and Brad Ausmus since it had to be the 6,7, 8 hitters; but I don’t really recall who played on the team that year.

Since two people have fingered Tony Eusebio, I guess I’ll switch him for Ausmus. Was Everett on the team? Didn’t Gutierrez also play shortstop?

I’d think an outfielder would be in the mix (Bell or Hildago), but really I have no clue.

I thought i had an idea who the Braves shortstop was , but I could not recall his name. All I know is I was not thinkibng Walt Weiss, and he appears to be the choice.

Astros fan for life

by Joe in Birmingham on Sep 10, 2009 1:51 PM CDT reply actions  

Everett was in the Red Sox system at that time.

My recollection is that Tim Bogar was the back up for Gutierrez.

by clack on Sep 10, 2009 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions  

Walt Weiss

He pinch-hit for Glavine in the 7th and stayed in the game at short for the rest of the game.

On another note, our inability to have a hard-hitting shortstop or catcher seems to go on throughout our history.(Eusabio, Guitierrez)

by Lancealot on Sep 10, 2009 2:45 PM CDT reply actions  

I've thought about that

and I think it could at least partly be explained by the Astros’ home environment. The dome killed power hitting and emphasized speed (artificial turf helped, too), so having speedier players (and a good defensive SS) and a catcher able to cut down on stolen bases made more sense than for other teams, even in that era.

Doesn’t help that Dickie Thon got beaned or that Meluskey went and slugged that due, either. Or that the 60s/70s Astros decided to get rid of almost all of their good players.

Your friendly neighborhood Dream Shake mod.

by Only_A_Lad on Sep 10, 2009 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions  

Or that Taubensee was a bust as an Astros catcher (Astros traded Kenny Lofton for the catching prospect).

Or that Joe Ferguson only spent 1.5 seasons with the Astros (he posted a .814 OPS for Houston in 1977…but the Astros didn’t like his defense).

Or that Milt May didn’t turn out to be the catching star he seemed to be destined for (the Astros traded Jerry Reuss early in his career for May…he was a good starting pitcher for 17 years after the Astros traded him).

By the way, Eusebio wasn’t that bad a hitter, for a catcher. His career stats: .275, .346, .383, .729.

As for shortstop, keep in mind that the concept of a power hitting shortstop is a relatively recent occurrence in major league baseball. Barry Larkin and Cal Ripken, Jr. are credited with as being the first “modern” power hitting shortstops, and they are 90s era players. Prior to that, shortstops were expected to be like Hall of Famer Luis Aparacio, who had a career OPS+ of 82. Look at Walt Weiss on that Braves’ team referenced in this post, career OPS+ of 78. The Astros viewed Gutierrez as an offense oriented shortstop when they acquired him but his career OPS+ is 83.

by clack on Sep 10, 2009 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions  

My guesses are Billy Speirs, Tim Bogar, and Tony Eusabio. The bonus is, as others have posted, Walt Weiss.

by Killer Bee on Sep 11, 2009 9:49 PM CDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the Crawfishboxes, the SBNation blog for the Houston Astros.
Start posting about the Astros »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Chels_small
What Astros players' intro music SHOULD be
Small
Why the 2011 Astros will be good
Astrobritrs2_small
Only one side of the coin?
Small
Barret Loux
Colevatar_small
Thank You, Astros Fans
Small
Astros Payroll
Small
Bored at work: Minor Questions for the Board
Small
Is the rebuilding over?
Adsc_0111pick_off_try_small
Yankees place Lance Berkman on 15 day DL
Colevatar_small
Question for Astros fans

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

TCB Tweets!

  

Current Series

4 game series vs Dodgers @ Minute Maid Park

Los Angeles Dodgers
@ Houston Astros

Thursday, Sep 9, 2010, 7:05 PM CDT
Minute Maid Park

Ted Lilly vs Bud Norris

Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 90.

Complete Coverage >

Fri 09/10 7:05 PM CDT
Sat 09/11 6:05 PM CDT
Sun 09/12 1:05 PM CDT

NL Central Standings

W L PCT GB STRK
Cincinnati 79 60 .568 0 Lost 4
St. Louis 72 65 .525 6 Lost 2
Houston 66 73 .474 13 Won 2
Milwaukee 65 74 .467 14 Won 2
Chicago 60 80 .428 19.5 Lost 2
Pittsburgh 47 92 .338 32 Lost 1

(updated 9.9.2010 at 9:41 AM CDT)

SBNation.com Recent Stories

SEATTLE - JULY 10:  Starting pitcher Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after defeating the New York Yankees 4-1 at Safeco Field on July 10 2010 in Seattle Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

MLB Power Rankings: On The Challenge Of Identifying A League's Best Pitcher

ANAHEIM CA - SEPTEMBER 08:  Jeff Mathis #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is mobbed by teammates after hitting a  walk off sacrifice fly to score Torri Hunter form third base against the Cleveland Indians in the 16th inning on September 8 2010 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim California.   The Angels won 4-3 in 16 innings.  (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Mathis' 16th-Inning Sac Fly Lifts Angels Over Indians 4-3

Philadelphia Phillies' Jimmy Rollins, left, slides into home to score past the tag of Florida Marlins catcher Brad Davis on a single by Carlos Ruiz in the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) +2 updates

Phils Top Marlins 10-6, Jimmy Rollins Leaves Game With 'Hamstring Tightness'

More from SBNation.com >


Humble Blog Managers

Godzillaemptyfridge_small Evan Hochschild

Lovelance_small Stephen Higdon

Old_school_dome_logo_small David Coleman

Editors

Nsapcs13_large_small clack

H_astros_small Subber10

Astros2_small timmy_

Astros_logo121009_small OremLK

Profphoto_small allphilla