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.
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Comments
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.
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.
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
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?!?!”
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.
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)
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.
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.

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