Most former gamers keep in mind particulars about private milestones. A hitter can sometimes inform you the place, and in opposition to whom, he recorded his first hit and residential run. Ditto for particulars about an particularly significant second, maybe a pennant-clinching double, or perhaps a game-deciding grand slam in opposition to a bona fide ace. The identical goes for pitchers. Ask them about their first win, their first strikeout — even their first house run allowed — and so they can rattle off a solution with out a lot effort. What number of Ws have been they credited with over the course of their profession? Piece of cake.
Different questions aren’t really easy. With that in thoughts, I challenged former Kansas Metropolis Royals (and briefly Anaheim Angels) right-hander Mark Gubicza to a quiz. The now-Angels broadcaster wasn’t deterred after I warned him my questions weren’t going to be layups. Gubicza, who pitched in 384 video games from 1984-1997, agreed to offer it a shot.
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The primary query I requested the previous All-Star was which batter he confronted probably the most instances. Gubicza guessed Kirby Puckett. Nope. His second guess, Jose Canseco, was likewise incorrect. I knowledgeable him the proper reply: Wade Boggs.
“I ought to have remembered that,” replied Gubicza, who squared off in opposition to the five-time batting champion 97 instances. (Puckett was shut behind at 92, whereas Canseco was additional down the listing at 60.) “He hit about .387 in opposition to me, or one thing like that.”
The hurler-turned-analyst obtained two of these three digits proper. Boggs batted .367 in opposition to him, going 29-for-79 whereas additionally drawing 17 walks and lofting a sacrifice fly.
How concerning the batter who obtained probably the most hits off of him?
“I might assume that Boggs is close to the highest,” Gubicza reasoned. “Don Mattingly could be fairly shut; he obtained me fairly good. He had the next batting common [.413], however I don’t know that I confronted him sufficient instances.”
Mattingly (33) is the proper reply.
“Each of these guys gave me nightmares,” Gubicza stated. “With Boggs, it obtained to the purpose the place I used to be nearly keen to hit him with a pitch, as a result of I knew it was going to be an eight-, nine-, or 10-pitch at-bat, then he’d both stroll or get a base hit to left area. Mattingly obtained big-moment knocks off of me. I by no means wished him up, particularly with guys on base. Wade, I knew, was going to be a battle. Mattingly had extra-base energy in opposition to me.”
Mattingly not solely had a .663 slugging proportion in opposition to Gubicza, however he was additionally considered one of 5 batters to take him deep 4 instances. The others have been Canseco, Fred McGriff, Greg Vaughn, and Mickey Tettleton. Gubicza was in a position to title all however the final of them with out a lot effort. That he couldn’t give you Tettleton stunned him.
“I didn’t quit a whole lot of house runs, so I keep in mind all people who obtained me,” stated Gubicza, who allowed simply 155 over 2,223 2/3 innings. “However yeah, he may need gotten me for 2 three-run homers in a single sport [which Tettleton did, on May 14, 1996]. It’s humorous, as a result of I used to get him out, then swiftly I couldn’t get him out. He was in a position to get to my sinker earlier than it obtained all the way in which to the skin nook. And he obtained it fairly good.
My subsequent query was much more difficult: Which hitter did he face 41 instances and neither give up a house run to, nor strike out? He incorrectly guessed Cal Ripken Jr. (six strikeouts, no house runs). The reply is Matt Nokes.
Requested which batter he fanned probably the most instances, Gubicza promptly and accurately named Canseco (20 stikeouts, 60 plate appearances). The batter he confronted probably the most instances with out giving up successful? He nailed that one, as nicely.
“I do know Joel Skinner (0-for-19) by no means obtained hit in opposition to me, however I’ll say Dick Schofield (0-for-28),” he responded, citing the previous Angels shortstop. “And consider me, each time we run into one another, he shakes his head.
“At one level, Mark McLemore was like 0-for-23,” continued Gubicza. “We each knew it. He got here as much as me as soon as and stated, ‘I don’t ever get successful in opposition to you.’ I am going, ‘Oh man, there you go.’ In fact, he will get an infield hit the very subsequent time. We’re good pals, so we’ve laughed at one another about that.”
The very best OPS in opposition to him, minimal 20 plate appearances, proved to be a stumper. His guesses have been Mattingly (1.106) and Kirk Gibson (1.103), however the reply is McGriff (1.833).
“Oh yeah,” stated Gubicza. “He used to get me so dangerous that I feel I truly began throwing sliders at his again foot, on objective. We have been pals, so I didn’t wish to hit him hit him. However yeah, there was a 3-0 pitch the place I threw a fastball, considering he was taking, and he took me deep, useless middle off the glass, at SkyDome. He was operating the bases and I stated, ‘You’ll by no means get one other fastball once more.’”
The following query was one I assumed Gubicza wouldn’t get: Which hitter went 5-for-5 with one house run in opposition to him? As anticipated, he couldn’t title Max Venable.
“He hit a grand slam off me, too,” Gubicza stated upon studying who it was. “Once I discuss to [White Sox manager Will Venable], I say to him, ‘Inform your dad I stated hello. Additionally inform him that he needs to be thanking me for the grand slam.’
“The opposite grand slams I gave up have been to Chuck Knoblauch and Dave Kingman,” added Gubicza. “The one to Kingman was in my first yr. Jim Palmer jogs my memory that he by no means gave up a grand slam. I inform him that I obtained mine out of the way in which early.”
I anticipated him to know the visiting ballpark during which he allowed probably the most house runs. It seems that I used to be mistaken. Gubicza made quite a few guesses earlier than naming Tiger Stadium.
“What I keep in mind is that each time I went to that yard, I knew I used to be beat,” stated Gubicza, who surrendered 11 gophers at Detroit’s outdated ballpark. “And it’s bizarre, as a result of I ought to have been nice there. I used to be a sinkerball man and the infield grass there was like a mile excessive. For no matter motive, I didn’t quit groundballs at Tiger Stadium. That overhang in proper area obtained me a pair instances, too.”
The 2 gamers who took Gubicza deep twice at Tiger Stadium? After wrongly guessing Pete Incaviglia, he accurately named Cecil Fielder, including that he and the right-handed-hitting slugger have been as soon as minor league roommates within the Royals system. Gubicza then additionally accurately named Kirk Gibson, who hit two house runs off him on April 19, 1994. As destiny would have it, a social engagement is a part of story.
“I used to be going over to his home,” Gubicza recalled. “He and his spouse, JoAnn, have been making me dinner. Gibby goes, ‘I assume Gubie gained’t be coming over after I hit two three-run homers in opposition to him.’ No. I might anticipate Gibby to deal with me to dinner after giving these up. That was six RBI.”
The participant who drove in probably the most runs in opposition to him? It was Mattingly, with 17, though that wasn’t a part of the quiz. As for the questions Gubicza did sort out, he did fairly nicely given their diploma of issue. Grade-wise, Gubicza in all probability deserves a B-minus. Truly, make {that a} B. He deserves further credit score for being sport.