Each Thursday during the 2023 MLB season, we will have a trio of baseball trivia questions for you to mull over. It's a break from the norm in our fantasy baseball coverage, and we hope you will take part and enjoy every week.
If you're one of the millions of people who spend at least some of their downtime watching Netflix, then I'm sure you noticed the new season of "Black Mirror" recently dropped on the streaming service. Each episode is a standalone story of some sort of dark reflection on today's society or, in many cases, a dystopian society of tomorrow shaped by the technology of today.
While none of these new Season 6 episodes showcased a world where robot dog umpires menacingly hunt down hitters who dare to dally outside of the batter's box, who's to say that won't be among Rob Manfred's new rules a decade or so down the road? Oh, well. In any event, this week's queries were inspired by some of the new offerings from creator Charlie Brooker. Enjoy!
As always, in the spirit of fun, three questions are before you. Three answers are required. We're on the honor system here, so please no searching the internet for the answers. You just might be surprised at how much you actually know!
Question 1: JOAN IS AWFUL
Joan Payson owned the New York Mets from the franchise's inception in 1962 until her death shortly after the 1975 season. From all accounts, she was not awful, but her team certainly was -- at least at the start of its existence. Name either of the two pitchers who had two 20-loss seasons for the Mets during Payson's tenure as owner.
Question 2: LOCH HENRY
In 1954, what player broke his ankle in spring training while sliding into second base, opening the door for a rookie named Henry Aaron to win a starting job with Milwaukee? This outfielder, who played for 15 years, was born in Scotland and is probably best known for the 131st (out of 264) home run of his career.
Question 3: DEMON 79
Stolen bases were all the rage in 1979, with Willie Wilson leading the league with 83 successful swipes. All in all, 33 players had at least 25 stolen bases that season, but in terms of players who stole the most bases without getting caught in 1979? We're looking at just two players who both went a perfect 3-for-3. Can you name either of these players? One was a catcher who had previously won Rookie of the Year honors. The other somewhat famously hit just .198 in his 401 plate appearances of 1979.
Take your time and think about your answers, and when you're ready to see if you're right, click here.