Special Sub-Topic: Two 116-Win Teams Click Here To Play: Two 116-Win Teams

These are the saddest of possible words: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds, Tinker and Evers and Chance. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double -- Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Tinker to Evers to Chance was the double play combination of the 1906 Cubs. What was the equivalent for the 2001 Mariners?

Guillen to Boone to Olerud. Shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers, and first baseman Frank Chance are probably the most famous double play combination in history, thanks largely to that poem, "Baseball's Sad Lexicon", by Franklin Pierce Adams, and all three were elected to the Hall of Fame simultaneously in 1946. As a group, they were probably a bit overrated. Their double play totals were not particularly impressive when compared to their contemporaries, and would be unacceptably low today (though the game is totally different today--more base stealing and bunting means fewer double play opportunities, plus better gloves and other equipment means better fielding in general). Frank Chance was a good hitter, while Tinker and Evers were not. Carlos Guillen was not a very good defensive shortstop, but Bret Boone and John Olerud won seven Gold Glove awards between them (the award did not exist in 1906). Guillen had not yet developed into the offensive powerhouse he would later become, and Olerud's best hitting years had passed, but Boone was arguably the best hitter in the league in 2001, and a case could be made that the Mariners' 2001 double play combination was better than the Hall of Fame bunch.

The Mariners in the late 1990s managed to develop arguably the best outfielder in the American League (Ken Griffey), the best infielder in the American League (Alex Rodriguez), and the best pitcher in the American League (Randy Johnson). How many of them played for the 116-win Mariners in 2001?

None of them. Mid-season 1998, a clearly unhappy Randy Johnson is having a disappointing season in the Mariner rotation. He is traded to the Houston Astros for pitcher Freddy Garcia, pitcher John Halama, and shortstop Carlos Guillen, all of whom contribute heavily to the 2001 Mariners. Johnson, meanwhile, pitches well for the Astros, who lose in the first round of the playoffs, and he leaves as a free agent after the end of the year. After 1999, Ken Griffey is traded to the Cincinnati Reds for centerfielder Mike Cameron and three other players. Cameron's defense is spectacular, and his offense, while not Griffey's equal, is still pretty solid. Griffey, on the other hand, suddenly becomes injury prone and has several disappointing seasons in Cincinnati. After 2000, Alex Rodriguez leaves as a free agent and signs the most expensive contract in baseball history. The deal is a financial disaster for them, as they cannot afford to spend money on any other decent players and they play poorly for the next few seasons before trading him to the New York Yankees, who can afford him. Meanwhile, the Mariners use the money they would have spent on Rodriguez to sign right fielder Ichiro Suzuki and second baseman Bret Boone, who finished 1st and 3rd in the Most Valuable Player voting in 2001.

Bret Boone led the 2001 Mariners with 37 home runs. Which of the following statements is true?

The 1906 Cubs as a team hit and allowed a total of 32 home runs combined. Baseball was an entirely different game before 1920, known as "The Dead Ball Era". Wildfire Schulte indeed led the 1906 Cubs in home runs, with seven. The Cubs hit 20, good for second in the league, and allowed 12. They lost in the World Series to the Chicago White Sox, known as "The Hitless Wonders", who hit seven as a team and allowed eleven.

A good team often starts with a good pitching staff. Nine pitchers in all appeared on the mound for the 1906 Cubs. How many of those nine had ERAs of less than 3.00?

9. The worst ERA on the team belonged to Bob Wicker, 2.99, and the team's ERA was an amazing 1.75. By comparison, 15 pitchers saw action for the 2001 Mariners. Only three of them had ERAs under 3.00, and the team ERA was 3.54, which was still the best in the league.

Bret Boone and David Bell were the second and third basemen for the 2001 Mariners. While they were good, though not spectacular players, they do have a special place in baseball history for another reason. Why is that?

They were the first two third-generation baseball players. Bret Boone was the son of catcher Bob Boone and grandson of outfielder Ray Boone, while David Bell was the son of third baseman Buddy Bell and grandson of outfielder Gus Bell. Incidentally, Boone was the first player to homer back to back twice in the same inning with another player, and that was with another Mariner, but that was with Mike Cameron in 2002. David Bell and his grandfather Gus both hit for the cycle, the first time a grandfather and grandson ever did so. Bret Boone never hit for the cycle. Bret Boone won four Gold Gloves. David Bell may have deserved to win a couple, but he never won a Gold Glove.

Which of the following awards did Mariner right fielder Ichiro Suzuki not win in 2001?

Cy Young. Ichiro Suzuki was ineligible for the Cy Young, as that is the award given to the best pitcher. Ichiro was only the second player ever to win the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season, matching Fred Lynn's 1975 achievement for the Boston Red Sox.

How many Seattle Mariners were named to the 2001 All-Star Team?

8. The game was held at Safeco Field in Seattle. John Olerud, Bret Boone, Ichiro Suzuki, and Edgar Martinez were starters, while Freddy Garcia, Jeff Nelson, Kazuhiro Sasaki, and Mike Cameron were on the bench. Garcia picked up the win and Sasaki the save as the American League won 4-1, in Cal Ripken's 19th and last All-Star game.

How many Chicago Cubs were named to the 1906 All-Star team?

0. The All-Star game did not exist yet. It did not begin until 1933.

The ace of the 1906 Cubs was Mordecai Brown. He was known, however, by a peculiar nickname. What was his nickname?

Three Finger. "Three Finger" Brown was so named because he had three fingers on his throwing hand. The other two were cut off in a childhood accident, and consequently he could curve a baseball in ways nobody else could at the time. "Big Six" was Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson. "White Wings" was Reds outfielder George Tebeau. "Wagon Tongue" was well-traveled infielder Bill Keister.

Mariner Manager Lou Piniella attended spring training as a rookie in 1969 with what team?

The Seattle Pilots. After brief cups of coffee with Cleveland and Baltimore, Lou Piniella was selected by the 1969 Seattle Pilots in the expansion draft and attended spring training with them, but at the end of camp was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Steve Whitaker and John Gelnar. He won the Rookie of the Year award and lasted five years in Kansas City, which is four years longer than the Pilots lasted in Seattle (they moved to Milwaukee after one season). He then spent 11 years as an outfielder with the Yankees before beginning his managing career.