Who Am I? #4

[frankbmd]

Leon moved #3 to the main board, so I'll just start here.


I was known as a fine player.


Some even called me the finest, a league leader.


I retired the same year as a chap named Augie, who struck out three times in our last game I recall.

[doug34-36]

Was he a great twirler with plenty of strike-out records from the cotton country whose dad was quite a ballplayer in his day?

[brianp-beme]

The answer of course is Taft 'Taffy' Wright, a leader in the fine stretchy candy category. In fact, one could say he is in a league of his own.


Brian (not my fine stretchy candy card)

[frankbmd]

Taffy Wright may be close, but the question is close to what?

[frankbmd]

I once played in a World Series with Augie as well, I believe.

[HercDriver]

Schoolboy Rowe? Grasping at straws...

Cheers,
Geno

[frankbmd]

Geno, try a different straw.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

The People's Cherce?

[judsonhamlin]

I’ll throw Kirby Higbe out and see if he sticks.

[frankbmd]

Dixie Walker is not correct.

Kirby Higbe slid off the table without sticking.

[frankbmd]

I played a lot for over 8 years so don't get me wrong, but the highlight of my career occurred after I retired one might say.

[molenick]

I won't go into all the rabbit holes I went down without finding anyone who met all the clues.

But Emil Verban meets some of the clues. More famous after he played (because of the Emil Verban Society) and played in the 1944 World Series with Augie Bergamo (and Augie struck out three times in game two).

But game two was not the last game they played together (they were both in game three); they did not retire the same year; Emil played 7 years in the majors (not 8) and 17 years including the minors; and the only thing he led the league in was games played one year.

[judsonhamlin]

Dizzy Dean played for over 8 years but only very well for some of those, leading in several categories. He played on the Cubs with Augie Galan on the 1938 Cubs who lost to the Yankees in the WS. And, he achieved fame as a broadcaster.

[Peter_Spaeth]

If all the clues don't fit
Your guesses ain't worth (*&&^

[frankbmd]

Emil Verban is not the answer.

If Dizzy Dean was correct, you know that one of the clues would include the Wabash Cannonball and it will not.

[frankbmd]

I was not a musician, but this clue could be misleading.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Until the musician clue, Dixie Walker met all the parameters, even standing near to Taft Wright in the outfield!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Until the musician clue, Dixie Walker met all the parameters, even standing near to Taft Wright in the outfield!

Dixie played for 18 years.

[molenick]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If all the clues don't fit
Your guesses ain't worth (*&&^

Oh, I knew I was wrong. I was hoping I could coax some more clues from Frank. I had also thought of Van Lingle Mungo and Leo Durocher at the start (for reasons I don't recall now) but further clues eliminated them.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by molenick

Oh, I knew I was wrong. I was hoping I could coax some more clues from Frank. I had also thought of Van Lingle Mungo and Leo Durocher at the start (for reasons I don't recall now) but further clues eliminated them.

Not sure Augie Galan is going to get anyone there, but seems obvious place to start.

[molenick]

Yeah, I started with Augie Galan. I think that's where Brian's Taffy Wright answer came from. But I couldn't find any three strikeout games in his last season, let alone his last game. But I may be misinterpreting that clue.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by molenick

Yeah, I started with Augie Galan. I think that's where Brian's Taffy Wright answer came from. But I couldn't find any three strikeout games in his last season, let alone his last game. But I may be misinterpreting that clue.

I think the 3K game only needs to be the last game Augie and the answer played together, not Augie's last game.

[frankbmd]

As a fine player, I struck out in Havana, but not on the diamond. I just missed the boat.

[Yoda]

Fidel Castro.

[frankbmd]

My playing career was over before Castro's began.

[frankbmd]

I might be able to string this out a little longer, but I choose to end it now.

I am VAN LINGLE MUNGO

I was a fine player, receiving more fines than any other player in the mid 30s.

I led the league in fines.

Augie Bergamo played against me in 1945, the year we both retired. In August he faced me on the mound and struck out 3 times.

Augie Galan was on the Dodgers in 1941, the year the Dodgers went to the World Series. See below, I never made it to the World Series, but was known for not being truthful. 1941 is partially explained below.

My career spanned from 1931-1945, but I only pitched over 100 innings in eight of those years.

I did strike out more batters than Dizzy in 1936, my only positive league leadership stat.

Both Augies, Bergamo and Galan, are in the song.

Spring training in 1941 the Dodgers trained in Havana. I bought Durocher a drink, had quite a few myself, and got involved with some loose women, who worked in our hotel. When the Dodgers left Havana, I missed the boat and before long found myself playing AAA ball that year.

In 1969 my fame and identity became well known with David Frishberg's song titled with my name. The SABR bio of my life goes into a lot more detail about my successes and failures.

This is the youtube link to Frishberg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tvphgpl_K8

Heenie Majeski, Johnny Gee
Eddie Joost, Johnny Pesky, Thornton Lee
Danny Gardella
Van Lingle Mungo
Whitey Kurowski, Max Lanier
Eddie Waitkus and Johnny Vandermeer
Bob Estalella
Van Lingle Mungo
Augie Bergamo, Sigmund Jakucki
Big Johnny Mize and Barney McCosky
Hal Trosky
Augie Galan and Pinky May
Stan Hack and Frenchy Bordagaray
Phil Cavaretta, George McQuinn
Howie Pollett and Early Wynn
Art Passarella
Van Lingle Mungo
John Antonelli, Ferris Fain
Frankie Crosetti, Johnny Sain
Harry Brecheen and Lou Boudreau
Frankie Gustine and Claude Passeau
Eddie Basinski
Ernie Lombardi
Hughie Mulcahy
Van Lingle... Van Lingle Mungo

The possibilities of misdirectional clues with the 37 players above is endless, but I sense the end in near.

It's time to begin work on #5.

[molenick]

Well, I mentioned Van Lingle Mungo in post 19 as an earlier thought (and it was because of the song) but the fact that he played 14 years and did not play in a World Series seemed to contradict the clues.

[doug34-36]

Originally Posted by doug34-36

Was he a great twirler with plenty of strike-out records from the cotton country whose dad was quite a ballplayer in his day?

Rumor has it every thread needs a card, so I'll make my first attempt at including an image (not my card) . . .

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Mungo was literally the first person I thought of and looked up, but Galan's last MLB game was in 1949 and Mungo's was in 1945. Was stuck on Galan as opposed to Bergamo.

[molenick]

It is hard to figure out the answer when you are not sure which clues are true and which are not...but to show there are no hard feelings, here is my Mungo card.

Edited to add: as per a PM from Frank, his World Series clue was an error and not an attempt to deceive...Mungo was on the 1941 Dodgers at one point in the season but did not play for them in the Series.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Mungo was literally the first person I thought of and looked up, but Galan's last MLB game was in 1949 and Mungo's was in 1945. Was stuck on Galan as opposed to Bergamo.

Thanks for confirming that my Augie switchereroo worked.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by molenick

Well, I mentioned Van Lingle Mungo in post 19 as an earlier thought (and it was because of the song) but the fact that he played 14 years and did not play in a World Series seemed to contradict the clues.

If he did not play in a World Series, that's inconsistent with an early clue.

[cgjackson222]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If he did not play in a World Series, that's inconsistent with an early clue.

Van Mungo has zero postseason experience, let alone a World Series. OP said that he played in a World Series with Augie once, "I believe".

Does OP actually verify the accuracy of his clues, or does he just go based off what "he believes"?

Or does have some bizarre definition of World Series?

EDIT: My apologies for taking trivia too seriously.