December 1 wake-up call

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Posted By: Bob

Fact I didn't know until earlier this morning, but which all the rest of you were probably weaned on ...

There are eight players who have won 20 or more games in a season while working for a club that lost 100 or more games in that season. Steve Carleton is the most recent example. Who was the only player in baseball history to win 20 and hit higher than .300 for a club that lost 100 or more games in one season?

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Posted By: howard

Ned Garver?

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Posted By: Bob

Howard;

Either your IQ is 385, or you ate something dangerously humongous for breakfast, or PERHAPS YOU'RE REALLY NOT FROM PLANET EARTH AT ALL... In any case, Ned it is. Now where was the fun in that?

Bob

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

20-12. I knew it, but Howard beat me to it. I went to see Ned in Ney, Ohio several years ago. This record was a big deal to Bill Veeck at the time, who used it as a rallying point for his downtrodden Brownies and their fans (fan?). Ned ended up receiving a night in his honor, along with several gifts and a humungously gaudy trophy. I never did see that trophy.

Now, what does Ned Garver have in common with Jo-Jo Moore (besides the fact that I visited both)?

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Posted By: David McDonald

Both born on Christmas? Just a wild guess.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

You got it!

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Well, like Howard, I guess my IQ is at least "385"....thank you. Had I logged in before Howard, I would have
said Garver without even thinking about anyone else.

I was a young kid in 1951 and an avid Yankees fan when Ned Garver won 20 games with the St. Lo. Browns.

Besides Bobby Thomson's famous HR that year, Garver was the "talk of the town" (that is in NY). The strong
rumors were that the Yankees were very interested in Ned. Instead, Garver was traded to Detroit the follow-
ing year. Garver never again had a season like 1951. I met him once at a BB card show, a really nice guy.


TED Z

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Posted By: howard

Well maybe 38.5, thanks. I had just woken up....I do my best thinking when I'm semi-concious.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I got Mr. Garver to sign for me years ago. Saw him in person, heard him speak. He seemed to be a quiet, intelligent fellow. He held the game in high regard. He seemed ever so slightly bitter about the modern salaries and how he missed out on that. He was a solid pitcher, performing well for weak teams.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

When I met with him, he spoke his mind, yet really had no bad words to say in regards to his contemporaries. Like many players of yesterday, he seemed to hold resentment against current MLB salaries (can you blame him?). I always make it a habit to ask players about the eccentric, lesser-known and long-deceased players they knew. For me, it always made more sense to delve into these areas, as everyone always asks about the Mantles, Ruths, etc. I figure that better stories are to be had if you ask questions the player has rarely (or never) answered. That's what appeals to me, anyway, and such a "plan of attack" usually gets the player in a better mood, making for a more energetic and mutually-enjoyable visit. The funny thing was, with Garver, it seemed as though he had all my questions answered in advance, despite the fact I was asking about obscure players like Clint Courtney. He was more than happy to discuss anything, but I'm amazed that anyone would have questioned him at length about his former battery mate. The stories and answers seemed pre-packaged. Then again, perhaps he is THAT gifted of an orator; I'm certainly not used to that rapid-fire of a verbal delivery. Always more often than not, my method of questioning makes the old-timers pause for an extended period so that they may transport themselves back to a specific time or incident.