Monday Micro Softy 39: Astounding Sports History
A player you've never heard of played for three major league sportsBefore I give the answer to last week’s Micro Softy baseball puzzle, here’s a quiz about an unsung but incredible talent:
Many major cities have multiple professional sports teams across baseball (MLB), hockey (NHL), and basketball (NBA). Remarkably, there is a man who has played for all three types of major league team (baseball, hockey, and basketball) in the same city during the same year.
I suspect most readers are drawing a blank. You have never heard of this player. So, for this week’s Micro Softy, why is this man not more famous?
Solution to Micro Softy 38: A Pitcher’s Lament
Image Credit: Andrii IURLOV - How could the winning pitcher have thrown no pitches? Here’s the puzzle from last week:
The bases are loaded at the top of the ninth with two outs. The score is tied 19 to 19. Lefty Wright comes in as the pitcher of record. The final score in the bottom of the ninth was 23 to 19 and Lefty’s team wins. He is declared the winning pitcher even though he does not throw a single pitch.
Here’s how this could happen:
When Lefty took the mound, he noticed the runner on third base had a big lead. He fired the ball over to the third baseman who picked off the runner. Since there were two outs, the side was retired, and Lefty had thrown no pitches.
The score was still 19 to 19.
In the bottom of the ninth, Lefty’s team won 23 to 19. If a winning run is scored in the bottom of the ninth, the game is over immediately even though there have not been three outs. The only way to add four runs to the score in the bottom of the ninth was a grand slam (bases leaded) home run. This was the final play of the game.
Finally, since Lefty was the pitcher of record when his team went ahead and won, he is credited with the win. He won his promised ten-thousand-dollar bonus for winning 20 games, even though he did not throw a single pitch for his last win.
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The Micro Softy is a weekly feature of Mind Matters News. Here are the last three Mondays’ puzzles (with the answer to the previous Monday’s puzzle in each case):
Monday Micro Softy 38: A Pitcher’s Lament How can Lefty Wright be the winning pitcher in an exciting game without throwing a single pitch? Micro Softy 37 is easier to guess if you think about what the two teams have in common that might change the opening ceremonies somewhat…
Image Credit: thaninee - Monday Micro Softy 37: A unique baseball game Something was missing from the game played on June 30, 1997, that was missing from every previous MLB game for decades. The answer to Micro Softy 36 lies in considering the problem from a number of angles…
Monday Micro Softy 36: A glass half empty? Half full? Too big? The professors on a research expedition must make sure that each glass of rationed water is exactly half full. The answer to Micro Softy 35 can be deduced by asking where a house could be placed so that all directions are south.
And here are links to all the earlier Micro Softies
Monday Micro Softy 35: A house with a view. A billionaire, used to getting what he wants, demands a house where all the walls’ windows offer a view in the same direction. The solution to Monday Micro Softy 34 is quite simple if we pay attention to the exact measurements of the poles and the wires. sincere
Image Credit: Marina Shvedak - Monday Micro Softy 29: A funeral lament in four lines. The funeral director was puzzled by Dan’s description of his relationship to the deceased but there was no question that his grief was sincere Here, you will also find links to Microsofties 22 through 29.
Monday Micro Softy 21: Finding More of the Deadly Fentanyl Pills. There, you will also find links to Microsofties 11 through 20 as well.
At Monday Micro Softy 11: What Happened to That Other Dollar?, you will find links to the first ten Micro Softies. Have fun!
