NEW TRIVIA CONTEST: You will still be required to enter the drawing as usual. However, through the end of 2024 you will get points depending on the complexity of the questions. Enter each week and correct answers will get those points-one guess per person per week. The reader with the most points after the years final column will get a $50 Starbucks Gift Card. Ties will be placed into a drawing. Questions will be worth anywhere from 10-25 points depending on degree of difficulty. Questions will be more difficult as the year goes on, so you are never really out of the mix. Tell your friends and sports fans who like trivia. We will keep track of your points. - YOU MUST ENTER VIA THE EMAIL AT THE END OF THIS COLUMN.
NEW TRIVIA QUESTION: These sluggers all played for the same team in one season during their careers. Which team was it? The players were Arky Vaughn, Bob Elliott, Ripper Collins, Billy Cox, Vince DiMaggio. TOTAL 25 POINTS.
The 1969 Kansas City Royals were not a bad expansion team and it did not take them as long as others to be good. They only won 69 games that first season but they did win their last four in a row.
The club beat the White Sox 10-3 to start that streak. Ed Kirkpatrick slammed a pair of homers in getting four hits and driving in three, while Bob Oliver added another dinger. Mike Hedlund went 4 2/3 before giving way to Moe Drabowsky who picked up the win. Fred Rath took the loss. He only pitched in eight games and never did win one over two seasons.
Next up for a three game set were the Angels. The Royals Kirkpatrick again was "the" man. He had four more hits, two more homers and drove in six runs. Those were blasts no. 13 and no. 14. Dick Drago won his 11th, Tom Murphy took the loss.
The next day Kirkpatrick hit a double (no.49) and drove in two as the Royals shutout the Angels 6-0. It was a game shortened to five innings due to rain. Bill Butler got the win.
The final game of the season was a masterpiece by Kansas City's Wally Bunker. Bunker went the distance giving up two runs on six hits and didn't walk a batter to finish the season 12-11. Kirkpatrick had the day off.
TRIVIA CONTEST;