TRIVIA WINNER: The 12 time Letterman who got offers to play in the NFL with the Browns and with the Harlem Globetrotters was big league first sacker Donn Clendenon. The Prize: 50 points toward the person's total.
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: He only played in the decade of the 1960's, played for seven teams and in both leagues, struck out more than 100 times four times and hit 20 home runs twice in his career, playing in 771 games. His claim to fame might be he was once traded for a home run king. Who was he? Answer is worth 20 POINTS.
So much has been made of some of the great Japanese players who came to play in the Major Leagues in the USA, many have forgotten about the break through player who made his debut with the San Francisco Giants in 1964. Masanori Murakami spent a season in Japanese baseball at age 19 and was quickly picked up by the Giants, making his debut at age 20 in 1964. He was the first Japanese born player to play in the big leagues.
In his first appearance on September 1, 1964 he faced the Mets Charley Smith with New York leading 4-0 in the eighth. He struck out Smith looking. He gave up a single to Chris Cannizzaro before striking out Ed Kranepool and getting Roy McMillan to ground out. Later that year he would get his first win, also against the Mets. He went three innings in relief in a 5-4, 11 inning game. He'd finish the 1964 season 1-0.
In 1965 he was counted on to do more and he did, going 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 74 innings but he also game up 9 home runs. The season came to an end and so did Murakami's major league career. He had come to the USA as an exchange student, which is how the Giants maneuvered his youthful skills. In the majors he would pitch less than 100 innings but still struck out 100 hitters.
Now it was back to Japan where he would play 18 seasons and finish with 103-82 foreign baseball record. His best season was 1968 when he went 18-4 in 177 innings. He finally called it a career in 1982 pitching in just two games for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He did some announcing along the way and is 79 years old.
Murakami was honored by the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Friday, May 16, 2008, when a limited edition Murakami bobblehead was given away at the evening game against the Chicago White Sox as part of the team's "Japanese Heritage Night" promotion. He was again honored on the 50th anniversary of his debut 2014 and game attendees were given a figurine-style bust of Murakami, who threw out the first pitch.
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