Sporcle Saturday: Win vultures

May 13, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (31) reacts after pitching in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning!

It was on this date in 1960 that White Sox reliever Gerry Staley recorded two wins on the same day, a doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators. Those wins were number 10 and 11 for Staley that season; he would ultimately lead American League relievers with 13 wins that season, and actually tied for second-most wins on the 1960 White Sox pitching staff behind Billy Pierce (14).

This, of course, led me down the rabbit hole to see just how many pitcher wins a White Sox reliever has recorded in a season. The answer? 15, set just five years later, in 1965. Heading back to the present, closer Liam Hendriks already has 6 of his own wins this year. Ol’ Slydah sits one win above the cut-off for today’s Sporcle: of the 74 instances where a White Sox reliever has recorded five or more wins in a single season, how many can you name? Good luck!

Quiz Parameters

  • I’ve allotted 15 minutes for completion attempts.
  • For hints, I’ve ordered the list chronologically, provided the year, and the number of wins.
  • To qualify beyond the 5-win mark, the reliever in question must also have worked solely out of the bullpen.

Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:

  • Somewhat surprisingly (given pitcher usage in that era), the first time a White Sox reliever recorded five or more wins was in 1937 (7 wins).
  • The highest OPS+ against from the relievers on this list is 124 in 2003, while the lowest is 42, in 2004 and 2008. (Liam Henriks currently sits at 42, as well)
  • The major league record for most reliever wins recorded in a season is 18, by Roy Face of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1959.

(Photo Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports)

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All data from stathead.com

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6 Comments
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shaggy65

So glad the guy from 2000 made it into a quiz! One of my all-time favorite Sox relievers!

asinwreck

64/74. I got everyone from 1970 on, all but two guys from the 1960s, and nobody from before 1957.

Fun quiz, in part because some names you’d assume would show up from their responsibilities do not appear.

The first pitcher who always comes to mind when vulturing is mentioned is the 1990 guy. His vulturing ability was magical that season, enough so that he

upgraded the team the next year
was a key part of the Tim Raines trade
.

Last edited 2 years ago by asinwreck
roke1960

59/74. Missed three guys from the 2000s.

Joliet Orange Sox

Given that Michael Schur has talked about using baseball player names for place/character names in his sit-coms, I’ve wondered if he used the 2000 reliever in naming the Brooklyn 99 character of the same last name.

asinwreck

I’ve always assumed that was the case, and given that said character is Holt’s nemesis, maybe Schur is not particularly fond of said reliever.

Last edited 2 years ago by asinwreck
asinwreck

(In case there are readers unaware of Schur’s penchant for baseball names, here is a law firm from Parks & Rec.)

Last edited 2 years ago by asinwreck