Obscure sports trivia

I miss those old sayings:
Spahn and Sain and pray for rain
Tanana and Ryan and two days of cryin'
Any others?

 

Damn Yankees!

 

There actually were three versions of the Washington Senators and four Washington franchises overall between the AL and NL. The NL originally had the Washington Nationals in the mid-late 1880s. Connie Mack played on that team.

There was a Washington Senators team that started out in 1891 in the American Association as the Washington Statesmen before the AA folded, the franchise shifted to the NL and became the Senators. This franchise was folded after 1899 when the NL went from 12 to 8 teams.

Then the Senators were founded in the AL in 1901, which became today’s Minnesota Twins. To confuse matters further, they also were called the Washington Nationals at various points in their history. Then the AL did the 1961 expansion with a new Senators franchise, which eventually became today’s Texas Rangers.

This may show up on the pop quiz.

 

Who was the first American League pitcher of color to win a World Series game?

 

Mudcat Grant?

 

No.

 

Don Newcombe?

 

Satchel Paige?

 

No and no. Newcombe pitched in the NL and never won a World Series game. Paige was restricted to mop-up duty in 1948 with Cleveland although he probably deserved a start, considering his regular-season success.

 

I probably should have said, "First non-Caucasian American League pitcher to win a World Series game." Just to be absolutely correct.

There still have been no correct answers.

 

Charles Bender.

 

I totally fucked this question up. The answer I was looking for was Luis Arroyo in 1961. But you are correct with the Chief.