OT - 6/1/2007 Puzzle

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 06:59 PM

These are always fun. I love sports trivia (I'm still ready to take on Howie Schwab), but am racking my brain on this one. I'm 100% certain what all these players share, but just can't determine the missing link yet. I may just have to take a random stab shortly...

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by BigBollocks

These are always fun. I love sports trivia (I'm still ready to take on Howie Schwab), but am racking my brain on this one. I'm 100% certain what all these players share, but just can't determine the missing link yet. I may just have to take a random stab shortly...

This is actually a fairly difficult question, and is much more a brainteaser than a piece of baseball trivia. If you look at it from a pure baseball standpoint, you aren't going to get it (unless you guess ... but what's the fun in that?)

Now that I think about it the question is actually pretty contrived, so my advice would be not to waste too much time waiting for that "a-ha" moment.

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 07:19 PM

Ganch I'm not sure your "submit answer" button is working. I entered most players who I thought would have met the qualification, and got an "incorrect answer" screen everytime.

Did you create this yourself or get it somewhere else? If a little more time elapses I may have to request a hint....

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 07:21 PM

The weaving in and out of generations is what is throwing me off the most....

bigboydan · 06-01-07, 07:32 PM

Damn, I thought I had that one too

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by BigBollocks

Ganch I'm not sure your "submit answer" button is working. I entered most players who I thought would have met the qualification, and got an "incorrect answer" screen everytime.

It's working just fine.

Originally posted by BigBollocks

Did you create this yourself or get it somewhere else? If a little more time elapses I may have to request a hint....

I thought of this problem while doing squats at the gym. (And that's not a hint.)

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 07:56 PM

<input type=button style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Spoiler" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Spoiler") { document.getElementById("spoil1").style. display = ""; this.value="Hide Spoiler"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil1").style. display = "none"; this.value="Show Spoiler"; } '> <div id=spoil1 style="display: none;"><BLOCKQUOTE><hr>The ordering of the list is meaningful ... <input type=button style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Spoiler" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Spoiler") { document.getElementById("spoil2").style. display = ""; this.value="Hide Spoiler"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil2").style. display = "none"; this.value="Show Spoiler"; } '> <div id=spoil2 style="display: none;"><BLOCKQUOTE><hr> ... but its elements are not necessarily unique. (Although the answer is.) <input type=button style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Spoiler" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Spoiler") { document.getElementById("spoil3").style. display = ""; this.value="Hide Spoiler"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil3").style. display = "none"; this.value="Show Spoiler"; } '> <div id=spoil3 style="display: none;"><BLOCKQUOTE><hr> Only the first 16 elements of the list are shown. A complete list would be longer. <hr></div> <hr></div><hr></div>

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 09:27 PM

If the recent ones listed didn't give it away I'll go ahead and let everyone know that these are all World Series MVPs (seeing Donn Clendenon instantly set that off for me, as that is always a good baseball factoid question). If anyone can start to decipher this out from there I'd be curious to know how...

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 09:30 PM

Donn Clendenon was the only man to win the World Series MVP on a losing team fyi...

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 09:41 PM

Solved by BigBollocks on Fri Jun 01 at 22:42:28.

BigBollocks's Fortune:
Cat, n.:
 Lapwarmer with built-in buzzer.

__________________
This message was autoposted by ganchrow.

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 09:42 PM

Don't get too hung up on the baseball angle. This is first and foremost a lateral thinking puzzle that happens to be couched in a baseball framework.

The details of the puzzle all have to do with baseball, but the manner of relating them to each other does not.

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 09:43 PM

Originally posted by Ganchrow

Solved by BigBollocks on Fri Jun 01 at 22:42:28.

Looks like you got it. Good job.

But did you actually figure it out or did you just guess?

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 09:49 PM

Originally posted by Ganchrow

Looks like you got it. Good job.

Ganchrow · 06-01-07, 09:54 PM

Originally posted by BigBollocks

Care to explain your answer?

BigBollocks · 06-01-07, 10:10 PM

Originally posted by Ganchrow

Care to explain your answer?

My fingers are tired from typing right now. I'll be back soon to explain my thought process better....

Ganchrow · 06-02-07, 12:13 PM

Still no real solutions yet. Here's another hint:

<input type=button style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Spoiler" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Spoiler") { document.getElementById("spoil11").style .display = ""; this.value="Hide Spoiler"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil11").style .display = "none"; this.value="Show Spoiler"; } '> <div id=spoil11 style="display: none;"><hr><BLOCKQUOTE>All the historical baseball trivia need to solve this problem is referenced here: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_mvpw.shtml</BLOCKQUOTE> <hr> </div>

BigBollocks · 06-02-07, 04:22 PM

Ganch this has to be the most frustrating thing ever. I long since pulled up the list of World Series MVPs, and even looked for things such as age at the time, etc. Hopefully you'll share how you derived your answer relatively soon, because I'm utterly clueless....

Ganchrow · 06-02-07, 05:03 PM

Originally posted by BigBollocks

Ganch this has to be the most frustrating thing ever. I long since pulled up the list of World Series MVPs, and even looked for things such as age at the time, etc. Hopefully you'll share how you derived your answer relatively soon, because I'm utterly clueless....

I figure I'll just keep giving hints until someone's able to figure out how the answer is arrived at.

Willie Bee · 06-02-07, 05:12 PM

Other than the fact it can be any one of 34 names, I have no clue

Willie Bee · 06-02-07, 05:16 PM

Originally posted by BigBollocks

Donn Clendenon was the only man to win the World Series MVP on a losing team fyi...

You'd be on to something there Bollocks...if it wasn't for the fact when Clendenon won the WS MVP in 1969, he played for the world champion Mets.

Bobby Richardson (1960) is the only one to earn the MVP playing for a losing club in the Series.

Ganchrow · 06-02-07, 05:29 PM

Originally posted by Willie Bee

Other than the fact it can be any one of 34 names, I have no clue

Why 34 names?

Mr Nuts · 06-02-07, 05:30 PM

I have no clue.

BigBollocks · 06-02-07, 05:39 PM

Originally posted by Willie Bee

You'd be on to something there Bollocks...if it wasn't for the fact when Clendenon won the WS MVP in 1969, he played for the world champion Mets.

Bobby Richardson (1960) is the only one to earn the MVP playing for a losing club in the Series.

LOL Willie

For some reason I always had thought it was a Met who held that title and it was Clendenon, so I appreciate you setting me straight there Willie. This thread has humbled and comfused me to the point of throwing me entirely off my game apparently

BigBollocks · 06-02-07, 05:40 PM

Ganch do you mind if I give a hint at what the answer is? I'd be curious if anyone can find the link even with the answer....

Ganchrow · 06-02-07, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by BigBollocks

Ganch do you mind if I give a hint at what the answer is? I'd be curious if anyone can find the link even with the answer....

I'm sure someone will figure it out soon enough. As I said, coming up with the answer has little to do with baseball and so knowing the answer doesn't really help.

Ganchrow · 06-03-07, 12:58 AM

<input type=button style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Spoiler" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Spoiler") { document.getElementById("spoil12").style .display = ""; this.value="Hide Spoiler"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil12").style .display = "none"; this.value="Show Spoiler"; } '> <div id=spoil12 style="display: none;"><hr><BLOCKQUOTE> The years a given player was active and his age are completely irrelevant. As are the players' teams. </BLOCKQUOTE> <hr> </div>

Ganchrow · 06-03-07, 03:48 PM

Biggest hint yet:

<input type=button style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Spoiler" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Spoiler") { document.getElementById("spoil13").style .display = ""; this.value="Hide Spoiler"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil13").style .display = "none"; this.value="Show Spoiler"; } '> <div id=spoil13 style="display: none;"> <hr> <BLOCKQUOTE>The puzzle from June 10th, 2006 might give you a few ideas on how to proceed. </BLOCKQUOTE> <hr> </div>

rob · 06-04-07, 01:29 AM

I still can't figure the puzzle.

But with the talk of Donn Clendenon, I just wanted to mention that he was the only World Series MVP to ever live in my hometown - Sioux Falls, S.D. He was a lawyer here until the time of his death.
We still have a Cy Young Award winner residing here - Jim Perry.
I've been fortunate to have met both of them. They were each open and enlightening, probably due to the fact that they lived in an area that seemed a million miles from MLB.
Unfortunately for them, their achievements in baseball came at a time when they didn't receive million dollar contracts and both had to assume careers after baseball.

Ganchrow · 06-04-07, 09:52 PM

My apologies in advance ...

<input style="font-size: 9px;" value="Show Solution" onclick='if (this.value == "Show Solution") { document.getElementById("spoil99").style .display = ""; this.value="Hide Solution"; } else { document.getElementById("spoil99").style .display = "none"; this.value="Show Solution"; } ' type="button"> <span id=spoil99 style="display: none;"> <hr>All listed players are World Series MVPs:

Mariano Rivera 1999 WS MVP Winner, Pitcher = 1
Bobby Richardson 1960 WS MVP Winner, Second Base = 4
Sandy Koufax 1963 (and 1965) WS MVP Winner, Pitcher = 1
Pete Rose 1975 WS MVP Winner, Third Base = 5
Reggie Jackson 1977 WS MVP Winner, Right Field = 9
Johnny Bench 1976 WS MVP Winner, Catcher = 2
Derek Jeter 2000 WS MVP Winner, Shortstop = 6
Mike Schmidt 1980 WS MVP Winner, Third Base = 5
Donn Clendenon 1969 WS MVP Winner, First Base = 3
Troy Glaus 1999 WS MVP Winner, Third Base = 5
?????????????
Jermaine Dye 2005 WS MVP Winner, Right Field = 9
Manny Ramirez 2004 WS MVP Winner, Left Field = 7
Frank Robinson 1966 WS MVP Winner, Right Field = 9
Willie Stargell 1979 WS MVP Winner, First Base = 3
Darrell Porter 1982 WS MVP Winner, Catcher = 2

So the sequence of numbers gives we have is 1415926535?97932, which are of course 15 of the first 16 digits to the right of the decimal point in pi.

The missing digit, the 11th digit, is 8, which corresponds to center field.

The only player to have won a world series MVP (not including co-MVPs as per the puzzle title) for his play in center field is Reggie Jackson, who in 1973 won the WS MVP playing both center field and right field (see "Reggie Jackson World Series Fielding Stats" here).

So the answer is Reggie Jackson. <hr> </span>

BigBollocks · 06-04-07, 10:09 PM

Very nice Ganch, very nice. I'd tried the position numbers out, and was looking for an "8" that could help complete a word with an "h" or something along those lines.

I like the way you think. I'm looking forward to a little "puzzle revenge" in the future...