A Baseball Pictorial History Quiz | Baseball

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the first pitcher in baseball history to win a major award, then be declared a free agent so he could sign with another team?

Answer: Jim Hunter

Hunter's nickname was 'Catfish', and he played for the Athletics from 1965-1974. He helped the Athletics to three consecutive World Series crowns from 1972-1974. Going 25-12 in 1974, Hunter won the AL Cy Young Award, then filed for free agency. It was granted and he signed with the Yankees, played in the pinstripes for five seasons, then retired in 1979.
Although all Cy Young winners, the others listed played their entire career with only one team.

2. Which American League Texas Ranger pitcher refused to have a designated hitter in a game against the Twins, hit a single which broke up the Twins no-hitter, then went on to win the game and his 25th of the season?

Answer: Ferguson Jenkins

Fergie played in six of his 19 seasons with the Rangers. This game in 1974 against the Twins was a 2-1 win for him and his 25th of the season. He went 25-12 and led the league in complete games with 29. Jenkins was a seven-time 20-game winner, and although had some off-field issues, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
The others listed never won even 20 games in a season, and never played with the Texas Rangers. The picture is of Fergie Jenkins himself.

3. Who was the first player in his rookie season to steal more than 100 bases?

Answer: Vince Coleman

Coleman was a rookie in 1985, sharing the picture and his rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He stole 110 bases as a rookie, then topped the 100-mark in the two following seasons also. He retired after 13 seasons in 1997 with 752 thefts. The others never played for the Cardinals or stole 100 bases in their entire careers.

4. Which National League slugger hit the most home runs in the decade of the 1970s?

Answer: Willie Stargell

Stargell, nicknamed "Pops", was one of those few players who played for over 20 seasons with only one team. He was a Pittsburgh Pirate from 1962-1982. Hitting 475 career home runs, 296 came in the 1970s. His highest season total was 48 in 1971, gaining the runner-up MVP to Joe Torre of the Cardinals. He was co-MVP in 1979 with Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals also.

5. Which slugger was the first in history to hit 50 home runs in a season, in less than 400 at-bats?

Answer: Mark McGwire

McGwire wore the number 25 for both the Athletics and Cardinals during his 16 seasons. In 1996, he set this record and reached the 50-plateau for the first time in his career, while finishing the season with 52. Mark hit 58 in 1997, then broke Roger Maris' season record of 61 in 1998 when he hit 70. McGwire hit another 65 in 1999.

He retired with 583 career home runs in 2001. None of the others ever hit 50 home runs in a season.

6. In 1993, 46-year old Nolan Ryan hit a batter with a pitch. The batter charged the mound to seek retaliation, but Ryan pummeled the 26-year old in a historical video highlight. Who was this batter that made a poor decision to charge the mound like a bull?

Answer: Robin Ventura

Ryan was in his 27th and final season of baseball in 1993, and retired the following month after this August 4th incident. Ventura was with the White Sox at the time, and the ill-advised charge to the mound would haunt him even in the baseball after-life. Ryan and the Rangers won the game 5-2 with Ventura being ejected. Nolan retired as the strikeout king of baseball with 5714 in his career.

He had 324 wins to his credit also. Amazingly enough, he never won a Cy Young or MVP Award. Almost 20 years later, Ryan became part-owner of the Texas Rangers.

7. The American League owners voted unanimously in 1973 to approve the designated hitter rule, but the National League rejected it. The National League had looked into using designated hitters before, and all NL team owners approved the rule, but the American League owners would not. In which year did all National League owners vote and agree on a designated hitter rule?

Answer: 1928

National League president John Heydler in 1928 counted all the ballots and found that every National League owner was in favor of the rule. It was the American League who voted against it, adamantly, thus it did not happen.
The picture is of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, who was the nation's 30th President, serving from 1923-1929.

8. The great Ted Williams batted .406 in the 1941 season, and was the last .400 hitter of the century. Which player in the century came the closest to the .400 milestone after Williams?

Answer: Tony Gwynn

Tony was a 20-season career San Diego Padre. Batting over .300 in 19 of his 20 seasons, he also batted over .350 seven times. He topped out at .394 in 1994 (strike-shortened season), and yet still finished seventh for the MVP voting. Gwynn retired with a .338 career average.

9. The World Series all began in 1903 with the Boston Americans defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. Many sluggers throughout time have hit four home runs in a World Series. However, only one player in the 20th century hit four home runs in a four-game World Series. Who was this Hall of Famer?

Answer: Lou Gehrig

Nicknamed "Iron Horse", Gehrig was a career Yankee from 1923-1939. Lou hit four home runs in the 1928 series against the Cardinals in the four games to none skunking. He also batted .545 in the series. Snider of the Dodgers hit four home runs in World Series play twice, in 1952 and 1955, both being a seven game series. Mantle of the Yankees, although hitting 18 World Series home runs, never hit four in one series. Jackson hit five in the 1977 series against the Dodgers in the six-game series, with three coming in game six.

10. This Oriole pitcher won three Cy Young awards, and some say that he kept the great Nolan Ryan from winning his only Cy Young in 1973. Who was this Hall of Fame pitcher?

Answer: Jim Palmer

Nicknamed "Cakes", Palmer won the the Cy Young awards in 1973, 1975, and 1976. In 1973, he won the award over the great Nolan Ryan by a balloting of 73% to 52%. Ryan threw 383 strikeouts, setting a new season record, while Palmer had 158. Palmer was runner-up to the 1973 MVP to Reggie Jackson of the Athletics.

Source: Author Nightmare

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A Baseball Pictorial History Trivia Quiz

An all multiple choice quiz about some historical events in baseball history, with pictures to help those who need it. Don't forget, if your eyes are dreary, click on the picture to enlarge it. :-)

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A Baseball Pictorial History Trivia Quiz

An all multiple choice quiz about some historical events in baseball history, with pictures to help those who need it. ***Don't forget, if your eyes are dreary, click on the picture to enlarge it.*** :-)

An all multiple choice quiz about some historical events in baseball history, with pictures to help those who need it. Don't forget, if your eyes are dreary, click on the picture to enlarge it. :-)