Anagram of Baseball Greats! Quiz | Sports Word Play

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. My nickname was 'Cakes'. I won three Cy Young Awards in my career, and prevented Nolan Ryan from winning it in 1973. Nobody could JAR ME LIMP in any of my 19 seasons, all with Baltimore. Who am I?

Answer: Jim Palmer

Palmer, with his 19 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, won the Cy Young in 1973, 1975, and 1976. When he 'took' the Cy Young away from Nolan Ryan of the Angels, Palmer finished second in MVP voting himself, to the great Reggie Jackson. Jim was the Cy Young runner-up in 1977 and 1982, to Sparky Lyle and Pete Vuckovich, respectively.

2. In 25 seasons in Major League baseball, this base stealing fool chalked up over 1400 thefts in his career. Who was this DENSE HORN that refused to retire until 2003?

Answer: Henderson

'The Man of Steal', Rickey Henderson played from 1979-2003. With the Oakland Athletics being his first team, he made 12 more moves in his career before retiring. He won the American League MVP in 1990 with the Athletics, nosing out Cecil Fielder of the Tigers for the award. Rickey was also the runner-up MVP to Rollie Fingers of the Brewers in 1981. Rickey retired in the number one spot for career stolen bases with 1406.

3. This player was a great power-hitting shortstop in his career. "Mr. Cub", a career Chicago Cub, had a very big fan by the name of ANNIE KREBS, and won two consecutive MVP Awards in 1958 and 1959. In those seasons, he hit 47 and 45 home runs, respectively. He went on to join the Hall of Fame ranks in 1977. Who is he?

Answer: Ernie Banks

Banks, a 19-season all-career Cub, retired with 512 home runs, 2583 hits, and a Gold Glove Award in 1960. Unfortunately, Ernie Banks never saw a World Series game with the Cubs.

4. My born name is Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy. After playing for 11 seasons in my career, then retiring as a Pittsburgh Pirate, I went on to manage the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 seasons from 1901-1950. Even after all that, I never won a Manager of the Year Award. Maybe because the award hadn't started yet. I had many nicknames from players who didn't like me, but was never called CAMINO NECK. Who am I?

Answer: Connie Mack

Although Mack had some very deserving seasons, including taking his team to nine World Series and winning five of them, he never received the Manager of the Year Award because it was non-existent. The award did not begin until 1983. He was the first manager to win 3000 career games, and retired with 3731. Along with those 50 seasons came a number of losses also. Mack's losing total was 3948 games.

5. From 1963-1966, he won nine pitching awards for the Dodgers. They included three Cy Young Awards, three Triple Crowns, one National League season MVP, and two World Series MVPs. Who was this Hall of Famer who was never accused of being a SUDAN YAK FOX?

Answer: Sandy Koufax

Koufax had the most profilic four seasons in baseball than any other player had experienced. In 1963, Sandy won the Cy Young, Triple Crown, MVP, and World Series MVP. He repeated this feat in 1965, but failed to win the MVP because a Giant named Mays stood in his way.

In 1966, Koufax won the Cy Young and Triple Crown again, but somehow was runner-up MVP again, losing by 10 points to Pirate Roberto Clemente. Koufax retired after the 1966 season, throwing a 27-9 record along with 317 strikeouts.

6. This pitcher threw seven no-hitters in his career, but never won a major season pitching award other than for strikeouts. No All-Star MVP, World Series MVP, season MVP, Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year, or even Rolaids Relief Award. No relation to LYNN AARON, this pitcher spent 27 season in the Major Leagues with four teams. Who is he?

Answer: Nolan Ryan

It was Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr, who was a 19-year old rookie in 1966 that came up empty-handed. Throughout his career he was known as the strikeout king of baseball. It is hard to imagine that Ryan was never in the top 10 season MVP voting ever in his career. Ryan went to only one World Series in 1969 with the Mets, but only pitched in 2-1/3 innings. Nolan was a runner-up to the Cy Young Award only one time. Retiring after 27 seasons, spread out with the Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

7. It hit over 700 home runs in my career over 23 seasons, and won the National League MVP once. I never played in a HORNY ARENA, but played a lot in Fulton County Stadium. Who am I?

Answer: Henry Aaron

Amazingly enough, Aaron only pulled off only one National League MVP with the Braves in 1957. He came close other times however, as he was in the top 10 MVP voting 13 times in his career. When he won the award in 1957, he topped four other greats in the names of Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Willie Mays, and Warren Spahn. Hank went on to the Hall of Fame as an inductee in 1982.

8. Coming from what some would say was a DRY HICK FARM in Massachusetts, in 1976 I was on top of the world. I won the Rookie of the Year Award and was runner-up to the Cy Young Award. I threw a season record of 19-9 with the Tigers. Nicknamed 'The Bird', my wings fell off as I plummeted the rest of my career, which lasted only four more seasons. Who am I?

Answer: Mark Fidrych

Fidrych was only 21 years old when he took the ROY, and took a backseat to the great Jim Palmer of the Orioles for the Cy Young Award in 1976. 1977 ended with Mark going only 6-4, then following that up with a 2-0 record in 1978. Fidrych retired from baseball in 1980 as an unemployed 25-year old.

9. AM AS MOSSY as the next guy some said of me, and in 1998, I took the glory away from Mark McGwire and his 70 home runs in the season, by winning the National League MVP Award. Who am I?

Answer: Sammy Sosa

McGwire of the Cardinals and Sosa of the Cubs battled it out for the season home run crown. While McGwire broke Roger Maris' home run record from 1961 with 70 of Mark's own, Sosa finished the season by hitting 66 big ones, and topped Big Mac by 166 MVP votes. In 1999, McGwire hit another 65 home runs while watching Sosa hit another 63.

10. I MAKE PIZZA, and was drafted to the Major Leagues by a manager who knew my father and did it as a favor, with no intentions of me making the team. I was a Cinderella story because I became the 1993 National League Rookie of the Year! In my first 10 seasons in the big leagues, I was in the top 10 for MVP voting seven times. I played for the Dodgers and Mets in those 10 seasons also. Who am I?

Answer: Mike Piazza

Michael Joseph Piazza entered the Major Leagues by a fluke. His father, a friend of Dodger manager Tom Lasorda, asked him to draft Mike just so he could say that he was drafted. Mike was picked in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft, which was in oblivion. Lasorda liked what he saw in a few try-outs, so he gave Mike a shot. Lasorda's repayment was Piazza winning the ROY by batting .318 and hitting 35 home runs in 1993.

He took all 28 first place votes for the award, and topped Greg McMichael of the Braves by 100 points. Mike played for six full seasons with the Dodgers, then in 1998, shared the uniforms of the Dodgers, the Marlins for only five games, then was traded again to the Mets.

Source: Author Nightmare

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Anagram of Baseball Greats! Trivia Quiz

An anagram of some very recognizable Major League players by the hints given. I hope that you have fun with it! :-)

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