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Baseball and a Headache Trivia Quiz

A quiz designed for the absolute baseball experts or the luckiest quiz players. Do you feel lucky? It's all multiple choice. Why not? You might out-do the others! Good luck. :-)

A multiple-choice quiz by Nightmare. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
Nightmare

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
220,613

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
505

Question 1 of 10

1. To hit a home run in your first Major League at-bat would be a feat. For it to be the only one in your career would be even greater. But, what if you were a pitcher too? Pitcher Dan Bankhead of the Brooklyn Dodgers did it in 1947. Which of the following other pitchers also duplicated this home run feat? Hint

Dick Ellsworth

Hoyt Wilhelm

Bob Buhl

Bill Donovan

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which of the following Hall of Famers made their National League debut with five hits in their first game? Hint

Fred Clarke

Dan Brouthers

Wilbert Robinson

Ed Delahanty

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Question 3 of 10

3. In 1938, Cincinnati's Johnny Vander Meer became the first pitcher in any league's history to throw two consecutive no-hitters, in downing the Braves and Dodgers. In 1947, which pitcher almost duplicated this feat but lost the second consecutive no-hitter in the ninth inning? Hint

Clint Hartung

Hugh Casey

Doyle Lade

Ewell Blackwell

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Question 4 of 10

4. Who was the first player in history to hit two grand slams in a game? Hint

Lou Gehrig

Joe Medwick

Willie McCovey

Tony Lazzeri

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Question 5 of 10

5. In the first 100 years of the Major Leagues, only two catchers were credited with winning a batting title. Both these hitting catchers played for which team? Hint

New York Yankees

Brooklyn Dodgers

Pittsburgh Pirates

Cincinnati Reds

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Question 6 of 10

6. In the early days of the National League, there was actually a cup presented to the winner of the league. What was the name of this cup? Hint

Temple Cup

Association Cup

Presidents Cup

National Cup

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who was the last surviving member of the National League, who pitched from the mound when the rubber was 50 feet from home plate in the 1800s? Hint

John Clarkson

Curry Foley

Tommy Bond

John Hollison

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Question 8 of 10

8. Ted Williams hit 521 career home runs with the Red Sox. What was special about his last career home run? Hint

It was a grand slam

He did it in his last at-bat

It happened the same day President Kennedy was assassinated

His parents, also in Detroit ,were in the stands and watched his first game together

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who was the first player in history to hit three home runs in a game, and do this in both the National and American League? Hint

Babe Ruth

Nobody ever did this

Frank Robinson

Sam Crawford

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Question 10 of 10

10. The Seattle Pilots existed for only one season in the Major Leagues in 1969. Who hit the team's first home run? Hint

Mike Hegan

Wayne Comer

Don Mincher

Tommy Davis

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Hoyt Wilhelm

The other pitchers did not hit a home run in their career. Wilhelm of the New York Giants hit it out in his Major League debut at-bat on April 19, 1952. The relief specialist pitched for 21 seasons and was famous for his knuckleball. He retired in 1972 as a Dodger, then found the Hall of Fame in 1985.

2. Which of the following Hall of Famers made their National League debut with five hits in their first game?

Answer: Fred Clarke

Clark debuted with the Louisville Colonels on June 30, 1894. He was the first player in history to have five hits in his first game. The second player was Cecil Travis with the Senators in 1933, but did it in a 12-inning game. Fred batted .268 with 83 hits in the 1894 season.

In 1897, Clarke became their player-manager, then made the jump to the Pittsburgh Pirates when the Colonels folded in 1899. He managed the Pirates to the first World Series in 1903, but lost to the Boston Pilgrims. Fred was inducted into the hall in 1945. Cal McVey in the 1870s had two six-hit games in his career, but neither was in his NL debut.

Answer: Ewell Blackwell

Ironically, it was another Reds' pitcher. On June 18, 1947, and just like Vander Meer, Blackwell no-hit the Braves 6-0, then four days later faced the Dodgers. Unfortunately, when the ninth inning came, so did Eddie Stanky who singled with one out in the ninth, spoiling this tremendous entry in the record books.

4. Who was the first player in history to hit two grand slams in a game?

Answer: Tony Lazzeri

Lazzeri, a power hitting second baseman of the Yankees created this record in 1936. There has been only a small basket of players who have accomplished this milestone. The biggest eye-opener was pitcher Tony Cloninger, who was not the one to dish them up, but the one to hit them for his Braves on July 3, 1966.

5. In the first 100 years of the Major Leagues, only two catchers were credited with winning a batting title. Both these hitting catchers played for which team?

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

Gene 'Bubbles' Hargrave won the title for the Reds in 1926. In 1938, the Reds had Ernie Lombardi behind the plate and did it again. Hargrave batted .353 for a career high, then Lombardi batted .342 in the season. Lombardi won another batting title in 1942.

6. In the early days of the National League, there was actually a cup presented to the winner of the league. What was the name of this cup?

Answer: Temple Cup

The cup was designed and purchased by Pittsburgh Pirate president William Temple prior to the 1894 season. The first presentation was given to the Baltimore Orioles in 1894, while the New York Giants finished second. To Temple's chagrin, his Pirates finished in seventh place in the season.

7. Who was the last surviving member of the National League, who pitched from the mound when the rubber was 50 feet from home plate in the 1800s?

Answer: John Hollison

Hollison pitched in only one game in his career. His four innings in this game with the National League Chicago Colts in 1892, put him in the record books when he died in 1969 at the age of 99. He appeared at the plate three times in the game, and struck out each time.

8. Ted Williams hit 521 career home runs with the Red Sox. What was special about his last career home run?

Answer: He did it in his last at-bat

Williams had a storied career, and still went out with a bang on September 28, 1960. His eighth inning shot helped the Red Sox defeat the Orioles in Boston. It was Williams' 29th of the season.

9. Who was the first player in history to hit three home runs in a game, and do this in both the National and American League?

Answer: Babe Ruth

The Babe did it many times with the Yankees, but also did it in his final season with the Boston Braves of the National League on May 25, 1935. It was the Babe's final hurrah as he hit only six home runs in his final year. His 714 career home runs stood on top of the record books until the arrival of Hank Aaron.

10. The Seattle Pilots existed for only one season in the Major Leagues in 1969. Who hit the team's first home run?

Answer: Mike Hegan

April 8, 1969, Hegan's first inning home run helped the Pilots down the California Angels 4-3, but it was only one of 64 wins in the season. They finished in last place with 98 losses, then packed their bags for Milwaukee to become the Brewers.

Source: Author Nightmare

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