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Quiz about Baseball Careers Theyd Rather Forget

Baseball Careers They'd Rather Forget Quiz

Baseball has its heroes and stars. It also has its team players, quiet contributors. Finally, there are the players in this quiz, the players who, when their grandchildren ask about their baseball careers, change the subject.

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

Author
eauhomme

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
272,661

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
686

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Hugh Mulcahy spent nine years with the Phillies and Pirates during the 1930s and 1940s, compiling a 42-89 lifetime won-lost record. When you have that kind of career, a simple, straightforward nickname seems apropos. What was Mulcahy's nickname? Hint

Loveable Loser

Batting Tee

Load 'em Up

Losing Pitcher

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. A great nickname belonged to Lynn Nelson. His nickname would have been even better if he was a great hitter. But alas, he was a pitcher, 33-42, 5.25 ERA in the 1930's. What was his nickname? Hint

Home Run

Whammer

Line Drive

Crusher

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Terry Felton lost more than a few games with the Twins in the early 1980's. Well, actually, he wasn't that bad a pitcher--just a little wild and a lot unlucky. In fact, he managed to go his 4-year career without a single win. What was his career record? Hint

0-14

0-13

0-16

0-15

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. It's 1915, and the Yankees call up Skeeter Shelton. The name would imply that he was a little guy who was very quick. But we will never know for sure, because you cannot steal first base. What was Shelton's lifetime batting average? Hint

.050

.075

.025

.100

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Remember the movie "Field of Dreams"? Yes, "Moonlight" Graham was a real player. What is true about his major league career? Hint

He struck out in his only at bat

He never made it up to bat

He made an error on the only ball hit to him

He was hit by a pitch in his only at bat

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Anthony Young had a nightmare season for the Mets in 1992, going 2-14. There was no way he could be any worse the next year, was there? What was his record in 1993? Hint

2-15

2-14

0-9

1-16

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Robin Yount was a Hall of Fame shortstop and center fielder. His brother, Larry, probably doesn't want to talk about his career. He made it onto the major league pitching mound one time. What happened? Hint

He injured himself while warming up

He balked in the winning run

He walked in the winning run

He loaded the bases and allowed a grand slam

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Ron Wright played his only major league game for the Mariners in 2002. How did the game go? Hint

Made three errors

Grounded into four double plays

Struck out, hit into double play, hit into triple play.

Struck out three times

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Allan Travers got to live every fan's fantasy. He was called upon to pitch for the Detroit Tigers after all the players walked off the team in support of the suspended Ty Cobb. The good news: he pitched a complete game. What was the bad news? Hint

He lost 10-0

He lost 24-2

He lost 14-1

He lost 18-2

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Finally, an incredibly bad year does not necessarily mean a really bad career. What major league star pitcher broke a 110-year old record for worst ERA in a 10+ start season, going 4-7, 10.64 ERA in 2000? Hint

Pedro Martinez

Roy Oswalt

Ben Sheets

Roy Halladay

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Losing Pitcher

"Losing Pitcher" Mulcahy's nickname came from the wire service feeds that would come in to the newspapers. They would list the scores, then include a line saying something like "Winning pitcher: Fitzpatrick, Losing pitcher: Mulcahy". Today, it is almost unheard of for a pitcher to lose 20 games in a season. Mulcahy did it twice in three years.

2. A great nickname belonged to Lynn Nelson. His nickname would have been even better if he was a great hitter. But alas, he was a pitcher, 33-42, 5.25 ERA in the 1930's. What was his nickname?

Answer: Line Drive

"Line Drive" Nelson was so named because everything he pitched was hit for a line drive. In his two full seasons as a starting pitcher, he led the league in homers allowed once and finished second the other time.

Answer: 0-16

Felton couldn't catch a break. Even the worst of pitchers is bound to catch a win sometime. Felton pitched badly in several of his losses, but also had a few games in which it appeared he was going to win, only to have someone in the bullpen blow it and leave him with a no-decision.

Answer: .025

Shelton went 1 for 40 in his only year in the majors. He did add two walks for a .071 on base percentage.

5. Remember the movie "Field of Dreams"? Yes, "Moonlight" Graham was a real player. What is true about his major league career?

Answer: He never made it up to bat

That was the reason for a scene in the movie. Ray Kinsella's field allowed "Moonlight" Graham to make it to the plate. As it was, all he got was part of one game in right field in 1905 with nothing ever hit to him.

6. Anthony Young had a nightmare season for the Mets in 1992, going 2-14. There was no way he could be any worse the next year, was there? What was his record in 1993?

Answer: 1-16

The sad thing was that in 1993, he had a better-than-average ERA. You can't win when your team won't score for you. Had he had normal luck and support, he could have been expected to go about 7-9 and 9-8 in those two years.

Answer: He injured himself while warming up

Official Baseball Rule 3.05 (a): The pitcher named in the batting order handed the umpire-in-chief, as provided in Rules 4.01 (a) and 4.01 (b), shall pitch to the first batter or any substitute batter until such batter is put out or reaches first base, unless the pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the judgment of the umpire-in-chief, incapacitates him from pitching.

In 1971, two years before Robin made the show, Larry got to invoke this rule in his only major league appearance, going to the mound, then hurting his elbow while throwing his warm ups. Officially, he is credited with one game played, zero batters faced.

8. Ron Wright played his only major league game for the Mariners in 2002. How did the game go?

Answer: Struck out, hit into double play, hit into triple play.

When players dream of hitting for the cycle, this is not what they have in mind. Mariner second baseman Bret Boone summed it up perfectly, telling Wright afterward, "Hey dude, that was bad!" As for the four double plays in one game, that has been done once.

But it was Mets infielder and future Yankee manager Joe Torre who did it, and that was only one bad game in an otherwise outstanding career.

Answer: He lost 24-2

Cobb was suspended for jumping into the stands to beat up a handicapped heckler. When the entire team walked off in support, the league threatened to fine the team for any games forfeited. Rather than face the fines, they recruited several local players, including Travers, a local college student who failed to make his college's team.

The result was so embarrassing that both Cobb and the league president urged the team to end the walkout. Travers' line that day: 8 innings, 26 hits, 24 runs, 7 walks, 1 strikeout. (8 innings because the Phillies mercifully didn't have to bat in the bottom of the ninth).

Answer: Roy Halladay

Three years before he won the Cy Young Award, Halladay had a year that would have ended the career of most pitchers. He worsted Charlie Stecher's 1890 season (0-10, 10.32 ERA). Unlike Halladay, Stecher was never heard from again.

Source: Author eauhomme

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor uglybird before going online.
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