Grandpa Baseball Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1876

The birth of the National League was in 1876 with eight teams. William Hulbert was given credit to this new creation. The Chicago White Stockings were the first team to win this title. The other teams in the league depicted the St. Louis Brown Stockings, Hartford Dark Blues, Boston Red Caps, Louisvillle Grays, New York Mutuals, Philadelphia Athletics, and the Cincinnati Reds.

The National League was born one season after the folding of the National Association which had lasted for five years.

The NA had 25 teams in it. The American Association gave a run at the National League in 1882, but folded after 10 seasons in 1891.

Answer: Cleveland Spiders

The other teams never existed in baseball. Young began his career in 1890 with the Spiders, and played for them until 1899 when he found himself in a St. Louis Perfecto uniform. From there it was the Boston Americans (2004 Red Sox) of the newly formed American League.

He retired in 1911 with the same team that saw Babe Ruth retire, the Boston Braves. This pitcher with an astounding 511 career wins, missed the first Hall of Fame induction in 1936, but joined this club the following year.

Answer: 5

George Hall of the Philadelphia Athletics hit five home runs in 1876, with three of them being at their home ground of Jefferson Street Grounds. Only two players in the entire league hit more than three round-trippers, the other being Charley Jones of the Cincinnati Reds who hit four.

Answer: Chicago Cubs

The inaugural World Series was in 1903 with Boston of the American League taking the crown. The Cubs under player-manager Frank Chance, not only were the first to appear in three, but they did it in consecutive seasons. The infamous double-play combination of Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance, took the Cubbies to the promised land from 1906-1908, winning the two latter Series against the Detroit Tigers.

Answer: A foul bunt was considered a strike

Due to the game becoming boring to the fans, the National League, mainly because of 'Wee' Willie Keeler, instituted a new rule stating that a fouled bunt was a strike. This was due to many batters bunt-fouling off pitches that they did not like, and not taking any penalty for it.

They could foul off as many as they pleased until they received a pitch that they liked. This new rule also called for a third strike when a foul ball bunt was depicted.

Answer: Ed Rommel

On April 18, 1956, not only the fans, but the players were astounded by this simple feat. This game saw the Washington Senators and the New York Yankees do battle. This brings to mind a game where Brooklyn manager Leo 'The Lip' Durocher, once charged an umpire and screamed, "Are you blind?" The umpire responded, "What did you say?" The always witty Leo replied, "What! You're deaf too!" Durocher was ejected from the game.

Answer: Pud Galvin

The stereotype would be Cy Young, but Pud Galvin, mostly of the Buffalo Bisons and Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the National League (later Pittsburgh Pirates), reached his retirement number in 1892 with 364 wins after a 15 season career. Cy Young had just started his career two seasons prior to Galvin's retirement in 1890.

Answer: Rogers Hornsby

Both Ruth and Gehrig were in the American League. After Ruth did hit his 54 in 1920 for the Yankees, Hornsby of the St. Louis Cardinals peaked at 42 in 1922. Cy Williams of the Phillies smacked 41 the following season in 1923 to lead the National League. The first National Leaguer to reach the 50 plateau was Hack Wilson, who hit 56 in 1930 with the Cubs.

Answer: Balata

The new ball introduced in 1943, did not produce a home run in the first 11 games, and also resulted in 11 shutouts in the first 29 games of the season. MLB rushed to find the leftover balls from the 1942 season, which were made from a rubber-cement, to play in the 1943 season to regain the fan interest.

Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates saw themselves against the Boston Pilgrims, one of many new American League teams which began in 1901. They lost the Series 5 games to 3. Pittsburgh mounded Deacon Phillippe won all their three games. The Pilgrims used pitcher Bill Dineen who went 3-1, and over-shadowed elder Cy Young, who had two wins in three starts.