Killer Baseball Potpourri [2] Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jimmy Piersall

Jimmy Piersall ran the bases backwards after his 100th career homer in 1963 for the New York Mets. He ran the bases in correct order, but back-pedaled around the bases. Major League Baseball inducted a rule after this, so it is not allowed again.

Answer: Change-up

After throwing second baseman Bobby Grich nothing but fast balls and working the count to 2-2, Grich fouled off another fastball before freezing on a change-up for a called strike three. Ryan won the game, 1-0 and completed a no-hitter.

Answer: Willie Mays

Willie Mays was a rookie for the 1951 Giants. Given Thomson's success against Ralph Branca in Game 1 of the three-game playoff for the National League pennant, many have wondered why Branca was brought in to face Thomson, or why they didn't pitch around Thompson to face Mays, especially with first base open.

Answer: Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra started with the New York Yankees and finished with the New York Mets, but did not play for another team in between, spending his entire career in New York City. Willie Mays started with the New York Giants, played for the San Francisco Giants, then finished his career with the New York Mets. Hank Aaron began his career with the Milwaukee Braves, the team moved and became the Atlanta Braves, and then he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for the end of his career. Babe Ruth started with the Boston Red Sox, then spent most of his career with the New York Yankees, before finishing up with the Boston Braves.

Answer: Jack Lohrke

Jack Lohrke played for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. He died May 1, 2009. According to his obituary in the "Los Angeles Times", Lohrke survived military service during World War at Normandy where on four occasions, the soldiers on both sides of him were killed. On a transport flight home, he was bumped from the flight "for some big shot", he told the "Times".

The plane crashed, killing everyone. Later, Lohrke was riding a bus in the minor leagues. When the bus stopped, they learned he had been traded, so he took his belongings off the bus and "bummed a ride back to Spokane." Lohrke said when he got there, he learned the bus had crashed and that both of his roommates were among nine players who were killed.

Answer: He had more home runs than strikeouts

For his career, DiMaggio came closer than anyone to having fewer strikeouts than homers. He homered 361 times in his career and struck out 369 times. He actually entered his final season with more homers than strikeouts, 349-333.

Answer: Phil Niekro

Phil Niekro was the last to achieve this, going 21-20 in 1979. Wood went 24-20 in 1973. He almost duplicated the feat the following year, going 20-19. Young completed the double in 1891 and again in 1894. Johnson accomplished this in 1916.

Answer: Richard Nixon

Both attended Fullerton Union High School in Orange County, California. Johnson graduated with the class of 1905 and Nixon attended FUHS until his junior year, when he transferred to Whittier High School.

Answer: A balk being called during the first batter of the inning

A balk is impossible while the lead-off hitter is up because a balk can only occur with runners on base. An unassisted triple play could be executed by a catcher on a botched squeeze play/strikeout. This actually has occurred, but not on the Major League level. If the starting pitcher went to another position while his team was losing, then returned to the mound with his team leading the game, he could gain a save. If a player were traded between the beginning and end of a suspended game, he could get hits for both teams.

Answer: Robin Roberts

McCovey hit all three walls in old Seals Stadium on July 30, 1959, against Roberts. Amazingly, he played only 52 games that season, but became National League Rookie of the Year by virtue of hitting 13 homers and a putting up a .354 batting average. He platooned with Orlando Cepeda, the 1958 Rookie of the Year.