Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Every single baseball game is started with the words, "Play ball!", but I was the first person ever to be a starting pitcher over 800 times. Of course, this was made easier since I had a long 22-year career.
2. No pitcher can even begin to touch the number of games that I pitched in. Over 24 years and 9 different teams, I set the mark for becoming the first pitcher ever to appear in over 1250 games.
3. Perhaps one of the most obvious things about pitching is that the fewer men there are that get on base, the fewer that can eventually score. That's why over my 27-year Hall of Fame career, I specialized in getting batters out in any way possible. When I retired, I became the first person ever to end a career with less than 6.6 hits allowed per 9 innings pitched.
4. In 25 seasons in Major League Baseball, I had my fair share of stolen bases, but also got caught several times. In fact, I got caught trying to steal so many times that when I retired, I was the only person in history to be caught over 330 times.
5. All any hitter ever wants to do is get on base in any way possible. From hits to walks to fielders' choices, I got on base so often that when I retired, I was the first person to ever finish a career with an on-base percentage over .480.
6. Of my 13 career seasons, I only had 4 in which I had 100 or more hits, but I still left my mark on history. Over the course of several games, I set a record by becoming the first person to ever have more than 10 consecutive hits with no walks.
7. Nolan Ryan set a record for most no-hitters in a career, and has also had 12 one-hitters. Of course, all Ryan did was match my career mark, since I retired 10 years before he came into the league. I was the first person ever to retire with over 10 one-hitters, the unluckiest great record a pitcher could hope for.
8. When most players hit home runs, and they swing as hard as they can and go for the fences. However, I realized that sometimes power isn't the only requirement for hitting a four-bagger. Over half of my 97 career homers were inside-the-parkers, making me the first player ever to retire with 50 or more inside-the-park home runs.
9. Stealing a base is perhaps a lost art of the game, especially the way the modern player thinks of it. The vast majority of bases stolen are at second base, with few more at third. However, I made a mark on history by going the extra mile and becoming the first person ever, and very likely the only person ever, to steal home over 50 times in a career.
10. No career record can be set without the simple act of stepping on to the field to play a game. Pete Rose set the record for most games played in, but he only played for 24 seasons. I set the record for becoming the first position player ever to play 25 consecutive seasons in the MLB.
Source: Author
illiniman14
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Nightmare before going online.
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