Mixed Up on the Diamond Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nolan Ryan

Ryan never won either a Cy Young or a MVP award in his 27 Hall of Fame seasons in baseball. He retired on top of the heap with this 5714 career strikeouts in 1993.

Answer: Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays' franchise didn't begin until 1998, but even still, in their first 10 seasons they lost no less than 90 games in each season. There was no World Series in 1994. The Braves went to five in the decade, and both Toronto and Cleveland went to two.

Answer: 49

Both Andre Dawson of the Cubs and rookie Mark McGwire of Oakland hit 49 in the 1987 season. The runner-up for the decade was Mike Schmidt, who hit 48 for the Phillies in their World Series winning season in 1980.

Answer: Gray Stockings

The franchise began in 1884 as the Brooklyn Atlantics. They were the Bridegrooms for 12 seasons and the Superbas for six seasons. The franchise became the Brooklyn Dodgers for the first time in 1911.

Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates

Before taking over the new Philadelphia Athletics of the new American League in 1901, Mack had the helm of the Pirates from 1894-1896. He might have stayed with the Pirates if he had hindsight, as the Pirates absorbed many defunct Louisville Colonels after the 1899 season, making the Pittsburgh team instant pennant contenders.

The Pirates won the NL pennant from 1901-1903, and appeared in the first World Series of Major League baseball.

Answer: The Cubs' attendance was higher in 1906 compared to 1966

The Cubs attendance in 1906 was 654,300. The team won 116 games in the season, and went to their first World Series. The 1966 Cubs teams had an attendance of 635,891, and finished 59-103 for a last place finish in the National League under manager Leo Durocher.

In Koufax's last season with the Dodgers in 1966, he went 27-9, setting a record for the highest number of wins in a pitcher's last season. The Orioles had four 20-game winners in the 1971 season, but lost the World Series to the Pirates.

The Babe died in 1948. His final season was with the Boston Braves of the National League in 1935. He inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Answer: Ferguson Jenkins

Jenkins played from 1965-1983. He played with the Phillies, Cubs, Rangers, and Red Sox, but could never come up with a winning team. He retired with a 284-226 record, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991. Williams went to only one World Series, and his Red Sox lost that series four games to three to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946.

In that series, Ted batted only .200. Foxx went to three consecutive World Series from 1929-1931, winning two of them. Young went to the one, the first World Series in 1903, winning two of the three games that he appeared in.

His Boston Americans lost to the Pirates, five games to three.

Answer: Don Newcombe

Newcombe went 27-7 for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, thus earning him the very first Cy Young Award presented. The closest NL pitcher in that season was Johnny Antonelli of the Giants who won 20, and Frank Lary of the Tigers who won 21 to lead the American League.

Answer: Rogers Hornsby

After Babe Ruth showed his AL stuff by hitting over 50 in both 1920 and 1921, Hornsby of the Cardinals led the Major Leagues by hitting 42 in 1922. It was Hornsby's only 40 home run season of his career, and he hit 301 over 23 seasons. He also led the NL in batting seven times along with his two MVPs and two Triple Crowns.

Answer: Oakland Athletics

The others never won the World Series in the 1980s. The Athletics went against the Giants in the "Earthquake Series" in 1989, and skunked them four games to none. The series was interrupted for 10 days by an earthquake. Dave Stewart was the MVP for Oakland for winning two games, and Rickey Henderson batted .474 in the series.

Henderson went 9-for-19 with a home run, two triples, one double, three RBIs, two walks, and three stolen bases.