Random Baseball Firsts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bob Meusel (Yankees)

Nine players hit for the cycle more than once for the same team. Joe Cronin was the first player to hit for the cycle with two different teams, the Senators and Red Sox. Meusel stood on the top of this heap with three for the Yankees. Bob hit them in 1921, 1922, and 1928.
Others who had two cycle games in the American League for the same team were George Brett, Mickey Cochrane, Joe DiMaggio, Jim Fregosi, Lou Gehrig, George Sisler, and Frank White. Those who completed their cycle game with a grand slam were Jay Buhner, Jimmie Foxx, Nap Lajoie, Tony Lazzeri, and Miguel Tejeda.
In National League, Babe Herman was the first player to hit for three cycles. He hit two for the Brooklyn Robins and one for the Chicago Cubs in the 1930s.

Answer: Philadelphia Athletics

The Philadelphia Athletics began their American League endeavors in 1901 under the helm of Connie Mack. Of all animals, they chose an elephant facing to the left, standing on a baseball perched on a red diamond as their official logo. In 1901 when Major League Baseball officially began, fewer than 10 teams had official logos for their franchises.

Answer: San Diego Padres

The interleague games with designated hitters used by both teams at the AL home ballpark began on June 12. The Padres were hosted by the Angels' Anaheim Stadium. Rickey Henderson was a Padre in 1997, and hit the first NL home run in the third inning of that game off Angel pitcher Matt Perisho. The Angels would still win the game, 8-4.

Answer: Pittsburgh Alleghenys

Although the 1899 Spiders were one of if not the worst team in baseball history with their 20-134 record, the Alleghenys (later Pirates) beat them to the bottom of the barrel in 1890. The team went 23-113 under pitcher/manager Guy Hecker. In Hecker's only season of managerial duties, he would also be tagged as the first manager to lose 100 games in a season. No starting player batted even .275. Billy Gumbert led the team in wins with four, and he was a relief pitcher. Of their primary starters, Kirtley Baker went 3-19, Hecker was 2-9, and Dave Anderson went 2-11.

The team finished in last place, 66.5 games behind the league champions of Brooklyn. In 1899, the Cleveland Spiders finished 84 games behind pennant-winning Brooklyn.

Answer: Luke Appling

Other than Aparicio, the others were never White Sox members. Appling was a Hall of Fame career White Sox shortstop for 20 seasons between 1930-1950, missing the 1944 season to WWII. Luke was the MVP runner-up twice in the seasons that he led the league in batting, in 1936 and 1943.

He was inducted into the hall in 1964, and his number 4 was retired in 1975. Aparicio's number 11 was later retired by the team in 1984.

Answer: Noodles Hahn

The others all threw no-hitters, but not until the 1940s. Hahn and his Cincinnati Reds no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies on July 12, 1900. Hahn was in his second of eight seasons and was a respectable pitcher. His career record was 130-94. The Reds would still finish seventh of eight teams in the 1900 NL season.

Answer: Babe Ruth

The others never reached this plateau, and only eight other players did it in the entire 20th century. Ruth had 121 extra base hits in 1921 with the Yankees. His 59 home runs didn't hurt either. Rogers Hornsby had 102 base hits in 1922, and Lou Gehrig had 117 in 1927. Ruth's record of 121 stood throughout the 20th century.

Others to reach the 100-milestone were Chuck Klein, Albert Belle, Hank Greenberg, Stan Musial, and Jimmie Foxx.

Answer: Frank Bancroft

Bancroft managed in only nine seasons, but because nobody seemed to want him, those nine seasons were with seven different teams. It all began with him managing the Worcester Ruby Legs in the National League in 1880. From there it was the Detroit Wolverines in 1881 and 1882, then the Cleveland Blues in 1883.

In 1884, Bancroft took the Providence Grays to a National League championship, via Charlie Radbourn and his 59-12 pitching record. It was on to the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association in 1887.

The Indianapolis Hoosiers hired him back to the National League in 1889, then Frank retired after a season with the Cincinnati Reds in 1902.

Answer: Angels

On September 30, 1984, in the final game of the season, Angel pitcher Mike Witt threw a perfecto against the Texas Rangers and won the game 1-0. Less than 8500 fans in attendance in Texas witnessed the game that saw Angel Reggie Jackson score Doug DeCinces on a fielders choice, with an unearned run at that in the top of the seventh inning. Mike struck out 10 Rangers in the game.

Answer: Nolan Ryan

Ryan had his number 30 retired by the Angels in 1992, then the Astros and Rangers followed suit in 1996 by retiring his number 34. Stengel had his number 37 retired the Mets and Yankees in 1970. The Orioles retired the number 20 of Robinson in 1972, then the Reds in 1998. Durocher left baseball with only his 'lip' intact.