Stuff Happens! Quiz | Baseball

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Beginning your Major League career with a home run in your first at-bat will get some attention. To hit a home run on your very fist Major League pitch should really do it too. However, who was the first batter to ever hit a grand slam on their very first pitch in Major League baseball in 2006?

Answer: Kevin Kouzmanoff

The others were all deceased. September 2, 2006, Kouzmanoff got the attention of everyone, including his Cleveland Indians. On his first pitch in the big leagues, he hit the grand salami as the DH against the Texas Rangers. The Indians won the game 6-5, and Kevin would go into the record books as the first to accomplish this feat.

2. The 1951 St. Louis Browns were a pretty bad team, and the Eddie Gaedel pinch-hitting incident did not help matters. The team lost 102 games in the season for another last place finish. The only bright spot was that they had a pitcher who endured all this, and still managed to win 20 games in the season. Who was this pitcher?

Answer: Ned Garver

The other pitchers had not begun their MLB careers yet. Garver went 20-12 in the season, and ironically was his only 20-win season in his career. With the team winning only 52 games, no other pitcher won more than six. The Browns finished 46 games behind the pennant-winning Yankees, then moved to Baltimore after the 1953 season to become the Orioles.

3. In 1996, which player hit a single, then stole second base, then third, then home, all in one at-bat?

Answer: Eric Young

The others were all retired. Young was a Colorado Rockie in his sixth season after being a Dodger rookie. On June 30th at Coors Field, Eric singled to left to start off the bottom of the third inning, then let his feet do their magic. The Rockies won the game 16-15. Young went on to steal 53 bases in the season.

4. In 1941, Yankee great Joe DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak. This was the largest hitting streak since which National Leaguer had 45?

Answer: Willie Keeler

The others weren't born before 1945. Nicknamed "Wee Willie", Keeler straddled the 1896-1897 seasons to set his baseball record. He was a Baltimore Oriole in the National League. Pete Rose gave DiMaggio a run in 1978, but his streak was stopped at 44.

5. If a team had a pitcher who could throw only three total pitches in an inning and get three outs, then they wouldn't need relievers, set-ups, or closers. Which National League pitcher in 2000, had a three-pitch inning twice in the season, and both within a week of each other?

Answer: Randy Johnson

The others did not start their careers for another two seasons. Johnson started the 2000 season off with a bang. On April 14, he did this against the Giants. On April 20th, he did it again against the Rockies. Randy won both games. He went on to go 19-7 and win the NL Cy Young award for the season.

In 1928, Athletics pitcher Lefty Grove struck out the entire side on nine pitches, and did it twice in the season.

6. A home run is a home run, but a big blast would be one over 500 feet. When Barry Bonds broke the season record of Mark McGwire in 2001 with his 73 home runs, how many of those were 500 feet or more?

Answer: 0

When McGwire blasted 70 in 1998 to break Roger Maris' record, he hit five that reached the 500-foot mark. Barry never reached that mark in 2001. In his record-setting season, he reached the 450-foot mark only three times, with his biggest shot coming off Colorado pitcher Scott Elarton of 488 feet. Barry hit a 480 foot shot off Houston pitcher Wilfredo Rodriguez, and another 450 foot shot off Padre pitcher Brian Lawrence. Those were his only 450 foot plus home runs in the season.

7. In 1998, Cal Ripken Jr's streak of 2632 consecutive games played came to an end. He broke the long-time record of Lou Gehrig who had a run of 2130 consecutive games. Whose record did Gehrig break?

Answer: Everett Scott

Scott's record spanned from 1916-1925. He did it with two teams, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, and his streak stopped at 1307 games. It is very ironic that less than one month after Scott's streak stopped on May 5, 1925, that Gehrig began his streak on June 1, 1925.

8. Playing for eight different teams in a player's career is not that of an uncommon occurrence. However, it is very rare to play in four different leagues. To do both is almost unheard of. Which of the following did both?

Answer: Dummy Hoy

Hoy began his career in 1888 with the Washington Nationals of the National League. The outfielder jumped leagues in 1890 to play for the Buffalo Bisons in the Players League. 1891 saw him with the St. Louis Browns of the American Association. Back to the National League in 1892 with the new Senators, he also played for the Cincinnati Reds and Louisville Colonels in the NL.

In 1901, he was with the White Sox of the new American League. He retired as a member of the new Cincinnati Reds in 1902.

9. What a way to end a career by hitting a home run in your final Major League at-bat. Which of the following did this?

Answer: Ted Williams

On September 28, 1960, Williams hit his 521st home run as a way of saying good-bye. The home game at Fenway Park in Boston saw his Red Sox win the game against the Orioles 5-4. Ted hit for two Triple Crowns, was in the top five voting for the MVP nine times, including winning two.

The Hall of Fame easily took Williams in 1966. Other notables who left baseball with a home run include Albert Belle, Joe Rudi, Tony Kubek, Mickey Cochrane, and Todd Zeile.

10. From 1933 to 1937, Giants Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell dominated the National League from the mound. Straddling the 1936 and 1937 season, Hubbell had a tremendous streak of winning 24 consecutive games. How many of those 24 wins were by shutout?

Answer: 2

Carl won 20+ games in each of those five seasons. As a 16-season career Giant, Hubbell had a 253-154 career record, winning the NL MVP in 1933 and 1937. His only shutouts in his streak were a 6-0 win against the Pirates and a 3-0 win against the Braves.

In-between this almost unreachable streak were three no-decisions. During his streak in his 207-2/3 innings, he gave up 35 walks and struck out 104. Carl retired in 1943, then was a Hall of Fame inductee in 1947. He died in 1988 at the age of 85.

Source: Author Nightmare

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Stuff Happens! Trivia Quiz

All multiple choice about some unique things that occurred in baseball. I hope that you enjoy it! :-)

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