Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. After being unsuccessful in their nine previous World Series appearances, the Angels finally won their first World Series in 2002 against the Giants, four games to three. Although Barry Bonds hit four home runs in the series, the Angels' Troy Glaus was the series MVP.
2. One of the most durable managers in baseball history, Connie Mack spent his entire managing career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1901-1950. He made nine World Series appearances collecting five wins with the help of players such as Jimmie Dykes, Lefty Grove, and Jimmie Foxx. Although retiring in 1950, Mack was inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier in 1937.
3. The Montreal Expos began their franchise in 1969. After the 2004 season, manager Frank Robinson took his team to their new home of Washington D.C. This was the first time in history that the Washington D.C. area had a Major League baseball team. Their first season as the Nationals saw them finish at .500 with a 81-81 record. Jose Guillen led the team with 24 home runs.
4. Kirby Puckett was a rugged outfielder for the Twins during his entire 11-season career. Of those 11 seasons, Kirby made the all-star team 10 times. He retired with a .318 average along with 207 home runs, a nice balance of hitting. The Hall of Fame inducted Kirby in 2001, then he died only two weeks later.
5. One of the greatest strikeout artists in the modern baseball was Nolan Ryan who retired with 5714 stikeouts. From the 1970s and on, it seemed that 300 strikeouts in a season was very reachable. Sandy Koufax threw an amazing 382 for the Dodgers in 1965 to set a new modern day record, then Bob Feller broke his record with 383 in 1973. Matt Kilroy set an early baseball record for striking out 513 in 1886, the era of the pitcher.
6. With the arrival of Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920, things were going to change. In 1921, they found themselves in their first World Series, but lost to the New York Giants. 1922 saw the same results. 1923 was different this time. The team had a rookie named Lou Gehrig. The Yankees won the World Series against the Giants, four games to two, winning their first series crown. It was the third of 13 consecutive World Series appearances in 1923 for the Yankees.
7. Of some famous brothers in baseball, Hank, Mark, and Tommie Aaron combined for the most home runs in the first 100 years of baseball. They out-hit other brothers such as Joe, Dom, and Vince DiMaggio, the Delahantys, and the Alous. The Aarons combined for 768 home runs in their careers.
8. The 1956 World Series shocked the world when they saw Yankee pitcher Don Larsen throw a perfect game against Dodgers and pitcher Sal Maglie in game five. It was Don's first World Series win of his career. The Yankees went on to win the series. Ironically, Maglie and Larsen were teammates on the Yankees in 1957, then they were skunked in the '57 World Series by the San Francisco Giants.
9. Four times in the 1970s, the Big Red Machine of Cincinnati were graced with World Series presence. In 1970, they were helmed by Pete Rose the player-manager. The lost the series to the Orioles. 1972 was another loss in the series, this time with Sparky Anderson at the helm. Then they repeated World Series victories in 1975 and 1976 against the Red Sox and Yankees, respectively. The Reds would have to wait until 1990 to win another series, this time under the reins of Lou Piniella.
10. The 1969 Yankees put on a home run derby for the league with two of their players. At season's end, Roger Maris had hit 61 home runs, and Mickey Mantle fell a little short due to injuries, hitting 54. This was the most home runs hit by a duo of the same team, 115. The Yankees went on to win the World Series in the season against the Cincinnati Reds.
Source: Author
Nightmare
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