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MLB 1890s Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
MLB 1890s Quizzes, Trivia

MLB 1890s Trivia

MLB 1890s Trivia Quizzes

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The 1890s of organized baseball was on its way to immortality. It saw the Players League give it a shot, but could not compete with the well-rooted National League and its players. See some of the great early teams of baseball such as the Providence Grays and Cleveland Spiders. Don't miss out on the great Cy Young, Honus Wagner, and other Hall of Fame greats who have etched their way into baseball history!
4 MLB 1890s quizzes and 40 MLB 1890s trivia questions.
1.
  Decade in a Box: 1890s   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Another all multiple choice quiz about some decades in professional baseball. This is the 1890s of baseball. I hope that you find something new! :-)
Average, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Dec 28 08
Average
Nightmare gold member
437 plays
2.
  1890s on the Diamond    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Another in a matching series of decades in baseball. Welcome to the 1890s while sitting back and striking the match!
Average, 10 Qns, dg_dave, Jan 10 17
Average
dg_dave gold member
110 plays
3.
  Decades on the Diamond: 1890s   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Another all multiple choice quiz in a series of baseball decades. I hope that you have some fun! :-)
Average, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Dec 28 08
Average
Nightmare gold member
309 plays
4.
  1890s in a Bucket   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A look back at baseball's 1890s. One question for each year. I hope you enjoy it. :)
Average, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Apr 28 11
Average
Nightmare gold member
167 plays
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MLB 1890s Trivia Questions
1. In 1890, a new league was formed in hopes of competing against the always powerful and in-place National League. Which league was this that folded at the end of one season?

From Quiz 1890s in a Bucket

Answer: Players League

The Players League debuted in 1890 with eight teams. Those teams in order of finish were the Boston Reds, Brooklyn Ward's Wonderers, New York Giants, Chicago Pirates, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Burghers, Cleveland Infants, and the Buffalo Bisons who finished 46.5 games out of first place. The Players League was not able to build any revenues, and folded after the season.

2. This 1966 Hall of Fame inductee was born on July 30, 1890. He played in 14 seasons, then later in life he managed the Yankees to 10 World Series appearances in a 12-year span. Who was he?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Casey Stengel

The others never managed the Yankees. Nicknamed the 'Old Perfessor', Casey played mostly for Brooklyn and New York of the National League. The later 60-year old took the Yankees to 10 of 12 World Series between 1949-1960 as a manager. His induction to the hall was 11 years before his death in 1975.

3. On June 2, 1892, President Benjamin Harrison became the first U.S. President to attend a professional baseball game. The National League also expanded to how many teams in 1892 and began a 154-game season schedule?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1890s

Answer: 12

The teams included in order of finish in 1892 were the Boston Beaneaters (later Atlanta Braves) who won the NL pennant, the Cleveland Spiders, Brooklyn Grooms, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Colts, New York Giants, Louisville Colonels, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and finally the Baltimore Orioles who finished 54.5 games back.

4. This 1899 player led all players in the decade when he blasted 25 home runs in the season. Which slugger was this?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Buck Freeman

The others were not born yet. Freeman hit 25, which was a monsterous total in the early baseball. He did this for his Washington Senators, but they still finished in 11th place of 12 teams in the standings. The pitcher and outfielder played for 11 seasons and retired with 82 home runs.

5. 1893 saw the pitchers mound moved back from 50 feet after an earlier decade of pitchers dominating the game. What was the distance of the mound in 1893?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1890s

Answer: 60 feet 6 inches

Nobody could figure out why the "6 inches" until months later when the league realized that they read the surveyors blueprints incorrectly, but let the distance stand. Billy Hamilton of the Philadelphia Phillies the league in batting with a .380 average, .045 above the previous seasons leader, while the pitching leaders won seven less games to lead the league compared to the previous seasons. The pitcher who led the league was Frank Killen of the Chicago Colts with 36 wins.

6. The owner of the first professional baseball team in history died in 1892. Who was this who wrote the first set of baseball rules?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Alexander Cartwright

The others weren't even born yet. Cartwright owned the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York in 1846, then played the first professional game against the New York Nines. Cartwright umpired the game but his team still lost by over 15 runs. He was inducted into the hall in 1938 for being a baseball pioneer.

7. The Cleveland Spiders and future Hall of Fame great Cy Young showed up in Chicago to play the National League Chicago Colts (later Cubs) in a game in 1895. However, the Colts didn't show up to play. Where was entire team?

From Quiz 1890s in a Bucket

Answer: In jail

The entire team was arrested for inciting a riot against a group formed by Reverend W.W. Clark. Clark's group was one of many who did not want baseball to be played on Sundays. The game later took place after the Colts' owner posted bail for the entire team. The Colts beat the Spiders 13-4 in the rescheduled game.

8. 1895 saw the birth of future Hall of Famer, George Herman Ruth. It also saw which Cleveland Spider pitcher lead the league with 35 wins?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1890s

Answer: Cy Young

The others were not born until the 1930s. Young was in his sixth season of baseball with the Spiders. He went 35-10 in the season. He led the league over Pink Hawley of the Pirates and Bill Hoffer of the Orioles who both won 31. Young would go on to win 511 career games.

9. Which league did not exist in the 1890s?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Federal League

There were three leagues in the 1890s. The Players League folded after their only season in 1890, and the American Association which began in 1882, folded after the 1891 season. The National League began in 1876, and continued consistently throughout the 20th century. The Federal League existed for only two seasons from 1914-1915 and tried to become the third major league. It did not pan out.

10. Throughout the 1890s, there were 13 teams that played in the National League at some time. How many teams played throughout the entire decade in the league?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: 8

The eight teams were the Boston Beaneaters (later Braves), Chicago Colts/Orphans (later Cubs), Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Spiders, Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms/Superbas (later Dodgers), Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates, and the New York Giants.

11. Which player became the first in National League history in 1897 to reach an incredible milestone of getting his 3000th hit, solely in the NL?

From Quiz 1890s in a Bucket

Answer: Cap Anson

Anson was in his final season of 27 in 1897 when he reached number 3000 in the National League. He began it all in 1871 in the National Association with the Rockford Forest Citys. He played five seasons there before joining the National League in 1876. Strangely enough, he led the league only one time in hits, and that was with the Chicago White Stockings of the NL in 1881. His historical NL hit came on June 18. Overall with the two leagues combined, Anson retired with 3435 career hits.

12. Eddie Abbaticchio in 1897 was the first documented foreign player in the National League from which country?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1890s

Answer: Italy

The 1890s was a sensitive decade as many African-Americans tried to pass themselves off as other 'colors' and being from other countries. Abbaticchio was a rookie in 1897 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played for only nine seasons before retiring.

13. Which team in 1899 folded, then had their all-stars join the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Louisville Colonels

The other teams were all members of the 1914 Federal League. The Colonels were not a good team during the time they spent with the National League in the 1890s. They finished no better than eighth place in their eight NL seasons. The team rostered Dummy Hoy, Fred Clarke, Honus Wagner, and Tommy Leach. The Pirates were rewarded with the new talent by winning three consecutive NL pennants from 1901-1903.

14. On April 16, 1898, which team saw many of their fans injured during a fire that destroyed the stands in left field?

From Quiz 1890s in a Bucket

Answer: St. Louis Browns

The other teams did not exist by name in that season. The Browns were hosting the Chicago Orphans (later Cubs) at Sportsman Park and saw an attendance of 4000 fans. More than 100 fans were injured in the fire and blamed on a lit cigar. The entire left field section, bleachers and stands were gone in 20 minutes. The smoker was never identified, but the Browns choked on the smoke, finishing the season in last place with a 39-111 record, 63.5 games out of first place behind the Boston Beaneaters (later Braves) in the season.

15. The worst team in the 1890s decade set a baseball record for losing 134 games in a season, a record never likely to be duplicated. Which miserable team received this distinction?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Cleveland Spiders

The other teams were all part of the 1875 National Association League that went defunct. The Spiders folded after their horrendous season in 1899. They went 20-134. Cleveland finished in last place (12th), 84 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas. The Spiders rostered Chief Louis Sockalexis in his third season. He was the first Indian to play, which who the Cleveland Indians were named after in 1901.

16. Which 1899 National League team set a record, one likely never to be broken, by losing 134 games in the season?

From Quiz 1890s in a Bucket

Answer: Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders franchise began in 1890, and were an above average team with Cy Young on the mound in the past. The 1899 team has been tagged with being the worst-ever in baseball. The owner of the Spiders sold virtually all his star players to the other franchise that he owned in St. Louis. This left the Spiders with no-names who lasted only one or two seasons in baseball, or players who were way past their prime.

17. Closing out the 1890s and the decade saw which team set a baseball record for going 20-134 in the season?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1890s

Answer: Cleveland Spiders

The other teams listed were in the Federal League in 1914 and 1915 before the league went defunct. The Spiders owner sold most of their star players after the 1898 season to the St. Louis Perfectos, leaving bush-leaguers to play for the Spiders in 1899. At one point in the season, all the Spiders' home games were cancelled because no fans would show up, so most of the season was played on the road. The only famous name on the Spiders in 1899 was Chief Zimmer, but at age 38, Wilson was past his prime, but still left the team after only 20 games for the Louisville Colonels.

18. In 1897, baseball lost a great pitcher who set a record for winning 59 games in the 1884 season. Who was this Hall of Fame pitcher nicknamed 'Old Hoss'?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1890s

Answer: Charley Radbourn

The others were not born yet. Radbourn went an amazing 59-12 in 1884 with the Providence Grays. Although with rules changes for the season, and it was made for the pitchers, Radbourn set a mark not likely to be met. Even before those major rules changes in 1884, Charley went 48-25 in 1883. He died on February 5, 1897, and was inducted into the hall in 1939 with a 309-195 career record.

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