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MLB in the 1940s Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
MLB in the 1940s Quizzes, Trivia

MLB 1940s Trivia

MLB 1940s Trivia Quizzes

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The 1940s were somewhat of a struggle for Major League Baseball. World War II took quite a few greats from the game leaving empty holes, and some of those greats were in their baseball prime. Step into some of these holes in the 1940s of baseball!
6 MLB 1940s quizzes and 60 MLB 1940s trivia questions.
1.
  Decade in a Box: 1940s   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A test of your knowledge about baseball in the 1940s. Good luck! :-)
Average, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Oct 16 06
Average
Nightmare gold member
650 plays
2.
  Forties on Fire!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The 1940s was a decade of great baseball, and the world watched some great players come and go. What do you know about the decade in baseball? All multiple choice as always! :-)
Easier, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Apr 25 05
Easier
Nightmare gold member
764 plays
3.
  Decades on the Diamond: 1940s   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Another all multiple choice quiz in a series about some decades in baseball. This is the 1940s with one question for each year. I hope that you enjoy it! :-)
Easier, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Sep 24 06
Easier
Nightmare gold member
454 plays
4.
  1940s on the Diamond   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
A look back at the 1940s of Major League Baseball. Strike the match and have fun.
Average, 10 Qns, dg_dave, Dec 20 16
Average
dg_dave gold member
210 plays
5.
  Baseball History: The 1946 Season    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
It was the first full season after World War II ended, and all the real players were back in action. How much do you know about that year on the diamond?
Average, 10 Qns, mickeygreeneyes, Apr 26 03
Average
mickeygreeneyes
707 plays
6.
  1940s in a Bucket   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All multiple choice with questions from the bottom of the bucket that have sitting for decades. This quiz is about the 1940s, and might be a challenge if you don't read the answer options carefully. One question for each season of the decade. :)
Average, 10 Qns, Nightmare, Feb 11 11
Average
Nightmare gold member
290 plays
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MLB 1940s Trivia Questions
1. In 1940, Jimmie Foxx hit his 494th home run, surpassing which Hall of Famer's career home run total of 493?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Lou Gehrig

On August 16, Foxx hit two home runs off the Washington Senators in a 7-6 win for his Boston Red Sox. Foxx played for 11 seasons beginning in 1925 for the Philadelphia Athletics before coming to Boston. Jimmie played for 22 seasons overall, and retired with 534 home runs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951. Gehrig was forced to step down from baseball due to illness in 1939. Lou died in 1941. The others listed were long retired.

2. On July 17, 1941, Joe DiMaggio's consecutive hitting streak came to an end. Also on the same day, Joe DiMaggio's draft number was picked second for induction into the U.S. Army. How many consecutive games did Joe safely hit in as a Yankee?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: 56

DiMaggio's streak stopped on July 17th, but it wasn't all bad, as the Joe DiMaggio that had his draft number picked, was a different 21-year old with the same name. The baseballer DiMaggio also had a 61-game hitting streak with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific League in 1933.

3. Baseball fans in 1940 watched a team win 100 games for the first time in the team's history. They also watched them win their first World Series since the Black Sox Scandal of 1919. Which team was this?

From Quiz Forties on Fire!

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 was the Reds-White Sox World Series in which the series was rigged by some Chicago players. In 1940, the Reds dominated the National League in winning the title by 12 games over the second place Brooklyn Dodgers. With only two 20-game winners and only three starters hitting .300 or better, the Reds had a well balanced team. In a close series with the Tigers, they won game seven 2-1.

4. In July 1941, Yankee Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak finally came to an end. Which team put the brakes on his record streak?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Cleveland Indians

On July 17th, two Indian pitchers by the names of Al Smith and Jim Bagby stopped Joe's streak. The Yankees would still win the game 6-5, in front of a tremendous attendance of 67,000 fans at Cleveland Stadium. None of the other teams listed existed in the 1940s.

5. 1941 saw the loss of Tommy Bond, Mickey Welch, and which 37-year old Hall of Famer who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Lou Gehrig

The others all died 40 years later in the 1970s. Gehrig of the Yankees, nicknamed the 'Iron Horse', played in 17 seasons with a record consecutive game appearance streak amongst it. In 1939, and after only eight games, Lou pulled himself out from the Yankee line-up. He died two years later.

6. This perennial All-Star won the NL MVP Award in 1946, as he did in 1943 and '48. His uniform number was 6, and he played his entire career with one team. Who was he?

From Quiz Baseball History: The 1946 Season

Answer: Stan Musial

Stan the Man, from Donora, PA, hit .365 in 1946, with 16 homers and 103 RBI's. He was the NL's best player of the 1940's. He played for the Cardinals from 1941 to 1963, batting .331 lifetime. He marked his 82nd birthday in 2002.

7. A Boston Braves pitcher set a Major League record in May 1942 for hitting three home runs in three consecutive at-bats in a game against the Chicago Cubs. Who was this pitcher?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Jim Tobin

On May 13th, Tobin showed his bat in addition to his arm by going the distance against the Cubs in a 6-5 Braves win. Jim played for only nine seasons and hit 17 career home runs. He retired with a 105-112 pitching record. The others listed were long retired, with Ruth retiring in 1935.

8. Which Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher developed the "blooper" pitch in 1943, a pitch that would be thrown as high as 20 feet, then hover down to the batter?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Rip Sewell

The pitch was protested by most National League teams, but was judged by the baseball brass to be a legal pitch. Umpires didn't like it either because it was too hard to judge the strike zone from the pitch. Sewell pitched for 13 seasons, and was in the middle of his career in 1943. He went 21-9 in the season, and was the only season that he won 20 games. The others listed did not begin their careers for another 10+ seasons.

9. This Chicago White Sox hitter was the last shortstop in 1943 to win a batting title until Alex Rodriguez finally won it in 1996. Who was this player who was 'always sore'?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1940s

Answer: Luke Appling

The others were all pitchers. Nicknamed 'Old Aches and Pains', Appling was a 20-season career White Sox player. He lost the 1944 season to World War II. Rodriguez of the Mariners won his batting title with a .358 in 1996.

10. Who popped the most home runs in a season during the 1940s by hitting 54?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Ralph Kiner

The others never hit 50 in a season. Kiner hit 54 home runs in 1949 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the second time in his career that he reached the 50-plateau in a season, hitting 51 in 1947. Ralph played for only 10 seasons, but amazingly compiled 369 home runs. He was a 1975 hall inductee.

11. This immortal player had a monster year in 1946, winning the AL MVP, and he made his only World Series appearance after three years as a Marine fighter pilot. Who was he?

From Quiz Baseball History: The 1946 Season

Answer: Ted Williams

Although the Splendid Splinter wasn't a stellar fielder, he was one of the best hitters of the century, and the most feared batsman of his time. "Uh oh, here comes Williams". He was the man any manager would love to have on his team, he was MVP in 1946 and '49, but he lost several MVP's to Joe DiMaggio et al because he was not popular with the press and because his team, the Red Sox, seldom won the pennant. Williams won two triple crowns (1942 and '47), a feat matched by few, but did not win the MVP in those years. He wound up his career with 521 homers and a .344 BA. All this in spite of missing years for military service in both WW II and the Korean War. You can bet Bosox fans weren't happy about that. He died July 5, 2002, in Inverness, Florida.

12. Which Boston Braves pitcher set a record in 1944 for throwing a 58-pitch shutout, the fewest pitches in Major League history?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Red Barrett

On August 10th, Barrett threw a two-hit shutout against the Reds in a 2-0 win. The Braves also set a record for the shortest night game at one hour and 15 minutes. The game had 7783 in attendance. Barrett went only 9-16 in the season for the Braves, then was traded to the Cardinals in 1945, going 21-9 for them.

13. 1944 saw a World Series in the same city. It pitted the National League champions St. Louis Cardinals against their hapless fan rival. Who was this team that saw their first World Series in the franchise's 44-year history?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1940s

Answer: Browns

The Browns' franchise was originally the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901 before moving to St. Louis to become the Browns in 1902. They stayed in St. Louis while winning 80+ games in a season only four times, and losing 80+ games in a season 27 times. The Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954 and became the Baltimore Orioles. The Cardinals won the 1944 World Series.

14. Who set a modern day record by striking out 348 batters in a season during the 1940s?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Bob Feller

The others did not play in the 1940s and never struck out 300 in a season. 'Rapid Robert' was in his eighth season with the Indians in 1946 when he whiffed 348. It was the only time in his career that he reached the 300-mark, but Cleveland still finished sixth in the American League that season. Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers broke Feller's record in 1965 with 382, then the great Nolan Ryan struck out 383 in 1973 as a California Angel.

15. In September 1945, which DiMaggio brother tied a Major League record by hitting his fourth grand slam of the season?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Vince

Unlike brothers Joe and Dom DiMaggio who played for only one team, Vince played for five teams in his 10 seasons from 1937-1946. On September 1, Vince hit his fourth big one of the season off the Boston Braves. With a month left in the season, Vince sustained an injury which sidelined him, preventing a shot at setting a new record. He tied the record of Frank Schulte who hit four for the Cubs in 1911. Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth of the Yankees also tied Schulte's record along with Rudy York of the Tigers before Vince DiMaggio.

16. Which player won the first Rookie of the Year award presented in the 1940s?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Jackie Robinson

The others did not begin their careers yet in the 1940s, and none won a Rookie of the Year award. A well documented player, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, the same year that the first rookie award was presented. Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers won it by hitting .297 with 175 hits, which earned him the award in a close ballot over Larry Jansen of the New York Giants. Jackie later won the National League MVP in 1949. He died in 1972. His number 42 was later retired Major League wide.

17. The 1946 All-Star Game was held at Fenway Park, and Ted Williams belted two homers, one on an "eephus" pitch by a Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher. What was the pitcher's name?

From Quiz Baseball History: The 1946 Season

Answer: Rip Sewell

Sewell was one of the NL's best pitchers during WW II, with a record of 70 and 45 from 1942 to '45. The "eephus" pitch was a big, slow, high-arc blooper that plopped into a catcher's glove. Many hitters had a tough time with it because it was so strange, but Mr. Williams (no mere mortal he) had no trouble at all. Sewell's first name was Truett, and he was an Alabama boy. His career with the Pirates ran from 1938 to 1949.

18. What occurred in Major League history for the first time in 1946, involving both the American and National Leagues in all the games played on one day?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: All eight games scheduled were played at night

On August 9, there were four games scheduled in the AL and four games scheduled in the NL. All games were played at night for the first time in history. The games were the Tigers over the White Sox, Red Sox over the Yankees, Indians over the Browns, and the Senators over the Athletics. Only the Senators as a home team was victorious. In the NL, the Braves defeated the Giants, the Cardinals beat the Reds, Dodgers beat the Phillies, and the Cubs defeated the Pirates. The Braves was the only NL home team to win.

19. The Cardinals won the World Series against the Red Sox in 1946. Which Cardinal outfielder broke his elbow in game 5 of the series, continued to play, and scored the winning run in game 7?

From Quiz Decades on the Diamond: 1940s

Answer: Enos Slaughter

The others would not begin their MLB careers until the 1960s. Slaughter was in his sixth season with the Cardinals in 1946. Enos still hit .320 in the series even with his elbow issue that the Cardinals won, four games to three. Slaughter played for 19 seasons with the Cardinals, Yankees, Athletics, and Braves. He was a 1985 Hall of Fame inductee.

20. In 1942, this White Sox pitcher in his 20th season, set a modern day baseball record by starting 20 games and completing them all. Who was it?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Ted Lyons

The other pitchers listed were not born yet. Lyons played from 1923-1946, all for the Chicago White Sox. He won 20 games twice in his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955. Ted died in 1986 at the age of 85.

21. Two Cardinal pitchers had such great seasons in 1946, that their names appear in almost every ranking of the top five starting pitchers. In virtually every category, one or both of their names can be found. Who were they?

From Quiz Baseball History: The 1946 Season

Answer: Howie Pollet and Harry Brecheen

Pollet was first in wins (21), third in win percentage (.677), second in complete games (22), tied for second in shutouts (4), first in innings pitched (266), first in ERA (2.10), and placed in several other categories. There's your 1946 Cy Young winner (if there had been one). Brecheen was on the list for wins, win percentage, shutouts (leader with 5), innings pitched, and strikeouts, and placed in 6 other categories. Brecheen, nicknamed "The Cat," also won three games in the World Series. A pretty decent job!

22. Baseball is noted for seeing the first African-American player in the Major Leagues in 1947. His name was Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson. What field position did Robinson play in his first season?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: First base

Jackie began his career on April 15th against the Boston Braves. Jackie played first base in the season, but watered some eyes with his 16 errors. The Dodgers moved him to second base in 1948 only to see another 13 errors. The Dodgers moved him around to six different positions, and he retired with 117 errors over 10 seasons. Even with the racial slurs in his rookie season and beyond, he did finish his 1947 season with a respectable .297 average, and led the league in stolen bases with 29. He was voted Rookie of the Year for the season, then won the National League MVP in 1949 over Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter of the St. Louis Cardinals. Robinson played for only 10 seasons and retired in 1956. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.

23. Which National League player won three season MVP awards in the 1940s?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Stan Musial

The others were all American Leaguers in the 1940s. Musial, a 22-season St. Louis Cardinal, won this awards in 1943, 1946, and 1948. Stan was a 20-season all-star and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969 along with Roy Campanella, Stan Coveleski, and Waite Hoyt.

24. The world saw a historical mark in Major League baseball in 1947. Branch Rickey did the signing of a great player. Who was on the other side of the pen that would win the 1947 Rookie of the Year Award?

From Quiz Forties on Fire!

Answer: Jackie Robinson

The others would not appear in the Majors until the following decade. Jack Roosevelt Robinson, who broke the color barrier, would edge out Larry Jansen of the New York Giants for the rookie award. Jackie won the National League MVP two seasons later also. After playing in 10 seasons and six World Series, Robinson retired in 1956, waiting until 1962 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

25. Which Brooklyn Dodger was traded after the 1948 season, after setting a Major League record for being carried off the field on a stretcher 11 times in that season?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Pete Reiser

Reiser was accident prone to say the least, but his crashing into the outfield walls with no regard for himself led to an abundance of injuries. In December, the Dodgers traded Pete to the Boston Braves for Nanny Fernandez and Mike McCormick. He retired in 1952 after playing with the Pirates and Cleveland, but not before being the NL runner-up MVP in 1941 to Dodger teammate Dolph Camilli. Dodger pitcher Whit Wyatt finished third in the balloting.

26. How many players hit for the Triple Crown in the decade?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: 1

Ted Williams hit for the Triple Crown twice in 1942 and 1947. In both instances, Ted did not win the AL MVP due to his friction with sports writers. He did win the MVP in 1946 and 1949 though.

27. In September 1949, which Pirate pitcher shockingly died after an emergency appendectomy?

From Quiz 1940s in a Bucket

Answer: Tiny Bonham

Bonham was in his 10th season of Major League Baseball when he suddenly died on September 15. His last start prior was on August 27, when he threw a complete game 8-2 win over the Phillies. The Pirates would go on to finish 26 games behind the pennant-winning Dodgers.

28. Between 1940-1944, only one player in those five years was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Which player was it?

From Quiz Decade in a Box: 1940s

Answer: Rogers Hornsby

The others weren't inducted for more than 30 years later. Due to WWII, there were no inductions, except for Hornsby, then only Kenesaw 'Judge' Landis in 1944. Hornsby played mainly with the Cardinals in 23 seasons. He won the Triple Crown and NL MVP twice.

29. In the eighth inning of the seventh game of the World Series, a Cardinal base runner scored from first on a double, with the run that would win the Series from the Red Sox. Who was he?

From Quiz Baseball History: The 1946 Season

Answer: Enos Slaughter

Slaughter was a hell-for-leather player whose hustle won the day for the Redbirds. Harry Brecheen won three games, but the best hitters in the series failed at the plate. Stan Musial went 6-for-27. Ted Williams went 5-for-25. And so we leave the magical season of 1946. Next time who knows what historic season we might visit. Be here to find out! Sources: baseball-reference.com; "Total Baseball: Fifth Edition"; "The Ballplayers," ed. Mike Schatzkin

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