Batting Records Trivia

1. Who was the first National League slugger to hit 40+ home runs in a season five times in his career?

From Quiz Homer Who?

Answer: Hank Aaron

Aaron was the first to go with five crowns of hitting 40+ home runs in a season and did it eight times in his career. He also set a record for hitting 30+ home runs in a season 15 times. Babe Ruth of the American League set an almost unreachable Major League record hitting 40+ home runs 11 times.

From Quiz The Home Run Ball

Answer: Vic Raschi

The others listed were pitchers after the 1950s. Just days into the 1954 season, Bobby Thomson was injured and it put Hank into the regular lineup. The game took place on May 23 against the Cardinals. Aaron was only 10 days into his career when he hit his first four-bagger dished up by Vic Raschi in the sixth inning of the game. Hank had two RBIs and the Braves won 7-5. Hank would play 21 seasons with the Braves in Milwaukee and Atlanta, then two seasons with the Brewers. He retired in 1976 and waited for his induction in 1982.

From Quiz Bats in the Belfry or Dugout?

Answer: Leo Cardenas

It was July 27, 1966, when the Chicago Cubs were hosted by the Cincinnati Reds. Although spending most of his career with the Phillies, Roberts was a Cub after being with Houston in the 1966 season. The 500th shot was provided by shortstop Leo Cardenas in the fourth inning. Robin also gave up number 501 in the inning at the hands of Pete Rose. Roberts retired at the end of the season with a career 505 home runs given up. Robin was inducted into the Hall in 1976, then died in 2010. Cardenas hit a season-high 20 home runs for the Reds in 1966 and retired with 118 over 16 seasons.

From Quiz 35-Game Hitting Streaks

Answer: Chase Utley

From June 23 through August 3, Utley had a hit in 35 consecutive games. He batted 153 times and had 62 hits for a .405 average during the streak.

From Quiz My First Base Jump!

Answer: Boston Red Sox

Pete Rose, also known for his nickname "Charlie Hustle," was a former MLB player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986 and managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 to 1989. Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963 through 1978, Philadelphia Phillies from 1979 through 1983, Montreal Expos in 1984 and again with the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 through 1986.

From Quiz Famous Home Runs

Answer: Kirk Gibson

Gibson's home run was unexpected as he was hobbled by injuries. If he had not hit a home run there were concerns he would not even be able to run to first base. It was his only appearance in the 1988 Series.

From Quiz Power and the Glory

Answer: 14

Lajoie won the AL Triple Crown in the league's first season. His 14 homers, coupled with a .426 average and 125 RBI led the league. Unfortunately, he couldn't carry the team, as the A's finished fourth in the eight team league.

From Quiz He's Got the Biggest What?

Answer: 1920

1914 was the Babe's rookie year as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In his final season with Boston in 1919, he hit (a tremendous amount back then) 29 home runs. His first season with the Yankees in 1920, Ruth smacked 54. He gave a guarantee to New York fans and the media that he would hit even more in 1921. He certainly did by hitting another 59. He topped the 50-mark again in 1927 when he clouted 60, then another 54 in 1928. Ruth retired with 714 home runs over 22 seasons, including five full seasons as a pitcher.

From Quiz Extra! Extra!

Answer: Willie Wilson

The others were all out of baseball in 1988. Wilson played for Royals, Athletics, and Cubs, but did his triples damage in Kansas City. He led the league five times between 1980 and 1988. Stan Musial set a National League record by leading the league five times, with the last being in 1951.

From Quiz Historical Home Runs

Answer: Jimmy Sebring

The others did not begin their Major League careers until the 1930s. 1903 saw the AL Champion Boston Americans go up against the NL Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Sebring of the Pirates hit an inside-the-park home run in the top of the seventh inning. Ironically, it was off the great Cy Young. Pittsburgh won the game 7-3, but Boston would go on to win the series, five games to three. More World Series firsts were: Single- Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh), Double- Chick Stahl (Boston), Triple- Tommy Leach (Pittsburgh), Steal- Honus Wagner, Walk- Claude Ritchey (Pittsburgh) from Cy Young, Strikeout- Ed Phelps (Pittsburgh) by Cy Young, Win- Deacon Phillippe (Pittsburgh), Loss- Cy Young (Boston).

From Quiz Big Guns of Baseball

Answer: Bill Dickey and Tony Lazzeri

Dickey was the catcher and Lazzeri was their second baseman. 10 times in 14 seasons, Lazzeri hit the big one in double-figures, one season more than Dickey. In 1932, the Babe hit 41 while Gehrig hit 34 home runs. They defeated the Cubs four games to none in the World Series. The Cochrane combination were Philadelphia Athletics, Jolley and Johnson were Red Sox, and other two were Tigers.

From Quiz The 50 Home Run Club

Answer: Babe Ruth

Ruth revolutionized the power game in baseball. His 54 home runs in 1920 almost doubled the previous record of 29 which he set the previous season. By comparison, Cy Williams led the National League that year. He hit 15 home runs.

From Quiz Three Home Run Games

Answer: Johnny Mize

Mize, nicknamed the "Big Cat", had 3-HR games with three different teams during his Hall of Fame career: the Cardinals, the Giants and the Yankees between 1938 and 1950.

From Quiz 250,000 Home Runs!

Answer: Ross Barnes

The others did not play for at least another 50 years. Barnes played for five seasons in the later defunct National Association with the Boston Red Stockings until 1875, then joined the Chicago White Stockings in the NL who was managed by Al Spalding. It was Barnes' only home run of the season, and who would know that it was the first of a quarter-million? As miniscule as it may seem, it helped the White Stockings to the very-first National League pennant. Ross hit only six home runs in his nine seasons.

From Quiz Obscure Baseball Home Run Records

Answer: Al Kaline

Though not a classic slugger, Kaline was definitely a fantastic hitter. His single-season high for home runs was 29 in both 1962 and 1966 but he also had 7 other seasons of at least 21 home runs. He ended his splendid 22-year career with a .297 average, 3007 hits and 399 home runs.

From Quiz Big Guns!

Answer: Ron Santo

Santo played third base for the Cubs. When they all retired, Banks topped the team's list with 512 home runs, Williams with 392, and Santo with 337. It is ironic that even with those three big guns, the Cubs lost 100+ games twice in the 1960s, and finished second only one time.

From Quiz Great Sluggers of MLB

Answer: Eddie Murray, Lou Gehrig, Jeff Bagwell, Joe DiMaggio

Eddie Murray hit 504 career home runs in his 21 seasons, despite never hitting more than 33 in a season. The Iron Horse hit 493 in his career, while Jeff Bagwell racked up 449. Joltin' Joe hit 361, having had the least at-bats of the four due to WWII military service.

From Quiz The Creams of the Crop

Answer: Ty Cobb

After 24 seasons playing for the Tigers and Athletics, Cobb retired with a .366 average. 16 times he hit over .350, and three times over .400. Ty retired in 1928, and was one of the first five players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936.

From Quiz Swing and a Miss

Answer: Adam Dunn

Despite setting the single season strikeout mark, The Reds' Dunn managed to slug 46 home runs that season.

From Quiz Team Triple Crown Leaders

Answer: 4

Banks led the team only four times, in 1955, '56, '58, and '59, and this was before the arrival of Ron Santo and Billy Williams. Billy Williams led the team many times, but between Santo and second baseman Glenn Beckert, it was tough to win a team Triple Crown with so much diverse greatness. It is amazing that the Cubs never saw a World Series throughout all this talent in the 1960s and 1970s.

From Quiz They Served 'em Up

Answer: Steve Trachsel

McGwire's 341 foot laser to left for home run number 62 was his shortest blast of the year.

From Quiz Do You Know Baseball DHs?

Answer: 1973

Ron Bloomberg of the Yankees was the American League's first DH on April 6, 1973.

From Quiz Home Run Leaders: A-J

Answer: Hank Aaron & Henry Aaron & Aaron

Hank Aaron not only led the "A" list when he retired, but was also the all-time career leader in home runs. He played most of his career with the Braves. Other "A" leaders include Richie "Dick" Allen with 351 and Joe Adcock with 336.

From Quiz 20th Century Runner-Up Hitters

Answer: Sammy Sosa

"Slammin'" Sammy of the Cubs had the misfortune to hit 66 dingers in 1998, the same year that the Cards' Mark McGwire topped everyone with 70. Ironically, Sosa hit another 63 in 1999, only to finish 2nd again to Big Mac, who smacked 65.

From Quiz They Had Four Balls?

Answer: Nolan Ryan

The others listed didn't even play for 12 seasons in their career. Nolan played for 27 seasons, and with four teams. He retired with 5714 strikeouts in 1993, as a Texas Ranger. Nolan led his league many times in his career, and took almost every pitching award, with the exception of the Cy Young Award. In 27 seasons, Ryan pitched only 2-1/3 World Series innings.

From Quiz Great Home Run Hitters

Answer: 583

He hit 583 career home runs, 3 behind Frank Robinson who had 586.

From Quiz Baseball Sluggers

Answer: Jimmie Foxx

Jimmie Foxx nicknamed Double-X, hit 58 home runs falling two short of George Herman "Babe" Ruth's record of 60 taters.

From Quiz All Time Home Run Hitters

Answer: 504

He had over 500 homers and 3000 hits.

From Quiz Home Run Leaders

Answer: George Foster

In that year George Foster hit 40 homeruns for Cincinnati.

From Quiz Four Homers In One Game

Answer: 19

Green's 19 total bases broke the major league record of 18 set by Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves on July 31st, 1954.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:47 AM

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