1880s in a Bucket Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lee Richmond

Lee was in only his second season of professional baseball. With the Worcester Ruby Legs of the National League, he threw a perfect game against the Cleveland Blues in the 1-0 win. Richmond went 32-32 in the season while starting 66 games. Lee retired after only six seasons with a 75-100 record.

The next National League perfect game that would be thrown by a left-handed pitcher did not happen for eight decades. It was thrown by Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax, who threw one against the Chicago Cubs in 1965.

Answer: Roger Connor

Connor played well before the other greats began their careers. Roger played with the Trojans for three seasons before joining the New York Giants in 1883. He retired as a St. Louis Brown in 1897 with 138 home runs over 18 seasons. He was not surpassed for his career home run record until 1920 by the great Babe Ruth.

Answer: American Association

The American Association survived longer than any other league who was trying to compete with the National League. The league existed from 1882-1891. The league begin with only six teams, expanded to eight teams in 1883, then 13 teams in 1883, but teams would come and go, and would not give stability to the AA.

The league folded after the 1891 season. The St. Louis Browns franchise (later Cardinals) would dominate the league by winning four consecutive American Association pennants, and being runner-up another three times during the league's 10-season existence.

Answer: Charlie Radbourn

Radbourn was in his third season with the Providence Grays in 1883, and ballooned his season record to 48-25, then set a record the following season, one of those that is not seemingly going to be touched by going 59-12. Rule changes for pitchers was not changed again until after the 1889 season, which somewhat gave the game back to the hitters. From 1883-1889, 10 pitchers threw seasons of winning 45+ games.

Answer: Fleetwood Walker

The others had not started their baseball careers yet, and were not of the ethnic background. It is a shame that it took until the mid 20th Century for baseball and others to see that all humans are one. Moses Fleetwood Walker, known as just Fleetwood, tried to start a career as a catcher with the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American Association before he was "caught" as not being a Hispanic as sworn to.

His only season would be in 1884, and he was not welcomed back. Cap Anson, also documented and known as one the most racial prejudice connections in baseball, had almost everything to do with Walker's (and others) termination. Anson is in the Hall of Fame while Walker is not.

Answer: 3

For no known reason, Williamson hit 27 big ones, breaking the National League season home run record of 10, set previously by Buck Ewing of the New York Giants. With the rules changes to pitching for the 1883 season, it took 'the bat' away from hitters.

Although a ball that bounced over a fence was still considered a home run, that rule had been in effect for many seasons already. Williamson's record stood until 1919 when Babe Ruth hit 29 for the Red Sox, then 54 in the following season for the Yankees.

Answer: Guy Hecker

Hecker was with the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1884 when he led the league with a 52-20 record, along with 385 strikeouts. In 1886, Guy went 26-23 from the mound, and also took the batting crown with his .341 average.

Answer: 15

Detroit's owner was Frederick Stearnes, and he wanted to show the National League's superiority by the challenge. Although the National League did not officially sanction the series, the championship series took place with the Wolverines winning the series, eight games to six. With nothing but sour grapes, the Browns' owner Von Der Ahe refused to pay his players anything for the series.

Answer: Tris Speaker

Speaker played for 22 seasons, 11 with Cleveland, nine with Boston, and a season each with Washington and Philadelphia. He won two World Series with Boston and one with Cleveland. His 1912 MVP was won over two big names, Ed Walsh and Walter Johnson. Tris retired with 3514 hits and was inducted in the second year of Hall of Fame inductees in 1937.

Answer: Louisville Colonels

The other teams never existed. The Colonels finished with a dismal 27-111 record while going through four different managers in the season. They did not have a starting player bat .300, nor have a pitcher that won more than 10 games. The pitching leader was Red Ehret who won only 10 games, but also lost 29 in the process.

The Colonels were the first actual team to go from worst to first in professional baseball by winning the American Association pennant the following season in 1890 with a record of 88-44, 10 games ahead of the second place Columbus Solons.