1910s in a Bucket Trivia Quiz

Answer: Taft

Taft was the 27th President of the United States. On Opening Day at Washington Park, home of the Washington Senators, Taft started a trend with ceremonial pitches. In that game, future Hall of Fame great Walter Johnson threw a one-hitter, defeating Connie Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0. Johnson went up against another Hall of Fame pitcher, Eddie Plank.
The picture is of President William H. Taft.

Answer: Ty Cobb

Cobb, who began his career in 1905, was in his seventh season with the Tigers. Ty batted .420 in 1911 and would follow that up with a .409 in 1912. He won the inaugural award over White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh, the Athletics' Eddie Collins, and Cleveland's Joe Jackson. Cobb received a new car for his efforts.
The picture is a base stealing statue of Ty Cobb.

Answer: Fenway Park

The Red Sox showed the city of Boston and their fans by having the best record in Major League Baseball in 1912. They finished the regular season with a 105-47 record. They weren't done however, and defeated the New York Giants in the World Series four games to three. It was the franchise's second World Series crown, the first being in 1903. The other ballparks listed were built for teams who changed cities after 1950.
The picture is a shot of the scoreboard at Fenway.

Answer: Philadelphia Athletics

The Athletics, under manager Connie Mack, led the team to four World Series appearances in the decade, the fourth being in 1914. A great first half to the decade, and shades of the future Yankees, the Athletics defeated the Cubs in 1910, the Giants in 1911, then the Giants again in 1913. They lost their fourth bid in the decade to the Boston Braves in 1914.
The only other team listed that won a World Series was the Dodgers in 1955.
The picture is of Connie Mack, who managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 seasons from 1901-1950.

Answer: Federal League

The Federal League was accused of doing some dirty deeds, trying to lure and actually signing some big names from Major League Baseball into their new league. The Federal League lasted only two season with the Indianapolis Hoosiers winning the 1914 pennant, then the St. Louis Terriers winning it in 1915.

Some players who defected to the league were Eddie Plank, Bob Groom, Chief Bender, Mordecai Brown, and Hal Chase amongst others.

Answer: Cleveland

The Cleveland franchise began in the new American League in 1901 as the Cleveland Blues, then Cleveland Bronchos in 1902, then Cleveland Naps in 1903. The Naps name would go away and the team changed it to "Indians" in 1915. The franchise and fans would see their first World Series appearance in 1920, when they defeated the Brooklyn Robins, who had the Robins name until 1932. Brooklyn was the only other franchise that existed in 1915.
The picture is of Jacobs Field in Cleveland, which the Indians moved into in 1994. They had played in Cleveland Stadium since 1932.

Answer: Babe Ruth

The others were all Hall of Famers, but did not begin their careers until the 1930s and never played for the Red Sox. Ruth was in his third season in the American League. In 1914, he went 2-1, then the Red Sox saw his arm in 1915 when he went 18-8. The following season saw him go 23-12 with an ERA of 1.75 and throwing nine shutouts. Boston really never fully recognized the Babe's bat, but the New York Yankees did when they purchased his contract for the 1920 season.

The rest is history. Ruth retired in 1935 with a 94-46 pitching record, over-shadowed by his own bat of 714 career home runs. The picture is of the Bambino himself.

Answer: Hank Gowdy

Hank was a catcher in his eighth season in the Major Leagues in 1917. He left baseball and the Boston Braves to fight in France and would miss the entire 1918 season also. He returned as a Boston Brave in 1919, then retired in 1930 after his 17th season.

Answer: "The Star Spangled Banner"

1918 was war time for the United States, and the song was played as a tribute to all servicemen who were on leave and in attendance for the game between the Red Sox and host Cubs in Chicago. Although the song was not the country's National Anthem yet in 1918, it would continue to be played at every World Series and season-opener.

The Red Sox won that 1918 World Series four games to two. The song became the official National Anthem in 1931.

Answer: Cleveland Indians

The White Sox won the 1917 World Series over the Giants, and did not get the bonuses that were promised them. In 1918, and unmotivated, the White Sox finished sixth in the AL, while the Indians were runner-ups to the Red Sox. The White Sox took the 1919 pennant by 3.5 games over the Indians, and 7.5 over the Yankees, and with a plan. Thus, the Black Sox Scandal was born.

The Reds won the 1919 World Series, and numerous great White Sox players were banned from baseball as a result.