1998 Season Highlights Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kerry Wood

Making only his 5th Major League start, 20 year-old, Chicago Cubs' Kerry Wood fans 20 Houston Astros in a 2-0, one-hit victory to tie the Major League mark for strikeouts in a 9-inning game. The rookie righthander does not walk a batter in his masterpiece, allowing only an infield single to Ricky Gutierrez.

Roger Clemens whiffed 20 batters in a game twice while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

His first was on April 29,1986 against the Seattle Mariners. Then again on September 18,1996 against the Detroit Tigers.

On July 5, 1998, Toronto Blue Jays' Roger Clemens fans Tampa Bays' Randy Winn for his 3,000th career strikeout.

Answer: Craig Biggio

Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros swiped his 50th base of the season on September 23rd. He finished the 1998 season with 51 doubles and 50 stolen bases. The first player to accomplish this feat was Boston's Tris Speaker in 1912, with 53 doubles and 52 steals.

Craig Biggio began his Major League career as a catcher. He was moved to second-base in 1992 in an effort to protect his considerable speed from the effects of catching. He was the 1st player to be selected an All-Star as a catcher (1991) and second-baseman (1992,1994-95-96-97-98).

Answer: Alex Rodriguez

On September 19, 1998, Seattle Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit his 40th home run of the season, off Jack McDowell of the Angels, to join the elite 40/40 club. 'A-Rod' finished the 1998 season with 42 dingers and 46 swipes. Oakland A's Jose Canseco started the club in 1988 with 42 homers & 40 stolen bases. Barry Bonds of the SF Giants became the second member in 1996 with 42 homers and 40 stolen bases.

Barry Bonds hit his 400th career home run on August 23, 1998, making him the 1st player in Major League history with more than 400 career home runs and 400 career stolen-bases.

Answer: Paul Molitor

On August 8, 1998, Minnesota Twins' Paul Molitor went 5-for-5 and swiped his 500th base against Sidney Ponson of the Baltimore Orioles. The first 5 players with 500 steals and 3,000 hits were Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Lou Brock, and Rickey Henderson.

On August 14, 1998, Baltimore Orioles' Chris Hoiles became the 1st catcher to hit 2 grand slams in a single game, doing it in a 15-3 win over the Indians.

Answer: David Wells

New York Yankees' lefthander David Wells pitched his perfecto on May 17, 1998 at Yankee Stadium on free beanie baby day. He whiffed 11 batters during his 4-0 masterpiece win over the Twins. 'Boomer' is a big Babe Ruth fan. In 1997 when he joined the Yankees he asked the organization for uniform #3, the Babe's retired number, and he was denied. During the 1997 season he wore an original Babe Ruth cap on the mound for an inning.

Answer: Ken Griffey Jr.

On September 16,1998, Seattle Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. stole his 20th base of the season against the Oakland A's. He became just the 3rd player in the Majors to record at least 50 home runs and at least 20 stolen bases in the same season. In 1955, Willie Mays of the New York Giants hit 51 homers & stole 24 bases. Brady Anderson of the Baltimore Orioles hit 50 dingers & had 21 stolen-bases during the 1996 season.

Answer: Barry Bonds

With Arizona Diamondbacks leading the San Francisco Giants, 8-6, in the bottom of the 9th inning with the bases-loaded, manager Buck Showalter orders pitcher Gregg Olson to intentionally walk Barry Bonds to bring home the Giants' 7th run. The stratagy worked as Brent Mayne lines out to end the game as the Diamondbacks down the Giants 8-7.

It was only the 4th bases-loaded intentional walk in Major League history:- (1) Nap Lajoie on May 23,1901 (2) Del Bissonette on May 2,1928 (3) Bill Nicholson on July 23, 1944.

Answer: Darryl Strawberry

On May 2, 1998, Yankees' Darryl Strawberry smacked a 9th inning pinch-hit grand slam to ice a 12-6 win over the Kansas City Royals. His second slam of the season comes on August 4th, and was the big blow in the Yankees 9-run 9th inning, as the Bronx Bombers come from behind to defeat the Oakland A's 10-5.

His 2 pinch-hit grand-slams of the season set an American League record, and tied the National League mark held by Davey Johnson (Phillies), and Mike Ivie (Giants), both set in 1978.

Answer: Sammy Sosa

Cardinals' Mark McGwire and Cubs' Sammy Sosa battled for the home run title in 1998. The contest heated up in September as the two closed in on Roger Maris' record of 61 dingers in 1961. 'Big Mac' was the first to hit 62 homers on September 8th off Cubs' Steve Trachsel (Sammy comes in from the outfield to congratulate him). Five days later Sammy hit #61 & #62.

The home run race continued as Sammy Sosa blasted his 66th homer on September 25th at Houston, and minutes later Mark McGwire responded with his 66th at Busch Stadium. 'Mac' hits 4 more dingers in the next 2 days to finish the season with 70. Sammy was stuck on 66 homers as the 1998 season comes to an end.

On July 27, 1998, Sammy Sosa hit his 40th home run of the season and his 248th career homer.

It was Sosas' first career grand-slam. He went to bat 4,428 before smacking the sacks-full homer. His 247 homers without a slam established a Major League record. The previous mark was 210 homers by Bob Horner. Ironically, Sammy hit another grand-slam the next day.

Answer: Cal Ripken Jr.

Baltimore Orioles' Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. took himself out of the Orioles lineup prior to the game with the New York Yankees to end his Major League record consecutive game streak at 2,632. "The Streak" began on May 30, 1982 and he passed Yankees' Lou Gehrig, previous record of 2,130 games, on September 6, 1995. Ryan Minor, Ripken's replacement at thirdbase, gets one hit in four at bats.

In 1983, The 'Iron Man' became the first player to appear in every regular season game, League Championship game, and World Series game.