2002 MLB Season Highlights Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jeremy Giambi

Jeremy Giambi started the 2002 season with the Oakland A's, and hit 8 homers in 42 games, and then was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies where he hit 8 more homers before the break. He then hit only 4 more home runs the rest of the season. Tony Batista in 1999 had 10 in the AL and 5 in the NL; and Doug Rader in 1977 had 9 in the AL and 5 in the NL.

Answer: Nomar Garciaparra

Nomar Garciaparra became the first player to hit 3 home runs on his birthday by going deep 3 times, including 2 in one inning, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in a 22-4 rout. Other birthday wishes fulfilled during the 2002 season included Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers, becoming the first player to hit a walkoff grand slam on his 27th birthday on July 27.

Answer: Robert Person

On July 3, 1966, Tony Cloninger became the first pitcher to hit two grand slams during the same game. On June 2, 2002, Robert Person nearly tied this record, but instead became the first pitcher in history to hit a grand slam and a 3 run home run in the same game.

Answer: Mike Cameron & Bret Boone

On May 2, 2002 Mike Cameron and Bret Boone of the Seattle Mariners became the first teammates in Major League history to both hit two home runs during the same inning, connecting back-to-back twice in Seattle's 10-run first against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park II. Cameron finished the game with 4 home runs and they were in consecutive order. You will find both Cameron and Boone bats used in this game in Cooperstown.

Answer: Alfonso Soriano

On August 17,2002, 24-year-old Alfonso Soriano of the New York Yankees became one of the youngest 30/30 Club members. He finished the 2002 season with 39 home runs and 41 stolen bases. Soriano established a single-season AL record for home runs (39) by a second baseman. He led the AL in hits (209), runs (128), extra-base hits (92), and stolen bases (41).

Answer: Shawn Green

On May 23,2002 Shawn Green became the 14th player to homer four times in a game exactly three weeks after Mike Cameron did it for the Seattle Mariners against the Chicago White Sox making this the first Major League season where two players hit four home runs in a game. Green went 6 for 6 and had 19 total bases during this game. His bat was shipped to the Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown.

Answer: Fred McGriff

McGriff hit 34 HRs in 1988,36 HRs in 1989,& 35 HRs in 1990 with the Toronto Blue Jays; 31 HRs in 1991, 35 HRs in 1992 with the San Diego Padres; 34 HRs in 1994 with the Atlanta Braves; 32 HRs in 1999 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; And 30 HRs in 2002 with the Chicago Cubs when he homered on September 23,2002 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"Crime Dog" joined the LA Dodgers in 2003 and has his sight set on 500 career home runs. At the start of the season he has 478 dingers.

Answer: Mark Bellhorn

Mark Bellhorn accomplished this feat in the fourth inning on August 29,2002 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Baerga was the first AL player on April 8, 1993 in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees. Earlier in the 2002 season, Bellhorn hit a home run from both sides of the plate in the same game against the Chicago White Sox on June 30.

Answer: Oakland Athletics

Oakland started out slow in 2002, but heated up as the season continued. Their 20 consecutive wins from August 13th to September 4th was the push they needed to capture the AL West title. The A's finished with a 103-59 record, 4 games ahead of the Anaheim Angels, but were downed by the Twins in the AL Division Series 3 games to 2. Oakland was led by MVP Miguel Tejada and Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

Answer: Kip Wells

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants tallied his 600th home run on August 9th and won his first career batting title in 2002(.370). The 2002 baseball season had its ups-and-downs..The Anaheim Angels won their first World Series over the San Francisco Giants 4 games to 3.

The victory was sweetened by overcoming a 5-0 seventh-inning deficit in Game 6, fittingly the greatest elimination-game comeback in Classic history. For only the second time in the History of the Midsummer Classic, the 2002 All-Star Game was called at a 7-7 tie after eleven innings due to both teams running out of available pitchers. Baseball bid farewell to Ted Williams, Jack Buck, Jim Spencer, Dave McNally, Al Cowens, Pete Gray, Minnie Rojas, Joe Black, Wes Westrum, Darrell Porter, Enos Slaughter, John Roseboro, Hoyt Wilhelm and Darryl Kile.