2015 World Series Trivia Quiz

Answer: Royals & Mets

The Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs played in the 2015 championship series of each League. The Royals defeated the Blue Jays 4-2 in the ALCS, while the Mets defeated the Cubs 4-0 in the NLCS, resulting in the World Series representing the ALCS winner Royals and NLCS winner Mets.

It was the first time that both participants in the World Series were expansion teams (teams that came to the league after 1960). It was the second consecutive year where the Royals have made it to the Fall Classic (the Royals lost to the SF Giants in 2014 WS).

Answer: Royals

The Royals defeated the Mets in five games. It was the Royals' second World Series title, their first championship came exactly 30 years earlier in 1985. The Mets had previously won two World Series titles (in 1969 and 1986).

In fact, the movie "Back to the Future: Part II" (1989) predicted the Cubs would win the 2015 World Series. The Cubs did go on to win the World Series, but a year later in 2016.

Answer: Ned Yost

Ned Yost had been managing the Royals since 2010. He led the Royals team to two World Series appearance, including of course the World Series title in 2015. Terry Collins managed the team that played against the Royals in the 2015 Fall Classic. Collins managed the Mets from 2011-2017. Joe Maddon was the manager of the Cubs that were defeated by the Mets in the 2015 NLCS and John Gibbons was the manager of the Blue Jays that were defeated by the Royals in the 2015 ALCS.

Answer: George Brett

George Brett, the greatest Royals player prior to their 2015 title, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Brett led the Royals to the 1985 World Series title over the St. Louis Cardinals, their first championship. Brett is notable for batting .394 in 1980 (in that season the Royals also reached the Fall Classic, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies).

Darryl Strawberry and Mookie Wilson threw out the ceremonial first pitch in Game 5 of the World Series in 2015. Bret Saberhagen is one of the best Royals pitchers prior to 2015.

Answer: Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey, nicknamed The Dark Knight, pitched Game 1 of the World Series for the Mets. He took the no decision as the Mets went on to lose the game 5-4. Edinson Volquez was the Game 1 starter for the Royals.

Answer: 14

Game 1 of the 2015 World Series needed 14 innings to determine the game winner; and lasted five hours and nine minutes. The game ended when the Royals scored a run, since the game was played in Kansas City.
Game 2 of the 1916 World Series between Boston and Brooklyn and Game 3 of the 2005 World Series between the White Sox and Astros also went 14 innings.

Answer: sacrifice fly

It was the sacrifice fly that ended the game when Royals' first baseman Eric Hosmer hit a flyball to the outfield, bringing in the winning run from third base in the bottom of the 14th inning.

Answer: 9

Cueto, whom the Royals acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds in late July 2015, pitched a complete game in Game 2, giving up one run and just two hits. The Royals scored seven runs in the game, scoring four runs in the fifth inning and three in the eighth.

Answer: Yordano Ventura

Ventura gave up five earned runs and two home runs in just 3⅓ innings in Game 3 of the Fall Classic. Chris Young took the win in Games 1 and 4. Ryan Madson was the setup man and Wade Davis was the closer. Yordano Ventura died of an automobile accident in the Dominican Republic on January 22, 2017, nearly 15 months after the Royals won 'em all.

Answer: Michael Conforto

Michael Conforto hit two home runs in Game 4 but the Mets would lose this game by the score of 5-3. However Curtis Granderson hit the most home runs in this World Series at 3, more than all of the Royals combined, who hit two home runs in this Series, all in Game 1. David Wright also homered -- Daniel Murphy did not homer in this World Series, after hitting four bombs in the NLCS against the Cubs.

Answer: America the Beautiful

The 89-year-old Bennett sung "America the Beautiful" at Citi Field before Cleon Jones, Mookie Wilson, and Darryl Strawberry threw ceremonial first pitches. "America the Beautiful" is a popular patriotic song in the USA - the song was written by Katharine Lee Bates and published in 1910.

Answer: Eric Hosmer

With Eric Hosmer at third base, Salvador Pérez hit the groundball to third baseman and threw to first to get Pérez out, but Hosmer sprinted off for home upon the throw. First baseman Lucas Duda then threw home, but the throw was wide and sailed past the catcher, allowing Hosmer to score the tying run.

Answer: Lorenzo Cain

After the Royals scored the first two runs in the 12th inning, Lorenzo Cain hit a bases-clearing double, knocking in three more runs that would put the World Series clinching game out of reach.

Answer: Wade Davis

Wade Davis came in at the bottom of the 12th inning at Mets stadium after the Royals scored tie-breaking five runs in the top half. Davis struck out Wilmer Flores looking to end the game and win the World Series title for KC Royals. They became first team to win the World Series after losing the previous year's Fall Classic since the Oakland Athletics won it in 1989.

Answer: Salvador Pérez

Salvador Pérez won the 2015 World Series MVP for batting .364 (8-22) in this Series. He caught every inning of the Fall Classic except for the final inning of Game 5, when he was replaced by Drew Butera. He became the first catcher since Pat Borders of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 to win the World Series MVP.