Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. As fans mourned the death of Tony Congliaro, Cookie Lavagetto, and Nels Potter, the Cincinnati Reds won their fifth World Series by defeating the Oakland Athletics. Seasoned veteran outfielder Willie McGee of the A's batted only .200 in the series. What was strange about Willie in the season, was that he won which crown in 1990?
2. 1991 would supply some great rookies for baseball with names such as Jeff Bagwell, Andy Ashby, Derek Bell, Vinny Castilla, Chuck Knoblauch, Kenny Lofton, and Denny Neagle. For the first time in baseball history, 1991 also had a team go from worst to first. With baseball's poorest record in the 1990 season, this team went all the way to the World Series, but lost to the Minnesota Twins. Who was this Cinderella team in 1991?
3. The fans in 1992 watched the final season of Jack Clark, Rick Cerone, Brian Downing, and Willie Randoph. 1992 also saw a Pittsburgh Pirate win his second season MVP Award. The following season, he won it with a different team. Who was it?
4. 1993 saw the Chicago White Sox with the season MVP in Frank Thomas, and the AL Cy Young winner, Jack McDowell. Fans also witnessed something for the first time in history. They saw a team finish the 1992 season with the best record in the American League, then finish with the worst record in the AL in 1993. Which team was this that had only one pitcher win more than 10 games, and only one starter hit over .300?
5. Baseball fans mourned throughout the 1994 season. They lost Pirate great Harvey Haddix who died in January, and Allie Reynolds, Cesar Tovar, and pitcher Eric Show. Why else did fans mourn the season?
6. 1995 saw a first in history. The Cleveland Indians were led by Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, and Jim Thome with their bats. Their arms consisted of Charles Nagy, Orel Hershiser, and Dennis Martinez. What did their team do for the first time in history?
7. 1996 was full of firsts. Alex Rodriguez of the Mariners became the first shortstop in 52 years to win a batting title. Mark McGwire of the A's was the first player to hit 50 home runs with less than 400 at-bats in a season. The first Major League game in history not played in the U.S. or Canada was played in Mexico. And finally, the 1996 Detroit Tigers dismally set a new American League record for the highest team ERA in a season with 6.38. The Tigers had 28-year old Omar Olivares, who led the team with wins. How many games did Omar win in 1996?
8. In 1997, baseball lost Bob Cain, Dolph Camilli, Curt Flood, and Johnny Vander Meer. Also in the year, Mark McGwire became the first player in history to hit the most home runs in the Majors, but not win this batting title. Why was he not awarded this?
9. 1998 fans saw Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs in a season. They also watched Alex Rodriguez be the first infielder to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. Which team benefited from Alex in 1998?
10. The decade ended with the loss of some true baseball greats. Joe Adcock, Joe DiMaggio, Catfish Hunter, and Early Wynn, were some who died in 1999. 1999 also ended with a pitcher winning his second Cy Young Award, and the first of four consecutive Cy Young Awards. Who was this National League pitcher?
Source: Author
Nightmare
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