A Bowl of Baseballs Trivia Quiz

Answer: 12

Throughout the 1960s the National League was locked into 10 teams. In 1969 there were two franchises added to the league. They were the San Diego Padres and Montreal Expos. Both of those teams went back and forth to be the worst team in their first season. They both ended the 1969 season with only 52 wins each.

Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Cardinals changed from the Perfectos name in 1899 to the Cardinals for the 1900 season. Pittsburgh was the Alleghenys until the 1891 season when the franchise changed their name to the Pirates. To help bring in the new century, the Pirates won three consecutive NL pennants from 1901-1903 to include being the first National League team to appear in a World Series in 1903.

They would lose to the Boston Americans five games to three.

Answer: Chicago Cubs

From 1906-1908 the Cubs found the World Series three consecutive times with the help of the Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance defensive infield and the arm of Mordecai Brown. They lost to the White Sox in 1906, then defeated the Tigers in 1907 and 1908. They finished in second place in 1909, then made another World Series appearance in 1910 in a loss to the Philadelphia Athletics.

Answer: Bob Emslie

Emslie played in only three seasons in the American Association from 1883-1885 with Baltimore and Philadelphia. He later came back and would be the first former player to call the game. Bob umpired in the National League from 1891-1924. He was the umpire during the famous 'Merkle Boner' in 1908. Emslie wasn't looking and missed the call at second base in that Giants-Cubs game that went down in history.

Answer: 10

From 1960-1974 Santo played all his games in Chicago, 14 seasons with the Cubs and his final season with the White Sox. The third baseman won five Gold Glove Awards, was in the top five for the Rookie of the Year Award, finished fourth in his bid for the NL MVP in 1967, then a top five finish for the MVP in 1969. Ron hit 342 home runs and then became an announcer after he hung his glove up. Santo died in 2010 at the age of 70 and was later inducted into the Hall in 2012.

Answer: Boston Americans

The team was the Americans who went to the league's first-ever World Series in 1903, and the pitcher was Hall of Fame great Cy Young. He threw his perfect game on May 5, 1904, against the Philadelphia Athletics. Young retired after 22 seasons in 1911 leading the National and American League in many categories.

His pitching career record was 511-326, a record likely to never be duplicated. The Cy Young pitching award was named in his honor after he died in 1955, and the first recipient of the award was Dodger Don Newcombe in 1956.

Answer: Walter Johnson

Johnson spent his entire 20-season career with the Washington Senators from 1907-1927. His Triple Crowns came in 1913, 1918, and 1924. He also won two AL MVPs in 1913 and 1924. In addition to winning 417 games in his career, 'The Big Train' also threw 110 shutouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the inaugural round of inductions in 1936.

Answer: Tom Connolly

It was 1953 when baseball finally honored those who helped keep the integrity of the game. Klem was nicknamed 'Catfish' and worked in the American Association before joining the National League in 1905. Bill officiated in a record 18 World Series, almost twice the number of any other umpire. Ironically, he retired in 1940, and his replacement was future Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick. Bill died in 1951. Connolly didn't have a smooth transition in umpiring.

After working in other leagues, the National League hired him in 1898 but he was upset that the league presidents did not back the umpires up when controversy arose.

He quit in 1900 then joined the umpiring staff of the American League under President Ban Johnson. Johnson worked closely with umpires for the integrity of the game. Tom retired in 1931 from being an on-field active umpire after working eight World Series.

He witnessed his own Hall induction in 1953 before passing away in 1961.

Answer: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies franchise began in the National League in 1883 as the Philadelphia Quakers. The Phillies name came in 1890. Although appearing in five World Series in the century, the team could bag only one title. Their first appearance was in 1915 in a four games to one loss against the Red Sox.

It would not be until 1980 under the helm of manager Dallas Green, the bats of Mike Schmidt and Bake McBride along with the arms of Steve Carlton and Dick Ruthven, that they finally won their first crown against the Kansas City Royals.

Answer: Mark Reynolds

Reynolds began his career in 2007 with the Diamondbacks. By 2016 he was with his seventh team due to his strikeout plague. In his second season in 2008 with Arizona he topped the 200-mark with 204. In 2009 he topped that mark with 223, then another 211 in 2010. Even after a change of scenery to Baltimore in 2011, he led the league again with 196.