BBB: Brain-Buster Baseball Quiz | MLB Challenge

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which was the first team to wear plastic batting helmets voluntarily?

Answer: Brooklyn Dodgers

The Dodgers did this in 1941. After a few sporadic beanings, the Dodgers were fed up when both Pee Wee Reese and Pete Reiser were both beaned in the same day. Maybe the security helped as they went 100-54 in the season, but lost to the Yankees in the World Series.

2. The 1916 World Series set some records. At the time, it had the longest World Series game in history. Also, two pitchers threw a 14-inning complete game, another record. Who was the pitcher who went the distance and won it?

Answer: Babe Ruth

Ruth of Boston and Smith of the Brooklyn Robins battled it out on the October 8th day in the second game of the World Series. After Brooklyn's Hy Myers hit a first inning home run, the Red Sox tied it in the third. That was it until the 14th inning when Boston scored the game-winner.

It was Ruth's only appearance in the series, and was a 14-inning six hit victory. Ruth helped his own cause by providing the game-winning RBI in the 14th. The Red Sox won the series, four games to one.

3. Which Cy played his 19 seasons with the Cubs and Phillies, and led the league in home runs four times?

Answer: Cy Williams

The outfielder played from 1912-1930. He led the National League in 1916, 1920, 1923, and 1927. His 30 in 1927 was heavily overshadowed by Babe Ruth over in the American League, who hit 60 of his own. Cy Williams died at the age of 86 in 1974.

4. Who was the first Major Leaguer to be drafted into World War II?

Answer: Hugh Mulcahy

Contrary to popular belief, Hank Greenberg was not the culprit. Greenberg played in only 19 games in the 1941 season, but Mulcahy of the Phillies was drafted on March 8th, and missed the entire 1941 season. Hugh missed four seasons due to WWII, and ended up winning only 45 games in nine seasons.

5. The Chicago White Sox began their franchise with the new American League in 1901. Which team name did the team almost go with instead of White Sox, and just before White Stockings?

Answer: Invaders

Because the loyal Chicago Cub fans felt their city was invaded in 1900 by the prospect of the new American League, the name of 'Invaders' took hold. The franchise almost kept the name but near the end decided to go with 'White Stockings'. However, newspapers complained that the name White Stockings was too long for their newspapers, so the name White Sox was selected.

In the White Sox first season in 1901, they won the AL crown with a 83-53 record, four games ahead of the Boston Americans (later Red Sox).

6. In 1927, Babe Ruth broke his own season home run record of 59, by hitting his 60th off which pitcher?

Answer: Tom Zachary

On September 30th, the world watched in amazement when the Babe hit the shot off the Washington Senator pitcher. Zachary gave up only six home runs in the season, but just shortly after being traded to the Senators from the Browns, no pitch was more famous in his career. Ironically, after Tom later joined the Braves, he left Boston in 1934, missing the same roster with the Babe in 1935.

7. In 1966, the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax threw 27 wins in his final baseball season, setting a record for most wins by a pitcher in his last season. Whose record did he break?

Answer: Henry Schmidt

Schmidt threw only one season in his career. Ironically, he was with the same franchise, the Brooklyn Superbas in 1903 when he went 22-13. Koufax broke the record of 63 years when he went 27-9 in his final season in 1966.

8. Since the emergence of the Major Leagues in 1901, who threw the first complete perfect game?

Answer: Cy Young

Young threw his gem in May 1904. The Philadelphia Phillies were on the losing end of his arm. Cy went 26-16 with 200 strikeouts to help the Boston Pilgrims to the American League pennant. There was no World Series in 1904, which would have pitted Boston against the Christy Mathewson led New York Giants. The Giants would go on to win the 1905 series against the Philadelphia Athletics.

9. Who was the first pitcher to win a World Series game in both leagues?

Answer: Jack Coombs

Coombs went to three World Series. With the American League Philadelphia Athletics in 1910 and 1911, he won four WS games both resulting in World Series titles for the Athletics. After being traded to the National League Brooklyn Robins in 1915, he went to the 1916 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, where he won game three. Hank Borowy also accomplished this feat with the Yankees and Cubs, completing his cycle almost 30 years later.

10. The most famous baseball groundskeeper in history belonged to the San Francisco Giants, when he was accused of saturating the 1962 Candlestick Park infield in an attempt to slow down the Dodger speedster Maury Wills during the playoffs. Who was he?

Answer: Matty Schwab

Wills set a Major League record by stealing 104 bases in the season. The Giants and Dodgers tied at the end of the regular season, and had a three-game playoff. The Giants won the playoff and went to the World Series, then lost it all to the Yankees four games to three.

Source: Author Nightmare

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BBB: Brain-Buster Baseball Trivia Quiz

An all multiple choice but tough quiz guaranteed to make you sweat. I hope that it challenges you. :-)

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