Baseball Diamond Variety Trivia Quiz

Answer: MVP Award

The MVP Award was first and presented in 1911. The National League's winner was outfielder Frank Schulte of the Chicago Cubs, while the great Ty Cobb of the Tigers won it for the American League. The next award in time was the Rookie of the Year Award which was presented to Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

The Cy Young Award came next for the most outstanding pitching performance in a season. The first recipient was Don Newcombe of the Dodgers in 1956. The Manager of the Year Award was finally presented in 1983, decades after some deserving Hall of Fame managers missed out on the recognition.

The inaugural National League's award was given to Tom Lasorda of the Dodgers and the American League's Tony LaRussa of the Chicago White Sox.

Answer: Sandy Koufax

Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers was inducted into the Hall in 1972, beating the others by more than 25 years. Koufax was a three-time Cy Young winner amongst winning numerous other awards, and retired in 1966 after only 12 seasons due to elbow problems. He also set a season strikeout record with 382 in 1965, only to have it broken by the great Nolan Ryan with 383 in 1973.

Answer: Charlie Radbourn

Radbourn was in his fourth season with the Providence Gray of the National League in 1884 at the age of 29. He went 59-12 after going 48-12 in 1883. He led his Grays to the league title over the Boston Beaneaters. "Old Hoss" pitched for only 11 seasons and retired in 1891 with a 309-194 career record. Young's highest winning season was going 36-12 with his Cleveland Spiders in 1892. Feller's high was 27 with the Indians in 1940, and Spahn's season high was 23 in 1953 with the Milwaukee Braves.

Answer: 26

Williams began his career in 1959 with the Cubs, and after 16 seasons he went to the Athletics for two seasons. "Sweet Swingin' Billy" from Whistler" (born in Whistler, Alabama) retired with 426 home runs after winning the Rookie of the Year Award and the NL batting crown in 1972.

Unfortunately, Williams never saw a World Series game in his life. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Answer: Mickey Mantle

The others never struck out more than 30 times in World Series play, but also didn't play in as many World Series as Mantle. Mickey played his entire career with the Yankees from 1951-1968. He won the American League MVP three times, a batting Triple Crown Award, hit 536 career home runs, but also struck out 1710 times.

Unfortunately, 54 of those strikeouts were in his 12 World Series appearances. The "Commerce Comet", being named as such after attending Commerce High School in Oklahoma, died in 1995 at the age of 63. Mantle was inducted into the Hall in 1974.

Answer: 1909

The franchise began it all in the American Association in 1882. They joined the National League in 1887, then changed to the Pirates name in 1891. They lost their first chance in the first World Series ever played in 1903 to the Boston Americans, then won their first crown in a four games to three win over the Detroit Tigers in 1909.

The franchise would go on to win four more Worlds Series crowns in the century. The most noted early days player for the franchise was shortstop and Hall of Fame great Honus Wagner.

Answer: Roger Bresnahan

The others weren't born yet in 1907 when the New York Giant Bresnahan took the field with the heavily upholstered shin guards. The fans gave him a lot of flack for them but he didn't care as foul tips and wild pitches had taken a toll on his lower legs. Roger won only one World Series in 1905 when the Giants defeated the Philadelphia Athletics.

He retired in 1915 after 17 seasons and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945, one year after his death in December 1944.

Answer: Atlanta Braves

The Braves began their franchise in the National Association in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings. With different name changes of Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, Bees, and Braves, they were there from the beginning with their inaugural season of going 20-10 for a third place finish. From 1872-1875, they took the remaining four National Association titles that were up for grabs.

In 1876 they jumped to the new National League. They went on to win nine NL titles in the 19th Century before winning their first World Series in 1914 against the Philadelphia Athletics.

Answer: 0

Rodriguez was banned for the entire 2014 season due to allegations of taking substances which were banned by Major League Baseball. This all came after he won the American League MVP in 2003, 2005, and 2007. His highest season home run total was 57 in 2002 with the Rangers.

Answer: Connie Mack

In a record likely to never be duplicated, Mack is the only manager to even reach 3000 wins. When the 21st Century began in baseball, Mack was still almost 1000 wins ahead of managerial runner-up John McGraw of the New York Giants who retired in 1932 with 2763 wins. Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics had the reins of the team for 50 seasons before he stepped down in 1950.

He also managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for three seasons to up his managing career to 53 seasons which gave him 3731 total wins.

He died in 1956. His Hall of Fame induction preceded his death long before in 1939, in the fourth season of Hall of Fame inductions.