Baseball: The Ultimate Challenge Quiz

Answer: Gaylord Perry

Perry topped this list with the only one over 3200 strikeouts with 3534. Gaylord pitched in 22 seasons, and was the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in each league. Jenkins pitched in 19 seasons and retired with 3192 Ks. Spahn, arguably the greatest left-hander in history, retired with 2583 after 21 seasons. Koufax, one of Spahn's arguments, pitched in only 12 seasons, won three Cy Young awards, and threw 2396 strikeouts.

In Koufax's latter 10 seasons, he threw 2336 Ks.

Answer: Walked

Ron Blomberg was the first official American League DH on April 6, 1973, in a game with his Yankees. It was opening day against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. In the top of the first inning, Blomberg drew a bases-loaded walk from pitcher Luis Tiant. The Red Sox went on to win the game 15-5. Matty Alou doubled in the top of the first, then Tiant walked Bobby Murcer, and gave up another walk to Graig Nettles to load the bases before walking Blomberg and sending Alou home.

Answer: Jimmy Collins

Collins was the player-manager of the Boston Americans. They went up against the NL Champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series in 1903. The Pirates won the first game 7-3, watching the great Cy Young take the loss. The Americans would go on to take the first World Series crown, five games to three.

Answer: Dick McAuliffe

From 1960-1975, McAuliffe was a Tiger in 14 of his 16 seasons. He set this record in 1968. In his career 6185 at-bats, Dick hit into only 77 double-plays. This averaged one in every 80 at-bats. McAuliffe also had one World Series home run to his credit, and also in 1968 when his Tigers via Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich defeated Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Answer: Wilbert Robinson

Before owning and managing the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) from 1914-1931, Robinson was a catcher. He played the game from 1886-1902. On June 10, 1892 with the Baltimore Orioles, Robbie accomplished this feat. Stennett did this also with the Pirates in 1975, and watched his team beat the Cubs 22-0, one of the worst defeats in baseball history.

Answer: Dennis Leonard

The year was 1976, and after joining the Majors as an expansion team in 1969, the Royals won their first division title. They would go on to lose in the ALCS to the Yankees. Leonard went 17-10 with 150 strikeouts in the season. Dennis was a career Royal from 1974-1986.

Answer: Dale Mitchell

In game 5 of the 1956 World Series in the top of the ninth inning against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Furillo flied out, then Campanella grounded out. The Dodgers' pitcher Sal Maglie was due up to bat. Manager Walter Alston had Dale Mitchell pinch-hit for Maglie in the Dodgers' last breath, down 2-0 in the game.

The Yankees were helped in the game by a fourth inning home run by Mickey Mantle, and a sixth inning run scoring single by Hank Bauer. The Yankees went on to win the series, four games to three.

Answer: Bobby Mathews

Mathews was a 19-year old rookie with the Fort Wayne Kekiongas in 1871, the first season of the National Association. He was the team's only starting pitcher, went only 6-11 in the season, but defeated the Cleveland Forest Citys in a 2-0 shutout in baseball's very-first game. Al Pratt of the Forest Citys took baseball's first loss in that game.

The Kekiongas went 7-12 in the season, and watched the Philadelphia Athletics go 21-7 to win the first pennant.

Answer: 1908 - White Sox

The first electric scoreboard was invented by George Baird of Chicago, and his hometown team of the Chicago White Sox was the first to use it. It was constructed at South Side Park II, and used switches that were operated by someone to change the numbers.

Answer: Claude Lueker

Cobb was a Detroit Tiger in 1912, and on May 15th, he jumped into the Hilltop Park stands to thump on Lueker, who had heckled him for five days straight. Cobb had enough and took care of business. Commissioner Ban Johnson suspended Cobb. In response, Ty's Tiger teammates went on strike before their following game on May 18th, and the team had to field players from the local businesses and other grasps. Tiger manager Hughie Jennings hired a Philadelphia seminary student who later became a priest by the name of Aloysius Travers, to pitch in the May 18th game. Travers pitched a complete game, but the Tigers lost 24-2 in a 26-hit game against the Athletics. Commissioner Johnson removed Cobb's suspension after this game.

Answer: Richie Allen

Richie Allen of the Chicago White Sox was on his mark on this July 31, 1972 against the Minnesota Twins. Allen blasted another 35 home runs over the fence in the season. For his efforts, he was awarded the AL MVP for the season. He also was a Rookie of the Year in 1964 with the Phillies.

Answer: Hugh Bradley

Bradley hit it at his own home field shortly after Fenway Park opened in the 1912 season. Ironically, it was his only home run of the season, the second of his career, and his final home run also.

Answer: Washington Senators

The 1945 Washington Senators were a pretty good team in the season, off-setting some pretty dismal ones. They went 87-67, finishing in second place behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League. The only home run at Griffith Stadium that a Senator hit was an inside-the-park home run via first baseman Joe Kuhel.

Answer: Lou Gehrig

Ruth's only World Series in the 1930s was in 1932. This was the World Series of his famous "called shot". Ruth was let go after the 1934 season to the Boston Braves of the NL. In the 1920s, the Babe hit 13 World Series home runs for New York. In the 1930s, Gehrig hit six home runs for his Yankees. DiMaggio, who was a rookie in 1936, hit three World Series home runs in the decade. Meusel was a 10-season Yankee in the 1920s, then was traded to the Reds in 1930 for his final season.

Answer: New York Yankees

Cal's streak began on May 30, 1982, then ended voluntarily on September 20, 1998. It stopped against the Yankees, the same team that Lou Gehrig set his record with in the 1920s and 1930s.

Answer: Seattle Mariners

The 1997 Seattle Mariners hit 264 home runs in the season. They won the AL West with a 90-72 record, but lost the ALCS to the Orioles. The Mariners had 11 players hit home runs in double-figures, including Ken Griffey Jr's 56, Jay Buhner's 40, Paul Sorrento's 31, and Edgar Martinez's 28. Alex Rodriguez also hit 23 in the season.
Baltimore hit 257 home runs in season 1996. They were the first team to break the 250 barrier. They finished second in the AL East with a 88-74 record behind the NY Yankees.

Answer: San Francisco Giants

Tim Lincecum was only in his second season in the big leagues. In 2007, he went 7-5, while improving in 2008 to 18-5 with 275 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.62.

Answer: Jackie Jenson

Jenson was an All-American running back for California when he played in the 1949 Rose Bowl against Ohio State. In 1950, he appeared in the World Series with his Yankees in a win against the Phillies.

Answer: Christy Mathewson

Mathewson played from 1900-1916. All but one of his 635 games was in a New York Giant uniform. His final game was as a Cincinnati Red that resulted in a win, his 372nd. Rival pitcher Pete Alexander won his 373rd game in 1929, and both he and baseball thought that he had surpassed Mathewson.

In 1944, an error was found in a game statistic that occurred in 1902 that should have credited Christy with a win. So his 1902 season record was changed to 14-17. Official statistics were adjusted, leaving Mathewson and Alexander tied with 373 wins. Mathewson had already died in 1925.

Answer: Firpo Marberry

Marberry was a Washington Senator alongside the great Walter Johnson in 1924. Firpo had 15 saves in the season, breaking Mordecai Brown's record of 13. Marberry broke his own record in 1926 with 26. It would not be for another 25 years in 1949 when Joe Page of the Yankees saved 27. McGinnity of the New York Giants set his record in 1904 with five, but held the record for only one season. Carroll set his save record with 37 in 1972 with the Reds, but Hiller broke it in 1973. Dan Quisenberry of the Royals would save 45 in 1983 to stop Hiller's reign of 10 years.

Answer: Los Angeles Dodgers

The 1959 Dodgers won their first National League pennant and first World Series after moving from Brooklyn in 1958. The Dodgers were led by Don Drysdale's 242 strikeouts, Sandy Koufax's 173, and Johnny Podres' 145. The Los Angeles team totaled 1077 strikeouts in the season.

They defeated the White Sox in the World Series four games to two, and threw another 33 strikeouts in the series.

Answer: Pee Wee Wanninger

It was Wanninger who manager Miller Huggins had Gehrig pinch-hit for. After Gehrig's pinch-hit at-bat in the inning, Huggins deemed that first baseman Wally Pipp just wasn't right after being beaned by a pitch during batting practice, and put Gehrig in to field. The rest is history.

Answer: Nolan Ryan

Nolan was in his 23rd season in 1989. The Texas Ranger threw 301 strikeouts in the season while going 16-10. Ryan retired after another four seasons in 1993 with 5714 career strikeouts. Seven times in his career, Nolan topped the 300-mark in a season.

Answer: Philadelphia Athletics

The Athletics, under the management of Connie Mack, finished in last place from 1915-1921. Their streak began right after appearing in four World Series in five seasons. The Devil Rays came close, but finished next to last in 2004, stopping their streak at six. If not for Tampa Bay's 2004 season, they would have finished last in 10 consecutive seasons. Across town from the Philadelphia Athletics, the NL Phillies set a National League record of five last place finishes from 1938-1942.

Answer: Jeff Innis

Innis was a seven-season career New York Met. In 1991, he appeared in relief in 69 games. No wins, no saves, but did encounter two losses in the season. In his career, Jeff went 10-20 with five saves.