Do You Feel Mixed Up? Quiz | MLB Mixture

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the first switch-hitter to blast 50 home runs in a season?

Answer: Mickey Mantle

The others weren't switch-hitters. Mantle had a star career, and especially in 1956, hitting 52 home runs, amongst his Triple Crown and MVP season. He would win another MVP in 1957. He was the runner-up MVP in 1960 to teammate Roger Maris. So, Mickey hit 54 home runs in 1961 but was the runner-up MVP to Maris again. 1962 would bring another MVP back home to the Mick.

2. Which team was the first in Major League history to win an ALCS after being down three games to none?

Answer: Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox skunked the Angels in the 2004 ALDS, then met the Yankees in the ALCS. After losing three straight, and game three by a score of 19-8, Boston's David Ortiz took over. Leading Ortiz to the ALCS MVP, games four and five were extra inning wins for Boston, then the remaining two to put them in the World Series against the Cardinals.

They blanked the Cardinals four games to none, with Manny Ramirez winning the World Series MVP.

3. Grand slams are always a fan favorite. Tony Cloninger was the first pitcher to hit two big ones in a game in 1966 with the Braves. Fernando Tatis of the Cardinals hit two in the same inning of a game in 1999. In 1962, which team was the first to hit two grand slams in the same inning of a game?

Answer: Minnesota Twins

The Yankees was the only other team that existed in 1962. On July 18, Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison combined for the two big blasts in front of their hometown fans, defeating the Cleveland Indians 14-3. The Twins exploded for 11 runs in the first inning off pitcher Barry Latman, who never even had one out to his credit, as was yanked after giving up six earned runs. Allison's grand slam was first, then Killebrew hit his off Jim Perry. Ironically, Perry would later become a Twin, and win the 1970 AL Cy Young award with them.

4. Cardinal Bob Gibson set a National League record when he threw a 1.12 ERA in his Cy Young season in 1968. Later in seasons, an American League pitcher who won the Cy Young also, smashed Gibson's ERA record. Which pitcher was it?

Answer: Rollie Fingers

As strange as things go, after his fourth season with the Padres, the Padres traded Fingers on December 8, 1980, to the Cardinals. Four days later, St. Louis traded Rollie again to the Milwaukee Brewers. Rollie showed his appreciation by winning the AL Cy Young, MVP, and Rolaids Relief award, all in 1981. His ERA was a ridiculous 1.04.

5. Which player almost became the first batter to strikeout 200 times in a season, when he set a record by ending up with 199?

Answer: Ryan Howard

Although Jackson retired at the top of the heap, far above everyone else with 2597 whiffs, he topped out at 171 in 1968. In 2007, Howard broke Cincinnati's Adam Dunn's record of 195. 2007 was Howard's second full season with the Phillies, and as a result, he struck out a total of 380 times between the two. Ryan hit 58 home runs in 2006 which earned him the NL MVP, then hit 47 in 2007.

6. Sometimes even the greatest baseball players don't get the breaks they need. On June 3, 1932, Yankee Lou Gehrig became the first player in Major League history to hit four home runs in one game. However, he did not even get a mention on the New York newspapers front sports page. What happened that grabbed all the headlines on that next morning?

Answer: Giant manager John McGraw quit

Chapman's incident happened in 1920, and Babe Ruth died in 1948. McGraw was loved even more than Gehrig in 1932. He had the helm of the Giants since 1902, and after the 40th game of the 1932 season, he got up and quit. He took the Giants to 10 National League pennants. John died less than two years later, then was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937.

7. Who was the first African-American player to win an American League season MVP award?

Answer: Elston Howard

Howard was in his ninth season with the Yankees, and in 1963 was their catcher, flagging down balls from the great arms of Whitey Ford, Ralph Terry, and Jim Bouton. Elston won the award over Al Kaline of the Tigers. With almost 1600 games played in the pinstripes, he would end his career after playing 113 games for the Red Sox in 1968.

8. Which pitcher was the first in history to reach his 4000th career strikeout, and also throw a perfect game in the same season?

Answer: Randy Johnson

On May 18, 2004, Johnson of the Diamondbacks threw baseball's 17th perfect game. He also became the fourth pitcher in history to reach 4000 strikeouts, passing Steve Carlton in the season.

9. The New York Yankees set an amazing record of going 308 consecutive games without being shutout. This may be because the Yankees had nine future Hall of Famers on their roster at the time. Which opposing pitcher stopped this streak in 1933 by shutting them out?

Answer: Lefty Grove

The streak began in late 1931, and ended on August 2, 1933. Lefty Grove of the Athletics was a future Hall of Famer himself. He went 24-8 in 1933 and threw two shutouts in the season. Neither the Yankees or Athletics would take the AL crown in the season. That spot belonged to the Washington Senators, but the Senators would lose to the Giants in the World Series.

10. Who was a college All-American basketball star, won a Major League MVP, and also played in the NBA?

Answer: Dick Groat

Groat was an All-American at Duke University. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1952, and also played with the Fort Wayne Pistons in the 1952-53 season of the NBA. In his only NBA season, his Pistons lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in the Western Division Finals.

His MVP came as a shortstop with the Pirates in 1960, and he was there when second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run against the Yankees in game seven of the 1960 World Series. He won another World Series ring with the Cardinals in 1964.

Source: Author Nightmare

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Do You Feel Mixed Up? Trivia Quiz

All multiple choice about a variety of Major League stuff. I hope that you have fun with it! :-)

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