Eye-Popping Baseball Quiz | MLB Challenge

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1986, Texas Ranger Pete Incaviglia set a new rookie record for striking out 185 times in his rookie season. Whose rookie record did he break?

Answer: Reggie Jackson

Jackson struck out 171 times in his first full season with the Athletics in 1968. His 171, being a career high, Reggie would go on to be the first in history to strike out 2000 times, then 2500 times in a career. He retired well on top of the heap with 2507 strikeouts.

It was a career high in 1986 for Incaviglia as he averaged a strikeout for every three at-bats. Canseco won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1986 with the Athletics, and almost passed Incaviglia with his 175 strikeouts, averaging a strikeout every 3.4 at-bats. Juan Samuel had his rookie season in 1984 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He struck out 168 times in the season, which equated to one strikeout every four at-bats.

2. In the 1960s during a Sunday game that the Giants hosted the Dodgers, one of the bloodiest brawls in baseball was experienced. The blood was provided by Dodger catcher John Roseboro, who had just met the baseball bat of Giant pitcher Juan Marichal. Who replaced Roseboro in the game after he was removed via a gurney?

Answer: Jeff Torborg

Marichal was at-bat when the incident occurred on August 22, 1965. The Giant pitcher did not like the way Roseboro was returning pitches to Sandy Koufax, allegedly too close to Juan's head. A couple of words were traded, then Marichal let his own bat do the talking. Marichal was suspended, then Roseboro filed assault charges and a lawsuit.

The suit was later dropped. The others listed were all catchers for the Dodgers, but it was Torborg who was in his second season that came to the rescue.

It was also Torborg who caught Koufax's perfect game against the Cubs later in the same season in September.

3. In 2010, Boston Red Sox rookie Daniel Nava walked up to the plate in his first-ever Major League at-bat. He must have been nervous with the bases being loaded. On the first pitch that he saw, he hit a grand slam. Nava was the _____ player to ever hit a grand slam on the first-ever Major League pitch that he came toward him.

Answer: 4th

On June 12, Nava and his Red Sox played an interleague game against the 2009 National League champion Phillies. In the bottom of the second inning, Nava walked up to the plate against Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton and hit it out. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Nava hit a double off Chad Durbin also, and became a household name in the city of Boston.

The Red Sox won the game 10-2. The three previous players to hit a grand slam on their first-ever pitch was Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Bill Duggleby in April 1898, Florida Marlin Jeremy Hermida over 100 years later in August 2005, and Kevin Kouzmanoff of the Cleveland Indians in September 2006.

4. The city of Baltimore has enjoyed professional baseball for many decades. Which team was the first professional baseball team that the city of Baltimore and their fans experienced?

Answer: Canaries

The Canaries were the first pro team that Baltimore experienced. From 1872-1874, they were part of the National Association before closing their doors, and the league disbanded at the end of the 1875 season. After losing their star player after two seasons, Tom Carey, the team went 9-38 in 1874. It would not be until 1892 when a new Baltimore team emerged in the National League with the Baltimore Orioles.

They finished last in their first season, and would disband after the 1899 season. A totally new Baltimore Oriole franchise would appear with the new American League in 1901.

They moved to New York in 1903 and would eventually become the New York Yankees.

5. Who was the first player to win a batting title in two different leagues?

Answer: Pete Browning

Browning won the American Association batting crown in his rookie season with the Louisville Eclipse in 1882. He won the title over Hick Carpenter of the Cincinnati Red Stockings with his .378 average. Still with the Eclipse in 1885, he won another batting crown. Pete jumped ship and joined the Cleveland Infants of the Players League in 1890 and won another batting title with his .373 average.

He retired in 1894 with the Brooklyn Grooms of the National League. Browning had a .341 career batting average. Brouthers also won a batting title in two different leagues. Dan won a total of five. Winning three in the National League from 1882-1889 with the Buffalo Bisons and Boston Beaneaters, he won another in the American Association in 1891 with the Boston Reds.

He came back to the National League and won a fifth batting crown with the Brooklyn Grooms in 1892. Delahanty also won a batting title in two leagues. Ed won a title with the 1899 Phillies in the National League, then another with the Washington Senators of the American League in 1902. Delahanty was killed in July 1903.

It was never determined why he died at the base of Niagara Falls, whether he committed suicide, was pushed, or slipped.

6. Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame opened its doors for the first time in 1936 to five inductees. Later, three criteria was decided on to gain admittance into the hall. What has been the staple for admittance?

Answer: 10 years played, 5 years retired, and be on 75% of the ballots

There have been special circumstances when a player did not meet the three criteria, but was still inducted into the hall. Yankee Lou Gehrig was one of these exceptions when he stepped down from baseball due to illness in 1939, and was inducted in the same year. Roberto Clemente was another who was killed in a plane crash in December 1972, then was inducted in special balloting in 1973. Negro League stars were another exception.

The first five players inducted in 1936 were Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner.

7. Who was the first player in baseball history that played the shortstop position, and struck out 100 times in a season?

Answer: Frankie Crosetti

Crosetti was a New York Yankee and spent his entire career in the pinstripes from 1932-1948. He set his shortstop record in 1932 by being fanned 105 times, which is why his batting average dropped more than 50 points. He also led the league in 1937 and 1938 with the embarrassing mark. Crosetti probably didn't mind as he went to seven World Series with the Yankees while winning six.

He even had a home run to his credit in the 1938 series against the Cubs. His only series loss was to the 1942 Cardinals. Frankie's career average was a strikeout once in every almost eight at-bats.

8. If a baseball fan took the first-ever jersey numbers worn by Hall of Fame pitchers Dizzy Dean, Jim Bunning, and Bob Feller, then added them all up, which other other Hall of Famer pitcher's jersey number would they end up with?

Answer: Tom Seaver

Bunning was a rookie pitcher with the Detroit Tigers in 1955. He wore the number 15 initially, then took the number 41 and then 14 with the Tigers. He kept the 14 with the Phillies. He also wore the number 17 and 38, but had the 14 on his back most of his 17-season career that ended in 1971. Dean was with the Cardinals in 1934 and won 30 games in the season while wearing the 17 on his back. Ironically, the last pitcher to win 30 games in a season in the 20th century was Denny McLain of the Tigers in 1968.

He also donned the number 17 in that season. Feller, the Hall of Fame pitcher began his career in 1936 with the Indians with the number 9 on his back. He later changed to the number 19 for the rest of his career. Those numbers of 15, 17, and 9 added up to the number 41 of pitcher Tom Seaver. Seaver began his career by winning the 1967 Rookie of the Year Award with the Mets.

He went on to win the Cy Young Award in 1969, 1973, and 1975, all with the number 41 on his jersey. Tom retired with a 311-205 record in 1986, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

9. Which National League person was the first-ever to receive the Chalmers Award?

Answer: Frank Schulte

The Chalmers Award was the name of the league's Most Valuable Award from 1911-1914. It was named after Hugh Chalmers, owner of the Chalmers Automobile Company. It was first designed in 1910 as a new Chalmers 30 car to be presented to the person who won the league's batting crown, but by 1911 the intent had changed to be presented to the MVP of the season. Schulte of the Cubs was the lucky one as he didn't finish in the top 10 for batting in 1911. Frank's .300 average, 105 hits, 21 home runs, and 107 RBIs was good enough to win the award over Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson and Phillies pitcher Pete Alexander. Alongside Schulte was the American League's first winner, Ty Cobb of the Tigers.
The Chalmers Award came to a stop after the 1914 season due to both leagues being in disagreement of the voting process. A new consistent voting process came to be in 1931 for both leagues. Those new recipients of the MVP Award was Lefty Grove of the Athletics and Frankie Frisch of the Cardinals.
Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers won the first-ever National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1947. Podres, a Dodger pitcher won the first-ever World Series MVP Award in 1955. Lasorda, another Dodger, won the first-ever National League Manager of the Year Award in 1983.

10. In 1938, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer pulled off an unheard of feat in baseball. He threw two consecutive no-hitters. He was the only pitcher in 125 years of professional baseball to ever achieve this. Even more amazing and just nine seasons later, which pitcher came within two outs of duplicating Vander Meer's feat of two consecutive no-hitters?

Answer: Ewell Blackwell

Vander Meer threw his two consecutive no-hitters in June 1938. Blackwell of the Cincinnati Reds almost pulled off his two no-no games in June 1947. On June 18, Ewell no-hit the Boston Braves 6-0 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Seeking his second consecutive no-hitter, Ewell met the Brooklyn Dodgers in his next start on June 22.

It was the second game of a doubleheader in which the Dodgers won the first game, 9-8. Blackwell took the mound in the second game, and no-hit the Dodgers all the way into the ninth inning. With one out in the ninth, second baseman Eddie Stanky spoiled Blackwell's hopes with a single. Two batters later, Jackie Robinson also singled.

The game ended with a 4-0 Reds win on a two-hitter. Unlike Vander Meer who went 15-10 in 1938, Blackwell went 22-8 in 1947, a career high.

He retired in 1955 after 10 seasons with a 82-78 record.

Source: Author Nightmare

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Eye-Popping Baseball Trivia Quiz

An all multiple choice eye-popping quiz designed for baseball experts. If you are willing to get a low score, then go for it. It was written for the educational value. Good luck! :)

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