First Basemen of the 1960s Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stretch

Willie "Stretch" McCovey was a fearsome lefty-hitting slugger for the San Francisco Giants during the 1960s. "Stretch" stood 6'4 tall and posed serious trouble for opposing pitchers because of his tremendous power. McCovey belted 521 home runs during his big league career and was selected to six All-Star games.

Answer: He belted two grand slam home runs in a single game.

Jim Gentile was a powerful lefty-hitting first baseman. On May 9, 1961, Gentile became only the fourth batter in Major League history to belt two grand slam homers in a single game. "Diamond" Jim's exploits in Metropolitan Stadium helped the Orioles to defeat the Minnesota Twins, 13-5. During the 1961 season, Gentile batted .302, with 46 HRS and 141 RBI. Gentile ended his big league career in 1966 with a total of 179 home runs.

Unfortunately, Gentile never participated in postseason play.

Answer: 25

Norm Cash was a star first baseman for the Detroit Tigers throughout the 1960s. Cash was a lefty who wore uniform #25 for the Bengals. In 1961, Cash enjoyed his finest season when he slammed 41 home runs, knocked in 132 runs, and compiled a .361 batting average for Detroit. Cash wore his uniform #25 with pride and ended up his Major League career with 377 home runs. Al Kaline wore uniform #6, Willie Horton wore #23, and Charlie Gehringer wore number 2.

Answer: Bill

Bill "Moose" Skowron was a right-handed first baseman who played in the big leagues from 1954 to 1967. William Joseph Skowron played his first nine seasons with the New York Yankees. In 1961, Skowron hit 28 homers and drove home 89 runs for the World Series champion Bombers.

However, in 1963 Skowron joined the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the '63 Series, Skowron batted .385 and hit a home run to help Los Angeles to defeat his former Yankees teammates.

Answer: He won seven consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

Bill White was a lefty-hitting first baseman who played in the big leagues from 1956 to 1969. White had power- he socked 202 lifetime home runs- and he also possessed excellent defensive skills. White won seven consecutive Gold Glove Awards for his fielding prowess at first base. White was a key member of the St. Louis Cardinals team which won the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees.

Answer: Don Mincher

Don Mincher was a lefty-hitting first baseman who helped the Minnesota Twins to win the 1965 American League pennant. During the 1965 regular season, Mincher hit 22 home runs and knocked in 65 runs. Mincher played with Minnesota from 1961 to 1966. He belted 200 career home runs before he retired from The Show in 1972. Jimmie Hall was an outfielder for the Twins, Zoilo Versalles played shortstop, and Rich Rollins was a third baseman.

Answer: Dr. Strangeglove

Dick Stuart was a colorful right-handed hitting first baseman who was tagged with the nickname "Dr. Strangeglove" for his inept fielding. Most balls which were hit to Stuart proved to be an adventure. In 1963, for example, "Dr. Strangeglove" committed 29 errors as a member of the Red Sox.

However, Stuart remained in the lineup due to his batting power. He belted 42 home runs and drove home 118 runs during the '63 season. Stuart played with the Pirates, Red Sox, Phillies, Mets, Dodgers, and Angels during the 1960s. Stuart retired after the 1969 season with 228 career home runs. Dick Stuart came into the Major Leagues too early: he would have been a perfect candidate for the designated hitter position.

Answer: Shortstop

Ernie Banks enjoyed a glorious Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Cubs. "Mr. Cub" began his big league career as a shortstop in 1953. In 1960, Banks won the Gold Glove Award at shortstop for fielding excellence. However, in 1962 Cubs' management decided to switch Banks to first base- and Banks made the transition without too much difficulty.

This righty slugger socked 512 career home runs and endeared himself to the Wrigley Field faithful because of his positive attitude and his superior baseball skills.

Answer: Joe Pepitone

Joe Pepitone played first base for the New York Yankees from 1962 to 1969. Pepitone was a left-hander who belted 163 regular season home runs for the Bombers, as well as a grand slam homer in the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. "Pepi" became well-known for his free-wheeling antics.

This native New Yorker certainly enjoyed the night life: he never met a disco that he didn't like. Pepitone ended his big league career in 1973 with a total of 219 home runs. Tom Tresh was an outfielder for the Yankees, Horace Clarke played second base for New York, and Jake Gibbs was a Yankee catcher.

Answer: New York Mets

Donn Clendenon was a power-hitting right-handed first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates for most of the 1960s. However, in 1969 Clendenon played a starring role for the New York Mets during the World Series. Clendenon batted .357, with three home runs and four RBI to lead the Mets to a victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Clendenon earned the Series MVP award for his efforts.