First Basemen of the 1980s Trivia Quiz

Answer: New York Yankees

Don Mattingly was one of the most beloved players in New York Yankees history. This lefty-hitting and fielding first baseman hit 222 home runs, drove in 1,099 runs, had 2,153 hits, and finished with a .307 career batting average. "Donnie Baseball" was named to six All-Star teams and won nine Gold Gloves for fielding excellence. The Yankees retired Mattingly's uniform number 23 in 1997.

Answer: He was a switch-hitting batter.

Eddie Murray was a powerful switch-hitting first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles (1980-1988) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1989) during the 1980s. Murray ended his Major League career with 504 home runs and 1,917 RBI. Murray's uniform number 33 was retired by the Orioles in 1998, and he was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Murray belted 362 home runs left-handed and 142 HRS right-handed.

Answer: 14

Kent Hrbek was a power-hitting first baseman who batted lefty and threw right-handed. Hrbek wore uniform number 14 for Minnesota, and he was a key member of the Twins teams which won World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. Hrbek belted 293 regular season and three post-season home runs for Minnesota. Hrbek's uniform #14 was retired by the Twins following his retirement in 1994. Harmon Killebrew wore uniform #3, Tony Oliva was #6, and Kirby Puckett wore #34.

Answer: Panama Canal Zone

Rod Carew was one of the greatest batters of his generation. Carew was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1945. When Carew was 14 years old, his family moved to New York City where Carew played sandlot baseball. Carew notched 3,053 base hits and batted an impressive .328 during his big league career. Carew batted left-handed and threw right-handed and was selected 18 times as an All-Star.

His uniform number 29 was retired by both the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. Carew was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Answer: Willie Upshaw

Willie Upshaw was the main first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays between 1982 and 1987. Upshaw, a left-handed batter and thrower, joined the Jays in 1978 and secured the starting first base job in 1982. His best season with Toronto occurred in 1983 when he belted 27 HRS, drove in 104 runs, and had a .306 batting average. During the 1980s, Dan Driessen played with the Reds, Giants and Expos; Jason Thompson played for the Pirates and Expos; and Darrell Evans played for the Giants and Tigers.

Answer: 1982 and 1986

Keith Hernandez batted and threw left-handed. His clutch hitting and smooth fielding helped the Cardinals (1982) and Mets (1986) to win World Series championships. Hernandez hit 162 home runs, drove home 1,071 runs, and batted .296 during his Major League career, which ended with the Cleveland Indians in 1990.

Hernandez won eleven Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence. The following teams won Series titles during some of Hernandez's years in The Show: Pirates (1979), Phillies (1980), Dodgers (1981), and Tigers (1984).

Answer: Seattle Mariners

Alvin Davis was a prominent member of the Seattle Mariners during the 1980s. This first baseman batted lefty and threw right-handed. Davis won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1984 and hit 160 home runs during his time with the Mariners. Davis was nicknamed "Mr. Mariner" because of his excellent service with the Seattle team. Davis retired in 1992 after playing one season with the Angels.

Answer: Brock

Greg Brock played first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1982-1986) and the Milwaukee Brewers (1987-1991). Brock batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Brock's high-water mark for home runs occurred in 1985 when he hit 21 round trippers. This native of Oregon retired in 1991 with a career total of 110 homers.

Answer: He never hit a grand slam home run in the big leagues.

Glenn Davis played during the 1980s for the Houston Astros. During his career, Davis topped the 20-home run mark six times; his highest single-season total was 34 (1989). Davis homered once during the 1986 NLCS, and he hit 24 home runs as a member of the AL's Baltimore Orioles during the 1990s.

However, Davis never hit a grand slam homer in his career. According to "The Home Run Encyclopedia", Davis belted 105 solo homers, 65 two-run blasts, and 20 three-run round trippers. When Davis retired after the 1993 season, he was the leader for most career home runs (190) without hitting a grand slammer.

Answer: Cecil Cooper

Left-handed first baseman Cecil Cooper played for the Brewers from 1977 to 1987. "The Coop" had his best season with Milwaukee in 1982, when he helped lead the Brewers to the American League pennant. In 1982, Cooper batted .313, with 32 home runs and 121 RBI.

While playing with the Brewers, Cooper earned five All-Star selections and two Gold Gloves. The other players listed in this question were right-handed players.