Franchise Firsts! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jimmie Foxx

The others were all Red Sox players, but never hit 45 for Boston in a season. This was the second time in Jimmie's career that he reached 50 home runs. After hitting 58 with the Athletics in 1932, he hit 50 in 1938 for the Red Sox. Foxx retired with 534 home runs. David Ortiz was the second Bostonian to hit 50, when he broke Jimmie's team record with 54 in 2006.

Answer: Tom Seaver

All the others were once Mets. Seaver went 25-7 in the season of the "Amazin Mets" in 1969. Tom also won the 1969 NL Cy Young award. He went on to win two more Cy Young awards in 1973 and 1975. The Mets defeated the Orioles in the 1969 World Series, four games to one, in an absolutely amazing season.

Answer: Denny McLain

None of the others were ever Tigers. McLain was the franchise's first 30-game winner in 1968, going 31-6. He won the MVP and the Cy Young in the season. He helped the Tigers go on to the World Series, and won it all against the Cardinals.

Answer: Ernie Banks

They were all Cubs big guns, but Sosa was the only other Cub to reach the 500-mark with the team, but after Banks' Hall of Fame career. Ernie played his entire career from 1953-1971 with the Cubs. He won the NL MVP in 1958 and 1959. He hit 512 home runs, reaching the 500-mark in 1970. The Hall of Fame took Banks in 1977. Sosa passed Ernie's Cubs total in 2004, hitting 545 as a Cub.

Answer: Boston

The Boston Americans (later Red Sox) already had the great Cy Young on their roster in 1902. The acquired Bill Dinneen from the Boston Beaneaters (later Braves) of the National League after the 1901 season. Young went 32-11 and Dinneen 21-21 in 1902 to be the first combination of 50 wins.

In 1903, the season of the first World Series, Young won 28 and Dinneen 21, but this time they also had Tom Hughes who went 20-7. They went on to win the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Answer: Bill Terry

Except for Mays, none of the others were ever Giants. Terry was a career Giant from 1923-1936. He led the league with his career high of .401 in 1930. He was higher than the .393 of runner-up Babe Herman of the Brooklyn Robins. Teammate Freddie Lindstrom also hit .391 for the Giants in the season.

It was the only batting title that Terry won. He went to three World Series with the Giants and lost two. The Hall of Fame inducted him in 1954. Willie Mays won his only batting title in 1954.

Answer: Randy Jones

Perry was the first pitcher in history to win a Cy Young award in each league, with his second coming in 1978 as a Padre. Jones beat Gaylord to the punch in 1976 with his 22-14 record. He won his award over Jerry Koosman, Don Sutton, and Steve Carlton. That was Jones' shining season as he retired after 10 seasons in 1982 with a 100-123 career record.

Answer: Larry Corcoran

Corcoran spent his first six seasons with the White Stockings (later Cubs) of the National League from 1880-1885. His no-hitters came in 1880, 1882, and 1884. As a rookie, he went 43-14 with 268 strikeouts. Larry retired with the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1887 after only eight seasons.

Answer: Ellis Burks

The others never played for the Rockies. Burks had a career high of 211 hits in 1996 for the Rockies. He also led the league in runs scored in the season. Burks played five of his 18 seasons in Colorado.

Answer: Steve Carlton

Carlton hit the magic number in 1972 wearing the Phillies' uniform for the first time, only after being traded by the Cardinals just before the season started. The Cardinals had to regret watching Steve win the Cy Young award and throw a Triple Crown in the 1972 season.