Hey! How About a Date? Quiz | MLB Historical

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On June 2, 1941, this player didn't feel so lucky, although he had said that he was the luckiest two years earlier. Who owned this date in baseball history?

Answer: Lou Gehrig

After his historical speech on the day of his retirment in 1939, Yankee Lou Gehrig, down with an illness that he would later die of, told Yankee Stadium, "I consider myself, the luckiest man of the face of the earth." Gehrig was a career Yankee from 1923-1939. Lou, born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, won two AL MVPs and hit for a Triple Crown.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the same year as his retirement in 1939. He died on June 2, 1941.

2. Some fans may have been at the zoo feeding the bears and their young, but not this pitcher on September 9, 1965. Who was this pitcher that put this date in the baseball record books?

Answer: Sandy Koufax

The others weren't pitchers. Koufax threw a perfect on this date against the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers' only run scored was the result of a Chicago error in the fifth inning. This was Sandy's fourth no-hitter and he made it perfect. What is lost in this perfect game, is that Cub pitcher Bob Hendley also went the full nine innings, and threw a one-hitter against the Dodgers, his only hit given up to Lou Johnson.

3. This corridor was opened for the first time in baseball in 1936. Since then, it has been filled with many items throughout history. What is famous place?

Answer: Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame which began inducting baseball greats in 1936, opened its doors to an initial five players. There were Ty Cobb, who gained the most votes of the other four, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. Wagner was a shortstop, and it would be another 10 years before another shortstop was inducted. That was Joe Tinker of the Cubs in 1946.

4. On October 21, 1980, many didn't take the world serious, but which team did on this date?

Answer: Philadelphia Phillies

October 21, 1980, saw the Phillies win their first World Series in franchise history. Their franchise began in 1883. The 1980 team was helmed by Dallas Green, the bats of Mike Schmidt and Bake McBride, and the arms of Steve Carlton and Dick Ruthven. They defeated the Royals in the series, four games to two.

5. Although some may have been swatting flies, there was no party in Boston on Aug 16, 1948, when this player died in New York. Who was this?

Answer: Babe Ruth

Ruth, with one of his nicknames being "The Sultan of Swat", died after a lengthy illness. Known for his career with the Yankees, he played for the Boston Red Sox before the infamous sale to New York, and spent his final season back in Boston with the Braves in 1935. Ruth hit six home runs in his final season, with three in one game.

He retired with 714 home runs at the top of the heap, later to be passed by the great Hank Aaron.

6. There were many wars in world history, and many cannons could be heard during the Civil War era. However, no shot was heard louder than this one on October 3, 1951. Who does this date belong to in baseball history?

Answer: Bobby Thomson

After the Brooklyn Dodgers blowing their National League lead in 1951, the New York Giants caught them on the last day of the season, forcing a playoff between the two powerhouses. After scoring three runs in the ninth to tie it all up, Don Newcombe was chased from the mound. Thomson came to the plate with Dodger Ralph Branca on the rubber.

Then it happened, the shot heard around the world, and the voice screaming, "the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant". Those sounds still echo to diehard Dodger fans. Thomson had hit a home run, squelching all hopes for the Dodgers and their fans.

The Giants went on to the World Series, losing four games to two at the hands of the Yankees.

7. While most fans in St. Louis should have mourned, some seemed to celebrate instead on January 12, 1954. Why the mixed emotions?

Answer: The Browns moved

The 2007 Baltimore Orioles franchise began in 1901 as the Milwaukee Brewers. 1902 saw the team in St. Louis with the new AL name of the Browns. From 1902-1953, the team saw only one American League pennant in 1944. Most fans had enough, as the Browns lost 90+ games in a season during their seven final seasons in St. Louis.

The team moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles. Although the city lost the franchise, they still had the National League St. Louis Cardinals who won 83 games in 1953 under Eddie Stanky.

The Browns' move didn't yield well in Baltimore in their first season in 1954, going 54-100, 57 games behind the AL winning Cleveland Indians who won 111 games.

8. For some automobile mechanics, they use the "lefty loosey - rightie tighty" phrase to remember which way to remove nuts and bolts. In 1931, this lefty was not loosey, took the American League MVP and threw for the Triple Crown. Who was this that had the 'righty tighty' stuff and owned the season?

Answer: Lefty Grove

The others weren't born yet by the end of the season. Grove was born 31 years earlier, and appeared in 1925 as a rookie with the Philadelphia Athletics. After throwing a Triple Crown in 1930, Grove encored in 1931, going 31-4 in 41 games. He won his MVP over Yankee Lou Gehrig, and Athletics teammate Al Simmons. Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove died in May 1975, after being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.

9. On September 12, 1976, this player wasn't a mouse, and didn't have a girlfriend either. But, he did have eight at-bats in the season, and had a hit in this game at the age of 54. Who was this player whose career spanned five decades?

Answer: Minoso

Saturnino Orestes Armas Arrieta "Minnie" Minoso was a very unique player in baseball history. Cuban born in 1925, he first donned a uniform in 1949 with the Indians. He quit baseball after only nine games, then rejoined the team in 1951. As part of a three-team trade, the Indians dealt Minnie to the White Sox, then he found himself back in Cleveland in 1957.

It was back to the White Sox in 1960, leading the AL in hits. Minoso retired in 1964 in Chicago, then came back for three games in 1976, and retired again, but this time with a record of being the oldest player to get a hit in a game. 1980 saw him for the final time, again with the White Sox appearing in two games.

10. I was brave to come out and pitch on July 3, 1966. This is the date in my life and baseball history. I had three hits in the game, two of them grand slams, and won 17-3. What a day it was! Who am I?

Answer: Tony Cloninger

The others weren't pitchers. 1966 was the Braves' first season in Atlanta, and Tony gave this welcome to the fans. Tony's big shots came off Bob Priddy and Ray Sadecki of the Giants. Cloninger hit only 11 home runs in his 12 seasons, but none were bigger than these. Ironically, Tony gave up 29 home runs in the 1966 season.

He was a Brave for more than half his career, hitting 11 while giving up 180.

Source: Author Nightmare

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Hey! How About a Date? Trivia Quiz

A little twist in an all multiple choice quiz about famous dates in baseball history. You can really do this. I hope that you have fun! :-)

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