How Cheap Is Your Glove? Quiz | MLB For Dummies

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This pitcher won 18 Gold Glove Awards during his career. While in the Major Leagues, he played for the Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Padres, and he is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Who is this pitcher, who had consecutive Gold Glove wins from 1990 to 2002?

Answer: Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux is one of the best pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball. When he retired in 2008, he had 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. Maddux was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 8th, 2014. In addition to his impressive 18 Gold Glove wins, Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, a World Series champion, and a four-time Cy Young Award winner (for best pitcher in each League).

His jersey number, 31, has been retired for both the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves.

2. My favorite position in baseball, the catcher. Known as one of the best catchers in the history of the game, this Hall of Fame player won ten consecutive Gold Gloves in the '60s and '70s. He was a part of two World Series champion teams in 1975 and 1976. Who is this catcher, a man who played his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds?

Answer: Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench was an integral part of the "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s, and won two World Series championships with them in 1975 and 1976. During his first season with the Reds, in 1968, he earned a spot on the '68 National League All-Star team. That season, he was also named National League Rookie of the Year and won his first Gold Glove Award. Johnny Bench was only the fourth player in the history of Major League Baseball to win a Gold Glove his rookie season.

His jersey number, 5, was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 1984, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Bench was one of the best catchers to ever play the game.

3. This first baseman, who was a member of the New York Yankees, won nine Gold Glove Awards during his career. He retired as a player in 1995 and moved on to coach the Yankees and coach and manage the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man", which Gold Glove winner is this first baseman?

Answer: Don Mattingly

Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly started his Major League career in 1982 with the New York Yankees. He won his Gold Gloves in 1985-1989 and 1991-1994. Mattingly was a six-time All-Star, American League (AL) Most Valuable Player, AL Batting Champion and AL Runs-Batted-In Champion, and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner (best offensive player at his position).

He was captain of the Yankees from 1991 to 1995, and his jersey number, 23, was retired by the team in 1997. He was the second Yankee first baseman to have his number retired; the first was Lou Gehrig, in 1939.

4. This second baseman won his five Gold Glove awards consecutively from 1973 to 1977. Though he played for a number of teams during his career, all of his Gold Gloves came when he was part of the "Big Red Machine" at the Cincinnati Reds in the '70s. Who is this Hall of Fame second baseman?

Answer: Joe Morgan

Joe Morgan played for the Houston Colt .45s (now the Astros), Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Oakland Athletics during his career. He was part of two World Series champion teams, the 1975 and 1976 Reds, and ten All-Star teams.

He was named the MLB All-Star Game MVP in 1972, and National League MVP in '75 and '76. Morgan's jersey number, 8, was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in June 1998. His was the fourth number to be retired by the Reds, after Fred Hutchinson in 1964, Johnny Bench in 1984, and Frank Robinson in May 1998.

In 1990, Joe Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

5. This All-Star third baseman was a 16-time Gold Glove winner, "The Human Vacuum Cleaner". A Hall of Fame third baseman, he won his Gold Gloves with the Baltimore Orioles from 1960 to 1975. Which incredible player is known as one of the best defensive third basemen in history?

Answer: Brooks Robinson

Brooks Robinson played his entire career, from 1955 to 1977, with the Baltimore Orioles. During that time he was a part of 18 American League All-Star teams, two World Series champion teams (1966 and 1970), and was named American League MVP, World Series MVP, and MLB All-Star Game MVP.

His jersey number, 5, was retired by the Orioles in 1977. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Baseball great Pete Rose once said of him: "Brooks Robinson belongs in a higher league."

6. This shortstop, "the Wizard of Oz", won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves, with the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1980 to 1992. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, after breaking a number of Major League records during his career. Who is this Alabama-born switch-hitting shortstop?

Answer: Ozzie Smith

Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is one of the best defensive shortstops to ever play the game. During his career in the Major Leagues, Smith set records for most career assists, with 8,375 of them, most double plays by a shortstop, with 1,590, and the National League record for most career games at shortstop, with 2,511 career games.

His record for most double plays was broken by Omar Vizquel, another Gold Glove winner at shortstop, on May 13th, 2007. Smith was part of 15 All-Star games, and was a World Series champion with the Cardinals in 1982.

His jersey number, 1, was retired by the Cardinals in 1996.

7. This outfielder played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and won 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards as their right fielder. He played in the Major Leagues for 18 years, from 1955 to 1972. Who was this All-Star outfielder, whose career was cut short when he died in a plane accident on New Years' Eve in 1972?

Answer: Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente was a right fielder from Puerto Rico who played 18 seasons in the Major Leagues, before dying at the age of 38. In addition to his 12 Gold Gloves, Clemente was part of 15 All-Star Teams, and two World Series champion teams in 1960 and 1971. During the off-season in the winter of 1972, Clemente was on his way to deliver aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims in Managua when he was killed in a cargo plane crash.

He was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, and his jersey number, 21, was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in April of that same year.

8. Known mostly for his batting abilities, this outfielder won ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards in the 1990s. All of his Gold Gloves came while playing for the Seattle Mariners, though he also spent a number of years playing right field for the Cincinnati Reds. Nicknamed "The Kid", who is this outfielder?

Answer: Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey, Jr. played both center and right field during his career in the Major Leagues. He debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 1989, and played with them until 2000, when he joined the Cincinnati Reds. In 2008, he had a short stint with the Chicago White Sox, before returning to the Mariners in 2009 to finish out his career.

In addition to his ten Gold Gloves, Griffey, Jr. was a part of 13 All-Star teams, with both the Mariners and the Reds, won seven Silver Slugger Awards, four AL Home Run champion awards, was named AL RBI champion, MLB All-Star Game MVP, and won three Home Run Derby's. On September 14th, 1990, while playing with the Mariners, Griffey, Jr. and his father, Ken Griffey, Sr. became the first father-son pair to hit back-to-back home runs.

In 1999, Griffey, Jr. was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. He finished his career with 2,781 hits and 630 home runs.

9. This outfielder won eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards, two in the American League, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and six in the National League with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for 17 seasons on six different teams. Which outfielder is this, that I have chosen for my All-Star team?

Answer: Jim Edmonds

Jim Edmonds was a center fielder who played for the LA Angels of Anaheim, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cincinnati Reds. In addition to his eight Gold Glove Awards, Edmonds was a four-time All-Star and a World Series champion in 2006.

He won the Silver Slugger Award in 2004 and is a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. Edmonds is one of very few players to earn Gold Gloves in both the American and National Leagues. He was well-known in the game for his defensive skills and spectacular catches.

After retiring from playing baseball, Edmonds joined the St. Louis Cardinal's broadcasting crew.

10. This outfielder is one of the all-around greatest baseball players in history. He was the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year in 1951, a World Series champion in 1954, won two NL Most Valuable Player awards, was a 24-time All-Star, and won 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. Who is this outstanding outfielder?

Answer: Willie Mays

Willie Mays was awarded his first Gold Glove in 1957, the very first year it was introduced. Fellow outfielders Al Kaline and Minnie Minoso, both from the American League, were the other two outfielders to win Gold Gloves that year. Willie Mays is tied with Roberto Clemente at a career 12 Gold Glove Awards. Both men won all 12 of their awards in consecutive years, Mays winning all of his with the Giants (one when they were still in New York, and the rest after the team moved to San Francisco). Willie Mays was a 24-time All-Star and a World Series Champion who was named to MLB's All-Century and All-Time teams.

He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, and on April 30th, 1961, Willie Mays did the near-impossible, scoring four home runs in a single game.

In 1972, the San Francisco Giants retired his jersey number, 24, and in 1979 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Source: Author kaddarsgirl

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How Cheap Is Your Glove? Trivia Quiz

Gold Glove Awards are given out to players each year in Major League Baseball for outstanding fielding performance. In this quiz, I talk about my personal All-Star team of Gold Glove-winning players from across the decades. Can you guess who they are?

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