Juggled Baseballs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Clayton Kershaw

The others weren't pitchers. The Dodgers had a gold mine in Kershaw and watched him win the NL Cy Young Award in 2011, then win it in 2014 along with the league's MVP. In 2014, Kershaw went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA. He won the Cy Young Award over Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds. His NL MVP Award was standing at the top over Giancarlo Stanton of Miami.

Answer: Cleveland Indians

The Cardinals and Giants were in the National League also. The Braves under the management of Bobby Cox went to five World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999. With no World Series being held in 1994, this was an additional amazing feat of five appearances.

The only crown they would win was in 1995 against the Cleveland Indians in a four games to two title. The Braves lost to the Twins, Blue Jays, and the Yankees twice in the decade.

Answer: Minnesota Twins

The Twins had a rather dismal season in 2016 by finishing with a 59-103, the only team to lose 100+ games. Minnesota did not have a starter or reserve bat .300 in the season or have a starting pitcher win 10 games or even have a winning record. The other American League teams that fared the worst were the Rays who won 68 and the Athletics who won 69 games.

The National League displayed the Braves, Padres, and Reds who finished in the cellar with 68 wins.

Answer: New York Mets

Joe never played for the other teams listed. Torre played for the Braves, Cardinals, and Mets from 1960-1977. He finished second to Billy Williams of the Cubs for the Rookie of the Year Award. Joe did win the NL MVP Award in 1971 over Willie Stargell of the Pirates.

He managed for 29 seasons after he hung up his glove mostly as a catcher. From 1977-2010, he managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees, and Dodgers. He won six AL pennants and four World Series with the Yankees. Torre won two Manager of the Year Awards with the Yankees in 1996 and 1998.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 2014.

Answer: Willie Mays

The other greats never hit 50 home runs in any season and Warren Spahn was a pitcher. Mays was a rookie in 1951 and hit 20 home runs. In 1954, he hit 41 and won the NL MVP. The following season Willie hit 51 but still finished fourth for the MVP. He would be the runner-up MVP twice before taking the award again in 1965 with his 52 home runs hit. Mays retired after 22 seasons with 660 career home runs in 1973.

The Hall accepted him in 1979. Mantle hit 52 home runs in his Triple Crown season with the Yankees in 1956.

Answer: New York Yankees

The last time that the Yankees opened a new decade with a crown was in the 1950 World Series. In 2000, their 87 wins was the lowest total for a team to get into those playoffs. They defeated the Athletics in the ALDS, then the Mariners in the ALCS. In the big series they put down the Mets in five games.

Answer: Nobody did, the number was retired

The White Sox retired the number 2 in honor of second baseman Nellie Fox in 1976. Fox played for the White Sox from 1950-1963. He won the AL MVP in 1959 which helped the White Sox to a World Series bid but lost to the Dodgers. Nellie played with the Athletics in the beginning and the Colt .45s/Astros at the end of his career with the White Sox sandwiched in-between. Fox was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1997. Known for having a wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek during games, he died in 1975 just shy of his 48th birthday.

Answer: Baltimore Orioles

The Cardinals and Pirates were in the National League also. The Dodgers were embarrassed by the Orioles in the 1966 series. The Dodgers were heavily favored to win it all. The Orioles and the great Frank Robinson who batted for the Triple Crown in the season came out of the gates in game one and put the Dodgers down 5-2. That would be the only runs that the Dodgers scored in the entire series as Baltimore shut them out in the next three straight games.

Answer: Struck out

Alston was a St. Louis Cardinal in his only game as a player on September 27, 1936. He never made contact with the ball in his only at-bat. After striking out, he took the field and committed an error at first base. Manager Frankie Frisch had seen enough and Walter's playing career was over. Alston found another job in baseball in 1954 when he took over the Dodgers.

In 1955, he took the team to the franchise's first-ever World Series crown when the Dodgers defeated the all-powerful Yankees. He retired just shy of the end of the 1976 season due to illness which opened the door for another Hall of Fame manager, Tom Lasorda. Alston left the Dodgers after bagging seven National League pennants along with four World Series titles.

Answer: Mo Vaughn

The others never played for the Red Sox. Players who at the time (1997) wore the number 42 could continue to wear it under Major League Baseball rules until they gave up the number or retired. In 1997, Red Sox great Mo Vaughn wore the number and continued to wear it in 1998 until he signed as a free-agent with the Angels for two seasons.

He still wore the number 42 with the Angels under the rules of Major League Baseball. In 2001, he was traded to the Mets where he retired in 2003 after two seasons. Mo won the AL MVP Award with Boston 1995 over Albert Belle of the Indians in a very close balloting. Playing in only 12 seasons, Vaughn hit 328 home runs.