MVPs of Major League Baseball Trivia Quiz

Answer: Walter Johnson

All the others retired before 1911, which was the first year that the MVP award was presented. In his seventh season with the Senators for Walter in 1913, he won the award. In his three previous seasons, he had won at least 25 games in a season, including going 33-12 in 1912.

His 1913 MVP award was over Joe Jackson, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, and Frank Baker to round out the top five. Johnson also threw a Triple Crown in 1913. He would go on to throw two more Triple Crowns, win another MVP in 1924, and retire with a 417-279 record.

The Hall of Fame took him as one of the five initial inductees in 1936.

Answer: Roger Maris

Of the others, only Sosa duplicated this when he hit 66 in 1998. Ruth hit 41 in 1923 with his only MVP award. McGwire never won the MVP. Maris won his second consecutive MVP in 1961 when he hit 61, and teammate Mickey Mantle was the runner-up both times.

After playing in two seasons with the Cleveland Indians, then in two with the Athletics, Roger was traded by Kansas City to the Yankees prior to the 1960 season in a multi-player trade. They did certainly regret it. In 1960, Maris won the MVP award with 39 home runs, then hit 61 in 1961. Maris replaced right fielder Hank Bauer in 1960, who was a part of that trade that sent him to the Athletics. Bauer hit only three home runs each in the 1960 and 1961 seasons.

Answer: Ernie Banks

The others never played in the National League, and played their entire career with one team. Ernie was nicknamed "Mr. Cub", and was a 19-season career Cubbie. In his sixth season in 1958, Banks won his first MVP over Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, then duplicated it in 1959, winning the award over Eddie Mathews and Aaron. Ernie hit 512 home runs in his career, tied with Eddie Mathews of the Braves.

Answer: Don Baylor

The others never won a season MVP. Baylor played from 1970-1988, and was an Angel from 1977-1982. He won his MVP in 1979 over Ken Singleton of the Orioles, and George Brett of the Royals. Don had 186 hits in the 1979 season along with 36 home runs, both career highs. He retired as an Oakland Athletic in 1988 with 338 career home runs.

Answer: 0

The Browns never really had a MVP contending pitcher except for Bobo Newsom, and the closest that he came was fourth in a season. The Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, then the great arms seemed to come out from nowhere. The Orioles pitching greats included Hoyt Wilhelm, Milt Pappas, Robin Roberts, Dave McNally, Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Wally Bunker, and even Mike Mussina, but they could never have one to win the MVP.

There were many Orioles pitchers that won the Cy Young award including Cuellar, Palmer, and Mike Flanagan.

Their franchise non-pitchers that did win a season MVP were George Sisler of the Browns in 1922, Brooks Robinson in 1964 as an Oriole, Frank Robinson in 1966 along with his Triple Crown season, and finally, Cal Ripken Jr. in 1983 and 1991.

Answer: 0

The MVP award did not begin until the 1911 season, with Frank Schulte of the Cubs winning the inaugural award for the National League. The Beaneaters had some greats in this era, and could have been recognized for their greatness if the MVP existed. They included Steve Brodie, Hugh Duffy, Kid Nichols, Billy Hamilton, and Dan Brouthers.

The 1890s Boston team was managed by Frank Selee. Duffy, Nichols, Hamilton, and Selee were later inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Answer: Hal Newhouser

Although the others were all Tigers, only McLain was a pitcher. Newhouser was the first Tiger pitcher to win the award, and won it in consecutive seasons in 1944 and 1945. It took two decades for another Tiger pitcher to do it, and that was Denny McLain in 1968 for his 31-6 season.

In 100 seasons of the Detroit franchise, these were the only pitchers to win the MVP award. Other Tiger non-pitchers to win the award were Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Charlie Gehringer, and Hank Greenberg.

Answer: 6

The Reds lost two World Series to the Orioles and Athletics, then won two consecutive against the Red Sox and Yankees in 1975 and 1976. The six season MVPs were Johnny Bench in 1970 and 1972, Pete Rose in 1973, Joe Morgan in 1975 and 1976, then George Foster in 1977.

Answer: Jake Daubert

The others never played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles franchise. Daubert was the first Brooklyn player to receive the award, winning it in 1913 as the first baseman for his Brooklyn Superbas. He batted .350 with 178 hits, winning the award over Gavvy Cravath of the Phillies and Rabbit Maranville of the Boston Braves. Daubert played all his 15 seasons with Brooklyn and the Cincinnati Reds until he retired in 1924.

He died just one month after the 1924 season ended.

Answer: Don Newcombe

Believe it or not, the others never won the MVP award, as the great Nolan Ryan was left empty-handed also. Newcombe won the first Cy Young award presented in 1956, one year after the great Cy Young died in 1955. Don won the MVP over Sal Maglie, Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, and Dodger teammate Jim Gilliam. Going 27-7 in the 1956, Newcombe went 149-90 over 10 seasons.

He went to three different World Series, all against the Yankees, but could never come up with a win while losing four games.