Major League Franchise Firsts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hank Aaron

The others didn't come close to Aaron and never hit 500 home runs for the Braves. Aaron hit 755 career home runs, with 733 in a Braves uniform. After 21 loyal seasons playing with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, the team traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers where he hit his final 22 big ones. Hank was an easy Hall of Fame inductee in 1982.

Answer: Don Drysdale

The others never won 200 games in their careers. Drysdale was a 14-season career Dodger. He won the Major League Cy Young award in 1962. Don went 209-166 while reaching the 200-mark in 1968. Don Sutton also won 233 games in a Dodger uniform, and won 324 throughout his career.

He retired in 1988. Koufax won 165 games in his arthritic-shortened career, and Vance won 190 games. Newcombe won 123 games for the Dodgers.

Answer: Tony Oliva

Rod Carew (not listed) won an amazing seven batting titles for the Twins, and Puckett won one. Boggs and Bench never played for the Twins. Oliva was a Twins rookie in 1962 in very limited duty, and ended up winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1964.

His rookie award came over Richie Allen of the Phillies. Tony played his entire 15 seasons with the Twins. Amongst his three AL batting titles, his first was in 1964 over Brooks Robinson of the Orioles, and Elston Howard of the Yankees.

Answer: Tom Seaver

The others were all Mets, but never won more than 20 games in a season (apart from Gooden who was 24-4 in 9185). "Tom Terrific" was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1967, and played half his career with the Mets. He went 25-7 in 1969, winning his first of three NL Cy Young awards. The hall took Seaver in 1992.

Answer: Jesse Haines

Of the others listed, only Gibson passed the 200-win mark with the Cardinals, but it was Haines who reached that team plateau first. Jesse played 18 of his 19 seasons with the Cardinals, and reached the milestone in 1935. Jesse went to four World Series with the Cardinals, winning two.

His World Series pitching record was 3-1 with an ERA of 1.67. He retired with a 210-158 record and was a Hall of Fame inductee in 1970. Bob Gibson had a 251-174 record with the Cardinals.

Answer: Mickey Mantle

None of the others hit 500. They were all career Yankees, with the exception of Berra playing his final season with the Mets. Gehrig hit 493, Berra 368, and DiMaggio hit 361. Mantle was a career Yankee from 1951-1968. Mickey batted for the Triple Crown in 1956, winning the AL MVP award, and won two more in 1957 and 1962. He hit 536 home runs in the pinstripes.

Answer: Roger Clemens

The others were all former Boston pitchers, but nobody reached the 2000-mark except for "The Rocket". Clemens spent 13 seasons with the Red Sox and struck out 2590 for the team. His career win-loss record was 354-184 over 24 seasons. He won 192 games for Boston, tying him with the great Cy Young. Young won 511 career games.

Answer: Nap Lajoie

The others never played for the Athletics. In the first season of the American League in 1901, Lajoie showed them all with his .426 average. He also batted for the Triple Crown for Philadelphia. He retired with a .338 average, and was inducted into the hall in 1937.

Answer: Mel Ott

Ott was the third player in history to hit 500 home runs, behind the great Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx. Mel was a career Giant from 1926-1947, and hit 511 home runs for the club. Ironically, he hit 40+ home runs in a season only once in his career in 1929. He was a Hall of Fame inductee in 1951, the year that the Giants' Willie Mays was a rookie.

Answer: Charley Root

The others never played for the Cubs. Root played 16 of his 17 seasons with Chicago, retiring in 1941. Charley went 201-156 in a Cubs uniform. He led the NL with wins in 1927 for the only time that he led a major category. Root went to four World Series and lost them all. Baseball history remembers Charley Root, as he was the Cubs pitcher in 1932 when Babe Ruth allegedly called his "shot" in the World Series.