Match-Striking Record-Setting Batters Quiz

Answer: Sammy Sosa

Babe Ruth hit 60 in 1927, then Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961. Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hit 66 home runs in 1998, then another 63 in 1999. In 2001 he hit another 64. In 1998 when he hit 66, Sammy finished second in home runs to Mark McGwire of the Cardinals when he hit 70 big ones of his own, but would still win the NL MVP Award with McGwire as the runner-up. Sosa retired with 609 home runs after 18 seasons.

Answer: Nap Lajoie

Lajoie was a second baseman in his sixth season in professional baseball in 1901. He batted an amazing .4265 for the Philadelphia Athletics. Lajoie also batted for the Triple Crown in 1901, and would go on to win two more batting titles in 1902 and 1903. With a 21-season career batting average of .328, Napoleon Lajoie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the second round of inductions in 1937.

Answer: Ron Hunt

Hughie Jennings set a National League record in 1896 with 51 bruises but was prior to the combined Major Leagues. Hunt was a Montreal Expo at the age of 30 when he took 50 pitches to his body. When Ron retired in 1974, he had set a career record of being smacked 243 times after only 12 seasons.

Answer: Rogers Hornsby

Hornsby was a St. Louis Cardinal second baseman when he won his first MVP in 1925 in a landslide balloting over Kiki Cuyler of the Pirates. Rogers batted .403 in that season. His second MVP came in 1929 as a Chicago Cub. Hornsby also batted .424 in the 1924 season but still finished runner-up for the MVP. Pitcher Dazzy Vance of the Brooklyn Robins who pitched a 28-6 record along with 262 strikeouts took that award.

Answer: Frank Robinson

After winning the NL MVP with the Reds in 1961, Cincinnati traded Frank to the Baltimore Orioles in December 1965 for three players. In turn, Robinson paid the Reds back by winning his second MVP, WS MVP, and hit for a Triple Crown. His Orioles embarrassed the Dodgers in the World Series, four games to none. Robinson had sweet revenge as his Orioles also defeated the Reds later in the 1970 World Series.

Answer: Ty Cobb

In addition to Cobb hitting over .400 three times with the Detroit Tigers in 1911, 1912, and 1922, he batted over .300 an amazing 22 times in 23 seasons. His career batting average was .368. The Tigers let Cobb go in 1927 to the Philadelphia Athletics where he spent his final two seasons. All eight times he had the most hits, it was as a Detroit Tiger.

The "Georgia Peach" retired with 4189 hits. Cobb was a Hall of Fame inaugural inductee in 1936.

Answer: Roger Maris

It was Ruth and Maris who created the famous home run asterisk until Mark McGwire entered baseball. Ruth hit 60 home runs in 1927 in a 154-game season. Maris broke his record by hitting 61 in 1961 but in a 162-game season, thus the asterisk in the record books. Mark McGwire removed the asterisk by belting 70 home runs for the Cardinals in 1998. Maris appeared in seven World Series.

He showed up for five with the Yankees and two with the Cardinals.

Answer: Ichiro Suzuki

uzuki was a rookie Seattle Mariner in 2001. His 242 hits in that season earned him the Rookie of the Year and AL MVP Award. Ichiro broke the age old record of George Sisler's 257 hits in 1920 with the St. Louis Browns, by hitting 262 of his own in 2004. Strangely enough, Ichiro finished seventh in the MVP voting in 2004.

Answer: Stan Musial

Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a 1941 rookie. He won the NL MVP in 1943, 1946, and 1948. He was the MVP runner-up another four times. Stan won seven batting titles in his career also. He retired in 1963 playing his entire career with the Cardinals with 475 home runs and was inducted into the Hall in his first year of eligibility in 1969. Musial died in 2013.

Answer: Hank Aaron

The Hall of Fame great played for 23 seasons, 21 with the Braves and two with the Milwaukee Brewers. With his 624 doubles, 98 triples, and 755 home runs, it put Hank on top of the career leaderboard. His 2297 RBIs and 6856 times on base also topped the career leaders when he retired. An easy induction into the Hall, they opened their doors to him in 1982.