Mix and Match or Match and Mix? Quiz

Answer: Charles "Chief" Bender

Bender began his career in 1903, the first season ever to have a World Series. He played with the Philadelphia Athletics until 1914, then played with Baltimore of the Federal League in 1915. When the FL closed its doors, he signed for one season with the Phillies and retired. Chief tried a comeback in 1925, pitched in one game and quit.

His five World Series included 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, and 1914. He pitched in 10 games going 6-4 with 59 strikeouts. The Athletics won three of those five World Series.

Answer: Mordecai Brown

Brown pitched for the Cubs from 1904-1912. He appeared in the World Series from 1906-1908, then again in 1910. This was the defensive team of the century with the Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance double-play combination. Nicknamed "Three Fingers", Mordecai won 239 games in his career and went 5-4 from the mound in his World Series endeavors.

He was a 1949 Hall inductee, one year after he died.

Answer: Rickey Henderson

Henderson was born December 25, 1958 in Chicago. He retired as the only player to reach 1000 stolen bases when he retired in 2003, and totaled 1406 stolen bases in his career. Over 25 seasons, Rickey played with nine different teams, with 14 of those seasons in an Oakland Athletics uniform. The hall inducted him in 2009.

Answer: Vic Willis

The Hall of Fame pitcher lost 20+ in a season three times in his career, all with the Boston Beaneaters of the NL. His 25 losses came in 1904, then 29 in 1905. Vic also lost 20 in 1902. He retired with a 249-205 record, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1995.

Answer: Billy Hamilton

Hamilton played from 1888-1901 as an outfielder. In 1889 he stole 111 bases with the Kansas City Cowboys of the American Association. Recognizing Billy's speed, the Philadelphia Phillies purchased his contract from the Cowboys for the 1890 NL season, then stole 102.

In 1911 he duplicated his 111 feat. In 1894, he stole 100 bases again. He retired in 1901 after 14 seasons with 914 bags, which averaged 65 stolen bases per season.

Answer: Dodgers

The franchise began all the way back in 1884 in the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics. The following season began the musical chairs with names. They changed it to the Grays, then Bridegrooms, then Grooms, then back to the Bridegrooms for the next 14 seasons. From there the franchise went to Superbas, Robins, Dodgers, back to Robins, then back to Dodgers in 1932.

They kept the Dodger name for the remainder of the century and into the 21st Century.

Answer: Nap Lajoie

Lajoie played in over 2000 games at second base. In 1901, he became the first player in the century to bat over .400, hitting .426 and holding that record in history for over 100 years. While most fans identify him with the Philadelphia Athletics, he appeared in only four seasons with them.

He played with the Phillies of the National League in five, and appeared in 13 seasons with Cleveland. Nap retired from baseball in 1916, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the second-ever round of inductions in 1937 along with two other great players, Cy Young and Tris Speaker.

Answer: Tigers

And not just three, but three consecutive World Series. They lost to the Cubs in 1907 and 1908, then to the Pirates in 1909. In those three World Series, the Tigers won only four games in total. The franchise would have to wait until 1935 to bag their first World Series crown against the Cubs.

In 1945 and still having the Cubs' number, they would win another World Series title. Two decades later they would win another WS crown in 1968 against the Cardinals.

Answer: Cy Young

Losing 20 games in a season in Young's era was not uncommon as some pitchers appeared in 40-55 games in a season. Young began his young career at 23 years old in the National League with the Cleveland Spiders. He lost 20+ in 1894, 1896, and 1904. This was not a negative for the 1937 Hall of Fame inductee. Cy won 30+ games in a season five times, and was the first American League pitcher to throw a perfect game in 1903 with the Boston Americans.

He won 511 games, a record not likely to ever be duplicated. Young died in 1955 at the age of 88.

The Cy Young Award was named after him and was first presented in 1956.

Answer: Pirates

After winning the World Series in 1979 against the Orioles, not only did the Pirates fail to make a World Series appearance in the 1980s, but they never appeared in a league championship series either. Furthermoe, Pittsburgh never won more than 85 games in a season during the 1980s. They found themselves in a horrendous season in 1985 when they lost 104 games with only 57 wins.