Nick Snacks Quiz | MLB Players

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Ron Cey was a Dodger third baseman for 12 seasons. Wearing the number 10 on his back, he stole only 24 bases in his 17-season career. Which nickname did he earn?

Answer: Penguin

Ron's career spanned from 1971-1987, and got his nickname for his running style. After more than a decade with the Dodgers, he played in four seasons as a Cub, then retired with the Athletics. He shared the 1981 World Series MVP Award with Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. It was the first time that a National Leaguer shared that award.

2. Willie McCovey was a huge part of a one-two punch for the San Francisco Giants in the 1960s. Batting clean-up, he followed the great Willie Mays in the batting order. McCovey hit 521 career home runs. What is his nickname?

Answer: Big Mac

Willie, who was also nicknamed 'Stretch', was a Giant in 19 of his 22 seasons. A portion of San Francisco Bay beyond right field saw many baseballs hit from his bat, and it was appropriately named 'McCovey Cove'. Willie's 521 home runs tied the career record of Hall of Fame great Ted Williams. Frank Thomas later tied that total also. McCovey was inducted into the hall in 1986.

3. Pitcher Orel Hershiser made his name from 1983-1993 with the Dodgers. He was the 1988 NL Cy Young winner along with winning the 1988 World Series MVP Award. What is Hershiser's nickname?

Answer: Bulldog

He was given the nickname by Dodger manager Tom Lasorda, who said that Hershiser would keep coming at you like a bulldog, and always be ready. Although a starting pitcher, Orel would come from the bullpen in key high profile games to secure a team's victory.

His 1988 season was his best by far, going 23-8 and leading the Dodgers to a World Series crown against the Athletics. He also played with the Indians, Giants, and Mets before retiring in 2000. He later became a baseball commentator.

4. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was a great hitter. In 15 of his 18 seasons, he hit over .300 and won five batting titles in his career. In seven consecutive seasons, Wade had over 200 hits. What is Wade's nickname?

Answer: Chicken Man

Boggs loved chicken as much as baseball. He and his wife wrote many books containing famous chicken recipes, and they opened restaurants with chicken being the headliner. Wade also played in five seasons with the Yankees, then retired after two with Tampa Bay in 1999. The hall took him in 2005.

5. David Ortiz was a mediocre player with the Twins from 1997-2002. When he signed with the Red Sox as a free agent, his bat and career took off, including hitting 54 home runs in 2006. What is this first baseman's nickname?

Answer: Cookie Monster

David's power came alive in his first season with Boston in 2003 by hitting 31 home runs. He then hit 41, 47, and 54 in his league-leading 2006 season. Beginning with his first Red Sox season, Ortiz was in the top five for the MVP in five consecutive seasons. As MVP runner-up, he was just edged out for the award in 2005 by Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees.

6. Slugger Fred McGriff tied the great Lou Gehrig with 493 career home runs. He went to two World Series with the Braves in the 1990s. What was McGriff's nickname?

Answer: Crime Dog

Fred hit 30+ home runs in 10 of his 19 seasons, and seemed to always hover around the 30-mark to show his consistency. He also seemed to have a body clock as he began his career in 1986 with five Blue Jay seasons. Then it was on to Atlanta for five seasons, then another five in Tampa Bay.

His World Series ring came in 1995 with his Braves defeating the Indians. He lost to the Yankees in 1996. The 'Crime Dog' retired in 2004.

7. Pitcher Harvey Haddix was not over-powering, but was a pretty good pitcher in baseball. His name became known when he pitched a perfect game into the 13th inning of a game, but ended up losing. What is the nickname of this hardluck pitcher?

Answer: Kitten

Harvey's 13-inning almost perfect game was in 1959 against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26. His slider and fastball were his bread and butter pitches, and they were good enough to take the Braves into the 13th inning. Starting off the 13th, things crumbled.

The Braves' Felix Mantilla reached base on an error by third baseman Don Hoak. After a sacrifice bunt by Eddie Mathews, Mantilla went to second base. Haddix then intentionally walked Hank Aaron to face Joe Adcock. Adcock hit a walk-off double which gave the Braves the victory. Pitcher Lew Burdette went the 13-inning distance for the Braves, giving up 12 hits and striking out two.

8. Hall of Famer Earle Combs played his entire 12-season career with the Yankees from 1924-1935. He was part of 'Murderers Row' which also rostered Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel. What was Earle's nickname?

Answer: The Kentucky Colonel

In the famous 1927 Yankee season, which arguably was the greatest team in history, Earle had his contributions also. He batted .356 and led the league in hits with 231 hits. He also led the league with 23 triples. Combs and the Yankees skunked the Pirates in that World Series, four games to none. It would not be until 1970 before he was placed in the Hall of Fame.

9. Many writers and sports experts have Harold Traynor in their top five list of all-time greatest third basemen. The 17-season career Pittsburgh Pirate led the National League in only one major category in his career, hitting 19 triples in 1923. He was consistent enough to gain the eyes of many. What was his nickname?

Answer: Pie

In 10 seasons, Pie batted over .300 and retired with a .320 career average. He went to two World Series with the Pirates. He won fame with their 1925 win over the Senators, then faced Murderers Row in 1927 in a loss.

10. When the Cincinnati Reds rostered Adam Dunn in 2001, they had high hopes for his bat, unfortunately he became known for his strikeouts. From 2004-2006, Dunn led the league by striking out the most times as a batter. This included setting a new season record in 2004 with 195 times being fanned. What nickname was given to Dunn?

Answer: Big Donkey

Although Dunn hit 40 home runs in every season from 2005-2008, the Reds would lose patience and trade Adam to the Diamondbacks in midseason 2008. He signed as a free agent in 2009 with the Nationals, then struck out 199 times in 2010. Diamondback Mark Reynolds helped to keep the heat off Dunn by being the first to strikeout 200 times in a season, and did it three times from 2008-2010.

Source: Author Nightmare

This quiz was reviewed by our editing team before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Nick Snacks Trivia Quiz

All multiple choice along with some pictures to see if you can guess the nicknames of these baseball players. Good luck! :)

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>