Nick the Match or Match the Nick Quiz

Answer: Thurman Munson

Munson was the catcher and captain of the New York Yankees. He began in the pinstripes in 1969. His MVP Award came in 1976 ahead of George Brett and Mickey Rivers. He helped the Yankees get to three World Series with two crowns. Thurman was killed in a plane crash on August 2 at Canton-Akron airport.

Answer: Lloyd Waner

Lloyd was the younger brother of Hall of Fame great Paul Waner. Lloyd joined the Pirates in 1927, one year after Paul did and they shared the Pittsburgh outfield together. Paul left the Pirates in 1940, then Lloyd in 1941. Their careers saw Lloyd batting .316 while hitting 27 home runs. Paul batted .333 while hitting 113 home runs.

Answer: Steve Carlton

After playing for the Cardinals for seven seasons, St. Louis traded Steve to the Phillies prior to the 1972 season for Rick Wise. Carlton showed what the Cardinals lost when he threw a Triple Crown and won the Cy Young Award in 1972. The following season he fell off and went 13-20. Steve would go on to win another Cy Young in 1977, another in 1980, and a fourth in 1982.

Answer: Brooks Robinson

Robinson was one of those long term players that spent his entire career with only one team. Beginning his career in 1955 with the Orioles, he won the American League MVP in 1964. After his rookie season of playing in only six games, Brooks had a fielding percentage of over .900 in every single season throughout his entire career, a tremendous accomplishment for a third baseman.

Answer: Orel Hershiser

Hershiser was a Dodger rookie in 1983. It was the 1988 season that he owned by winning the awards. Going 23-8, he propelled the Dodgers to a World Series win over the Athletics. He would later make two more World Series appearances with the Indians but lost them both. After playing with two other teams, he would come back to the Dodgers in 2000 where he retired.

Answer: Carl Mays

It was August 16, 1920 when the incident occurred. Cleveland Indian shortstop Ray Chapman was at the plate when Mays of the Yankees hit him in the head with a pitch in the 111th game of the season. Chapman died the next day. The Indians would go on to win the game 4-3 after replacing Chapman with Harry Lunte.

The Indians would also go on to win the World Series against the Brooklyn Robins. Mays finished the season with a 26-11 record, then followed that up by going 27-9 in 1921.

Answer: Walter Alston

Alston was a St. Louis Cardinal in 1936 as a replacement first baseman. After striking out at the plate, at first base he had one put-out and committed one error. That was it for his playing career. What Smokey is known for is guiding the Dodgers as manager from 1954-1976.

He helmed the team to their first-ever World Series crown in 1955. He would take the Dodgers to five more National League titles along with three more World Series rings. Alston was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 1983, then died a year later.

Answer: Earl Combs

This outfielder played for the same team throughout 12 seasons and retired. Nicknamed "The Kentucky Colonel", he went to four World Series with that team.

Answer: Orlando Cepeda

Cepeda was a rookie Giant in 1958. He made a World Series appearance against the Yankees but lost in 1962. Midseason 1966, the Giants traded this first baseman to the Cardinals for pitcher Ray Sadecki. With the Cardinals, Cepeda appeared in two more World Series while winning one. Later in his career he found another World Series with the Braves but lost. Orlando's MVP came in 1967 over Cardinal teammate Tim McCarver and Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente.

Answer: Jim Palmer

Palmer was a career Baltimore Oriole from 1965-1984. Eight times in his career Jim won 20+ games in a season. His Cy Youngs came in 1973, 1975, and 1976. His 1973 award came by defeating California Angel Nolan Ryan in the balloting along with Oakland's Jim "Catfish" Hunter.

It was Ryan's closest shot at the Cy Young Award in his career. Palmer was an easy induction into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, showing up on 411 of 444 ballots.