The All-Time Baseball Roster Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This American Leaguer was selected as the team's catcher. Winning three MVP awards and going to more than five World Series, who is the Hall of Fame catcher on this all-time roster?

Answer: Yogi Berra

Although Bench of the Reds had 9 Gold Gloves at catcher to Yogi's none, Berra's catching days were pretty much over when Major League Baseball first awarded the Gold Glove in both leagues in 1958. Lombardi won a MVP with the Reds in 1938, and Fisk was a 1972 Rookie of the Year with the Red Sox. All the statistics (not just those shown) were pretty much offsetting for both Bench and Berra, but the fact that Yogi had all those top five MVP ballots, even with his star-studded Yankee team, carried him to this roster.
Seasons played: Bench 17, Berra 19, Fisk 24, Lombardi 17
Hits: Bench 2048, Berra 2150, Fisk 2356, Lombardi 1792
.300 seasons: Bench 1, Berra 3, Fisk 2, Lombardi 10
Career Avg: Bench .267, Berra .285, Fisk .269, Lombardi .306
Home runs: Bench 389, Berra 358, Fisk 376, Lombardi 190
RBIs: Bench 1376, Berra 1430, Fisk 1330, Lombardi 990
Season MVPs: Bench 2, Berra 3, Fisk 0, Lombardi 1
Top Five MVPs: Bench 4, Berra 7, Fisk 2, Lombardi 1
Rookie of Year: Bench yes, Berra no, Fisk yes, Lombardi no
Catching errors: Bench 97, Berra 110, Fisk 155, Lombardi 143
Top 10 Slugging: Bench 5, Berra 9, Fisk 4, Lombardi 8
World Series: Bench 4, Berra 14, Fisk 1, Lombardi 2

2. With room for only one pitcher on this all-time roster, I selected this left-hander who won 20+ games in a season 13 times in his career, including six consecutive seasons. He was a 14-time all-star and Cy Young winner. Who was this left-handed consistent pitcher throughout his career?

Answer: Warren Spahn

Ironically, Warren Spahn's number of wins, matched his number of career hits (363).
Seasons played: Carlton 24, Johnson 20, Koufax 12, Spahn 21
Top 3 Cy Young: Carlton 5, Johnson 9, Koufax 4, Spahn 5
Cy Young awards: Carlton 4, Johnson 5, Koufax 3, Spahn 1
20-win seasons: Carlton 6, Johnson 3, Koufax 3, Spahn 13
Strikeouts: Carlton 4136, Johnson 4544, Koufax 2396, Spahn 2583
Career wins: Carlton 329, Johnson 280, Koufax 165, Spahn 363
Batting average: Carlton .201, Johnson .127, Koufax .097, Spahn .194
Walks: Carlton 1833, Johnson 1409, Koufax 817, Spahn 1434
Hit by Pitch: Carlton 53, Johnson 178, Koufax 18, Spahn 42
ERA: Carlton 3.22, Johnson 3.22, Koufax 2.76, Spahn 3.09
Note that Randy Johnson was an active player in 2007, but close to retirement, therefore his stats may vary slightly. At any rate, Randy was not a consideration after comparing numerous other stats.

3. Selecting the first baseman on this all-time baseball roster was tough amongst these four greats. Who made this team that had the most hits, and batted over .300 the most times of this group?

Answer: Lou Gehrig

This was a tough one, but Gehrig of the Yankees and Foxx of the Athletics and Red Sox were head to head. It was Gehrig with fewer seasons played and his stats that were along with Jimmie Foxx.
Full seasons: Foxx 17, Gehrig 14, Killebrew 16, Terry 13
Games played: Foxx 2317, Gehrig 2164, Killebrew 2435, Terry 1721
Hits: Foxx 2646, Gehrig 2721, Killebrew 2086, Terry 2193
.300 seasons: Foxx 11, Gehrig 12, Killebrew 0, Terry 11
Home runs: Foxx 534, Gehrig 493, Killebrew 573, Terry 154
Top 10 on-base %: Foxx 12, Gehrig 12, Killebrew 9, Terry 6
Season MVP awards: Foxx 3, Gehrig 2, Killebrew 1, Terry 0
Top 5 batting avg: Foxx 8, Gehrig 10, Killebrew 1, Terry 8
RBI titles: Foxx 3, Gehrig 5, Killebrew 3, Terry 0
Extra base hits: Foxx 1117, Gehrig 1190, Killebrew 887, Terry 639
Note: The players' .300 stats and games played were based on the minimum number of at-bat requirements in a season to win a batting crown.

4. Selecting the all-time second baseman was fairly easily. Amongst other statistics, it went to which player that won seven batting crowns?

Answer: Rogers Hornsby

Hornsby made his name with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1920s, but made an impact with all five teams that he played with. Rogers was a 1942 hall inductee.
Seasons played:Hornsby 23, Lajoie 21, Mazeroski 17, Morgan 22
Hits: Hornsby 2930, Lajoie 3242, Mazeroski 2016, Morgan 2517
Batting titles:Hornsby 7, Lajoie 5, Mazeroski 0, Morgan 0
.300 seasons: Hornsby 14, Lajoie 13, Mazeroski 0, Morgan 2
Home runs: Hornsby 301, Lajoie 83, Mazeroski 138, Morgan 268
Season MVP: Hornsby 2, Lajoie 0, Mazeroski 0, Morgan 2
Triple Crown: Hornsby 2, Lajoie 1, Mazeroski 0, Morgan 0
Strikeouts: Hornsby 679, Lajoie incomp, Mazeroski 706, Morgan 1015
Note: The players' .300 stats are based on the minimum number of at-bat requirements in a season to win a batting crown.

5. At third base, the selection was narrowed down and close amongst these four greats, but comparing stats vs seasons played side by side, my favorite didn't make it. Selected was a player with a Gold Glove, was a Hall of Fame inductee, and strangely enough, never won a MVP award. Who was this player that wore the number 26 while winning his batting titles?

Answer: Wade Boggs

All third basemen came down to Robinson of the Orioles, Boggs of the Red Sox, Brett of the Royals, and Schmidt of the Phillies.
Seasons played: Boggs 18, Robinson 23, Schmidt 18, Brett 21
.300 seasons: Boggs 15, Robinson 2, Schmidt 1, Brett 11
Batting crowns: Boggs 5, Robinson 0, Schmidt 0, Brett 3
Season MVP: Boggs 0, Robinson 1, Schmidt 3, Brett 1
Hits: Boggs 3010, Robinson 2848, Schmidt 2234, Brett 3154
Home runs: Boggs 118, Robinson 268, Schmidt 548, Brett 317
Extra base hits: Boggs 757, Robinson 818, Schmidt 1015, Brett 1119
Strikeouts: Boggs 745, Robinson 990, Schmidt 1883, Brett 908
On-base pct: Boggs .415, Robinson n/a, Schmidt .390, Brett n/a
Errors: Boggs 229, Robinson 263, Schmidt 313, Brett 261

6. At shortstop was a player who won the most batting titles at this position. Who was this player who had the most hits of the four?

Answer: Honus Wagner

Wagner played for the Louisville Colonels for three seasons before they went defunct. He then, along with many other Colonels, joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900. He wore the Pirate uniform for another 18 seasons.
Seasons played: Appling 20, Banks 19, Ripken 21, Wagner 21
Batting titles: Appling 2, Banks 0, Ripken 0, Wagner 8
.300 seasons: Appling 13, Banks 2, Ripken 5, Wagner 16
Hits: Appling 2749, Banks 2583, Ripken 3184, Wagner 3415
Home runs: Appling 45, Banks 512, Ripken 431, Wagner 101
Season MVPs: Appling 0, Banks 2, Ripken 2, Wagner 0
Extra base hits: Appling 587, Banks 1009, Ripken 1078, Wagner 993
Runs batted in: Appling 1116, Banks 1636, Ripken 1695, Wagner 1732
Errors: Appling 643, Banks 80, Ripken 225, Wagner 676
Strikeouts: Appling 528, Banks 1236, Ripken 1305, Wagner 327
Note: The MVP award did not begin until 1911, 15 years into Wagner's baseball career. In addition, strikeout records did not begin until 1910, more than halfway through Wagner's career. Also, in baseball's early days, ballparks were not built for the home run ball. For instance, Pittsburgh's Exposition Park in 1901 was 400 feet from each foul line themselves. Most parks today, 400 feet is approximately the centerfield line, with some foul lines at 330 feet.

7. With a bevy of baseball immortals who have played in the outfield, this was an extremely difficult task, until taking 11 left fielding greats and comparing their accomplishments in their career side by side. Who was selected to the left position of this all-time Major League roster, and by coincidence only, also won a Triple Crown?

Answer: Ted Williams

Williams would have won more than his two MVP awards if it were not for his hatred of the media. Some instances of this was reflected in 1941, 1942, and 1947, when the MVP winner had lesser stats than Williams. Ted, of the Boston Red Sox, was the only one of the four to win a Triple Crown, and he did it twice. He retired with the highest on-base percentage in Major League history with his .482 in 1960. He took home a .344 career batting along with two MVPs and two Triple Crowns. He held his own even with many seasons missed due to war, compared to the others listed. He was a Hall of Fame inductee in 1966. He died in 2002.
Full seasons: Bonds 20, Musial 21, Rose 23, Williams 15
.300 seasons: Bonds 11, Musial 17, Rose 15, Williams 14
Top 5 MVP: Bonds 12, Musial 9, Rose 5, Williams 9
Batting crowns: Bonds 2, Musial 7, Rose 3, Williams 7
Career average: Bonds .299, Musial .331, Rose .303, Williams .344
Home runs: Bonds 700+, Musial 475, Rose 160, Williams 521
All-Star select: Bonds 13, Musial 20, Rose 17, Williams 17
Strikeouts: Bonds 1485+, Musial 696, Rose 1143, Williams 709
Led in on-base %: Bonds 9, Musial 6, Rose 2, Williams 13
Errors: Bonds 93, Musial 64, Rose 24, Williams 113
Note: Barry Bonds was an active player in 2007 and was close to retirement. Any future stats of his would have had no bearing on the selection of Williams after comparing *all* the stats. It came down to Williams and Stan Musial of the Cardinals.

8. The top centerfield position was narrowed down to four from 17 greats. This sole selection played for more than one team, and hit over .300 more than 15 times in his career. Who is this centerfielder?

Answer: Ty Cobb

Cobb hit over .400 three times in his career also, including .420 in 1911, the season that he won the MVP award.
Seasons played: Cobb 24, DiMaggio 13, Mays 22, Mantle 18
.300 seasons*: Cobb 23, DiMaggio 11, Mays 10, Mantle 9
Career average: Cobb .366, DiMaggio .325, Mays .302, Mantle .298
Batting crowns: Cobb 11, DiMaggio 2, Mays 1, Mantle 1
Home runs: Cobb 117, DiMaggio 361, Mays 660, Mantle 536
Extra base hits: Cobb 1136, DiMaggio 881, Mays 1323, Mantle 952
Led in slugging %: Cobb 8, DiMaggio 2, Mays 5, Mantle 4
Stolen bases: Cobb 892, DiMaggio 30, Mays 338, Mantle 153 Strikeouts: Cobb 357*, DiMaggio 369, Mays 1526, Mantle 1710
Errors: Cobb 271, DiMaggio 105, Mays 141, Mantle 82
*Strikeouts were not a record until Cobb's ninth season.
**Number of .300 seasons were limited to those number of at-bats that qualified for a season batting title.

9. The right fielder on this all-time team was one who won only one MVP, went to more than five World Series, played with more than two teams in his career, and hit .300 in a season more times than the others. Which Hall of Fame right fielder is this that was narrowed down from 23 others?

Answer: Babe Ruth

Both Jackson and Robinson went to five World Series, while Aaron saw two. All except Aaron played with more than two teams, but it was the number of .300 seasons that set Ruth apart in the question.
Seasons played: Aaron 23, Jackson 21, Robinson 21, Ruth 22
.300 seasons: Aaron 14, Jackson 1, Robinson 9, Ruth 17
Batting crowns: Aaron 2, Jackson 0, Robinson 1, Ruth 1
Career average: Aaron .305, Jackson .262, Robinson .294, Ruth .342
Home runs: Aaron 755, Jackson 563, Robinson 586, Ruth 714
Hits: Aaron 3771, Jackson 2584, Robinson 2943, Ruth 2873
Led in slugging %: Aaron 4, Jackson 3, Robinson 4, Ruth 13
Extra base hits: Aaron 1477, Jackson 1075, Robinson 1186, Ruth 1356
Strikeouts: Aaron 1383, Jackson 2597, Robinson 1532, Ruth 1330
Errors: Aaron 117, Jackson 142, Robinson 68, Ruth 155
Note: The above are only a few statistics that led to the selection of Babe Ruth. His off-field antics were not allowed to be factored in.

10. This designated hitter and final spot for this all-time roster is someone that played on only one team in his career, and had the highest career average of the four. Who is this 20-season player that was narrowed down from 52 other greats?

Answer: Tony Gwynn

Gwynn played his entire career for the San Diego Padres from 1982-2001. Tony was normally a right fielder. The Hall of Fame took him in 2007.
Season played: Gwynn 20, Henderson 25, Murray 21, Williams 18
Career avg: Gwynn .338, Henderson .279, Murray .287, Williams .290
.300 seasons: Gwynn 18, Henderson 7, Murray 7, Williams 5
Batting crown: Gwynn 8, Henderson 0, Murray 0, Williams 1
Home runs: Gwynn 135, Henderson 297, Murray 504, Williams 426
Stolen bases: Gwynn 319, Henderson 1406, Murray 110, Williams 90
Top 10 MVP: Gwynn 7, Henderson 6, Murray 8, Williams 3
Ex. base hits: Gwynn 763, Henderson 873, Murray 1099, Williams 948
Note: .300 season were based on the minimum number of at-bats to qualify for a batting crown.

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.

Nightmare's All-Time Baseball Roster: After dissecting the greatests of them all, this is my "A" team by position. Many more stat categories than the info shows was compiled for these selections. Whether you agree or not, these are the deal! :-)

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