The American League: 100 Years Quiz

Answer: Athletics

The Athletics from Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Oakland, won 100+ games in a season eight times. Their largest season total was 107 wins in 1931, which put them in the World Series. The Orioles and Tigers won 100+ in a season five times, and the Red Sox did it three times.

The rest of the league saw Cleveland do it twice, the White Sox, Royals, and Twins do it one time, while the rest of the league came up empty for the century mark.

Answer: Athletics

The Yankees compiled an amazing stat of winning the MVP 20% of the time. The Athletics won the MVP 11 times, the Red Sox 10, Tigers 9, and the Twins who flowered from the Washington Senators had 6. The Orioles also had 6.

Answer: Baltimore Orioles

The Cy Young Award began in 1956. The Orioles won the Cy Young six times. They were Mike Cuellar in 1969, Jim Palmer in 1973, 1975, and 1976, Mike Flanagan 1979, and Steve Stone in 1980. Boston's Pedro Martinez had 2, Roger Clemens 3, and Jim Lonborg had 1.

Answer: Indians

The Cleveland franchise began with the American League in 1901 as the Blues. 1902 saw them as the Bronchos, the Naps from 1903-1914, and finally the Indians in 1915.

Answer: Devil Rays

The Devil Rays played in only three seasons in the 100 years of the American League from 1998-2000. Fred McGriff batted .310 in 1999, but it was short of the .357 that Nomar Garciaparra of Boston took the title with.

Answer: Connie Mack

Mack won 3582 games with the Athletics of Philadelphia from 1901-1950. He took his team to nine World Series and won five. McCarthy won 2717 games, Stengel won 1851, and Huggins won 1796 with the Yankees.

Answer: Red Sox

The great Ted Williams won two and Carl Yastrzemski won the last Triple Crown of the 20th century. The Yankees had two with Lou Gehrig in 1934 and Mickey Mantle in 1956. The Mariners and White Sox didn't have any.

Answer: Athletics

The Athletics went to 14 World Series. They made six trips while in Oakland, and eight trips while their baggage was parked in Philadelphia. The Orioles went to seven, all but one while in Baltimore, and their first appearance as the St. Louis Browns in 1944. The Indians and White Sox franchises both went to five.

Answer: Royals

All the others had their share of 20-game losers, including the Yankees who had six. The Royals began their American League journey in 1969. The closest that the Royals came was in 1974 with Paul Splittorff going 13-19.

Answer: Red Sox

The Red Sox played one year longer at Fenway Park than the Detroit Tigers did at Tiger Stadium. Fenway Park in Boston opened in 1912. Yankee Stadium opened in 1923. The Indians played at Cleveland Stadium from 1931-1993.