The Big Challenge Trivia Quiz

Answer: Christy Mathewson

In his Hall of Fame career, Mathewson won 20+ games in each season from 1903-1914 for the New York Giants. If not for winning only 14 games in 1902, Christy could have strung together 14 consecutive seasons of winning 20+ as he went 20-17 in 1901. He retired after pitching in only one game with the Reds in 1916, taking his final win total to 373. Spahn was a pitcher for the Braves and ran off two consecutive streaks of six 20+ win seasons. Warren could have run both those streaks together into 13 straight seasons, had it not been for his 1955 season of going 17-14.

The great Cy Young had a streak of nine 20-win seasons. Welch didn't win 20+ in more than seven consecutive seasons in his career.

Answer: Memorial Coliseum

The Dodgers played their first four seasons at the Memorial Coliseum before moving into Dodger Stadium (Chavez Ravine) in 1962. The Dodgers set Major League Baseball attendance records in each of those four seasons. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was built in 1923, and when the Dodgers moved into it in 1958, it had a capacity of 93,000.

The new 1962 Dodger Stadium held 56,000 fans, and the Dodgers once again finished first for attendance in the National League in 1962.

Answer: Jim "Mudcat" Grant

Grant was a Minnesota Twin in 1965 when he went 21-7, helping the Twins to make an appearance in the World Series against the Dodgers. He was presented the 1965 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year Award for his efforts. Paige never won 20 games in a season, and Jones was a 20-game winner once with the Giants. Newcombe was most noted as a Dodger pitcher by going 27-6 in 1956, but never won more than two games in the American League.

Answer: Roy Campanella

Foxx wore the 26 for the Cubs in 1944, one season before he retired. Other numbers that Jimmie wore was 1, 2, 3, 4, and 16. The Cubs retired the number 26 of Hall of Famer Billy Williams in 1987. Klein wore the number 26 with the Cubs. Even the Angels retired the number 26 in honor of owner Gene Autry. Campanella wore both the numbers 33 and 39 for the Dodgers, before an auto accident ended his career in 1957.

Answer: Jack Graney

Ruth went 2-1 in 1914 over 23 innings in four games. He followed that up with 18-8, 23-12, and 24-13 records in the following three seasons. Graney was a Cleveland Indian left fielder in 1914 when he faced the first-ever pitch by Babde Ruth. The Babe's last pitching appearance was for the Yankees in 1933. Ruth pitched in over 1200 innings in his career, yet gave up only a meager 10 home runs, which averaged only one in every 13.3 games, not innings, but games over his career. Graney would later become the radio voice of the Indians for more than 20 years.

Answer: Mordecai Brown

Both Dinneen of the Boston Americans and Phillippe of the Pittsburgh Pirates both won three games each in the first-ever World Series in 1903. Mordecai Brown of the Chicago Cubs won four of his own with the Cubs, going to three consecutive World Series from 1906-1908.

His fifth victory came in 1910 against the Philadelphia Athletics. Mathewson of the Giants later went 5-5 in World Series competition.

Answer: Paul Wanninger

Gehrig's streak began on June 1, 1925, when he pinch-hit for shortstop Wanninger. The following day was a fluke, and Gehrig started the game only because first baseman Wally Pipp was hit in the head prior to the game during batting practice. Lou's streak, really before it got off the ground was in jeopardy a month later. Gehrig was not scheduled to play, and had to enter the game in the ninth inning to replace Fred Merkle at first base after Fred fainted. Lou's streak almost had another detour when he was beaned in a game in 1934, but bounced back as a pinch-runner in the next game.

His streak ended on May 2, 1939. Gehrig died two years later.

Answer: Amos Otis

While Schmidt batted .381 with two home runs, the Royals' Amos Otis batted .478 with three home runs including two doubles. Four Kansas City Royal players had as many hits or more than Schmidt, but would lose the series MVP to the Phillies third baseman. The Phillies won the series four games to two.

Answer: Leon Cadore

On May 1, 1920, the Brooklyn Robins (later Dodgers) were hosted by the Boston Braves at Braves Field with Joe Oeschger on the mound. The game went 26 innings, and the 4500 fans in attendance got their money's worth for sure. However, the game ended in a 1-1 tie after almost four hours.

The Robins scored their only run in the fifth inning, then the Braves in the sixth. That was it. Both pitchers went the distance, and Cadore even went 0-for-10 at the plate himself. Cadore and Oeschger both struck out seven batters each in the 26 innings.

Answer: Ken Williams

Williams was a member of the dismal St. Louis Browns of the American League in 1922. He hit 39 home runs and stole 37 bases in the season. It was his only 30 home run season, and also his only 30 stolen base season in his career. It was the only time that he led the league in home runs, while Babe Ruth finished the season with 35 behind him and the Athletics' Tillie Walker who hit 37. Mays became a member of the 30/30 Club in 1956 with the Giants. Hornsby and Gehrig never stole 30 bases in a season.