The Pittsburgh Pirates! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Boston

The others listed had no teams in the American League in 1903. Pittsburgh ended the 1903 season with a 91-49 record, 6.5 games ahead of the second place New York Giants. The Boston Pilgrims/Americans finished out the season with a 91-47 record, finishing 14.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics.

The Pirates lost the World Series, five games to three. The Pirates' Deacon Phillippe won three games against two losses, but Boston had Bill Dinneen who won three games, combined with Cy Young's two wins for the first World Series title going to them.

Answer: 0

The team won 98 games in a season a few times, but never reached the 100-mark again after the 1909 season. The Pirates went through a bad time when they lost over 100 games in a season three consecutive times from 1952-1954. They turned that all around by winning the 1960 World Series against the Yankees, under the managerial helm of Danny Murtaugh.

Answer: Vernon Law

Law went 20-9 in the team's 1960 season, which saw them defeat the heavily-favored New York Yankees in the World Series. Law still finished sixth in the NL MVP voting in the season. Doug Drabek was the second Pirate to win the Cy Young award, winning it in 1990 with his 22-6 record.

Answer: Paul Waner

The others never played for the Pirates, and had no brothers in Major League baseball. Paul, nicknamed "Big Poison", rode the Pittsburgh outfield with brother Lloyd, nicknamed "Little Poison". Paul was also the 1934 NL MVP runner-up, losing to pitcher Dizzy Dean of the Cardinals who went 30-7 in the season.

The only major accomplishment that younger brother Lloyd had, was being a 1938 NL all-star.

Answer: Roy Face

The others never pitched for Pittsburgh. The Pirates just couldn't get a break in the 1959 season. Even with their other pitching great, Harvey Haddix, who went 12 perfect innings in a game, but never got credit for a perfect game recognized by Major League baseball, because he lost the game in the 13th inning.

The Pirates would go on to win the National League pennant in 1960, and win the World Series as a heavy underdog against the Yankees.

Answer: Louisville Colonels

After just existing in the National League, the team finished second behind the Brooklyn Superbas in 1900, then came together in 1901, winning the first NL pennant of Major League baseball. 1902 saw them win another National League crown, then in 1903, they appeared in the first World Series ever against Boston.

Answer: Detroit Tigers

The other teams were all National League teams. The Tigers, under the player-manager of Hughie Jennings, lost to the Cubs two consecutive times, then lost to the Pirates in 1909 for a third consecutive World Series loss. Even the great outfielders of Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford couldn't help Detroit to the promised land.

The Tigers finally won it all in 1935, winning four games to two against the Chicago Cubs. That team was led by Mickey Cochrane, Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer, Goose Goslin, Tommy Bridges, and Schoolboy Rowe.

The Tigers' next World Series win would come in 1945 against the Cubs again.

Answer: Bill Mazeroski

Except for Stargell who was inducted in 1988, the others weren't Pirates. Other than winning eight Gold Gloves, Bill led the league once in intentional walks, and that was it. His notoriety came for his walk-off home run in game seven of the 1960 World Series win over the Yankees.

Answer: Baltimore

In a close series going all the way, the Pirates won it four games to three. Willie Stargell won the series MVP for hitting three home runs, the only ones hit by Pittsburgh.

Answer: Honus Wagner

Traynor was the only other Pirate listed, and his induction came in 1948, the year that Babe Ruth died. Wagner was one of the first five inducted into the hall in 1936, along with Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, and Ty Cobb.