Total Baseball Obscurity Trivia Quiz

Answer: Philadelphia Athletics

The others appeared only in the 1875 season in the National Association, but folded shortly after the season began. The Centennials lasted only two games, the Red Stockings lasted four, and the New Haven Elm Citys pulled out after only seven games. In the first season of the National Association in 1871, with pitcher-manager Dick McBride, the Athletics won the NA title with a 21-7 record.

The 26-year old McBride pitched in 25 of those games.

Answer: Indianapolis Hoosiers

The others listed all existed in the 1914 Federal League. The Hoosiers only lasted for one season, then after winning the title became the Newark Pepper, who finished fifth in 1915. The Hoosiers went 88-65, 1.5 games ahead of the Chicago Chi-Feds. Indianapolis was led by third baseman Bill McKechnie, who also played in the Major Leagues, and also managed into the 1940s.

Answer: Charley Radbourn

None of the others had started their professional baseball careers yet. Radbourn was in his fourth of 11 seasons when he went 59-12 with 441 strikeouts. Charley appeared in 75 games in the season, which was not that uncommon in those days. He retired in 1891 and was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1939.

Answer: National Association

The Kekiongas appeared in only one season in the NA in 1871. They folded after they went 7-12 in the season. 19-year old Bobby Mathews pitched every game for Fort Wayne, then went on to other teams and won 20+ games eight times in his 15-season career.

Answer: Al Spalding

The other pitching greats would not start their careers for another 20 years. Al Spalding was also the manager of the team which won the pennant with a 52-14 record. Their 24-year old third baseman was a kid named Cap Anson.

Answer: Boston Reds

All the others were teams in the Players League in 1890, the only year of the league's existence. The Reds won the title with a 81-48 record, led by the arm of Charley Radbourn who won 27 games, and first baseman Dan Brouthers who batted .330.

Answer: St. Paul Apostles

These were all rostered teams in the league in 1884, the only year of the league's existence. The Apostles' players average age was 23. The St. Louis Maroons won the league championship with a 94-19 record.

Answer: Philadelphia Athletics

The other teams did exist in the National League in the league's early years. After playing for five years in the National Association from 1871-1875, and winning the NA's pennant in 1871, the Athletics jumped over to the National League of eight teams in the league's inaugural season of 1876.

The Athletics went 14-45 and finished a miserable seventh place. This was their only season in the National League. The team reemerged in the Players League in 1890. This team was not associated with the company-owned Philadelphia Athletics of the American League, which started its franchise in 1901.

Answer: Cincinnati Red Stockings

The other teams played in the American Association, but not in 1882. Contrary to belief, this Red Stockings team was not the same Cincinnati Reds that played in the National League from 1876-1880. That team went defunct. This Red Stockings team was the franchise that moved into the National League in 1890 named the Reds, and continued their team play throughout the 20th century as the Cincinnati Reds.

The team played in the American Association from 1882-1889.

Answer: Fred Dunlap

The others listed played for the 1884 Union Association champions St. Louis Maroons. Dunlap, the team's second baseman and pitcher, hit 13 of the team's 32 home runs in the season. After 12 seasons, Dunlap retired in 1891 with the Washington Statesman of the American Association.