Baseball Trivia
 

It's that time of year again and Baseball is back. Even with the Evil Empire, hope springs eternal. So I thought what better way to celebrate than to have some Baseball Trivia.

Rules are same as music trivia............. no googling please and when you answer correctly you ask next question.

First question.........

1970 All Star game........... Pete Rose makes the famous dash to home and takes out the catcher........... who was the catcher and what team did he play for?

Ray Fosse, Cleveland Indians.

When the National League went from 12 to 8 teams in 1900, what four cities were cut?

Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, Cleveland Something or Others, and The team from somewhere I can't think of right now. I want to say it was another team in Cincinatti but I don't think so.

C'mon help a brother out.

You're close with Cincinnati...just slightly south and further west.

The Louisville Colonels. Oh and the other team was the Cleveland Spiders. I wish I could say I had gotten that myself but a little help from the mighty turtle was needed. Ok here's mine:

Who was the last National League Pitcher to win the MVP award?

Bob Gibson, 1968

WHo has the career record for most hit-batsmen?

It's Walter Johnson. I remember because Randy Johnson is the active leader in that category and during a game I was watching last year they had a big discussion about it.


Along those same lines:

NExt question.

Among ACTIVE Players, who is the career leader for being Hit-By-Pitches?

Craig Biggio?

Biggio it is.

Go ahead and ask...

Ok, Who is the only player in MLB to have been given a special placement in the HOF? (He didn't have to wait the 5 year retirement rule)

Roberto Clemente.

What was special about his last major-league at bat?

Did he homer in his last at-bat?

If I was correct...

What single digit numbers are NOT retired by the New York Yankees and who still wears them?


If I was wrong....never mind.

No, something else.

Hint: major career milestone (look at his career stats)

it was his 3000th hit

What is so special about Don Mattingly's 2001st career hit?

Actually DJ I was thinking Gerhig because they wanted him in the Hall before he died (he was put in the year he retired 1939. Clemente was also put in before the 5 years, but he was elected with special ballot.

I appologize for phrasing the question wrong.

Just wanted to clarify.

His first ever pinch hit home run?
Will wait for confirmation before asking my question.

yep.

Awesome. OK, try this:

In rare occurences, pitchers strike out 4 batter in one inning, due to WP, PB, etc. Who is the only batter to have have twice in his career been the 4th strikeout in an inning?

All right I'll give it a stab. Jose Canseco, only because he is enough of a dumbass to let something happen like this.

Lol............ Cliffy if it goes till 6PM today you can ask a question we'll have a stumper.

Ack tough one. I know Sasaki struck out 4 in an inning last year... but I can't remember who it was (the 4th K). I have feeling he's the man.

No dice, guys. OK, starting with the subtle hints:
He played for the Cubs for most of his career and retired within the past 10 years.

Sandberg?

Mark Grace?

Yes! Good job.

wow it was the clue.

Ok with Marge dying today, may she rest in peace, let's have a Cincinatti Reds question.

Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton were dubbed what in the Reds Bullpen? (very easy question but it is in memory of Marge.)

The "Nasty Boys".

Another lobber: After her dog Schottzie died, what did she very creatively name her next dog?

Nottzie?

Schottzie II

fuckin' hilarious, if that's original, take a bow!

The mailman got it.

That's sweet. Well done....if it's not yours, don't tell me--I don't want to ruin it.

It's been over 24 hours so here's the next question to keep the thread going.........

Who was the first Yankee to have his Number retired and what number was it?

Babe Ruth, #3?

or

Lou Gehrig, #4?

Which one?

Gehrig, #4.

Very Good. You're up, watch the runner make your pitch

What is special about Joe Nuxhull?

He was the youngest ever MLB player. At the ripe old age of 16.

Actually, he was 15, but you're right.

What 2 hall of famers were on the 1919 Black sox team? One was a 2B and 1 was a C.

I know the 2b was Eddie Collins, but I have no clue about the catcher.

2B is correct if noone answers with both by tomorrow it's your save and pitch.

My guess was going to be Eddie Ciccotte (sp?) but he was a pitcher and I think he was banned too.... I searched and found the right answer, but that's cheating.... I never even heard of the other catcher guy.

Ray Schalk was their catcher, but did he make the Hall of Fame???

You're right JoeyB. You can go ahead and ask.

Yes Ray and Eddie. Theywere the 2. Ray was like a Carlton Fisk type. Not powerful, but a hard nosed player and one that in his day was looked upon as one of the best.

Who is the only pitcher to win a World Series game in 3 different decades???

Mr. Underwear Model himself...Jim Palmer.

The Baltimore Orioles used to be the St. Louis Browns, but moved in 1954. Before they were the Browns, what other city did the franchise call home?

Cleveland Spiders?

Nope

This is a weird one, but I believe the Milwaukee Brewers.

Ding ding ding...

Brewers? Wow, I certainly didn't know that. I know Baltimore used to be a minor league team... is that what Milwaukee used to be as well?

Yay, got one, so here's another:

Pete Gray played only one year of professional baseball, in 1945 with the St. Louis Browns. He played in 77 games, had a .218 Batting Average, scored 26 runs, and had 13 RBI's.

With stats that poor, why is he a memorable baseball player?

They were a minor league team, like the Orioles, for a while before the Braves moved there in '53. However, when the AL became a major league in 1901, the Brewers were a major league team. The next season, however, they moved to St. Louis, and 50 years later, to Baltimore.

He had only one arm. One of the unsung heros of the game.

Ok it has been well over the 24 hr time period so we'll continue

Everyone knows Cleveland's baseball team was named the Spiders, the Naps and of course the Indians............... What was their very first name?

Correct.

Cleveland Forest Citys, I believe. There were two teams with that name in the original NL.

And since I answered the Pete Gray question...

The Yankees have the most world championships of any baseball team. What team is second, and how many?

Dodgers......10

No...they only have six.

EDIT: I just checked, and found potentially two answers, one AL and one NL, so give me one.

And I ment World Series, so nothing before 1903 counts.

St Louis Cardinals I believe 12 not sure on total, then the Dodgers, and then I believe my beloved REDS with 4 (40,75,76 and 90)

by the way Forest City Spiders is right good answer

edited because I am a dunce and forgot 1919 but can't count that because it was fixed. I kept looking and realized something was wrong

What about the Giants?

This would be so much easier if I could just do a search!!!

Hint: I used BaseballReference.com and just eyeballed, and found two answers. I'll check there again, because something seems to be adding wrong.

Just checked MLB.com, and the answers I thought are right, but as another hint and as assistance, one team did it in two cities.

I'm pretty sure it is the Cards but if it's a 2 city team then it could be the Philly/Oakland A's with 9. I thought you wanted single city

I was going by franchise, and I'm really wondering why MLB.com split the Athletics up 5 and 4 instead of 9.

You got them both, so ask away.

Ed Delahanty was a great balkl player at the turn of last century. But he met his demise in a very weird way, how did he die?

He got kicked off his team (Philadelphia I believe) during a road trip in Detroit, and while taking the train home through Canada, got drunk and was kicked off right before the border. He chased the train and fell through the railroad bridge over the Niagra River.

One of my favorite stories :cool:

Good answer. Yes it is a great story.

There are several players who played in both the major leagues and the NBA. Name one.

Danny Ainge

Correct.

Dave Debushcere (sp?)

I know it's already answered, but don't the Blue Jays have a pitcher who played briefly?? I think his name is Mark Hendrickson.

He got traded to Tampa, but I think you may be right.

Pan6467 got it right first, though.

Ok here goes.......... who was awarded what we now call Free Agency first and what is special about him?

(I'm thinking of who won the court case in the '70's that allowed him to void his "lifetime contract")

Two guys won the court case: Dave McNally and the guy you are referring to, Andy Messersmith.

And yes, he then went and signed a "lifetime" contract with the Braves :D

Close.

I was thinking Curt Flood, and the special thing is he was awarded his free agency yet never played a game afterward.

But looking it up he didn't win the case, but was still awarded FA.

so again technically you are right with McNally and Messersmith.

Curt Flood lost his case. He wasn't really granted FA, I don't think, just that he was blacklisted and no one would take him.

As for my question:

Burleigh Grimes was a very good pitcher in the teens and '20s, and was eventually elected to the Hall of Fame. What was the one thing that made him special when he retired in 1934?

Was he one of the guys who was exempt from the spitball ban? Not sure what this has to do with his retirement specifically...

You're close, and yes, it has to do with what he was at his retirement.

OK...was he one of the last pitchers exempt from the rule? Or the last?

There you go. Last pitcher legally allowed to throw spitballs and other similar pitches.

OK this seems like it might be a little difficult to word correctly, so if it's not clear let me know.
Of all the players to ever win a League MVP Award, whose team had the worst winning percentage of them all?

Example:
In 2005, Player X wins the AL MVP and his team finishes with a .606 percentage.
In 2006, Player Y wins the NL MVP and his team finishes with a .540 percentage.
The answer in this example would be Player Y.

Specifying the correct year would be a big bonus. If you can pinpoint the percentage, well, you're cheating or you're God. Good luck.

Andre Dawson with the Cubs.....

I'll add that the year was 1987.

I wanna say either Ripken in the year he hit 34 hrs or Arod this past year.

I just looked up the answer, so I won't say it unless no one else gets it (hint...someone on here was right).

I stand by my Dawson choice......

Bingo. Good call.

Should there be another question here??

Um....the answer is Bake McBride.

OK

who was the founder of sporting goods company that played professional baseball and what team did he play for?

Al Spalding, Chicago White Stockings.

Very good. Damn I was hoping this would be hard.

I think Wilson played also but not sure been trying to find info.

You're pitch DJ.

What was special about the All-Star Games between 1959 and 1962?

They were doubleheaders.