We all have fond memories of pop quizzes throughout school. So let's bring up good memories and quiz you on baseball. The timeframe for this quiz is 1871-2024, with a heavy lean toward pre-2000 questions.
A special thanks to baseball-reference.com for the answers to almost all the questions here. If you've never visited Baseball-Reference, you will find it is a treasure trove of information and memories.
No cheating and using Google, AI, Wikipedia, Bing, or any other source! Results will be posted here on Sunday.
1.) What major league team has the all-time worst one-season W-L record? (hint: it is not the 1962 New York Mets, they hold the modern-day record)
Answer:
The Cleveland Spiders' 1899 Season: In what might be the worst season in professional sports history, the Spiders finished with a record of 20-134. Their owners had purchased a second team and transferred all of Cleveland's good players to it, leaving the Spiders to flounder. They had to play most of their games on the road because no one would come to their home games.
2.) Who holds the record for Doubles in a career?
Tris Speaker's 792 Career Doubles: While home runs get the glory, Speaker's doubles record is a mark of incredible consistency and line-drive power.
Top 10 All-Time MLB Career Doubles Leaders
| Rk | Player | 2B | From | To | Age | G | PA | AB | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tris Speaker | 792 | 1907 | 1928 | 19-40 | 2789 | 12021 | 10195 | BOS, CLE, PHA, WSH |
| 2 | Pete Rose | 746 | 1963 | 1986 | 22-45 | 3562 | 15890 | 14053 | CIN, MON, PHI |
| 3 | Stan Musial | 725 | 1941 | 1963 | 20-42 | 3026 | 12721 | 10972 | STL |
| 4 | Ty Cobb | 724 | 1905 | 1928 | 18-41 | 3034 | 13103 | 11440 | DET, PHA |
| 5 | Albert Pujols | 686 | 2001 | 2022 | 21-42 | 3080 | 13041 | 11421 | LAA, LAD, STL |
| 6 | Craig Biggio | 668 | 1988 | 2007 | 22-41 | 2850 | 12504 | 10876 | HOU |
| 7 | George Brett | 665 | 1973 | 1993 | 20-40 | 2707 | 11625 | 10349 | KCR |
| 8 | Nap Lajoie | 657 | 1896 | 1916 | 21-41 | 2480 | 10471 | 9590 | CLE, PHA, PHI |
| 9 | Carl Yastrzemski | 646 | 1961 | 1983 | 21-43 | 3308 | 13992 | 11988 | BOS |
| 10 | Honus Wagner | 643 | 1897 | 1917 | 23-43 | 2794 | 11766 | 10439 | LOU, PIT |
3.) Which pitcher holds the infamous record of walking the most batters in his career?
Top 10 All-Time Career Leaders in Walks Issued (Pitchers)
| Rk | Player | BB | From | To | Age | IP | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolan Ryan | 2795 | 1966 | 1993 | 19-46 | 5386 | 324 | 292 |
| 2 | Steve Carlton | 1833 | 1965 | 1988 | 20-43 | 5217.2 | 329 | 244 |
| 3 | Phil Niekro | 1809 | 1964 | 1987 | 25-48 | 5404 | 318 | 274 |
| 4 | Early Wynn | 1775 | 1939 | 1963 | 19-43 | 4564 | 300 | 244 |
| 5 | Bob Feller | 1764 | 1936 | 1956 | 17-37 | 3827 | 266 | 162 |
| 6 | Bobo Newsom | 1732 | 1929 | 1953 | 21-45 | 3759.1 | 211 | 222 |
| 7 | Amos Rusie | 1707 | 1889 | 1901 | 18-30 | 3778.2 | 246 | 174 |
| 8 | Charlie Hough | 1665 | 1970 | 1994 | 22-46 | 3801.1 | 216 | 216 |
| 9 | Roger Clemens | 1580 | 1984 | 2007 | 21-44 | 4916.2 | 354 | 184 |
| 10 | Gus Weyhing | 1570 | 1887 | 1901 | 20-34 | 4337 | 264 | 232 |
4.) There have been 31 players who have appeared in a major league baseball game in four decades. Name Six (6).
MLB Players Who Have Played in Four Decades
| Rk | Player | Position | First Season | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim O'Rourke† | Outfielder | 1872 | 1904 |
| 2 | Dan Brouthers† | First baseman | 1879 | 1904 |
| 3 | Deacon McGuire | Catcher | 1884 | 1912 |
| 4 | Jack O'Connor | Catcher | 1887 | 1912 |
| 5 | Kid Gleason | Pitcher / Second baseman | 1888 | 1912 |
| 6 | Jack Ryan | Catcher | 1889 | 1913 |
| 7 | Nick Altrock | Pitcher | 1898 | 1933 |
| 8 | Eddie Collins† | Second baseman | 1906 | 1930 |
| 9 | Jack Quinn | Pitcher | 1909 | 1933 |
| 10 | Satchel Paige† | Pitcher | 1927 | 1965 |
| 11 | Bobo Newsom | Pitcher | 1929 | 1953 |
| 12 | Mickey Vernon | First baseman | 1939 | 1960 |
| 13 | Ted Williams† | Outfielder | 1939 | 1960 |
| 14 | Early Wynn† | Pitcher | 1939 | 1963 |
| 15 | Minnie Miñoso† | Outfielder | 1947 | 1980 |
| 16 | Willie Mays† | Outfielder | 1948 | 1973 |
| 17 | Jim Kaat† | Pitcher | 1959 | 1983 |
| 18 | Tim McCarver | Catcher | 1959 | 1980 |
| 19 | Willie McCovey† | First baseman | 1959 | 1980 |
| 20 | Nolan Ryan† | Pitcher | 1966 | 1993 |
| 21 | Bill Buckner | First baseman | 1969 | 1990 |
| 22 | Rick Dempsey | Catcher | 1969 | 1992 |
| 23 | Carlton Fisk† | Catcher | 1969 | 1993 |
| 24 | Jerry Reuss | Pitcher | 1969 | 1990 |
| 25 | Mike Morgan | Pitcher | 1978 | 2002 |
| 26 | Rickey Henderson† | Outfielder | 1979 | 2003 |
| 27 | Jesse Orosco | Pitcher | 1979 | 2003 |
| 28 | Tim Raines† | Outfielder | 1979 | 2002 |
| 29 | Jamie Moyer | Pitcher | 1986 | 2012 |
| 30 | Ken Griffey Jr.† | Outfielder | 1989 | 2010 |
| 31 | Omar Vizquel | Shortstop | 1989 | 2012 |
† Denotes a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
5.) What player holds the single-season record of receiving the most intentional walks (IBB)?
Answer:
Barry Bonds, 2004, San Francisco Giants = 120 IBB
6.) What team holds the single-season record of most runs scored in a nine-inning game? (note: The timeframe is 1901-2024)
Answer:
Most Runs in a Single Game (Modern Era): On August 22, 2007, the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 30-3.
7.) In our two-part series on the Chicago Cubs Dynasty in the early 1900s, we wrote about the Cubs' legendary double play combo of Tinker-Evers-Chance. Who was the fourth infielder who played the majority of games at 3B for the Cubs?
Answer:
Harry Steinfeldt 3B, Chicago Cubs. World Series Hero in the 1907 World Series.
8.) What American League baseball player suffered an eye injury that is connected to the change in major league baseball rules, where you have to wear a batting helmet?
Answer:
Tony Conigliaro, a Boston Red Sox outfielder eye injury, is widely credited with influencing major league baseball decision to mandate batting helmets with a flap. Pitcher Jack Hamilton of the at that time California Angels hit Conigliaro in the left eye with a fastball. Tony C, as he was called by many in Boston fans, suffered a serious eye injury. He missed the 1968 season recovering from the injury, and played two more seasons with Boston before ironically being traded to the Angels.
9.) Who is the only player to hit a walk-off grand slam in the World Series
Answer:
I thought about using a picture of this player but that would have made the question too easy.
Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the 10th inning of Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, Freeman hit a grand slam against the New York Yankees, marking the first time a World Series game had ever ended on a walk-off grand slam.
10. Who are the only four players to hit three home runs in a single World Series game?
Answer:
Babe Ruth (pictured above, who did it twice, in 1926 and 1928), Reggie Jackson (1977), Albert Pujols (2011), and Pablo Sandoval (2012).
11. Who is the first player to enter a MLB game as the designated hitter (DH)
Answer:
On April 6, 1973, at 1:53 p.m. Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees came to the plate versus the Boston Red Sox. That single at-bat assured Blomberg of baseball immortality.
12. This pitcher faced 20,421 batters during his career. Only 133 Hitters managed to work the count to 3-0. Who is this pitcher?
Answer:
Hall of Famer Greg Maddux faced 20,421 batters during his illustrious career. Only 133 Hitters managed to work the count to 3-0. (source: from multiple sources)