Baseball

Q.  What hide was first used to cover baseballs in 1975?

A.  Cowhide

Q.  What baseball announcer said Pope Paul VI's death "puts a damper on even a Yankees win"?

A.  Phil Rizzuto

Q.  What country's first U.S. major league baseball player was Chan-Ho Park?

A.  South Korea's

Q.  What song do baseball fans break into when Mitch Williams steps out of the bullpen?

A.  Wild Thing

Q.  Whose 1996 single to center, in his first regular season at-bat, was the first hit by a Red Sox pitcher in 24 years?

A.  Roger Clemens.

Q.  Who was the American League base-stealing champ for nine years in the 1980s?

A.  Rickey Henderson

Q.  Who was the winningest active major league baseball manage before he retired in 1996?

A.  Tommy Lasorda.

Q.  Which finger on a pitcher's throwing hand controls a curve ball and slider?

A.  The middle.

Q.  What former Negro League player is the only pitcher in the Hall of Fame with a losing major league record?

A.  Satchel Page

Q.  Who was the only pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts three times during the 1980s?

A.  Steve Carlton

Q.  What clan consisting of Ray, Bob and Bret became the first three-generation family to play major league baseball?

A.  The Boone Family.

Q.  Which two cities have the oldest stadiums in major league baseball?

A.  Boston and Detroit

Q.  What baseball team's games are announced on TV by Skip Carey?

A.  The Atlanta Braves.

Q.  What shortstop holds the major league records for games played, assists and double plays?

A.  Ozzie Smith

Q.  What pitcher's 1.12 ERA in 1968 is the lowest in the majors in post-World War II play?

A.  Bob Gibson's.

Q.  Who was the last American League baseballer to win the Triple Crown, in 1967?

A.  Car Yastrzemski.

Q.  What Pittsburgh Pirate had exactly 3,000 career hits before dying in a plane crash?

A.  Roberto Clemente.

Q.  What's the LCS to a baseball pennant winner?

A.  League Championship Series.

Q.  What was pitcher Dock Ellis the first major leaguer to wear in his on the field?

A.  Curlers.

Q.  How many seasons did Lou Gehrig play every inning of every game?

A.  One

Q.  Who set a major league record for the fewest errors by a shortstop, with three in 1990?

A.  Cal Ripkin Jr.

Q.  Who was the only major leaguer to play at least 500 games with each of four teams - Houston, Montréal, New York and Detroit?

A.  Rusty Staub

Q.  Which two cities have ballparks honoring Number 44 above the outfield fence?

A.  Atlanta and Milwaukee.

Q.  Who returned from a stint in Japan to pound 51 home runs in 1990?

A.  Cecil Fielder

Q.  Who was the only baseballer to lay over 500 games at each of five different positions?

A.  Pete Rose.

Q.  What former Yankee southpaw explained how to doctor a baseball in the 1977 article "Confessions of a Gunkball Artist"?

A.  Whitey Ford

Q.  Who has the most wins in Dodgers history-- Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax or Don Sutton?

A.  Don Sutton.

Q.  Who led the National League in ERA in each of his last five seasons, ending in 1966?

A.  Sandy Koufax.

Q.  What two Yankees were nearly traded to Milwaukee for pitcher Warren Spahn and slugger Hank Aaron in 1960?

A.  Whity Ford and Mickey Mantle.

Q.  What late, great Dodgers pitcher was known to fans as "Double D"?

A.  Don Drysdale.

Q.  What pitch does a batter face when Dwight Gooden throws his "yacker"?

A.  A curve ball.

Q.  What 50-year old minor league pitcher did 57,000 fans crowd the Orange Bowl to watch in 1956?

A.  Satchel Page.

Q.  What Nicaraguan-born baseballer was known as "Arriba!" to adoring Latin fans?

A.  Roberto Clemente.

Q.  What commissioner of baseball was named after a Civil War battle fought in Georgia?

A.  Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Q.  What homer hitter is known as "The Big Hurt"?

A.  Frank Thomas.

Q.  Who was the last graduate of the Negro Leagues to retire from major league baseball?

A.  Hank Aaron.

Q.  What 1995 World Series teams were both picketed by the American Indian Movement?

A.  The Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians.

Q.  How many home run titles did Roger Maris win?

A.  One

Q.  What catcher replaced Mel Allen as TV announcer for the Yankees in 1964?

A.  Joe Garagiola.

Q.  What two players are tied for second behind Ty Cobb in total career runs?

A.  Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

Q.  What major league baseball team has fans dubbed "Cheese Heads"?

A.  The Milwaukee Brewers.

Q.  What ballpark was Pete Rose playing in when he broke Ty Cobb's career hits record?

A.  Riverfront Stadium.

Q.  What major league baseball team did the Walt Disney Company assumee operational control of in 1996?

A.  The California Angels.

Q.  How many seasons saw Hank Aaron blast 50 or more homers?

A.  Zero.

Q.  Who holds the record for most innings pitched in a major league season?

A.  Cy Young.

Q.  What legendary manager explained: "You have to have a catcher. If you don't the pitch will roll all the way back to the screen"?

A.  Casey Stengel

Q.  What explosive base-stealer took a $2.75 million pay cut to play for the Kansas City Royals, in 1995?

A.  Vince Coleman.

Q.  What major league baseball team was forced to endure a 20-day road trip in 1996?

A.  The Atlanta Braves.

Q.  What Beantowner is second only to Pete Rose in total major league baseball games played?

A.  Carl Yastrzemski.

Q.  What's the most home runs hit by one player in a single major league game?

A.  Four.

Q.  What establishments were 90 percent of the viewers watching the first televised World Series from?

A.  Bars.

Q.  What did Babe Ruth, Rogers, Hornsby, Ted Williams and Willie Mays all do in their first major league at-bats?

A.  Strike out.

Q.  What former Giants star is the godfather of Barry Bonds?

A.  Willie Mays.

Q.  What governor was on hand at home plate to greet Hank Aaron when he broke Babes Ruth's home run record?

A.  Jimmy Carter.

Q.  What major league baseball team is sometimes dubbed "The Fish"?

A.  The Florida Marlins.

Q.  What American League baseball team plays home games in a stadium nicknamed " the Big A"?

A.  The California Angels.

Q.  What National Leaguer went longest between MVP seasons, winning in 1954 and 1965?

A.  Willie Mays.

Q.  How many intentional walks did Roger Maris, batting ahead of Micky Mantle, get in his 61 home run season in 1961?

A.  Zero.

Q.  What Cy Young Award winner continued to hurl for a prison team called the Detroit Dennys?

A.  Denny McLain.

Q.  What catcher, asked during spring training what his hat size was, answered: "I don't know. I'm not in shape yet"?

A.  Yogi Berra.

Q.  Who was the National League home run king in half the seeasons of the 1980's?

A.  Mike Schmidt.

Q.  What Phillies slugger, upon seeing Lake Michigan for the firs time, asked: "What ocean is that"?

A.  John Kruk

Q.  Who is the only pitcher to win the MVP two years in a row?

A.  Hal Newhouser of the Tigers in 1944-45

Q.  Who is the only pitcher to win six Cy Young Awards?

A.  Roger Clemens

Q.  What pitcher has won the ERA title the most times?

A.  Lefty Grove with 9

Q.  Who has allowed the most walks in their career?

A.  Nolan Ryan with 2,795.

Q.  Who has the most career home runs without ever being in a World Series?

A.  Ernie Banks, with 512 Home runs.

Q.  What father-and-son combo has the most career home runs?

A.  Bobby and Barry Bonds, with 332 for Bobby and 650 and counting for Barry.

Q.  Who was the first National Leaguer to hit 50 home runs in two consecutive seasons?

A.  Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both did it in 1998-1999

Q.  What was Babe Ruth's lifetime batting average?

A.  .342

Q.  Who is the only person to win the batting title in his first two full major league seasons?

A.  Tony Oliva of the Twins in 1964 and 1965

Q.  Who is the only pitcher to save three consecutive All Star games?

A.  Dennis Eckersley, 1989-91

Q.  Who hit into the most double plays in their career?

A.  Hank Aaron, with 328.

Q.  What Yankees manager explained: "In a short series good itching will always beat good hitting -- and vice versa"?

A.  Casey Stengel.

Q.  Who's major league baseball's career leader in total bases?

A.  Hank Aaron.

Q.  Who signed with the Yankees in 1980 for over twice the amount George Steinbrenner paid for the franchise?

A.  Dave Winfield.

Q.  What high-living Yankee slugger's roommate noted: "I don't room with him. I room with his suitcase"?

A.  Babe Ruth's.

Q.  What slugger received 900,000 letters in the first six months of 1974?

A.  Hank Aaron.

Q.  What pitcher has the most World Series victories

A.  Whitey Ford with 10

Q.  Who had the biggest drop in batting average from one season to the next?

A.  Norm Cash of the Tigers batted .361 in 1961 and .243 the next year.

Q.  What were the only two brothers to win the Cy Young Award

A.  Jim Perry with the Twins,in 1970 and Gaylord Perry with the Indians in 1972.

Q.  Who is the only pitcher with over 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks?

A.  Ferguson Jenkins

Q.  Which pitcher has the most wins without ever appearing in a World Series?

A.  Phil Niekro with 318 wins.

Q.  Who is the only pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP?

A.  Don Newcombe of the Dodgers

Q.  Who had the most hits in the 1990's?

A.  Mark Grace of the Cubs

Q.  What major league baseball team had an Internet home page in English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin in 1996?

A.  The Los Angeles Dodgers.

Q.  What baseball team has lost the World Series a record 12 times?

A.  The Dodgers.

Q.  Who has the best won-lost percentage of any pitcher with 15 or more wins against the New York Yankees?

A.  Babe Ruth.

Q.  Who was pitching when pitcher Joe Niekro smacked his only homer, in 1976?

A.  Phil Niekro.

Q.  What 60 year old gave up one hit in three innings of work against the Red Sox in 1965?

A.  Satchel Paige.

Q.  What pitcher set a record in 1977 for most walks in a post World War II season, with 201?

A.  Nolan Ryan.

Q.  Who did the Boston Bruins lose 18 straight playoff series to, form 1946 to 1987?

A.  The Montreal Canadians.

Q.  What did Phil Niekro throw six times in one 1979 game, including four in one inning, typing per game and per inning records?

A.  Wild pitches.

Q.  Who was baseball's acting commissioner during the infamous 1994-95 strike?

A.  Bud Selig.

Q.  What Baltimore hurler claimed the only thing manager Earl Weaver knew about pitching was that "he couldn't hit it"?

A.  Jim Palmer.

Q.  What Yankee pitcher threw his first no-hitter the night before hid dad had open-heart surgery, in 1996?

A.  Dwight Gooden.

Q.  What relief pitcher was nicknamed for the pet he kept while playing for the Pirates?

A.  "Goose" Gossage.

Q.  What major league baseball team started playing in Coors Stadium in 1995?

A.  The Colorado Rockies.

Q.  Who was the first Baltimore Oriole to be named American League MVP?

A.  Brooks Robinson.

Q.  What Atlanta Braves slugger do fans call "Crime Dog"?

A.  Fred McGriff.

Q.  What base did Babe Ruth touch for luck while running form the outfield between innings? A.  Second base. Q.  What Negro League home run king died less than three months before Jack? A.  Josh Gibson. Q.  What Cleveland Indians slugger nixed a five-year, $43-million contract offer in 1996? A.  Albert Belle. Q.  Whose ceremonial pitch to open the 1940 baseball season smashed into the camera lens of a Washington Post photographer? A.  Franklin D. Roosevelt's. Q.  Who homered in his third straight game on the day he beat Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games? A.  Cal Ripken Jr. Q.  What two Yankees did 17-year-old female Jackie Mitchell strike out successively in 1931? A.  Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Q.  What slow-footed catcher admitted he used to knock his hat off while running to first base to make it appear he was "really moving"? A.  Bob Uecker. Q.  What pitcher was taken out of his major league debut in the seventh inning for a pinch hitter named Duffy Lewis, in 1914? A.  Babe Ruth Q.  What did Chris Sabo shower the field with when his bat broke in a July 31,1996 game? A.  Cork. Q.  Whose record did Reggie Jackson tie when he spanked three home runs in a World Series game? A.  Babe Ruth's. Q.  What slugger did Boston name its third harbor tunnel after? A.  Ted Williams. Q.  What moniker did relief pitcher Jeff Reardon share with an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie? A.  The Terminator. Q.  What punctuation mark did baseball clown Max Patkin wear on the back of his jersey? A.  "?". Q.  Whose record of 59 did Babe Ruth break when he hit 60 homers in one season? A.  Babe Ruth's. Q.  What National League ballpark is known as the "Friendly Confines"? A.  Wrigley Field. Q.  What strikeout artist is nicknamed "The Big Unit"? A.  Randy Johnson. Q.  Who was Joe DiMaggio nearly traded to the Red Sox for in 1976? A.  Ted Williams. Q.  What two Players led the National League in stolen bases every year from 1981 to 1990? A.  Vince Coleman and Tim Raines. Q.  What left-handed baseball legend's statue in Baltimore mistakenly depicted him with a right-handed fielder's glove? A.  Babe Ruth's. Q.  What does Yogi Berra advise you to do when you come to a fork in the road? A.  Take it. Q.  What was installed in front of major league baseball fences in 1950? A.  A warning track. Q.  Whose number 4 was the first number ever retired in major league baseball, in 1939? A.  Lou Gerhig's. Q.  How many career grand slams did Frank Robinson swat besides the two he hit in consecutive at bats in 1970? A.  Zero. Q.  What baseball team retired the jerseys of Ken Boyer, Lou Brock and Dizzy Dean? A.  The Saint Louis Cardinals. Q.  What sports figure, when asked if he'd seen Dr. Zhivago, allegedly said: "No I feel fine"? A.  Yogi Berra. Q.  What former L.A. Dodgers southpaw autographed yarmulkes that fetched $75 each in 1995? A.  Sandy Koufax. Q.  Whose single-season strikeout record did Nolan Ryan beat by one? A.  Sandy Koufax's Q.  What 1995 change to Kansas City's stadium "smells like baseball" to Cal Ripken? A.  Natural grass.

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