Ned Garver, who pitched for the St. Louis Browns when they drew few fans, said, “The crowd didn’t dare boo us. The players had them outnumbered.” Don’t get booed, get busy identifying:
1. The American League pitcher who won 20 games while his team was losing 102.
A. Hollis “Sloppy” Thurston
B. Roger Clemens
C. Nolan Ryan
D. Ned Garver
2. The Browns’ only MVP.
A. Heinie Manush, 1928
B. George Sisler, 1922
C. Rube Waddell, 1908
D. Urban Shocker, 1918
3. The pitcher with the highest ERA (5.08) in a 20-win season.
A. Bobo Newsom, 1938
B. Warren Spahn, 1956
C. Bob Forsch, 1977
D. Grover Alexander, 1914
4. The Hall of Fame pitcher who surrendered a record 46 home runs in a season.
A. Luis Tiant, 1966
B. Tim Wakefield, 2004
C. Denny McLain, 1971
D. Robin Roberts, 1956
5. The pitcher who induced the most double plays.
A. Jim Kaat
B. Ferguson Jenkins
C. Tommy John
D. Phil Niekro
6. The second baseman who turned a single-season record 161 double plays.
A. Joe Morgan
B. Bill Mazeroski
C. Nap Lajoie
D. Jackie Robinson
7. The pitcher who averaged 354 strikeouts through four seasons, 1999-2002.
A. Curt Schilling
B. Randy Johnson
C. Pedro Martinez
D. Greg Maddux
8. He holds the AL season record for assists.
A. Cal Ripken Jr.
B. Derek Jeter
C. Sandy Alomar
D. Zoilo Versalles
9. The Cleveland Indian who led the AL in homers and RBI when they won a record 111 games in a 154-game season.
A. Vic Wertz
B. Al Smith
C. Larry Doby
D. Wally Westlake
10. The two Hall of Famers since World War II with 600 doubles, 100 triples, 100 homers and 100 stolen bases.
A. Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente
B. Paul Molitor, George Brett
C. Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson
D. Stan Musial, Willie Mays
11. The pitcher who led the majors in strikeouts in 1968, the “year of the pitcher.”
A. Sam McDowell
B. Juan Marichal
C. Bob Gibson
D. Don Drysdale
12. The most recent Hall of Fame pitcher with more than 3,000 innings and an ERA under 3.00.
A. Orel Hershiser
B. Steve Carlton
C. Catfish Hunter
D. Tom Seaver
13. The most recent 300-win pitcher.
A. Tom Glavine, 2007
B. Randy Johnson, 2009
C. Roger Clemens, 2003
D. Don Sutton, 1986
14. The two players who hit 30 or more homers with five different teams.
A. Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff
B. Alfonso Soriano, Jose Canseco
C. Jim Thome, Alex Rodriguez
D. Goose Goslin, Jimmie Foxx
15. The NL and AL pitchers with the lowest career World Series ERAs.
A. Sandy Koufax, Whitey Ford
B. Chris Carpenter, Jack Morris
C. David Cone, Cy Young
D. Madison Bumgarner, Babe Ruth
16. The two shortstops with 16 double-digit home run seasons.
A. Honus Wagner, Ernie Banks
B. Luke Appling, Alan Trammell
C. Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter
D. Barry Larkin, Robin Yount
17. He wore No. 44 and hit 44 homers four times.
A. Reggie Jackson
B. Sammy Sosa
C. Henry Aaron
D. Harmon Killebrew
18. The youngest pitcher to have a 20-win season.
A. Dwight Gooden
B. Kerry Wood
C. Walter Johnson
D. Bob Feller
19. The two who hit over .400 in 1922 but did not have MLB’s highest average.
A. Joe Wood, Wally Pipp
B. Tris Speaker, Casey Stengel
C. Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby
D. Lew Fonseca, Frankie Frisch
20. The most recent player to have a 200-hit season in each league.
A. Bill Buckner, 1982 Chicago Cubs, 1985 Boston Red Sox
B. Vladimir Guerrero, 2002 Montreal Expos, 2006 Los Angeles Angels
C. Ichiro Suzuki, 2010 Seattle Mariners, 2015 Miami Marlins
D. Frank Robinson, 1962 Cincinnati Reds, 1968 Baltimore Orioles
21. He pitched a record 16 shutouts in 1916.
A. Walter Johnson
B. Babe Ruth
C. Dutch Leonard
D. Grover Alexander
22. He pitched no-hitters 18 seasons apart.
A. Gaylord Perry
B. Nolan Ryan
C. Tommy John
D. Jim Kaat
23. The youngest Cy Young Award winner.
A. Clayton Kershaw
B. Vida Blue
C. Dean Chance
D. Dwight Gooden
24. The four first basemen to win back-to-back MVP awards.
A. Jimmie Foxx, Frank Thomas, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera
B. Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols
C. Lou Gehrig, Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey, Albert Pujols
D. Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols
25. The largest player (height, weight) to win a batting title.
A. Boog Powell
B. Frank Thomas
C. Barry Bonds
D. Willie McCovey
26. The only player to hit .300, score 100 runs, have 100 RBI and walk 100 times in seven consecutive seasons.
A. Lou Gehrig
B. Ted Williams
C. Frank Thomas
D. Henry Aaron
27. The only player who batted .300 and had 100 RBI across each of his first 10 seasons.
A. Stan Musial
B. Albert Pujols
C. Enos Slaughter
D. Rogers Hornsby
28. The team with the worst season winning percentage since 1900.
A. 2024 Chicago White Sox
B. 1916 Philadelphia Athletics
C. 1964 Houston Colt .45s
D. 1962 New York Mets
29. Had the most consecutive 40-home run seasons (four) in the 1960s.
A. Harmon Killebrew
B. Carl Yastrzemski
C. Frank Robinson
D. Willie Mays
30. The shortstop who holds the record for consecutive errorless games and errorless chances.
A. Omar Vizquel
B. Cal Ripken Jr.
C. Ozzie Smith
D. Mike Bordick
31. Holds the record for most homers in a season in his home park.
A. Sammy Sosa
B. Hank Greenberg
C. Babe Ruth
D. Mark McGwire
32. The batter with the nearest-miss to a .400 season.
A. Lefty O’Doul
B. George Brett
C. Rod Carew
D. Tony Gwynn
33. He was batting .400 in August 1993.
A. Andrés Galarraga
B. Gregg Jefferies
C. Paul Molitor
D. John Olerud
34. The player who hit .370 or better more than once since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.
A. Rod Carew
B. George Brett
C. Tony Gwynn
D. Ichiro Suzuki
35. The only player with 200 or more singles in three seasons.
A. Tony Oliva
B. Al Simmons
C. Steve Garvey
D. Ichiro Suzuki
36. The hitter with only 135 home runs but who received more intentional walks than Ernie Banks or Mike Schmidt.
A. Tony Gwynn
B. Jeff Bagwell
C. Harold Baines
D. Chili Davis
37. The catcher whose 57 percent of stolen-base attempts foiled is the MLB record.
A. Tony Peña
B. Roy Campanella
C. Yadier Molina
D. Johnny Bench
38. The youngest to hit 50 homers in a season.
A. Henry Aaron
B. Aaron Judge
C. Andruw Jones
D. Prince Fielder
39. The most recent AL teammates each with 150 or more RBIs in a season.
A. Rafael Palmeiro and Cal Ripken Jr., 1996 Baltimore Orioles
B. Vern Stephens and Ted Williams, 1949 Boston Red Sox
C. Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui, 2007 New York Yankees
D. Al Kaline and Jim Northrup, 1968 Detroit Tigers
40. The first team with three consecutive 100-win seasons.
A. Philadelphia Athletics
B. New York Yankees
C. Chicago Cubs
D. New York Giants
Bonus question: The manager who, after a 117-loss season, said, “You can’t win them all.”
A. Casey Stengel
B. Connie Mack
C. Sparky Anderson
D. Gene Mauch
Answers: 1. D: Garver was 20-12 in 1951 for the Browns, who went 52-102; 2. B: Sisler hit .420 that season; 3. A: Bobo Newsom; 4. D Robin Roberts; 5. C: John induced 605 double plays in his career; 6. B: Mazeroski did it for the Pirates in 1966; 7. B: Randy Johnson; 8. A: Cal Ripken Jr.; 9. C: Larry Doby; 10. B: Paul Molitor and George Brett; 11. A: Sam McDowell; 12. D: Tom Seaver; 13. B: Randy Johnson; 14. A: Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff; 15. D: Madison Bumgarner (0.25) and Babe Ruth (0.87); 16. C: Cal Ripken Jr., Derek Jeter; 17. C: Henry Aaron; 18. A: Dwight Gooden; 19. C: Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby; 20. B: Vladimir Guerrero, 2002 Montreal Expos, 2006 Los Angeles Angels; 21. D: Grover Alexander; 22. B: Nolan Ryan; 23. D: Dwight Gooden; 24. A: Jimmie Foxx (1932-1933), Frank Thomas (1993-1994), Albert Pujols (2008-2009), Miguel Cabrera (2012-2013); 25. B: Frank Thomas; 26. C Frank Thomas; 27. B: Albert Pujols; 28. B: The 1916 Philadelphia A’s; 29. A: 1961-64; 30. D: Mike Bordick; 31. B: Hank Greenberg; 32. A: Lefty O’Doul; 33. D: John Olerud; 34. C: Tony Gwynn hit .394 in 1994, .372 in 1997, .370 in 1987; 35. C: Steve Garvey; 36. A: Tony Gwynn; 37. B: Roy Campanella; 38. D: Prince Fielder hit 50 in 2007 for the Brewers; 39. BL Vern Stephens and Ted Williams; 40. A: 1929-1931 Philadelphia Athletics; Bonus. B: Connie Mack
George Will writes a column for the Washington Post.
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