Baseball for Dummies #70 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alex Rodriguez

A-Rod hit his 300th in the first week of the 2003 season. He was 27 years and 249 days old. He broke the record of Jimmie Foxx who was 27 years and 328 days old. Foxx retired with 538 home runs in 1945. In 2002, A-Rod smacked 57 for the Texas Rangers, along with 142 RBI's.

Answer: Dave McNally

McNally played all but 12 games of his 14 year career with Baltimore, from 1962-1975. He had 4 consecutive seasons of winning 20 or more games, and was 24-9 in 1970. He was in the top 4 of voting in the Cy Young Award 3 times. He also had 2 World Series home runs to his credit. He was 60 years old when he passed away in his birth place, Billings, Montana.

Answer: 1901

The Orphans was the franchise's 3rd name. From the White Stockings in 1876, to the Colts in 1890-1897, then the Orphans existed from 1898-1902. The 'Cubs' began in 1903.

Answer: Gabby Hartnett

An elite group of pitchers were listed, but Harnett was a great catcher. 19 of his 20 seasons were behind the plate in a Cubs uniform. 6 times in his career he hit .300 or more. He went to 4 World Series, but lost them all. In 1935, he was the National League MVP.

Answer: Derek Jeter

In the first game of the season, the Yankees' Jeter suffered a separated shoulder during a collision.

Answer: Rich Gossage

Major League baseball saw Richard Michael Gossage with 9 different teams. His services were welcomed from his first team, the White Sox in 1972, to the Mariners in 1994. He was a 9 time All-Star, and won the Rolaids Relief Award in 1978.

Answer: Bob Brenly

In the Diamondbacks 4th Major League season, they reached the promised land against the Yankees in 2001. Winning 4 games to 3, Arizona held the Yankees to only 14 runs in 7 games, while scoring 37 of their own.

Answer: Ralph Kiner

The others listed, never played for the Pirates, and all hit over 500 home runs. Kiner played from 1946-1955. This 6 time All-Star saw his best season in 1949, when he banged out 54 home runs, 127 RBI's, and batted .310 for the Pirates.

Answer: Boston Beaneaters

The other teams listed, did not exist in the 19th century. In 1892, when there was only a National League, the Beaneaters defeated Cy Young and the Cleveland Spiders 5 games to 0 with 1 tie. Young won 36 of the Spiders' 93 games in the season. It would be 11 seasons before the first World Series would be played, with the Boston Pilgrims defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 games to 3.

Answer: Philadelphia Phillies

15 of Ryne's 16 seasons were with the Cubs, and began his career in 1981 as a Phillie. After playing in only 13 games in his first season with the Phillies, he became a starter at 3rd base and played in 156 games for the Cubbies. The following season he was moved to 2nd base.

He won the National League MVP in 1984, but his best season was in 1990, when he hit 40 home runs, had 100 RBI's, had 188 hits, and batted .306. He was a 10 time All-Star.