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December in Baseball History Trivia Quiz

The last in a series of 12 all multiple choice quizzes about happenings in certain months of baseball history. Which month did you score the most? I hope that you have enjoyed them. :-)

A multiple-choice quiz by Nightmare. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Nightmare

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
222,015

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
611

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

Question 1 of 10

1. December 5, 1973: This day saw the Montreal Expos trade a pitcher to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This pitcher in the following season would appear in 106 games, be the first ever to appear in 100 games in a season, and win the NL Cy Young award. Who was this pitcher that was traded for Willie Davis? Hint

Jesse Orosco

Tom Glavine

Bruce Sutter

Mike Marshall

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Question 2 of 10

2. December 18, 1886: This day saw the birth of a future Hall of Famer born in Georgia. The 1909 Triple Crown and 1911 MVP winner won 11 batting titles in a 13-season stretch. Who was this Detroit Tiger great? Hint

Clay Dalrymple

Bill Monbouquette

Tony Kubek

Ty Cobb

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Question 3 of 10

3. December 15, 1899: In one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history, the Cincinnati Reds traded this pitcher who had yet to throw a pitch in the National League, for a washed up Amos Rusie of the Giants who had already won 245 games. This Reds pitcher went on to win 373 games in his career. Who was it? Hint

Hank Greenberg

Christy Mathewson

Dizzy Dean

Luke Appling

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Question 4 of 10

4. December 10, 1981: In a six-player deal, the Padres and Cardinals traded shortstops. Who did the Padres regret dealing, that went on to win 13 Gold Gloves and appear in 15 all-star games? Hint

Walt Dropo

Ozzie Smith

Ted Kluszewski

Ned Garver

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Question 5 of 10

5. December 7, 1947: A day in history for sure, but in 1947 this future Cincinnati Red catcher, home run champion, MVP winner, and Hall of Famer was born. Who was this member of the 'Big Red Machine'? Hint

Thurman Munson

Roy Campanella

Johnny Bench

Yogi Berra

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Question 6 of 10

6. December 24, 1913: The Cleveland area mourned the death of this baseball player in which the Cleveland Indians were named after. Who was this player who batted .338 as a rookie in 1897? Hint

Louis Sockalexis

Gavvy Cravath

Chief Riverthrow

Rogers Hornsby

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Question 7 of 10

7. December 19, 1983: This was a memorable day for Cy Young award winner Vida Blue. What happened on this day? Hint

He lost his no-hitter in the ninth inning, after throwing a no-hitter on December 11

He won his 400th career game

He died

He was sentenced to prison for cocaine use

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Question 8 of 10

8. December 6, 1899: This future Chicago White Sox outfielder was born. He played for only two seasons, but made his name in baseball for umpiring the game from 1941-1964. Who was this Hall of Famer? Hint

Tommie Aaron

Jocko Conlan

Gates Brown

Phil Niekro

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Question 9 of 10

9. December 30, 1935: This date saw one of the greatest pitchers in history born. This southpaw in the 1960s won three Cy Young awards, three Triple Crowns, two World Series MVPs, and a season MVP. Who was this National League great? Hint

Sandy Koufax

Jim Palmer

Bob Gibson

Juan Marichal

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Question 10 of 10

10. December 31, 1972: Tragedy struck when this Pittsburgh Pirate was killed in a plane crash, flying relief supplies to Nicaragua. Who was it? Hint

Rocky Colavito

Dick Tracewski

Tom Tresh

Roberto Clemente

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Mike Marshall

Mike began his career with the dismal 1969 Seattle Pilots. Marshall had just finished his sixth season when the trade took place. He went on to play in 14 seasons, mostly as a reliever.

Answer: Ty Cobb

The others were not born for another 50 years. Cobb spent 24 seasons in baseball from 1905-1928. His final two were as a Philadelphia Athletic. Except for batting .240 in his rookie season of 41 games, Ty hit over .300 in every season of his career, including over .400 three times. Cobb was one of the first five inductees into the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Answer: Christy Mathewson

The others would not appear in Major League baseball for another 30 years. Rusie was at the end of his 10-season career when the trade was made. Mathewson went on to pitch for 17 seasons, and all but one game with the Giants. His record of 373-188 was in the top three for wins when he retired in 1916. Christy won two Triple Crowns, led the league in ERA five times, and wins in four. Ironically, the last game of his career was with the team that let him go before it all began, the Cincinnati Reds.

4. December 10, 1981: In a six-player deal, the Padres and Cardinals traded shortstops. Who did the Padres regret dealing, that went on to win 13 Gold Gloves and appear in 15 all-star games?

Answer: Ozzie Smith

The others all retired in 1961. Garry Templeton was the Cardinal shortstop that moved to San Diego. Templeton never won a Gold Glove, and appeared in only three all-star games. Ozzie was a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee.

Answer: Johnny Bench

The others weren't catchers and never played for the Reds. Bench played from 1967-1983, all with the Reds. After winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 1968, he won the MVP in 1970 and 1972. Johnny hit 389 career home runs and was inducted into the hall in 1989.

6. December 24, 1913: The Cleveland area mourned the death of this baseball player in which the Cleveland Indians were named after. Who was this player who batted .338 as a rookie in 1897?

Answer: Louis Sockalexis

The others died 50 years later. The Penobscot Indian was born in 1871. He played for the Cleveland Spiders for only three seasons and retired in 1899 when the team folded. The American League Indians were named after him because he was the first born indian to play in Cleveland.

7. December 19, 1983: This was a memorable day for Cy Young award winner Vida Blue. What happened on this day?

Answer: He was sentenced to prison for cocaine use

Blue won the Cy Young and AL MVP in 1971 with the Oakland Athletics. In 1983, he and numerous other Kansas City Royal teammates were suspended and/or also sent to prison for drug dealings. Royals first baseman Willie Mays Aikens also went to prison. Upon Vida's release, commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended Blue for the 1984 season.

He played for two more seasons in 1985 and 1986 as a Giant, then retired. He won 209 games in his career.

8. December 6, 1899: This future Chicago White Sox outfielder was born. He played for only two seasons, but made his name in baseball for umpiring the game from 1941-1964. Who was this Hall of Famer?

Answer: Jocko Conlan

The others weren't born for another 40 years. Conlan was the fourth umpire in history to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1974 along with Yankees Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford. Jocko died in 1989.

Answer: Sandy Koufax

The others were all right-handers, and didn't accomplish what Koufax did. Sandy was a career Dodger from 1955-1966. He once set a season record for striking out 382 batters. This record was later broken by Nolan Ryan with 383. Koufax blistered the NL in the 1960s, and was inducted into the hall in 1972.

10. December 31, 1972: Tragedy struck when this Pittsburgh Pirate was killed in a plane crash, flying relief supplies to Nicaragua. Who was it?

Answer: Roberto Clemente

The others never played for the Pirates, and all lived to see the turn of the century. Clemente had played for 18 seasons, all with the Pirates when the accident happened. In his last game before his death, he smacked the 3000th hit of his career. Roberto was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Source: Author Nightmare

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