Out of Left Field Trivia Quiz

Answer: Why

Bud Abbott's and Lou Costello's routine continues to resonate with young and old. It's been copied and updated hundreds of times. If the batter hits a fly ball to left field, who catches it? Why?

Answer: True

This is because the left fielder has the shortest throw to third base. Rarely does the left fielder need to throw to first base but, the right fielder frequently has to throw to third base.

Answer: Minnie Miñoso

Saturnino Orestes "Minnie" Armas Arrieta Miñoso was the first black Cuban in the Major Leagues when he signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1948. His nickname was the "Cuban Comet". He joined the Chicago White Sox in 1951. He played 12 seasons for Chicago. Over a 20-year career he played in 13 All-Star games and won 3 Gold Gloves. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Answer: Joe Medwick

Joe "Muscles" Medwick was a ten-time All-Star for the St. Louis Cardinals. He won the Triple Crown in 1937 (batting average, HRs and RBIs. Medwick is probably best known for getting thrown out of a World Series game in 1934 by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, for spiking an opposing player. He got the nickname "Ducky" because people said he walked like a duck.

Answer: 325 feet

The average distance down the left field line is 330-335 feet. The left field line in Boston's Fenway Park is only 310 feet, but it has a high wall.

Answer: The Green Monster

The wall in left field in Fenway Park was first built by the team's owner to keep people from watching a game for free. It was originally 25 feet high and ran from the left field foul pole to the center field flag pole. In 1933 a hand operated scoreboard was incorporated which is still in use.

In 1936 a 23-foot-high net was added to the top of the wall to keep balls from damaging buildings beyond the wall. The owner sent stadium employees to retrieve balls from the net. The ladder that was used is still a part of the wall.

The wall was painted green in 1947. "The Green Monster" stands at 37 feet tall.

Answer: Chicago's Wrigley Field

Legend has it that a mental hospital was located near the left field wall at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Mental patients would yell at the ballplayers. When paying spectators asked where all the commotion was coming from, the reply was "outta left field".

Answer: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson

"Say it ain't so Joe" was the lament of Chicago White Sox fans in 1919. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and some of his teammates were found to have been taking bribes during the 1919 World Series resulting in lifetime bans from baseball. Jackson got his nickname from a fan.

While playing in a minor league game his new spikes wore blisters on his feet, so he played the game in his socks. The fan called him "shoeless", the media picked up on it and it stuck with him. Ty Cobb, rarely complimentary, called Jackson the greatest natural hitter he had ever seen, and Babe Ruth said that he fashioned his swing after Jackson's.

Answer: Dizzy Dean

Dizzy Dean (1910-1974) - his pitching arm had long since left him by 1947, when he retired. While broadcasting St. Louis' games he stated that he could still pitch better than most of the guys out there. The Browns decided to call his bluff. On July 19,1947 Dean pitched to four Boston Red Sox batters and then played one inning in left field. The crowd loved it.

Answer: Bert Campaneris

Of course, the instigator of promotions like this was the owner of the Kansas City Athletics, Charles O. Finley. As a promotion and a tribute to "Campy" Campaneris, Finley had him play all nine positions against the California Angels. "Campy" pitched one inning both right and left-handed. Finley did everything to put fans in the seats.

He had a yellow cab bring relief pitchers in from the bullpen, he hired Miss USA to be a batgirl to name just a few of his gimmicks. In late 1965 he signed 59-year-old Satchel Paige to start a game against the Red Sox.