Bases Loaded Trivia Quiz

Answer: first unassisted triple play

The Cleveland Indians met the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) in the 1920 World Series, a best of nine affair. The Indians were wholly in control for most of the series, and eventually won, five games to two. In first inning action in Game 5, the first three Cleveland batters reached base. The bases loaded with Charlie Johnson, Bill Wambsganss, and Tris Speaker, Elmer Smith took the 1-2 pitch and made history. It would prove to be more than enough, and Cleveland went on to win the game 8-1.

The game would be interesting for another two reasons. First of all, winning pitcher Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to homer in the World Series. He hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to make the game 7-0.

Immediately following this, in the visitor's half of the fifth, Bill Wambsganss was the second baseman for Cleveland. In words of the Cleveland Times the next day:
"Pete Kilduff began the top of the fifth with a single to left center. When Otto Miller singled to center, Speaker's quick throw to third drove Kilduff back to second. That brought up reliever Clarence Mitchell, who went six for sixteen as a pinch-hitter this season and sometimes fills in at first base and in the outfield. A left-handed hitter, he drove the ball toward right center. Second baseman Wambsganss moved slightly to his right, tipped onto his toes, sprung a little bit and grabbed the ball with his gloved hand. Never hesitating, he continued to second base, easily doubling Kilduff. Then when Wamby turned to throw to first base he saw Miller frozen directly in front of him. Reaching out, Wamby tagged Miller easily. The crowd was silent momentarily, then, realizing what had happened, broke into thunderous applause."

Answer: First grand slam by the losing team.

The 1956 World Series was a repeat of the all-New York series the year before that the Brooklyn Dodgers had surprisingly won in seven games at (Old) Yankee Stadium. This series was equally as exciting.

In Game 2, Yogi Berra's blast in the second inning sent Brooklyn pitcher Don Newcombe packing. His blast made the score 6-0 for the Yankees, and they certainly looked in command of the game. That is, up until the bottom half of the inning that tied the game up. The Dodgers ended up winning the game 13-8, and Berra's grand slam was the first to be hit by the losing team.

Incidentally, Berra did hit the homer with two outs, as well as batting from the left side, however, neither of these were a first for a World Series grand slam. A grand slam can score less than four runs if a player fails to touch a base going around, though I doubt professional players would be that careless in a World Series game.

Answer: Canseco would hit two other home runs in the series.

José Canseco Jr. was one of the most powerful hitters in the game of baseball, certainly in 1987-1988 when he promised to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases. In fact, he hit 42 home runs that season and stole the 40 bases becoming the first player to reach the 40-40 club. Paired up with Mark McGwire, the two were a potent offensive threat for the favoured Oakland Athletics.

Canseco came up to bat in the second inning having been hit by a pitch in the biceps in the first inning by rookie pitcher Tim Belcher. With his team already down 2-0, and the bases loaded with two outs, Canseco cleared the bases with his first ever MLB grand slam, a shot so powerful that it damaged an NBC camera when it landed.

Canseco's home run was eclipsed by an improbable walk-off home run by the injured Kirk Gibson in his only at bat of the entire series to win the game for the Dodgers. Canseco would not get another hit in the series, and the A's would lose the series in five games.

Answer: 42

"Surely Leo must be joking", you are probably thinking to yourself. "42 years from the first American League grand slam to the first National League one? Impossible!"

Alas, this fact is true. The only bases-loaded home runs hit in the World Series up to 1962 had been hit by American League players. In fact, there had been seven grand slams hit prior to the 1962 World Series, and six of them had been hit by players on the New York Yankees. In that particular series, the San Francisco Giants had been trailing in the series 2-1 to, you guessed it, the New York Yankees, and were in Yankee Stadium with future Hall-of-Famer Whitey Ford on the mound, and their chances looked bleak. Nevertheless, Ford was pulled after six inning of work, and the Giants got to the Yankee bullpen.

Second baseman Chuck Hiller stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, the two teams tied at 2. He laced the pitch for what proved to be the winning runs. The Giants were back in it, and would take the series to the seventh game. They ultimately lost, but Hiller's shot opened up the gates for players other than the Yankees to hit grand slams in the World Series.

Answer: 10

In one of the biggest innings in World Series history, the Detroit Tigers sent 14 players to the plate and scored 10 of them to put the game out of reach and to force a game 7, which they also won. Up 2-0 after two innings, the third inning's highlight was definitely the grand slam by Jim Northrup which made the game 8-0, and closed the books on Larry Jaster, the first of St. Louis' relievers, who did not record a single out. Also, it closed the book on starting pitcher Ray Washburn who had left the inherited runner on third for that slam.

Ironically, it was Jim Northrup's fly ball to left field which was also the third out that epic inning. So, other than his grand slam, he did not have an amazing day on offence. He struck out in the first; he singled to lead off the sixth but was picked off of first, and ground into a double play in the eighth.

Answer: First grand slam to be hit in November.

Facing elimination against the Cleveland Indians in game 6 of the 2016 World Series, the Chicago Cubs knew that they needed a big game to send the series back to Chicago and swing the momentum in their favour. Addison Russell had already hit two RBIs and he came up to the plate in the third inning against Dan Otero, fresh out of the bullpen. On a 2-0 pitch, he laced it over the left-center wall down a corridor to put the game far out of reach for the Indians.

The game was played on November 1st, considered a very late World Series. Russell was the first player of Filipino descent to hit a grand slam, and he tied the World Series record of 6 RBIs in one game with that hit. Chicago would go on to win their first World Series in 108 years, whereas the Indians were sent home with their 69th year without a World Series win.

Answer: First walk-off grand slam.

Bill "Moose" Skowron was batting behind Yogi Berra in game 7 of the 1956 World Series. Berra had already hit a grand slam in game 2 of that same series, and he had already hit two two-run home runs earlier that game! So, with none out and runners on second and third, Berra came up to the plate and was walked intentionally to bring up Skowron, a second-year first baseman who was not even a regular (yet) on the Yankee lineup.

Skowron was playing in his first World Series. Feeling no pressure, he put Roger Craig's pitch deep over the left-field wall to score the last runs of the game and to seal the fate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, 9-0. The Yankees won the series, and Skowron would go on to play in seven more World Series, winning four of them (the last one as a Dodger against the Yankees who had traded him away).

Answer: New York Yankees

Gil McDougald was a rookie on the same Yankee team as another rookie - Mickey Mantle. On the opposing team, the New York Giants, another legendary rookie was playing - Willie Mays. Yet, on October 9th, 1951, it was McDougald who was making headlines. With the score tied at 1-1 and two outs, the Giants opted to intentionally walk Johnny Mize to get to McDougald. This proved to be the wrong move as McDougald blasted Larry Jansen's pitch over the fence for four. The Yankees would control the rest of the game, winning comfortably 13-1.

McDougald was a valuable infielder for the Yankees. His career was cut short when he was hit in the head during batting practice in 1955. Two years later, he had already lost most of his hearing. This contributed in his decision to retire from the game. Fittingly, his last appearance was in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series when he came on as a pinch runner and scored to tie the game at the top of the ninth.

Answer: Atlanta Braves

Because of his amazing numbers in the 1990-1991 season, the Blue Jays signed the 36-year-old Jack Morris to their squad and won 21 games, though with a whopping 4.04 ERA. In the postseason, Morris' numbers were not great and he did not record a single win. With the Blue Jays leading the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in the series, Morris started Game 5. With 2 outs in the 5th and the game 3-2 for Atlanta, Lonnie Smith stepped up to the plate.

Smith was playing in his second season with the Braves. In Game 7 of the previous World Series (which, incidentally, Jack Morris had also started), Smith had committed a terrible baserunning blunder which ultimately cost the Braves the game and the series. He certainly wasn't going to let his team down again. Thus, he hit the ball over the right field wall for four putting the game out of reach for the Jays. The Braves hoped to capitalize on home field advantage in the next game. However, the Jays went on to win the game in 11 innings and to take the championship trophy north of the American border for the first time.

This was the first World Series grand slam to be hit outside of the USA. It was also the first World Series grand slam by an African-American player.

Answer: 9th

Interestingly, out of 20 grand slams, the most (five) have been hit in the 3rd inning and in the 7th inning. With nearly every other inning having at least one grand slam, the first twenty has not seen a 9th inning slam, meaning there hasn't been a walk-off grand slam (oh, how sweet that hit will be). Of these twenty, eight have been hit by the Yankees and four at Yankee Stadium (the old one). Five have been given up by the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers, while four more have been given up by the St. Louis Cardinals. Only two of the twenty were hit by the losing team, showing the morale-building power of the grand slam to propel the team hitting it to win the game.