Sausages and Baseball Trivia Quiz

Answer: 8

With the Hall of Fame opening its doors in 1936 to some of the greatest players, it was also designed for those who were a major contributor to the game. Tom Connolly and Bill Klem were the first umpires inducted into the Hall. They were both honored together in 1953. Six more men in blue would follow in the century including Billy Evans, Jocko Conlan, Cal Hubbard, Al Barlick, Bill McGowan, and Nestor Chylak. Umpire Doug Harvey was added in 2010 along and Hank O'Day in 2013.

Answer: Toronto Blue Jays

The others were all National League teams. Not only just three times did Blue Jay fans show their loyalty, but in three consecutive seasons they put Toronto over the 4,000,000 mark in attendance. The Blue Jays started out as an expansion team in 1977.

They began to put it all together when they finished in second place in 1984, then made it to the ALCS in 1985. From 1989-1993 they made it to the ALCS four times in those five seasons which included two World Series appearances. They were the first team in history to break the 4,000,000 season fan mark in 1991 with an attendance of 4,002,527.

The 1992 season saw even more with an attendance of 4,028,318. The Jays fans were everywhere in 1993 with a tremendous attendance of 4, 057,947. In that season the Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series by defeating the Phillies four games to two.

Answer: Ernie Banks

The others listed were all career American League players. Banks played his entire career with the Cubs from 1953-1971. Ernie had many amazing seasons including the 1955 season when he hit five grand slams. He would lead the league in home runs with 44 in that season also.

He went on to win the NL MVP Award in 1958 and 1959. Banks hit 12 grand slams in his career. Ernie died in January 2015. Hall of Fame great Jimmie Foxx is a slightly different story. He hit three grand slams in a season an amazing four times.

He did it twice with the Athletics of Philadelphia and twice with the Red Sox in the 1930s and 1940s. Jimmie hit 17 grand slams in his career.

Answer: Wrigley Field in Chicago

Only the Cubs at Wrigley Field was a National League team listed. Wrigley was built in 1914 and was a staple for the entire state of Illinois. Wrigley Field saw the Cubs play in six World Series in that ballpark during the 20th Century, but came up empty each time. Fenway Park in Boston was the oldest ballpark in the American League in the season.

Answer: Jim Bunning

The others were career American League pitchers. Cy Young threw the American League's first perfecto in 1904 with the Boston Americans. The National League saw two perfect games in the 1800s. Both were thrown only five days apart in June 1880. Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs and John Ward of the Providence Grays threw one each.

The National League would have to wait 84 years to experience their next perfect game when a Hall of Fame pitcher by the name of Jim Bunning with the Phillies threw one in June 1964 against the Mets. Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers would make the National League fans wait only one season by throwing the next perfect game in September 1965 against the Chicago Cubs.

Answer: Ty Cobb

Bonds and Musial were career National league players. Ty Cobb was well known for 'spiking' infielders and being a very aggressive player. Cobb played from 1907-1927 for the Tigers and Athletics. He retired with 5532 times getting on base via walk, hit, interference, error, spiking, etc.

The Cardinal Stan Musial was the next to do it with 5282 times. Rickey Henderson got on base 5343 times and Bonds did it 5599 times. It was Pete Rose who retired in 1986 and sat on top of the heap by getting on base 5929 times in his 19-season career.

Answer: Big Poison

Waner played most of his entire 20-season career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1926-1945. Paul played alongside his brother Lloyd from 1927-1940 in the Pittsburgh outfield. Lloyd was nicknamed "Little Poison". Paul batted .333 and hit 113 home runs in his career while Lloyd hit 27 and batted .316. Paul went to only one World Series, the wrong one in 1927 when one of the greatest teams in history downed them four games to none. That team was the Bronx Bombers New York Yankees with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and company. Paul was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1952.

Answer: Boston Red Sox

The tremendous comeback was provided by the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the ALCS against the Yankees. The Red Sox lost game one 10-7, game two 3-1, then were embarrassed in game three 19-8. The Red Sox came back with the help of David Ortiz who hit a home run in game four, five, and seven, and their bullpen who kept the Yankees in check.

By the end of the series, the Red Sox had evened out all the numbers with the Yankees but left with a trip to the World Series by winning all four remaining games.

The MVP of the ALCS was Ortiz. Boston went on to beat the Cardinals in that World Series four games to none. The World Series MVP went to Boston's Manny Ramirez.

Answer: 19

Whitey wore both the 18 and 19 in 1950 while finishing runner-up in the Rookie of the Year Award to Walt Dropo of the Red Sox. When he returned from military service, he wore the familiar number 16 on his back for the rest of his time in baseball. Edward Charles Ford had a Hall of Fame career and won the Cy Young Award in 1961 when only one pitcher in the entire Major Leagues could win the award.

He set a World Series record by winning 10 games in 11 World Series. Whitey retired in 1967 with a 236-106 career record.

He was inducted into the Hall in 1974.

Answer: Chicago Cubs

The others listed were all American League teams. Winning 110 games in a 162-game season is a feat in itself, not to mention doing it after playing a 154-game season. The 1906 Chicago Cubs played 152 games in the season and somehow cranked out 116 wins against only 36 losses.

The Cubs' defense was led by the legendary 'Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance' tough double-play combination. They had the offensive bats of catcher Johnny Kling and third baseman Harry Steinfeldt. They also had some tremendous arms in the season led by Mordecai Brown and his 26 wins, Jack Pfiester and his 20 wins, along with Ed Reulbach's 19 and Carl Lundgren's 17.

After all that, the Cubs still lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox four games to two. The Cubs would come back and win consecutive World Series over the Tigers in 1907 and 1908 at West Side Grounds.