The 1985 Sports Cube Baseball Quiz

Each year The Crimson challenges its readers to take a Baseball quiz at the start of the major league season.

A more rigorous test of your knowledge of the arcanery of the national pastime cannot be found anywhere else.

This year's edition of the quiz appears below. Each question is worth a total of 10 points.

If you score over 200, you are assured that you will never have to go near Duluth, Minn; if you score 150-200, your stay in Duluth will be short, no more than a weekend; 100-150 means at least a month in that fair city; and less than 50 consigns you to a lifetime there.

Photos are reproduced from The Ultimate Baseball Book.

1. Don Mattingly burst upon the American League scene last year, winning the batting title and establishing himself as one of the finest fielding first basemen in the game Five points each for (a) and (b)

(a) Before Mattingly, who was the last (non-pitcher) home-grown player to crack the Yankee starting lineup?

(b) Who was the last Yankee to win a batting title?

2. Mattingly also led the American League in doubles last year, smacking 44 two-base hits. He did not come close to the major league record for doubles in a year (67), established in 1931. Five points each for (a) and (b).

(a) Who holds that major league record?

(b) What active player has come closest in to equalling that mark?

3. Player-managers have become rarities in modern baseball, even though such men as Lou Boudreau, Frank Chance, and Joe Cronin had prosperous careers in both roles in the game's early years. Pete Rose last year became the third man since 1960 to serve as a player-manager. Five points for each of the other two you can name.

4. How good is Dwight Gooden? His rookie statistics show that the Met right hander has almost unlimited promise, and he's one of only four players ever to pitch 200 innings in a season before age 20. Of the other three one-Bob Feller-is in the Hall of Fame, but the other two ended their careers in obscurity. Five points for identifying:

(a) The man who retired in 1970 after joining the Kansas City Royals, who took him in the expansion draft from his original team, the Orioles.

(b) The onetime ace of the Reds' pitching staff, who ended his career with California in 1977.

5. Kirk Gibson, the Tigers' star right fielder, had an All America football career at Michigan State before choosing to play pro baseball. Can you name, for five points each:

(a) The former All America quarterback who spent last season as a pinch hitter with the Toronto Blue Jays?

(b) The White Sox pitcher who played several seasons with the Detroit Pistons in the 1960's?

6. Al Oliver, the much traveled first baseman-outfielder, turned many heads last year when he called himself "the most unselfish player in the history of baseball," Oliver's characterization evokes two five-point questions about sacrifice hits:

(a) Which recently elected Hall of Famer hit more than 500 home runs but never laid down a sacrifice bunt?

(b) The 1974 Yankees set a major league record for sacrifice files by a team. Can you name their left fielder, who in the same season established the sacrifice fly record for a single player?

7. By the time Bobby Bonds played his last game for the Yankees' AAA farm team in 1983, he had passed through eight major league organizations and worn off his label as "the next Willie Mays." Bonds did set the single season record for strikeouts, with 189 in 1970. For ten points, who holds the career record, with Willie Stargell a distant second?

8. Steve Mura, now out of the major leagues, led the 1982 Cardinals in victories, but manager Whitey Herzog chose not to pitch him in the playoffs or World Series, and left him unprotected in the free agent compensation pool that winter. Mura's departure was the first move in the breakup of that World Series champion. Two points each for naming the compensation the Cardinals received for trading away these key players from their World Series winner.

(a) Keith Hernandez

(b) Ken Oberkfell

(c) George Hendrick

(d) David Green

(e) Bruce Sutter

9. Bill Lee, the spaceman left-hander who endeared himself to Boston fans in the mid-1970's, failed to gain a roster spot in his comeback attempt with the Giants this spring. However, Vida Blue found a home with the Giants, making him one of four members of the 1972 A's dynasty that still plays in the majors. Five points if you can name two of the other former A's; ten for all three.

10. Gene Mauch, Billy Martin, Sparky Anderson, and Earl Weaver all played the same position in their playing careers-second base. Catchers and infielders comprise the vast majority of big league managers, but former pitchers have managed three of the last seven World Series winners. Ten points if you can name two of the three.

11. The Texas Rangers have never fielded a division champion, since their move from Washington to Dallas-Fort Worth in 1971. However, the club has produced a plethora of pitching talent, which it deals to other teams, usually for next to nothing. In this vein, for ten points, identify the one player in this list who was not at one time the property of the Rangers.

Walt Terrell

John Butcher

Mike Smithson

Frank Viola

Ron Darling

Dave Righetti

12. The resurgence of the stolen base in baseball over the last ten years is manifest. Speed merchants like Lou Brock, Willie Wilson, Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson have changed the game Try to name the pair of players who have combined for the greatest number of stolen bases in a single season for the same team. Take five points for each half of the fleet-footed combination.

13. In his amazing rookie campaign, Dwight Gooden broke the record for most strikeouts in a season by a first-year player, by whiffing 276 batters. The Good Guy did not break the rookie single-game strikeout mark, despite several 15-K plus outings. Ten points for identifying this high flying rookie, who struck out 18 in his first year.

14. The Montreal Expos gave the first major league playing time to Mike Stenhouse '80. Stenhouse has since been traded to the Twins, where he figures to enjoy a great deal of success as a designated hitter. In their short history, the Expos have only had one other Ivy League grad on their roster. Ten points for naming this Ancient Eight great.

15. The efforts of new baseball commisioner Peter Ueberroth to finally resolve the designated hitter issue are admirable. As it is every other year the World Series showcases the pure game and pitchers hit. Name the last hurler to hit a home run in the October Classic.

16. Seventy three years ago today, the first game was played in Fenway Park. For five points each, name the teams in this contest.

17. The last great age of home run hitters was certainly the 1950s, when a whole generation of power hitters burst onto the baseball scene. For ten points identify the player who hit the most home runs in the ten years of the 1950s.

18. The Mets trade for the best catcher in baseball raises some interesting questions. Yesterday, Gary Carter turned 31 and he has caught well over 1000 games, but age and infirmity will certainly catch up with him before he gets near the record for games caught, held by AI Lopez.

(a) Who leads active major league catchers in games caught?

(b) No active left-handed players have caught any games. Name the last southpaw to catch?

19. Red Son Jim Rice is purported to have driven a golf ball 450 yards. Rice, a one-handicap golfer, is the most celebrated example of baseball player-golfers. Two other active major league regulars are outstanding golfers.

(a) For five points, name the former MVP, who as a teenaged regular toyed with the idea of quitting baseball and joining the PGA Tour.

(b) For five points, name the National League pitcher with a vowel missing from his first name, who plants to play golf when his mediocre baseball career ends.

20. Frank Robinson was the only man ever to win the MVP award in both the National and American League. Only one player has hit for the cycle-smacked a single, double, triple and home run in a single game-in both leagues. For ten points name him.

21. Speaking of triple crowns, only fifteen players have accomplished that feat in the 20th century. In one of those years, both triple crowns were claimed. The two players who did it played in the same city. For five points each.

(a) Name the city.

(b) Name the players.

22. The 1984 Champion Tigers also boasted the American League MVP, Willie Hernandez, The Yankees dynasty of 1954-1963 boasted eight MVP's in ten years.

(a) For six points, name either of the two non-Yankees who were MVPs in the period.

(b) For one point each, name the four Yanks who the MVP awards over that decade.

23. The Iron Horse, 200-Ib. Lou Gehrig, played in a record 2130 consecutive games. A 148-Ib, player in second on the major league consecutive games list, with a 1307-game streak. This dimunitive shortstop managed the feat, despite being traded in the middle of his streak. For ten points name him.

24. Speaking of pint-sized ballplayers, the smallest ballplayer ever was midget, Eddie Gaedel, who tipped the scales at 65 pounds and was but 3-ft, 7-in, tall. For ten huge points, talking height and weight into account, who was the biggest regular player (non-pitcher) ever to play.

25. The 1985 Red Sox boast what is perhaps the most intimidating day-to-day lineup in the majors. Eight years ago, four players on the 1977 Red Son, drove in a 100 or more runs.

(a) For five points, which of the following players did not.

Fred Lynn

Jim Rice

Carl Yastrzemski

Carlton Fisk

(b) For five points, name the fourth Sox who did.

Answers to the 1985 Sports Cube Baseball Quiz can be found on page seven.