1988 Sports Cube Baseball Quiz

Yes, it's that time of the year again. It's raining, and the Indians have already started to lose. It's time for the Crimson baseball trivia quiz.

So put down that textbook and pick up a piece of paper and a pencil. Try to think of Shoeless Joe, not Shakespeare. Of the Say Hey Kid, not Ho Chi Minh. Of curveballs, not bell curves...

1. Alan Trammell of the Tigers had a pretty good Opening Day against the Red Sox last week. The Tiger shortstop hit an extra-inning home run to beat Boston. Big homers on Opening Day aren't uncommon, but there has been only one time in history that a team opened its season with back-to-back-to-back homers. Can you name the hitters and their team? (Two points per player and two for the team.) Eight points.

2. Hitters don't always have the edge on opening Day. Sometimes pitchers dominate. But there has been only one no-hitter thrown on Opening Day. Name both the hurler and the team he pitched for. Five points.

3. Last year, Al home run king Mark McGwire and NL long-baller Andre Dawson clubbed 49 round-trippers each. Can you name the last American and National League sluggers to hit 50 homers in a season? (Take three points per hitter and one point for the number they hit.) Eight points.

4. For his amazing season (49 HRs, 137 RBIs, .287 B.A.) Dawson was awarded the NL Most Valuable Player Award, while George Bell of the Blue Jays was honored with the AL award. The two outfielders are going to have a tough time winning the award again this year. There have only been nine players who have won the coveted award in back-to-back seasons. Oddly enough, they correspond to each field position (i.e. three outfielders, one pitcher, one catcher, one first baseman, one second baseman, one third baseman and a shortstop). Can you name them? (Take two points for each player and four for the pitcher.) Twenty points.

5. In 1986, Roger Clemens of the Red Sox was named the AL MVP, the third time in this decade that the AL award went to a hurler (Willie Hernandez won it in 1984, while Rollie Fingers nabbed it in '81). Can you name the last National League pitcher to win the MVP award? (Take three points for the hurler and two for the year.) Five points.

6. One of the reasons that Clemens was named the MVP in '86 was because he led the league in earned run average, even though he pitched in Fenway Park, a hitters' dream. Who was the last Red Sox hurler to lead the league in ERA? Four points.

7. Clemens repeated his 1986 performance with an outstanding 1987 campaign, in which he won his second straight Cy Young award. Can you name the last hurler to win the Cy Young award in successive years? Five points.

8. Don Mattingly of the Yankees has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last couple of years. Last year, the first baseman hit .327, clubbed 30 homers and drove in 115 runs. Mattingly is a legitimate threat to win the Triple Crown--leading the league in batting average, homers and RBIs. Carl Yastrzemski of the Red Sox was the last player to win the Triple Crown in 1967. Can you name the last National Leaguer to win the Crown and the year in which he did it? (Three points for the player and two for the year.) Five points.

9. The tricky part about winning the Triple Crown is leading the league in all three categories in the same year. There have been five players who have led their league in the three offensive areas (HRs, RBIs and B.A.) in different years, but have never won the Triple Crown. Can you name them? (Two points apiece.) Ten points.

10. Mattingly is probably the best Yankee hitter since Mickey Mantle, who also won the Triple Crown in 1956. But there are differences between the two--Mattingly is a lefthanded hitter, while Mantle was a switch-hitter. Mantle holds the AL record for the most homers in a single season hit by a switch-hitter. What NL switch-hitter hit the most dingers in a single year? Five points.

11. Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth has formed a commission to try to increase the number of minorities who hold management positions in baseball. There have been only three Black managers in the major leagues. Name all three. Five points.

12. They say the key to winning a pennant is having defensive strength up the middle. A team with good fielders at catcher, second base, shortstop and centerfield has a tremendous defensive advantage. Can you name the last team which had Glove winners at these four positions? (Take two points per player and two for the team.) Ten points.

13. Nolan Ryan of the Astros is the greatest strikout pitcher in history. At age 41, he led the National League in strikeouts again last year, punching out 270 hitters. Who was the first righthanded pitcher to strike out 300 batters in a season in the NL? Five points.

14. Jack Clark of the Cardinals walked a ridiculous 136 times to lead the National League last season, even though he missed the final month of the season because of an injury. Had Clark remained healthy, the new Yankee would have had a shot at the major league record of 170 walks, which Babe Ruth set in 1923. Clark definitely would have broken the National League mark of 148, which is shared by a former Houston Astro and a former Brooklyn Dodger. Take three points for each sharp-eyed hitter you can name. Six points.

15. With Clark, Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson and Mike Pagliarulo in the lineup, the Yankees will send a lot of runs across the plate this year. The 1927 Yankees hold the record for the most runs scored in a season with 975. Assuming Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson stay in retirement, which player has scored the most runs in his major league career? Five points.

16. Can you name Connie Mack's real name? Four points.

17. Sports is becoming increasingly tied to politics. A former professional quarterback ran for President. Pretty soon Wayne Gretzky will be tsar of Canada. Oh, he already is. What former baseball hurler is currently a member of the United States Congress? Five points.

18. Juan Nieves of the Milwaukee Brewers threw a no-hitter last season against the Baltimore Orioles. Can you name the last American League hurler to throw a perfect game? Five points.

19. McGwire and Benito Santiago of the San Diego Padres were named rookies-of-the-year last season. Santiago, who hit .300 with 18 HRs, was the first catcher to be selected in either league since 1972. Can you name the last backstop to win the Rookie-of-the-year Award. Five points.

The Stumper. Bob Stanley of the Red Sox lost 15 games last year but he was not the biggest loser in Boston's history. Can you name the Red Stocking who lost 25 games in 1928? Hint: He is one of the 25 winningest pitchers in major league history. Twenty points.

Scoring

140-150 points--You cheated. Shame on you.

130-139--You should manage the Red Sox.

110-129--You're a top-notch Bleacher Bum.

90-109--Well above average. You eat more chicken than Wade Boggs.

70-89--Above average. You should eat a few more hot dogs.

50-69--Average. You should listen to Vin Scully more often.

30-49--Below average. You're qualified to manage the Red Sox.

10-29--Put down Cymbeline right now and pick up Baseball Digest.

0-9--Hello! Is there anybody in there?