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Baseball trivia
In 1834, the first rules of modern baseball were published in The Book of Sports. In the 1860s, pitcher Candy Cummings supposedly threw the first curve ball. This new pitch would not be accepted as
anything more than an optical illusion until the mid-1900s. In the first game between two professional teams – also the first game of the National Association, 1871 marked the first year that batting averages were ever recorded. 1876 was the first season players ever wore gloves in the field. The National League originally consisted of eight teams, from On In 1878, the first official catcher's mask was patented. In 1892, Benjamin Harrison became the first American president to attend a major league game. Since then, every president
has attended at least one while in office. In 1893, the pitchers mound was set at 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. The Major Leagues use about 4,800 Louisville Slugger bats each year. The 1990 Cincinnati Reds, who won the World Series, played below .500 after June 3. The following season they finished
20 games out of first place. The 1990 Cincinnati Reds won the World Series with a payroll of $14 million. The 1992 Cincinnati Reds did not have any player who hit more than 14 home runs (Paul O’Neil). Game 2 of the 1912 World Series ended in a tie (6-6) due to darkness. The Red Sox won that series. In 1912 Owen Wilson hit 36 triples. In the 1980s no team won more than one World Series. In 2004 David Aardsma moved ahead of Hank Aaron for first place on the all time alphabetical roster of major league players.
Who has the highest all time winning percentage- Cubs, Reds, Indians, Tigers or Pirates? Answer: The Cubs (.514), Next closest are the Indians at .511 The first baseball game ever televised was in 1939, when the Brooklyn Dodgers played the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets
Field, The teams with the four best records make the playoffs 72% of the time since the new divisions from 1998-2006. "Deserving"
teams in this sense make the playoffs 93% of the time. In 1905 Vic Willis lost 29 games. The first team ever to play in Wrigley Field was the Chicago Whales. The Cubs did not move in until 1916. Eddie Gaedel, the shortest player ever to play the game, at 3 ft. 8, was walked in his first plate appearance and wore
the number “3/8” The Atlanta Braves have played in three cities, and won one World Series in each city. In 1960 the Pittsburgh Pirates were outscored by the greatest margin of any team ever to play in the World Series.
They won the series in 7 games over the Yankees. Roger Maris’ home run record stood for just nine years before it was broken by Mark McGwire. When it was set
it was denoted with an asterisk and viewed at best equal to Ruth’s mark. Willie Mays was on deck when Bobbie Thompson hit the “shot heard round the world.” He was also “in
the hole” when Bobby Bonds, whose son he was the godfather of, made the final out at Crosley Field. In 1965 cotton uniforms began replacing the old wool ones. The 1971 World Champion Pirates were the first team ever to start nine black players. Barry Bonds hit his first career home run to within feet of the same spot where Hank Aaron hit #715. Both occurred
at Cubs outfielder Rick Monday once took American flag from protesters in the stands trying to burn it.
Mickey Mantle’s first major league home run: Off Randy Gumpert, 1951, Chicago Only pitcher to give up more than one first career home run of a batter: Charlie Hough (batters were John Montefusco, Gary Gaetti)
Reggie Jackson, known as Mr. October, lifetime batting average: .262 Honus Wagner batting titles: 8 Oldest player ever to play in the major leagues: Satchel Paige, 59, 1965 Catcher with the most seasons batting .300 while catching 100+ games: Bill Dickey Catcher with the highest batting average during a season while catching 100+ games: Bill Dickey (1936, .362) Player with the most total bases in one game: Shawn Green (19, in 2002) Player with the most total bases in one five-at bat sequence: Joe Adcock (18, 1954) Pitcher with the highest winning percentage over a three year stretch: Randy Johnson (1995-97, 43-6) Players to hit a home run in first major league at bat: 97 Since Ted Williams hit .406, player to come closest to .400: Tony Gwynn, 1994, .394 Player with the most “win shares” per pound of body weight: Joe Morgan Pitcher with the most consecutive 300-innings pitched seasons: Walter Johnson (9, 1910-1918) Last pitcher to win 30 games: Denny McLain (1968) Pitcher with the fastest recorded pitch: Mark Wohlers (103.0 MPH, 1995) Player with the most consecutive 100-run seasons: Lou Gehrig (13, 1926-1938) Player who the most times hit a home run from both sides of the plate during a game: Eddie Murray (11) Two players to hit home runs from both sides of the plate during an inning: Carlos Baerga (1993), Mark Bellhorn (2002) One player to hit grand slam from both sides of the plate during a game: Bill Mueller (2003) Player with the most games in which he hit home runs from both sides of the plate during a season: Ken Caminiti (1995) Team with the most players hitting switch homers in a game: New York Yankees (37) Pittsburgh Pirates batting champions: 25 (through 2006) Major league no hitters: 232 (through 2006) Major league perfect games: 17 (through 2006) No hitters broken up with two outs in the ninth: 44 (through 2006) First baseball game broadcast on the radio: Two players share the record for most 1-hitters pitched in a career: Nolan Ryan (12), Bob Feller (12) Five individuals have won a World Series as a player, manager and a coach: Fred Clarke (1909, 1909, 1925), Billy Southworth (1926, 1942, 1933), Leo Durocher (1928, 1954, 1963), Ralph Huok (1947, 1961, 1958), Red Schoendienst (1946, 1967, 1964) Five pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in both leagues: Nolan Ryan, Cy Young, Jim Bunning, Hideo Nomo, Randy Johnson Three players have during the same season both led the league in a major statistic for that year and set the career record for that statistic during the season: Trevor Hoffman (saves), Rickey Henderson (stolen bases), Cy Young (wins) Five Reds’ players have hit 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons: Adam Dunn, George Foster, Lee May, Ted Kluszewski, Frank Robinson Two Reds’ players to hit home runs in first major league at bat:
Ted Tappe (1950), Two Reds’ players to hit home runs from both sides of the plate: Pete Rose (1966, 1967), Javier Valentin (2005) Three players played with both Gus and Buddy Bell in the majors: Frank Robinson (Reds and Indians), Leo Cardenas (Reds, Indians), Rico Carty (Braves, Indians) Three teams have hit four consecutive home runs in one inning:
Braves (1961, Two Reds’ pitchers to lose no hitters with two outs in the ninth inning: Mario Soto (1984), Ron Robinson (1988) Fourteen players to hit 40 doubles in both leagues: Bill Buckner, Orlando Cabrera, Jeff Cirillo, Will Clark, Ed Delahanty, Carlos Delgado, Shawn Green, Harry Heilmann, Mike Lowell, Al Oliver, Lyle Overbay, Rafael Palmeiro, George Sisler, Todd Walker Four players to both collect six hits in a game and have 3,000 career hits: Ty Cobb, Paul Waner, Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn Two players have collected 3,000th career hit as a member of the Minnesota Twins: Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor Six players in major league history who stole 500 bases and had 3,000 hits: Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Lou Brock, Paul Molitor, Rickey Henderson Five pitchers to win 20 games in a season while playing for the Mets: Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Dwight Gooden, David Cone, Frank Viola Team outscored by greatest margin in World Series history: 1960 Pittsburgh Pitates (won series 4-3) Player with the most career steals of home: Ty Cobb (50) In 1981 the season was split into two halves. One team finished last in both halves: San Diego Padres Manager whose team finished last in both halves of 1981: Frank Howard Player with most career RBI without ever having a 100-RBI season: Pete Rose (1,314) Only switch hitter to hit 20 or more home runs in a season 15 times: Eddie Murray (16) Player with most career victories for a relief pitcher: Hoyt Wilhelm (124) Pitcher with the most 200-inning seasons: Don Sutton (20) 13 catchers with 200 career home runs: Jorge Posada, Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Lance Parrish, Ivan Rodriguez, Javy Lopez, Roy Campanella, Gabby Hartnett, Benito Santiago, Bill Dickey Two players tied for most grand slams in a season: Don Mattingly, (1987), Travis Hafner (2006) Two significances of Cardinals-Braves game in Prior to the game, the Press Box caught fire and the game was delayed two hours
Pete Rose career hits: 4,256 Although Pete Rose’s 4,192nd hit is more well
known, researchers actually believe he set the record with hit 4,190: He collected that hit at Wrigley Field in Hank Aaron hit home run 715 in The youngest National League Cy Young Award winner: Dwight Gooden, 1986 The youngest American League Cy Young Award winner: Brett Saberhagen, 1986 First set of twins to play major league baseball: John and Phillip
Reccius ( The eight original National League teams (1876): First national league champion: Chicago Cubs (1876, 52-14 record) First national league batting champion: Ross Barnes (.429, 1876) The eight National League teams in 1901:
The eight American League teams in 1901:
The eight Federal League teams:
The two Federal League champions:
Pitcher with the most ERA titles: Lefty Grove (9 titles) Four pitchers with the most career wins: Cy Young (511), Walter Johnson (416), Grover Cleveland Alexander (373), Christy Matthewson (373) Baseball’s first piece of protective equipment: Mouth protector
(worn by Giants’ ballpark immediately prior to Dodgers’ ballpark immediately prior to Dodger Stadium: L.A. Coliseum Third baseman leader in career games played, putouts and assists: Brooks Robinson The reward given to winning baseball teams in 1876: They were allowed to keep the game ball First two brother pitchers to play on the same team: Will and
Deacon Jim White ( First twins to play organized baseball: John and Phillip Reccius
( Two players have won the MVP and Rookie of the Year award during the same season:
Fred Lynn ( Two prior names for Briggs Stadium, Navin Field Two prior names for
Two prior names for Enron Field, Astros Field The only brothers to each throw a major league no hitter: Bob Forsch (1978), Ken Forsch (1979) Seven players have played during four decades: Jim Kaat, Willie McCovey, Early Wynn, Tim McCarver, Ted Williams, Mickey Vernon, Nolan Ryan Highest single season batting average ever: Rogers Hornsby (.424, 1924) Only pitcher to hit a grand slam in a World Series game: Dave McNally Pitcher with the most Cy Young awards: Steve Carlton (4 awards) The manager of the Indians who was traded for the manager of the Tigers: Joe Gordon was traded for Jimmy Dykes Two teams added to the major leagues in 1977:
The first relief pitcher to win an American League MVP award: Rollie Fingers (1981) The little league pledge: I trust in God. I love my country and will respect its laws. I will play fair and strive to win, but win or lose, I will always do my best. Player who recorded the first hit in major league history: Jim O’Rourke (1876, singled off Philadelhpia’s Lon Knight)
Nicknames: Double X: Jimmie Foxx Meal Ticket: Carl Hubbell The Gray Eagle: Tris Speaker Mr. October: Reggie Jackson, 27 playoff games, .357 playoff average, 10 home runs, 24 RBI
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