George Will’s 2023 Opening Day quiz
A Pirates coach once managed a team “that was so bad we considered a 2-0 count on the batter a rally.”
A Pirates coach once managed a team “that was so bad we considered a 2-0 count on the batter a rally.”
You can be better than that at identifying:
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1. The only pitcher since 1960 to average more than 20 wins over a 10-year span.
Bob Gibson
Juan Marichal
Roger Clemens
Greg Maddux
2. Who holds the Reds’ career home run record.
Johnny Bench
Eric Davis
Frank Robinson
Ted Kluszewski
3. Who holds the Reds’ single-season home run record.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Tony Perez
Joey Votto
George Foster
4. The pitcher who started five games with his team facing postseason elimination and whose team won all five.
Whitey Ford
John Smoltz
Curt Schilling
Andy Pettitte
5. The only player to lead his league in hits five consecutive years.
Nap Lajoie
Tris Speaker
Nellie Fox
Ichiro Suzuki
6. The MVP pitcher who won 16 games, all in relief, for the 1950 Phillies.
Jim Konstanty
Blix Donnelly
Bubba Church
Milo Candini
7. The first Canadian-born MVP.
Ferguson Jenkins
Larry Walker
Eric Gagné
George Selkirk
8. The Hall of Fame pitcher who holds the record for the worst single-season ERA (minimum 50 innings pitched).
Roy Halladay
Rube Marquard
Goose Gossage
Catfish Hunter
9. The player who had the most career hits without winning a batting title.
Carl Yastrzemski
Cap Anson
Paul Waner
Derek Jeter
10. The hitter with the most home runs in a season against one team.
Albert Pujols (12) against the Chicago Cubs in 2006
Jimmie Foxx (10) against the New York Yankees in 1929
Lou Gehrig (14) against the Cleveland Indians in 1936
Hank Aaron (15) against the Houston Colt .45s in 1962
11. The pitcher who reached 500 strikeouts in the fewest innings.
Aroldis Chapman
Nolan Ryan
Tom Seaver
Walter Johnson
12. The only pitcher since 1920 with at least 100 postseason innings and an ERA under 1.00.
Jon Lester
Mariano Rivera
Dave Stewart
Jim Palmer
13. Who was caught just 13 times while stealing 104 bases in a season.
Maury Wills
Lou Brock
Rickey Henderson
Vince Coleman
14. The three two-time MVPs who are not in the Hall of Fame.
Zoilo Versalles, Thurman Munson, Vida Blue
Elston Howard, Dick Groat, Jackie Jensen
Dolph Camilli, Mort Cooper, Lou Boudreau
Dale Murphy, Roger Maris, Juan González
15. The Hall of Famer who hit more than 500 home runs but never 40 in a season.
Harmon Killebrew
Jim Thome
Eddie Murray
Chipper Jones
16. Who reached base in 84 consecutive games.
Ted Williams
Joe DiMaggio
Stan Musial
Willie Keeler
17. The two future Hall of Famers traded for one another.
Vladimir Guerrero, Tony Gwynn
Gabby Hartnett, Kiki Cuyler
Tony Lazzeri, Luke Appling
Orlando Cepeda, Joe Torre
18. The only team to twice win the World Series after being behind three games to one.
Philadelphia Athletics
New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pittsburgh Pirates
19. The first National League player to win consecutive MVP awards.
Rogers Hornsby
Ernie Banks
Carl Hubbell
Willie Mays
20. Who hit the most career home runs in a single park.
Mel Ott, Polo Grounds
Sammy Sosa, Wrigley Field
Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium
Mike Schmidt, Veterans Stadium
21. The two players who got 200 hits in a season 10 times.
Rod Carew, Derek Jeter
Al Simmons, Bill Terry
Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki
Wade Boggs, Ty Cobb
22. The player who went the longest (11 years) between MVP awards.
Nolan Ryan
Cal Ripken Jr.
Yogi Berra
Willie Mays
23. The teammates who each had 159 RBIs in 155 games in 1949.
Vic Wertz, Hoot Evers
Ted Williams, Vern Stephens
Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges
Bobby Thomson, Johnny Mize
24. The only player with at least 40 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 30 doubles and 100 walks in the same season.
Jeff Bagwell
Dick Allen
Roberto Clemente
Roy Campanella
25. The pitcher with the most wins in the 1940s.
Dizzy Trout
Spud Chandler
Hal Newhouser
Bob Feller
26. The first player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season with five different teams.
Fred McGriff
José Canseco
Alfonso Soriano
Gary Sheffield
27. The team that took the longest time (until its 97th season) to win a World Series.
Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Detroit Tigers
28. The Dodgers pitcher with the most wins since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958.
Clayton Kershaw
Fernando Valenzuela
Orel Hershiser
Don Sutton
29. The first pitcher after 1900 to strike out at least 300 in a season.
Rube Waddell
Cy Young
Noodles Hahn
Christy Mathewson
30. The first pitcher to reach the Hall of Fame without ever starting a game.
Sparky Lyle
Dan Quisenberry
Bruce Sutter
Lee Smith
31. Who holds the Pirates’ career home run record.
Ralph Kiner
Barry Bonds
Dave Parker
Willie Stargell
32. Who holds the Pirates’ single-season home run record.
Ralph Kiner
Barry Bonds
Dave Parker
Willie Stargell
33. The three who won the pitchers’ Triple Crown (leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts) three times.
Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Sandy Koufax
Lefty Grove, Bob Feller, Roger Clemens
Hippo Vaughn, Dazzy Vance, Steve Carlton
Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson, Justin Verlander
34. The expansion team that in its third season played in the postseason.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners
Toronto Blue Jays