Baseball exam 1920-1949

1. The post-1920 live-ball hitting explosion occurred, in part, to which action?

a. The abolition of the spitball pitch.

b. Decreasing the distance between the pitching mound and home plate.

c. Shortening the fences.

d. Eliminating side-arm pitching

a. The abolition of the spitball pitch.

2. In 1920, which submarine pitcher killed the only batter in major league history with a bean-ball pitch?

a. Elmer Stricklett

b. Big Ed Walsh

c. Jack Chesbro

d. Carl Mays

d. Carl Mays

3. Of the 17 pitchers grandfathered in to throw spitballs, who was the last man to throw it legally?

a. Burleigh Grimes

b. Big Ed Walsh

c. Carl Mays

d. Jack Chesbro

a. Burleigh Grimes

4. Which team was the first to draw one million fans in attendance for a season?

a. 1920 New York Yankees

b. 1921 New York Giants

c. 1922 Washington Senators

d. 1923 Philadelphia Athletics

e. 1924 Brooklyn Dodgers

a. 1920 New York Yankees

5. In 1921, where did KDKA radio broadcast the first "live" major league baseball game?

a. Opening-day game at Yankee Stadium

b. Regular season game in Pittsburgh's Forbes Field

c. World Series game in Chicago's Wrigley Field

d. Regular season game in Cincinnati's Crosley Field

b. Regular season game in Pittsburgh's Forbes Field

6. Which man created the first Negro National League in 1920?

a. Andrew "Rube" Foster

b. Cumberland Posey

c. Buck O'Neil

d. Gus Greenlee

a. Andrew "Rube" Foster

7. To date, who is the only batter to be killed by a pitch in a major league game (1920)?

a. Eddie Collins

b. Joe Sewell

c. Carl Mays

d. Ray Chapman

d. Ray Chapman

8. Who hit for a .402 batting average over a five-year span from 1921-1925?

a. Ty Cobb

b. Rogers Hornsby

c. Lou Gehrig

d. Honus Wagner

b. Rogers Hornsby

9. In the worst trade ever, how much money did the Yankees pay to acquire Babe Ruth in 1920?

a. $50,000

b. $75,000

c. $100,000

d. $125,000

d. $125,000

10. Which player holds the modern record for the highest batting average in a season at .424?

a. Ty Cobb

b. Napoleon Lajoie

c. Shoeless Joe Jackson

d. Rogers Hornsby

d. Rogers Hornsby

11. Why was Babe Ruth suspended from baseball in 1922?

a. Spitting on a fan

b. Hitting and cursing at umpires

c. Gambling on boxing matches

d. Barnstorming in Japan in the off season

d. Barnstorming in Japan in the off season

When did the original Yankee Stadium debut?

a. 1921

b. 1922

c. 1923

d. 1924

c. 1923

13. Which statement about Yankee Stadium is true?

a. It was nicknamed the Bronx Gardens.

b. Before it opened, the Yankees shared Ebbets Field with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

c. Both

d. Neither

d. Neither

14. Who hit the first home run in the original Yankee Stadium?

a. Lou Gehrig

b. Babe Ruth

c. Jimmie Foxx

d. Bob Meusel

b. Babe Ruth

15. Which two teams played in the first Negro League World Series, held in 1924?

a. Kansas City Monarchs and the Hilldale Club

b. New York Lincoln Giants and Detroit Stars

c. Birmingham Black Barons and Baltimore Black Sox

d. Indianapolis ABCs and Cuban East Stars

a. Kansas City Monarchs and the Hilldale Club

16. When did the Washington Senators win their only World Series championship?

a. 1921

b. 1922

c. 1923

d. 1924

d. 1924

17. How did the 1924 World Series end?

a. Babe Ruth walked but was thrown out trying to steal second base.

b. Fred Lindstrom watched a ground ball hit a pebble and bounce over his glove.

c. Walter Johnson threw a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop.

d. Roger Peckinpaugh let a ground ball go through his legs for his 8th error of the series.

b. Fred Lindstrom watched a ground ball hit a pebble and bounce over his glove.

1. What was Lou Gehrig's record consecutive-games-played streak before Cal Ripken broke it?

a. 1,312

b. 1,888

c. 2,022

d. 2,130

d. 2,130

2. What was Ty Cobb's batting average, the highest ever, when he retired in 1928?

a. .356

b. .358

c. .366

d. .375

c. .366

3. After which dead-ball great did Babe Ruth pattern his swing?

a. Honus Wagner

b. Tris Speaker

c. Shoeless Joe Jackson

d. Napoleon Lajoie

c. Shoeless Joe Jackson

4. When did Christy Mathewson die from the poisonous gas he inhaled during WW-I?

a. In the press box while keeping score of the 1919 World Series.

b. Just before Game Two of the 1925 World Series.

c. While farming on his estate in New York in 1922.

d. He died from Lou Gehrig's disease, not the gas, in 1932.

b. Just before Game Two of the 1925 World Series.

5. Which statement about Babe Ruth is true?

a. He began as a star left-hand pitcher in the dead-ball era.

b. A broken leg in Asheville, NC caused him to miss the first two months of the 1925 season.

c. Both

a. He began as a star left-hand pitcher in the dead-ball era.

6. In 1925, what caused Babe Ruth's worst season in baseball?

a. He was suspended until May 20 for barnstorming in Japan after the previous season.

b. He was hospitalized for over two months with his 'Bellyache Heard 'Round the World.'

c. He was beaned in the head and didn't return until mid-June.

d. He was in a contract dispute over his $80,000-per-year salary.

b. He was hospitalized for over two months with his 'Bellyache Heard 'Round the World.'

7. In 1929, which team first wore permanent uniform numbers on the back of their jerseys?

a. New York Giants

b. St. Louis Browns

c. St. Louis Cardinals

d. New York Yankees

d. New York Yankees

8. Who developed the minor-league 'farm system' that MLB uses today?

a. Charles Ebbets

b. Harry Frazee

c. Branch Rickey

d. Charles Comiskey

c. Branch Rickey

9. Who won game seven of the 1926 World Series while pitching with a hangover?

a. Jesse Haines

b. Urban Shocker

c. Waite Hoyt

d. Grover Cleveland Alexander

d. Grover Cleveland Alexander

10. The 1926 World Series showcased which stunning event?

a. AL MVP Roger Peckinpaugh made a record eight errors at shortstop.

b. Bill Wambgnass made the first and only unassisted triple play in series history.

c. Babe Ruth ended the series by being thrown out trying to steal second base.

d. A ball hit a pebble, bouncing over 3B Freddie Lindstrom's head, chasing home the winning run.

c. Babe Ruth ended the series by being thrown out trying to steal second base.

11. Which statement about the 1925 World Series is true?

a. A monsoon poured over Walter Johnson as he lost game 7 of the World Series to Pittsburgh.

b. Pittsburgh became the first team to win a 7-game series after being down 3 games to 1.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

12. Which 1927 team earned the nickname of Murderers Row?

a. New York Giants

b. St. Louis Cardinals

c. New York Yankees

d. Philadelphia Athletics

c. New York Yankees

13. Lou Gehrig replaced which injured player to start his record consecutive-games-played streak?

a. Joe Dugan

b. Howie Shanks

c. Wally Pipp

d. Mark Koenig

c. Wally Pipp

14. Which statement about the 1929 World Series is true?

a. The A's soft-tossing Howard Ehmke dominated the Cubs with slow pitches to win game one.

b. HOF pitcher Lefty Grove struck out a then-record 13 Chicago Cubs in his only series start.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

1. What years did Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's second dynasty span?

a. 1929-31

b. 1932-34

c. 1934-36

d. 1936-38

a. 1929-31

2. What were the details of the highest contract to date that Babe Ruth signed in 1930?

a. 80K for one year

b. 140K for two years

c. 100K for one year

d. 160K for two years

d. 160K for two years

3. Which season is widely considered the "Year of the Hitter" in baseball history?

a. 1930

b. 1932

c. 1936

d. 1939

a. 1930

4. Who is the HOFer not among the five in a row that Carl Hubbell struck out in the 1934 All-Star game?

a. Babe Ruth

b. Lou Gehrig

c. Jimmie Foxx

d. Al Simmons

e. Bill Dickey

e. Bill Dickey

5. In 1930, which player started his career as the first Jewish superstar in baseball history?

a. Sandy Koufax

b. Sid Gordon

c. Al Rosen

d. Hank Greenberg

d. Hank Greenberg

6. Which statement about the Negro-League All Star Game is true?

a. Chicago's Wrigley Field hosted the game every season that it was played.

b. The league first played this All-Star game in the 1933.

c. Both

d. Neither

b. The league first played this All-Star game in the 1933.

7. Which event occurred on June 3, 1932?

a. Lou Gehrig became the first player in modern history to hit four home runs in one game.

b. NY Giants manager John McGraw retired after 32 years as a player and manager.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

8. The 1932 World Series witnessed which unique event involving Babe Ruth?

a. Ruth ended the Series by being thrown out attempting to steal second base.

b. Ruth allegedly "called his shot" by pointing to the bleachers and then hitting a home run into them.

c. Pitcher Charlie Root beaned Ruth in game one, thus benching Ruth for the rest of the Series.

d. Ruth pitched for the first time since the 1918 World Series.

b. Ruth allegedly "called his shot" by pointing to the bleachers and then hitting a home run into them.

9. During the 1930s, which city was considered the "Capital" of Negro League baseball?

a. Washington, D.C.

b. Pittsburgh

c. Philadelphia

d. Boston

e. Kansas City

b. Pittsburgh

10. Which St. Louis Cardinals player was removed from Game 7 of the 1934 World Series for his protection?

a. Dizzy Dean

b. Pepper Martin

c. Ducky Medwick

d. Frankie "The Fordham Flash" Frisch

e. Leo "The Lip" Durocher

c. Ducky Medwick

What was the nickname of the famous 1934 St. Louis Cardinals?

a. Murderers Row

b. The Fordham Flashes

c. The Pepper Pots

d. The Gashouse Gang

d. The Gashouse Gang

12. Which Negro-League team played its games in Pittsburgh?

a. The Homestead Grays

b. The Crawfords

c. Both

d. Neither

b. The Crawfords

13. Who is considered the greatest slugger in Negro-League history?

a. Josh Gibson

b. Cool Papa Bell

c. John Henry "Pop" Lloyd

d. Buck Leonard

e. Oscar Charleston

a. Josh Gibson

14. Which slugger was the last man to win the Triple Crown in the National League?

a. Ducky Medwick

b. Miguel Cabrera

c. Rogers Hornsby

d. Carl Yastrzemski

e. Frank Robinson

c. Rogers Hornsby

1. During the 1930s Great Depression, owners stirred interest by creating all the following except...

a. Hall of Fame

b. All-Star Game

c. Night baseball

d. Doubleheaders

e. Televised games

d. Doubleheaders

2. Where and when was the first night game played in the Major Leagues?

a. Cincinnati 1935

b. Pittsburgh 1938

c. St. Louis 1936

d. Brooklyn 1939

a. Cincinnati 1935

3. In 1935, which statement about Babe Ruth's final career home run is true?

a. It was his last home run as a New York Yankee.

b. It was the first ball to ever clear the right field roof at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.

c. It was the second of two home runs he hit that day.

d. It occurred in his final game ever played.

b. It was the first ball to ever clear the right field roof at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.

4. Which two future Hall of Famers debuted in the 1936 AL season?

a. Ted Williams and Bob Feller

b. Bob Feller and Joe DiMaggio

c. Joe DiMaggio and Hank Greenberg

d. Hank Greenberg and Ted Williams

b. Bob Feller and Joe DiMaggio

5. Which statement about Lou Gehrig's 1939 season is true?

a. A pitch beaned him in the head to end his consecutive-games-played streak.

b. He resumed playing one game after his streak ended.

c. On July 4, he made a famous speech calling himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

d. He died before the season ended from a central-nervous-system disease.

c. On July 4, he made a famous speech calling himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

6. Which Negro-League star became Major League baseball's first black coach, in 1962?

a. Rube Foster

b. Cool Papa Bell

c. Jackie Robinson

d. Buck O'Neil

e. Satchel Paige

d. Buck O'Neil

7. Which Negro League player helped to create the Negro-League Baseball Museum, in Kansas City?

a. Buck O'Neil

b. Judy Johnson

c. Buck Leonard

d. Oscar Charleston

e. Ray Dandridge

a. Buck O'Neil

8. Which HOFer did not play for the 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords, the best of all Negro League teams?

a. Judy Johnson

b. Buck Leonard

c. Josh Gibson

d. Satchel Paige

e. Cool Papa Bell

c. Josh Gibson

9. In 1938, who pitched the only back-to-back no hitters in baseball history?

a. Dizzy Dean

b. Daffy Dean

c. Carl Hubbell

d. Johnny Vander Meer

d. Johnny Vander Meer

10. Brooklyn's Ebbets Field hosted the first televised Major League game during which season?

a. 1933

b. 1935

c. 1937

d. 1939

d. 1939

11. What was the four-year span during which the Yankees won four consecutive World Series?

a. 1932-35

b. 1934-37

c. 1936-39

d. They did not win four consecutive championships

c. 1936-39

12. When and where was baseball's first televised major league game?

a. Crosley Field 1935

b. Forbes Field 1936

c. Polo Grounds 1937

d. Ebbets Field 1939

d. Ebbets Field 1939

13. Which statement about the Baseball Hall of Fame is true?

a. Its first class of five charter members were elected in 1939.

b. The actual Hall-of-Fame building opened its doors for the first time in 1936.

c. Both

d. Neither

d. Neither

14. Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games-played streak ended in which season?

a. 1933

b. 1935

c. 1937

d. 1939

d. 1939

1. In 1940, who is the only player to pitch a no-hitter on Opening Day in baseball history?

a. Hal Newhouser

b. Bob Feller

c. Red Ruffing

d. Paul Derringer

b. Bob Feller

2. In 1940, who was the first player to commit suicide during the baseball season?

a. Bobo Newsom

b. Paul Derringer

c. Willard Hershberger

d. Ernie Lombardi

c. Willard Hershberger

3. Which statement about Ted William's 1941 season is true?

a. He hit a three-run homer in the last of the ninth inning to win the 1941 All Star game.

b. He won the Most Valuable Player award at the end of that year.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

4. Which event occurred in 1941?

a. America officially entered into WW-II.

b. Joe DiMaggio became the last player to date to hit over .400 (.406).

c. Both

d. Neither

a. America officially entered into WW-II.

5. How did World War II impact the way baseball operated?

a. Eastern coastline cities could not play night games to avoid sighting by German U-boats.

b. Travel restrictions forced teams to conduct spring training much closer to home.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

6. Which Hall of Fame player missed no time in the major leagues due to WW II?

a. Hank Greenberg

b. Bob Feller

c. Hal Newhouser

d. Joe DiMaggio

e. Ted Williams

c. Hal Newhouser

7. What was baseball's famous 'Green-Light Letter' written in 1942?

a. President Roosevelt wrote it to provide exemptions from the war for a few star players.

b. Roosevelt wrote it giving MLB permission to continue during the war.

c. Baseball commissioner Landis wrote it requesting a delay in starting the baseball season.

d. Landis wrote it, allowing blacks to replace white players drafted into the war.

b. Roosevelt wrote it giving MLB permission to continue during the war.

8. What famous play led to the Brooklyn Dodgers eventually losing the 1941 World Series?

a. With a 2-1 score, Dixie Walker struck out with the bases loaded to end game five.

b. Catcher Mickey Owen allowed a pass ball to tie the game in the 9th inning of game four.

c. Pitcher Hugh Casey hit a Yankee batter to send home the winning run in game two.

d. Dodger slugger Ducky Medwick got picked-off first base to end game one.

b. Catcher Mickey Owen allowed a pass ball to tie the game in the 9th inning of game four.

9. Who was the youngest player (15) in major league history?

a. Joe Nuxhall

b. Pete Gray

c. Bert Shepard

d. Moonlight Graham

a. Joe Nuxhall

Which Hall of Famer slugger led the St. Louis Cardinals to three straight pennants during WW II?

a. Red Schoendienst

b. Stan Musial

c. Harry Walker

d. Enos Slaughter

b. Stan Musial

11. Which statement about World War II's effect on major league baseball is true?

a. They played each World Series during the war years entirely in the month of September.

b. The war hastened baseball's desegregation as it spotlighted blacks and whites united in war.

c. Both

d. Neither

b. The war hastened baseball's desegregation as it spotlighted blacks and whites united in war.

Which statement about the All American Girls Professional Baseball League is true?

a. They stopped playing in 1946 when the major leaguers returned from WW II.

b. In 1992, Hollywood made a movie about the league called, Diamond Girls.

c. Both

d. Neither

a. They stopped playing in 1946 when the major leaguers returned from WW II.

The woeful St. Louis Browns won their only pennant in history during which war year?

a. 1942

b. 1943

c. 1944

d. 1945

c. 1944

14. What event opened the door in 1944 for baseball's integration to occur three years later?

a. World War II ended that winter.

b. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis died.

c. Star players threatened to strike for integration before the '44 season

d. Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a minor-league contract.

d. Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a minor-league contract.

15. Which statement about Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 is true?

a. After his streak ended, he went hitless for the next 16 games.

b. The next closest number to the record is 44 games.

c. Both

d. Neither

b. The next closest number to the record is 44 games.

1. Which of the following people never appeared in a major league baseball game?

a. An outfielder with only one arm.

b. Archie "Moonlight" Graham from the movie Field of Dreams.

c. A 15-year old teenager.

d. A pitcher with an artificial leg.

e. A woman.

e. A woman.

2. Which statement about Jackie Robinson is true?

a. He was the first black player to appear in a major league game.

b. He played for the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers.

c. He played his minor league ball in Kentucky before breaking baseball's color barrier.

d. He was Branch Rickey's third choice to integrate baseball behind Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson

b. He played for the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers.

3. Which statement about Detroit HOF pitcher Hal Newhouser is true?

a. He won the Cy Young award during all four years of World War II.

b. He is the only pitcher to ever win back-to-back MVP awards.

c. Both

d. Neither

b. He is the only pitcher to ever win back-to-back MVP awards.

4. Which statement about the "Williams Shift" against Ted Williams is true?

a. HOFer Lou Boudreau devised it during the 1946 regular season.

b. Williams hit only .200 against it during the 1946 World Series.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

5. Which of the following statement about Branch Rickey is true?

a. He signed Jackie Robinson to integrated major league baseball in 1947.

b. He wrote the "Green-Light" letter that permitted baseball to continue throughout the war.

c. Both

d. Neither

a. He signed Jackie Robinson to integrated major league baseball in 1947.

6. Which Negro League star first integrated the American League?

a. Jackie Robinson

b. Larry Doby

c. Josh Gibson

d. Satchel Paige

e. Frank Robinson

b. Larry Doby

7. In 1946, where did the Dodgers send Jackie Robinson to play in his only minor-league season?

a. Mississippi, MS

b. Memphis, TN

c. Macon, GA

d. Montreal, CN

d. Montreal, CN

8. Which statement about pitcher Satchel Paige's age is true?

a. He became the oldest rookie in history at age 42.

b. In his last Major League game, he was 59 years old.

c. Both

d. Neither

c. Both

9. Who made the Mad Dash from first base to score the winning run in the 1946 World Series?

a. Enos Slaughter

b. Red Schoendienst

c. Stan Musial

d. Harry Walker

a. Enos Slaughter

10. Which Cardinals' pitcher won three games in the 1946 World Series, including game 7?

a. Howie Pollet

b. Murry Dickson

c. Harry Brecheen

d. Red Munger

c. Harry Brecheen

11. For the Cleveland Indans 1948 season, which of the following did not occur?

a. They hired Babe Ruth as a coach just months before he died.

b. They beat Boston in a one-game playoff to win the AL pennant.

c. They won their last World Series to date.

d. They signed Negro League star Satchel Paige

a. They hired Babe Ruth as a coach just months before he died.

12. Whose walk-off double broke up Bill Bevens no-hitter to win game four of the 1947 World Series?

a. Cookie Lavagetto

b. Al Gionfriddo

c. Jackie Robinson

d. Pee Wee Reese

a. Cookie Lavagetto

13. Who robbed Joe DiMaggio of a possible home run to save six of the 1947 World Series?

a. Carl Furillo

b. Pete Reiser

c. Al Gionfriddo

d. Dixie Walker

c. Al Gionfriddo

14. When was the first World Series televised?

a. 1945

b. 1946

c. 1947

d. 1948

c. 1947

15. Which statement about the 1949 baseball season is true?

a. Tied the last day of the season, New York had to beat Boston to win the '49 AL pennant.

b. This season started a run of five consecutive World Series titles for the Yankees.

c. Both

d. Neither

b. This season started a run of five consecutive World Series titles for the Yankees.