Quiz: How would you measure up to the world's toughest baseball trivia?

Quiz: How would you measure up to the world’s toughest baseball trivia?

Staff Writer

Sept. 17, 2019 3 AM PT

Try answering some of the questions posed in the annual trivia contest held by the Society for American Baseball Research. We’re including five questions from each of the four rounds of competition. If we included questions solely from the final round, you’d have no chance. Answers are at the bottom.

Round 1

1) What is the popular term for the medical procedure formally known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction?

2) During the San Diego Padres’ 1974 home opener, someone grabbed the stadium’s public address microphone and rashly blurted out to the crowd: “I’ve never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life!” Who was he?

3) Which three players have amassed 1,000 hits for a team in the American League and for a team in the National League?

4) Name the seven Dodgers who have been named most valuable player of the World Series.

5) How many regular-season games were on the schedule for each team in the American League in 1927?

Round 2

6) Who is the only player to win a National League MVP award while playing for the Padres?

7) Which three major league managers have both won and lost 20 World Series games?

8) In 2004, the All-Star game MVP, American League Championship Series MVP, National League Championship Series MVP and World Series MVP all were born in the Dominican Republic. Name those four players.

9) What are the nicknames of the Pacific Coast League teams that play in Albuquerque and El Paso?

10) Name the movie that is the source of the following quotes:
A: “ ’Course it’s boring. That’s the point. Write it down.”
B: “Pick me out a winner, Bobby.”

Round 3

11) Who hit the first home run ever in an All-Star game?

12) Among Hall of Fame pitchers Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Tom Seaver and Don Sutton, which one did not attend USC?

13) What are the four names the Padres have called their home stadium in San Diego?

14) Name the two Hall of Famers whose fathers played in the major leagues.

15) Name the three pitchers who threw perfect games in 2012.

Round 4

16) Who is the only player in the expansion era to pitch 50 innings and hit 15 home runs in the same season?

17) Name the only father-son duo to play together in a major league game in this century.

18) Who is the only player with 500 home runs and three World Series championship rings who never played for the Yankees?

19) Who is the only third baseman ever to hit 50 doubles and 30 home runs in the same season?

20) Who hit the only walkoff home run ever surrendered by Nolan Ryan?

Answers

Round 1

1) Tommy John surgery
2) Ray Kroc, the Padres’ owner
3) Vladimir Guerrero (Expos and Angels), Dave Winfield (Padres and Yankees), Albert Pujols (Cardinals and Angels)
4) Johnny Podres (1955), Larry Sherry (1959), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965), Ron Cey (1981), Pedro Guerrero (1981), Steve Yeager (1981), Orel Hershiser (1988)
5) 154

Round 2

6) Ken Caminiti
7) Walter Alston, John McGraw, Casey Stengel
8) All-Star MVP: Alfonso Soriano; ALCS MVP: David Ortiz; NLCS MVP: Albert Pujols; World Series MVP: Manny Ramirez
9) Albuquerque Isotopes, El Paso Chihuahuas
10) A. “Bull Durham” (Crash Davis to Nuke LaLoosh). B. “The Natural” (Roy Hobbs to batboy Bobby Savoy)

Round 3

11) Babe Ruth
12) Mussina, who attended Stanford
13) San Diego Stadium; Jack Murphy Stadium; Qualcomm Stadium; Petco Park
14) Roberto Alomar, Ken Griffey Jr.
15) Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez, Philip Humber

Round 4

16) Shohei Ohtani
17) Tim Raines Sr. and Tim Raines Jr.
18) David Ortiz
19) Alex Bregman
20) Bruce Bochy