Baseball quick quiz

Baseball Digest, Feb, 2004

Collect ten points for each question answered correctly. Answers on page 90

(If you score 80 or better, you are a baseball expert; 70 or better, superior; between 60 and 70, good, and between 40 and 60, average.

1. Who is the single-season record holder for home runs (36) for the Kansas City Royals: Dean Palmer, Gary Gaetti, Steve Balboni or John Mayberry?

2. Only five players have stolen 40 bases or more in a season for the Boston Red Sox. Who set the club record with 54 steals in one season: Tris Speaker, Tommy Harper, Otis Nixon or Harry Hooper?

3. Over the last 47 seasons, only two Chicago Cubs pitchers have led the National League in strikeouts. Collect five points for each of these strikeout champions you can identify.

4. Among the following Colorado Rockies players, which one never led the National League in RBI during a single season: Preston Wilson, Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga, Todd Helton or Larry Walker?

5. Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden are two of the three pitchers in New York Mets history to win a league ERA title. Who is the only other Mets hurler to accomplish this feat: Jerry Koosman, David Cone, Craig Swan or Jon Matlack?

6. Who was the last pitcher to record more than five shutouts in one season when he totaled eight in 1989: Rick Reuschel, Tim Belcher, Jimmy Key or Greg Maddux?

7. Barry Bonds has scored 100 runs and driven in 100 runs in the same season ten times during his career--most among active players. Who holds the record for most 100 run/100 RBI seasons in a career with 13: Babe Path, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx or Hank Aaron?

8. Collect five points for each correct answer. Name the two relief pitchers to save a total of 100 or more games in consecutive seasons. A clue, both are active and both are righthanders.

9. Last season, Barry Bonds finished his third campaign with a on-base percentage of .500 or higher. Who is the only player in major league history to post five seasons with a on-base average of .500 or better: Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Rogers Hornsby or Mickey Mantle?

10. Last year, Albert Pujols of the Cardinals put together a 30-game hitting streak. Besides Pujols, there are five other active players who have tailored a consecutive-game hit streak of 30 or more contests in the majors. Collect two points for each of these players you can identify.

Quick Quiz Answers

1. Steve Balboni set the single-season home run mark for the Kansas City Royals in 1985 when he clubbed 36 homers. Other season high HR hitters in Royals history are Gary Gaetti 35 in 1995, John Mayberry 34 in 1975, Danny Tartabull 34 in 1987 and Dean Palmer 34 in 1998.

2. Tommy Harper set the Red Sox single-season stolen base mark with 54 in 1973. Other players with 40 or more steals in Red Sox annals are Tris Speaker (52 in 1912, 46 in 1913 and 42 in 1914), Otis Nixon (42 in 1994), Harry Hopper (40 in 1910) and Bill Werber (40 in 1934).

3. The last two Cubs pitchers to lead the National League in strikeouts are Ferguson Jenkins and Kerry Wood. Jenkins paced the N.L. with 273 whiffs in 1969 and Kerry Wood topped all N.L. pitchers with 266 strikeouts last season.

4. Larry Walker never won an RBI title as a member of the Rockies. In 1997, he finished third in the N.L with 130 RBI. Preston Wilson led the league in RBI in 2003; Dante Bichette in 1995; Andres Galarraga, 1996 and 1997, and Todd Helton, 2000.

5. Besides Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden, the only other Mets pitcher to lead the National League in ERA was Craig Swan. Swan led the senior circuit with a 2.43 ERA in 1978. Gooden led with a 1.53 ERA in 1985 and Seaver topped the N.L in 1970 (2.81), 1971 (1.76) and 1973 (2.08).

6. The last major league pitcher to record more than five shutouts in one season was Tim Belcher of the Dodgers in 1989 when he paced all major league hurlers with eight complete-game shutouts.

7. Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig holds the major league record for most seasons with 100 runs and 100 RBI with 13. From 1926 through 1938, Gehrig scored 100 or more runs and registered 100 or more RBI in each of those 13 campaigns.

8. The two relief pitchers to total 100 saves over consecutive seasons are Eric Gagne of the Dodgers and John Smoltz of the Braves. In 2002 and 2003, Gagne saved a combined 107 games with 52 and 55 saves respectively while Smoltz accumulated 100 saves in 2002 (55) and 2003 (45).

9. Babe Ruth is the only player in major league history to record an on-base percentage of .500 or better in five different seasons. Ruth posted a .500 on-base average for the Yankees in 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924 and 1926.

10. Besides Albert Pujols, the five other active players to have a 30game hitting streak during their careers are Benito Santiago, Vladimir Guerrero, Nomar Garciaparra, Sandy Alomar and Luis Castillo.