Baseball quick quiz

Baseball Digest, May, 2004

Collect ten points for each question answered correctly.

(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. In 2002, Jorge Posada of the Yankees became the seventh catcher in major league history to hit 40 or more doubles in a season. If you can identify two of the other six backstops to accomplish this feat collect ten points.

2. Vladimir Guerrero is one of only two players in baseball history to post a 30-game hitting streak and have a season in which he stole 30 bases and hit 30 home runs. Who is the other player to match these achievements during his career. Eric Davis, Jeff Bagwell, Willie Mays or Luis Gonzalez?

3. There have been nine different players who have had a 40-homer season with the Boston Red Sox. Collect ten points if you can name five of the nine players to hit 40 homers in a season as members of the Red Sox.

4. Four hundred total bases in a season is a mark accomplished 29 times by 18 different players. For ten points, name two of the four active players who have reached 400 total bases in a season.

5. Who was the last American League player to record 100 extra-base hits in a season: Ken Griffey, Jr., Albert Belle, Hank Greenberg or Alex Rodriguez?

6. Who was the only pitcher to throw a complete game no-hitter in 2003: Mark Prior, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millwood or Jason Schmidt?

7. At the start of the 2004 season there were 16 former and current pitchers who had 300 or more career saves. Collect ten points if you can name eight of these relief specialists. (A clue: There were four active pitchers with 300 or more saves at the start of the 2004 campaign.)

8. Besides Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo, who is the only other Houston Astros player to club 40 or more homers in a season: Jimmy Wynn, Glenn Davis, Lance Berkman or Ken Caminiti?

9. At the start of the 2004 season, there were five active pitchers with 200 or more career victories. Collect two points for each of these hurlers you can identify.

10. Before the beginning of the '04 campaign, Greg Maddux was 11 wins and 235 strike-outs away from becoming the ninth pitcher in major league history to record 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. Collect ten points if you can name five of the eight pitchers to accomplish both these feats.

1. Besides Jorge Posada, the six other catchers to hit 40 or more doubles in a season include Ivan Rodriguez (1996, 1998), Mickey Cochrane (1930), Terry Kennedy (1982), Brian Harper (1990), Johnny Bench (1968) and Ted Simmons (1978).

2. Other than Vladimir Guerrero, the only player to have a 30-homer/30-steal season and put together a 30-game hitting streak during his career was Eric Davis. In 1987, Davis stole 50 bases while slugging 37 home runs for the Reds, and in 1998, he posted a 30-game hit streak with the Orioles. Guerrero had a 31-game skein in 1999 and joined the 30/30 Club with 40 SB and 39 HR in 2002 with the Expos.

3. The nine players to have a 40-homer season with the Red Sox are: Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Dick Stuart, Carl Yastrzemski, Rico Petrocelli, Jim Rice, Tony Armas, Mo Vaughn and Manny Ramirez.

4. The four active players who have had a season in which they totaled 400 or more bases are Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Luis Gonzalez and Todd Helton.

5. The last American League player to collect 100 or more extra-base hits in a season was Albert Belle of the Indians. In 1995, Belle clubbed 50 homers, 52 doubles and one triple for 103 extra-base hits.

6. Phillies ace Kevin Millwood was the only pitcher to toss a complete-game no-hitter in 2003 when he held the San Francisco Giants hitless on April 27 in a 1-0 Philadelphia victory.

7. The 16 pitchers to have 300 or more lifetime saves at the start of the 2004 campaign include: Lee Smith (478), John Franco (424), Dennis Eckersley (390), Jeff Reardon (367), Trevor Hoffman (352), Randy Myers (347), Rollie Fingers (341), John Wetteland (330), Roberto Hernandez (320), Rick Aguilera (318), Robb Nen (314), Tom Henke (311), Goose Gossage (310), Jeff Montgomery (304), Doug Jones (303) and Bruce Sutter (300). Franco, Hoffman, Hernandez and Nen were still active at the start of the season.

8. Besides Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo, Lance Berkman is the only other player to hit 40 homers in a season with the Astros. The switch-hitting Berkman clubbed 42 home runs in 2002.

9. The five active pitchers at the start of the 2004 campaign to have 200 or more career wins are Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson and David Wells.

10. The eight pitchers to have both 300 lifetime victories and 3,000 career strikeouts are Walter Johnson, Steve Carlton, Don Sutton, Nolan Ryan, Gaylord Perry, Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens and Phil Niekro.