Silly Baseball trivia

gunnarthor · February 3, 2016

None of these answers will include players who played before 1902 so you don't have to worry about a freak answer.

1) Excluding players still on the HOF ballot, which retired player threw the most innings and is not in the baseball HOF?

2) Who threw more innings - Jack Morris or Bob Feller? Both played in parts of 18 seasons.

3) Again, ignoring active players or players still on the HOF ballot, which player hit the most HR and is not in the HOF?

4) Without looking it up, can you guess the top 5 stolen base leaders in ML history?

I got the first three right and 4 of the 5 for the last one.

Vanimal46 · February 3, 2016

1) Tommy John?

2) Gonna guess Bob Feller

3) Has to be Barry Bonds

4) Rickey Henderson.....All I can think of.

Loosey · February 3, 2016

1) Jim Kaat

2) Bob Feller

3) Fred McGriff - I'm assuming players who aren't eligible yet don't count. Otherwise, Jim Thome is my guess.

4) TY Cobb, Rickey Henderson, Vince Coleman, Lou Brock, Kenny Lofton???

bluechipper · February 3, 2016

I think you guys missed the part about players who are not currently on the HOF ballot for #3.

gunnarthor · February 3, 2016

Bonds and McGriff are still on the HOF ballot and yes, players not yet eligible (Thome) weren't included (although Thome would obviously be the answer if it was). So it isn't Sosa either.

bluechipper · February 3, 2016

I'm wondering if the HR "leader" is Mark McGwire, since I think he's off the ballot now. Only about half of his HRs were legit, but that's my answer anyway.

Vanimal46 · February 3, 2016

I'm wondering if the HR "leader" is Mark McGwire, since I think he's off the ballot now. Only about half of his HRs were legit, but that's my answer anyway.

If we were on Family Feud right now, I'd be yelling GOOD ANSWER! GOOD ANSWER!

Loosey · February 3, 2016

Bonds and McGriff are still on the HOF ballot and yes, players not yet eligible (Thome) weren't included (although Thome would obviously be the answer if it was). So it isn't Sosa either.

I thought McGriff fell off the ballot . . .

Loosey · February 3, 2016

I thought McGriff fell off the ballot . . .

I am not very smart. . . He is still on.

gunnarthor · February 3, 2016

So here are the answers -

1) Tommy John

2) Feller by 3 innings

3) McGwire

4) Henderson, Brock, Raines, Coleman and Ty Cobb (a guy named Billy Williams is in there too but he played before 1901).

Vanimal46 · February 3, 2016

2 out of 3 ain't bad! Tommy John was a shot in the dark.

Loosey · February 3, 2016

So here are the answers -
1) Tommy John
2) Feller by 3 innings
3) McGwire
4) Henderson, Brock, Raines, Coleman and Ty Cobb (a guy named Billy Williams is in there too but he played before 1901).

I think Billy Williams was better know by his nickname Lando. . .

biggentleben · February 3, 2016

Um, I think your question lied...

#1 is Bobby Mathews, who was a player before 1900. I only know that because he played for Boston before they became the Braves, and his numbers are such that he's one of the few keeping Tom Glavine from the top 10 innings pitched among former Braves, I believe. I researched this for an article at one point.

#2 would be Feller

#3 was Palmeiro before McGwire fell off the ballot this year

#4 was easy for me...that's something an old baseball card guy kept track of growing up - Henderson, Brock, Hamilton, Cobb, Raines. But again, Hamilton was a guy whose career ended in 1901.

Monkeypaws · February 3, 2016

They should put Tommy John in the HoF not for his pitching, but for the surgical procedure that bears his name.

ashbury · February 3, 2016

They should put Tommy John in the HoF not for his pitching, but for the surgical procedure that bears his name.

Mario Mendoza, too.

Otto von Ballpark · February 4, 2016

I got 1 and 4. Wasn't thinking PED guys for #3, so I guessed Kingman.

gunnarthor · February 4, 2016

Um, I think your question lied...

#1 is Bobby Mathews, who was a player before 1900. I only know that because he played for Boston before they became the Braves, and his numbers are such that he's one of the few keeping Tom Glavine from the top 10 innings pitched among former Braves, I believe. I researched this for an article at one point.

#2 would be Feller

#3 was Palmeiro before McGwire fell off the ballot this year

#4 was easy for me...that's something an old baseball card guy kept track of growing up - Henderson, Brock, Hamilton, Cobb, Raines. But again, Hamilton was a guy whose career ended in 1901.

That's why the instructions said don't worry about players prior to 1902.

biggentleben · February 4, 2016

That's why the instructions said don't worry about players prior to 1902.

And I would get that most wouldn't know Bobby Mathews. Hell, it's a fluke I would, but Billy Williams is a very well known ball player from that era that most even in their 30s have grown up knowing as one of the all-time great base stealers. You'd have to intentionally weed him out of #4 in order to answer it, which is weird.

Sarah · February 5, 2016

As George Will once said, nothing about baseball is trivial. I always like his opening day quiz.

USAFChief · February 5, 2016

Mario Mendoza, too.

But not Luigi?

Hrbowski · February 6, 2016

How about most home runs by a player who was never an all-star?

gunnarthor · February 10, 2016

How about most home runs by a player who was never an all-star?

Dang, I didn't notice someone added a new trivia question. And it's a great one. I have no idea but I know Chili Davis hit a crap ton of home runs and I'm not sure if he ever actually made an all-star game.

biggentleben · February 10, 2016

The first All-Star game was in 1933, so my first instinct was to think about guys who were retired by then, but the all-timers like Ruth were still playing. I knew Davis made an All-Star team because I remember having the Topps card of it when he was with the Giants. So I figured it'd be around 300 or less. My guess would be Tim Salmon, just knowing that he finished at 299 as a quirk sort of thing.

biggentleben · February 10, 2016

Dammit!! Just did the B-Ref Play Index on it. Salmon was a very good guess, but not the right one. My first instinct on old-timers was right, though.

gunnarthor · February 10, 2016

Dammit!! Just did the B-Ref Play Index on it. Salmon was a very good guess, but not the right one. My first instinct on old-timers was right, though.

Haven't looked up the answer but I assume the question meant weren't all-stars so didn't include the players who played before the all-star game was created.

biggentleben · February 10, 2016

Haven't looked up the answer but I assume the question meant weren't all-stars so didn't include the players who played before the all-star game was created.

The leader technically played after the inception of the All-Star game, however.

gunnarthor · February 12, 2016

I think it's time for an answer.

Otto von Ballpark · February 12, 2016

Rogers Hornsby?

biggentleben · February 12, 2016

Rogers Hornsby?

yup. 301, two more than Salmon, who was my guess, which was why I was bummed that I was wrong!

Otto von Ballpark · February 12, 2016

I wouldn't have gotten it without your clue that he "technically played after the inception of the All-Star game."

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