We missed last week, but we are back today with our sixth edition of 20th Century MLB Trivia.
Question 1:
During the American League’s inaugural season in 1901, which Boston pitcher went 33-10 with a 1.62 ERA, striking out 158 batters and walking only 37 in 38 of his 41 starts?
Question 2:
Which Cardinals outfielder led the National League with 237 hits, 56 doubles and 406 total bases in 1937, batting .374 while winning the league’s MVP Award?
Question 3:
Which Brooklyn Dodgers catcher hit 41 home runs and drove in an NL-leading 142 runs in 1953, becoming the second catcher in MLB history to win multiple MVP Awards?
Question 4:
After a knee injury limited him to just 33 games in 1965, which Cardinals first baseman returned to prominence in 1967, batting .325 with 25 home runs and 111 RBI while becoming the National League’s first unanimous MVP winner since 1936?
Question 5:
Which Cincinnati Reds star won the 1973 National League MVP Award despite hitting only five home runs and driving in 64 runs? He led the league with 230 hits, won the batting title with a .338 average and produced 8.3 bWAR.
Question 6:
Which Milwaukee Brewers shortstop produced an incredible 10.5 bWAR in 1982, collecting 210 hits, 46 doubles and 367 total bases while leading his team to its first World Series appearance?
Question 7:
Which Atlanta Braves outfielder played all 162 games in 1983, hitting 36 home runs with 121 RBI and 30 stolen bases, becoming a member of the 30-30 club while winning his second consecutive National League MVP Award?
Question 8:
Which Oakland Athletics closer won both the American League Cy Young and MVP Awards in 1992, recording 51 saves while striking out 93 batters and issuing only 11 walks in 80 innings?
Here’s the remarkable part: Six of those 11 walks were intentional.
Question 9:
Which Houston Astros first baseman hit .368 with 39 home runs and 116 RBI in only 110 games during 1994, winning the National League MVP Award unanimously despite suffering a broken hand just two days before the players’ strike began?
Question 10:
Which Atlanta Braves superstar was not selected to the 1999 All-Star Game but went on to win the National League MVP Award after hitting 45 home runs, stealing 25 bases and drawing 126 walks?
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ANSWER KEY
1. Cy Young
Young dominated the American League’s inaugural season, going 33-10 with a 1.62 ERA and 158 strikeouts.
He completed 38 of his 41 starts and threw five shutouts while allowing only 37 walks in 371⅓ innings.
Young led the league in victories, ERA and strikeouts, capturing what is now recognized as the pitching Triple Crown.
Two years later, he helped Boston win the first modern World Series in 1903.
2. Joe Medwick
Medwick’s 1937 season was one of the greatest offensive performances of the 1930s.
He batted .374 with 31 home runs and 154 RBI, becoming the last National League player to win the batting Triple Crown.
He also led the league with 237 hits, 56 doubles, 111 runs scored and 406 total bases.
Medwick won the NL MVP Award that season, making him one of the few players to capture both the Triple Crown and MVP in the same year.
3. Roy Campanella
Campanella’s 1953 season established new offensive standards for catchers.
He hit .312 with 41 home runs, 142 RBI and a 1.006 OPS, helping Brooklyn win the National League pennant.
His 142 RBI established an MLB record for catchers, and 40 of his 41 home runs came while he was playing the position.
Campanella won his second MVP Award that season, following his first in 1951. He eventually collected a third in 1955.
4. Orlando Cepeda
Cepeda’s career appeared to be in serious jeopardy after knee problems limited him to just 33 appearances during the 1965 season.
Following a trade from San Francisco to St. Louis in 1966, he rediscovered his offensive production.
In 1967, Cepeda hit .325 with 25 home runs and an NL-leading 111 RBI, earning every first-place vote for National League MVP.
He became the first unanimous NL MVP since Carl Hubbell accomplished the feat in 1936.
Cepeda also helped St. Louis defeat Boston in seven games to capture the World Series championship.
5. Pete Rose
Rose’s 1973 MVP season is particularly interesting when compared with some of the league’s power hitters.
He batted .338 with 230 hits and 115 runs scored, but finished with only five home runs and 64 RBI.
Baseball-Reference credits him with 8.3 bWAR, reflecting his offensive production and other contributions.
He won the MVP Award over Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell, who had hit 44 home runs with 119 RBI.
Rose received 12 first-place votes and accumulated 274 voting points, compared with Stargell’s 10 first-place votes and 250 points.
6. Robin Yount
Yount produced one of the greatest individual seasons ever by a shortstop in 1982.
He hit .331 with 29 home runs, 114 RBI, 210 hits and 46 doubles, leading the majors in hits, slugging percentage and total bases.
His 10.5 bWAR remains the highest single-season total in Milwaukee Brewers franchise history.
Yount also won a Gold Glove and received 27 of 28 first-place votes for the American League MVP Award.
Milwaukee reached its first World Series that season, losing to St. Louis in seven games.
7. Dale Murphy
Murphy followed his 1982 MVP season with an equally impressive campaign in 1983.
He batted .302 with 36 home runs, 121 RBI, 131 runs scored and 30 stolen bases.
He also posted a .933 OPS and led the National League in RBI.
His combination of power and speed made him a member of the 30-30 club, while his offensive consistency helped him earn a second consecutive MVP Award.
Murphy remains one of the most recognizable Atlanta Braves stars of the 1980s.
8. Dennis Eckersley
Eckersley’s 1992 season demonstrated just how dominant a relief pitcher could be.
He went 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA and 51 saves, striking out 93 batters in 80 innings.
Perhaps most impressive was his control.
Of his 11 walks, six were intentional, meaning he unintentionally walked only five hitters the entire season.
Eckersley won both the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards, becoming one of the few relief pitchers to capture both honors in the same season.
9. Jeff Bagwell
Bagwell was putting together an extraordinary offensive season when baseball stopped in August 1994.
He hit .368 with 39 home runs, 116 RBI, 104 runs scored and a 1.201 OPS in just 110 games.
He also led the National League in RBI, runs, slugging percentage, total bases and extra-base hits.
Interestingly, Bagwell’s season ended before the strike.
He suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch on August 10, just two days before the work stoppage began.
Despite the abbreviated season, Bagwell unanimously won the National League MVP Award and captured his only Gold Glove.
10. Chipper Jones
Jones put together a tremendous 1999 season, batting .319 with 45 home runs, 110 RBI, 116 runs scored and 25 stolen bases.
He also drew 126 walks while striking out only 94 times.
Despite an excellent first half, Jones was left off the National League All-Star roster.
He responded by hitting another 24 home runs after the break and leading Atlanta to the National League pennant.
His outstanding second half helped him capture the NL MVP Award.
Jones joined an unusual group of players who won league MVP honors without being selected to that season’s All-Star Game.