Baseball Statistics & Trivia

Some interesting facts about America's pastime

Home Runs

We're watching baseball history being made. Lucky us!

Q1: How many of the Top Ten lifetime home run leaders can you name?   (through 2001). One is an active player.

Q2: Who has the most career home runs without ever being in a World Series? It was Barry Bonds until 2002. Think "Mr. Cub."

Q3: Who holds the record for most career home runs for an outfielder?  This is ONLY while he played in the outfield.

Q4: When Babe Ruth retired in 1935 with 714 home runs only two other players had hit 300 home runs. Who were they?  One played for the Yankees, the other mostly for St. Louis.

Q5: What father-and-son combo has the most career home runs? The son is an active player.

Q6: Who was the first National Leaguer to hit 500 home runs?  He played in New York.

Q7: Who was the first National Leaguer to hit 50 home runs in two consecutive seasons? It was not so long ago.

Q8: Who is the only player to hit at least 30 home runs in his first four major league seasons?  He retired a few years ago.

Q9: Who is the shortest home run champion?   This guy could really hack the ball.

Q10: Only two players have lifetime stats of over 500 home runs, over 3,000 hits and over a .300 batting average. Who are they? They are two of the top players to ever play the game.

7th in Homers

Hitting

Q1: Can you name the top hitting players by position (1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, Catcher)?

answer 1B: Dan Brouthers, .342; 2B: Rogers Hornsby, .358; 3B: Wade Boggs, 328; SS: Honus Wagner, .327; OF: Ty Cobb, .366; Catcher: Mike Piazza, currently batting; .325.

Q2: What was Babe Ruth's lifetime batting average? It's probably higher than you thought.

Q3: Who hit over .300 in the most consecutive seasons?  

answer Ty Cobb hit over .300 for 23 consecutive seasons. Stan Musial did it for 16. Tony Gwynn for 14.

Q4: Who is the only person to win the batting title in his first two full major league seasons?

answer Tony Oliva of the Twins in 1964 (.324) and 1965 (.321)

Q5: Who was the youngest player to reach 3,000 hits?

answer Ty Cobb in 1921 at age 32

Q6: Who is the only player to win a batting title for an expansion team in its first year?  This was a fairly recent achievement.

answer Andres Galarraga hit .370 for the Rockies in 1993

Q7: Who are the only three players with 6,000 total bases?  All played over 20 seasons, hit over .300 and knocked over 400 career HRs.

answer Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Willie Mays

Q8: What was Ty Cobb's lowest full season batting average?

answer As a rookie in 41 games he hit just .241 The next year in 98 games he hit .316 Those were the two LOWEST of his career

Q9: Who are the only two players with 500 home runs, 3,000 hits, and a .300 batting average?  Seems like these guys are on all the "greatest hitters" lists!

answer Hank Aaron and Willie Mays

Q10: What two players have won two Triple Crowns?

answer Rogers Hornsby in 1922 and '25 and Ted Williams in 1942 and '47

Q11: What great hitter ranks 1st in On Base Percentage, 2nd in slugging, 3rd in walks, 6th in batting and is tied for 11th in homeruns?

answer Ted Williams

Q12: Who had the most hits in the 1990's?   It is NOT Bonds, Boggs or Gwinn.

answer Mark Grace of the Cubs

Not so good hitting

Q1: What player is first and second for striking out most in a season? 

Q2: What did Rod Carew do in 1972 that no AL player has ever done?

Q3: Who had the biggest drop in batting average from one season to the next?

Q4: Who was the first hitter to reach 1,000 strikeouts?  1,500 strikeouts?

Q5: Who hit into the most double plays in their career?

On to Miscellaneous Trivia

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Page last updated 02/29/04