- Hammerin’ Hank
- Tom Terrific
- Knucksie
- Mr. Tiger
- The Chairman of the Board
We’ve lost countless baseball legends in the last year, from perfect-game pitchers (Don Larsen) to beloved managers (Tommy Lasorda) and the true home-run king (Hank Aaron).
How well do you know these late icons? The following trivia questions will help you remember their forgotten feats.
Which Grammy Award winning musician took his stage name from Hank Aaron?
Hank Aaron was an inspiration to millions, including a future Grammy winner who idolized him as a child.
Does the name Stanley Burrell ring any bells?
If not, that’s because you know him better as MC Hammer or simply “Hammer.”
Long before he topped the charts and made parachute pants a cultural sensation, Burrell was a kid from Oakland who dreamed of becoming a ballplayer. He sold baseballs and danced outside the Oakland Coliseum, where he caught the attention of A’s owner Charlie Finley. Finley hired the 11-year-old as a clubhouse assistant and batboy…and occasional informant. Burrell’s uncanny resemblance to a young Hank Aaron, aka “Hammer,” earned him his now famous nickname.
Who faced Tom Seaver more than any other player?
In the fall of 2020, baseball lost two legends in the span of a week.
One was a pitching giant, the other a master base thief.
Coincidentally, these Hall of Famers had an extensive shared history. Tom Seaver died on August 31st, and Lou Brock passed away six days later.
No batter faced Seaver more than Brock, and no pitcher faced Brock more than Seaver. Brock registered 157 plate appearances against Seaver, batting .250 (38-152 AB) with ten doubles, two triples, and a home run.
When the two crossed paths at the 1967 All-Star Game, the 22-year-old Seaver was so youthful in appearance that Brock mistook him for a clubhouse attendant and said, “Hey kid, get me a Coke” (for more on that story, click here). They’d have another famous encounter in 1978, when Seaver — with the Reds at the time — threw his first and only no-hitter against Brock’s Cardinals at Riverfront Stadium.
Which Hall of Fame pitcher played for the Harlem Globetrotters?
Some great pitchers do more than just baffle their opponents — they scare the living daylights out of them.
Hurlers like Andy Pettitte and Dave Stewart were known for their intense glares and no-nonsense demeanors. Perhaps the most intimidating force on the mound was their predecessor, Bob Gibson.
Gibson’s name is synonymous with competitive fire, so it’s no surprise that he was dissatisfied with playing exhibition basketball. Gibson suited up for the Harlem Globetrotters in 1957, delaying the start of his baseball career. He quit after one season, saying, “I hated that clowning around. I wanted to play to win.” Gibson also grew tired of the travel schedule and many double-headers.
What nickname was given to the 1983 Phillies?
Joe Morgan’s legacy is mostly tied to the Big Red Machine, the Cincinnati Reds dynasty of the 1970s. He began his big league career with the Houston Astros, and also played for both Bay Area teams, the Giants and A’s.
In December of 1982, Morgan was traded from the Giants to the Phillies, where he was reunited with former Reds teammates Pete Rose and Tony Pérez. Morgan was 39 years old, while Rose was 41 and Pérez was 40. The Big Red Machine alums were just some of the veterans on that Phillies roster, which also featured Ron Reed (age 40), Steve Carlton (38), Tug McGraw (38), and Bill Robinson (39).
These past-their-prime greats earned the 1983 Phillies the nickname “Wheeze Kids,” a playful take on the 1950 Phillies “Whiz Kids.”
Who finished second to Sandy Koufax in 1963 Cy Young voting?
Since 1967, the Cy Young Award has been given to the best pitcher in each league.
But from 1956 to 1966, the award was given to the single best pitcher in the majors. Whitey Ford was the victim of the one-recipient rule in 1963, a year that Sandy Koufax won the Cy Young in unanimous fashion. Had the award been handed to two pitchers, Ford would have likely earned the honor for the AL.
Ford went 24-7 with a 2.74 ERA for the ‘63 Yankees, leading the American League in win percentage (.774), starts (37), and innings (269.1). To add insult to injury, Koufax twice outdueled Ford in the 1963 World Series, in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium and the series-clinching Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.
Ford’s consolation prize for losing out on the Cy Young was his recognition as the American League Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. The lefty finished third in AL MVP voting behind Yankees teammate Elston Howard and Al Kaline of the Tigers.
Who holds the record for most wins after turning 40?
Throwing a baseball is an unnatural motion. And throwing a baseball at a high velocity for hundreds of innings a year usually results in significant damage to the arm.
Knuckleballers have the luxury of pitching at a lesser velocity, placing less strain on their arms than their fireballing counterparts. The prime example of a long-lasting knuckleballer is the late Phil Niekro. “Knucksie” compiled 121 wins and 1,977 innings after his 40th birthday, both major league records.
Searle’s Final Say
Each year, we lose a handful of all-time baseball greats, leaving us to rekindle their memory by reciting lifetime stats and replaying their video highlights. The best way to honor these icons is to reflect on their wider significance, and to pass their stories down to future generations.
