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About This Quiz
If you're a sports fan in America, you probably grew up playing or at least watching baseball. There's a reason that it's America's pastime, after all. The sport attracts thousands of fans to ballparks all around the country from the little leagues where kids play tee-ball to the majors where the best players in the world compete.
With such high interest in the game, it's probably not a bad idea to dive into the various aspects of the sport that are both interesting and necessary when it comes to understanding how it works. From the rules to field positions to areas of the field, there is so much baseball knowledge to be absorbed that many casual fans have a difficult time remembering it all.Â
Which type of baseball fan are you? Do you have a deep understanding of the ins and outs of the game, an understanding that you carry with you as you coach your kid's baseball teams throughout their childhood? Maybe your knowledge is much more limited than that, and you're OK with just enjoying an afternoon at the ballpark. Either way, this quiz will allow you to find out which side of the spectrum you stand on.Â
When you're ready, step up to the plate and see if you can run up the score.
4
6
9
In 1919, the New York Yankees played the Philadelphia Phillies in the shortest nine-inning game ever played. The Yankees managed to walk away with the victory in a game that only lasted 51 minutes.
11
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Two
Three
A baseball pitcher completes an immaculate inning when they get three straight outs with every pitch resulting in a strike. The last player to achieve an immaculate inning was Stephen Strasburg on July 3, 2019, against the Miami Marlins.
Four
Five
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One
The Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron holds the MLB record for the most runs batted in during a career. The 25-time All-Star finished his career with 2,297 runs batted in and also set the career home run record which has since been broken.
Three
Six
Seven
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Power hitter
Main hitter
Designated hitter
After joining the Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz eventually settled into the role of a designated hitter, becoming one of the greatest in the game. In this role, Ortiz set the Red Sox single-season home run record when he slammed 54 homers in the 2006 season.
Lead hitter
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Out
Miss
Foul
Ball
No player in the history of the game has given up more bases on balls than Nolan Ryan, who played from 1966 until 1993. Throughout that lengthy career, Ryan allowed 2,795 batters to reach base.
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Home run
The home run era started with Babe Ruth when he was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees. Ruth first eclipsed 50 home runs in the 1920 season and would go on doing it three more times in his career.
Single
Out
Touchdown
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A penalty
A foul
An error
A single error on a play is enough to get bad looks from fans and analysts, but when a team commits multiple errors on a play, it can look like a complete disaster. That's exactly what happened to the Los Angeles Dodgers when they committed three errors on one game in 2014 against the San Diego Padres.
An out
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Relief pitcher
Mariano Rivera became a legend for the New York Yankees as a relief pitcher on a skilled roster that won five World Series. Nicknamed "Sandman," Rivera even won the World Series MVP in 1999 after obtaining a win and two saves.
Backup pitcher
Secondary pitcher
Finishing pitcher
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Two
Three
Reggie Jackson is a Hall of Fame player, but he also holds the MLB record for the most strikeouts by a batter. Finishing his career with a .262 batting average and 563 home runs, he was known as a player who truly swung for the fences.
Four
Five
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Dunk
Progression
Assist
Steal
Rickey Henderson was by far the greatest player ever when it came to stealing bases, finishing his career with a total of 1,406 stolen bases. The next closest player is Lou Brock with 938.
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Catcher
Yogi Berra was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees who helped the team win 10 World Series titles. Other accomplishments from the Yankees great include three AL MVPs and 18 All-Star appearances.
Center fielder
Baseman
Receiver
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Fourth base
Home plate
The 1931 New York Yankees hold the MLB record for the most runs ever scored in a single season with 1,067 runs. That team included Hall of Fame players like Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Earl Combs.
Scoring plate
End zone
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Dugout
Home plate
First base
It's not uncommon for a pitcher, particularly in a rivalry, to hit an opposing player with the baseball on purpose, often in revenge for a past argument. Of course, this often results in a brawl where benches from both teams run onto the field.
Second base
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Pitcher's cage
Pitcher's mound
Dugout
Bullpen
The 1990 Cincinnati Reds had one of the best trios of bullpen pitchers the game has ever seen. Made up of Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers, they were called the "Nasty Boys," and they were just that, racking up 44 saves with 351 strikeouts.
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Center fielder
Left fielder
Catcher
Shortstop
Cal Ripken Jr., who spent his entire 21-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, split time between shortstop and third base. Ripken was known for his durability, starting 2,632 straight games before finally taking himself out of the lineup in 1998.
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Majors
Major League Baseball is comprised of 30 teams split between the American League and the National League. Twenty-nine of those teams are located in the United States, and one, the Toronto Blue Jays, is located in Canada.
Minors
Premiers
Top tiers
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Pitcher's mound
On the baseline
In the infield
On base
In the modern game, baseball bases are made of rubber, which is measured 15 inches by 15 inches. These bases are anchored into the ground by a metal tube that is attached to concrete inside the ground.
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Bunt
Ichiro Suzuki, who retired in 2019, was one of the best bunters during his time in the majors. His bunting ability is one of the reasons he finished his career with a .353 batting average and 1,278 hits.
Crack
Single
Base hit
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Two
Three
Four
In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908, which was the longest drought in MLB history at the time. Part of the reason they won was thanks to a grand slam hit by Addison Russell in Game 6, which the Cubs needed to extend the series to a seventh game.
Five
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Batter's box
Pete Rose was a master in the batter's box, where he would change his stance depending on the pitcher and where he wanted to place the ball. Throughout his career, Rose had 4,246 hits with a .303 batting average.
Batter's circle
Batter's plate
Batter's cage
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Curveball
Change-up
Tom Glavine was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, mostly thanks to his ability to throw a change-up. This pitch was a major reason he won at least 20 games in five different seasons.
Slider
Knuckleball
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Extra innings
During a 1981 game in the minor leagues, the Pawtucket Red Sox played the Rochester Red Wings in a contest that lasted 33 innings. The game spanned three different days and finally ended with a score of 3-2.
Additional innings
Overtime
Ends in a tie
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Sideline
Penalty box
Dugout
Dugouts can be both a place for celebration and a place where feuds run high, resulting in arguments between teammates. In 2015, the Washington Nationals watched two of their players, Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon, go at it in the dugout after they were eliminated from the playoff race.
Stands
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Lead runner
Star runner
Power runner
Pinch runner
Herb Washington, a track star, was one of the first players whose only purpose on a team was to pinch run for players who reached base. Washington only played baseball for two seasons with the Oakland Athletics, but he did win a World Series in 1974.
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Five
Seven
Nine
Each year, the best defensive players in both leagues at each of the nine positions on the field receiver a Gold Glove Award. Greg Maddux has the most Gold Glove Awards overall with 18. He won 13 of those awards consecutively.
11
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Fly ball
Ground ball
Speedball
Line drive
A line drive can be one of the most dangerous hits in baseball because they come unexpectedly in any direction at an extremely high speed. Line drives into the stands have become a concern in recent years, as they have resulted in several injuries to fans.
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Referee
Official
Umpire
For the first time in professional baseball, a robotic umpire called a game during a 2019 minor league All-Star bout. The decision to use the robotic umpire is part of baseball's desire to have a faster game to increase fan support.
Judge
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Starting hitter
Leadoff hitter
Leadoff hitters are responsible for setting the tone of the game, not by necessarily knocking a homer, but by getting on base. One of the best at this was Rickey Henderson, who reached base 40 percent of the time.
First hitter
Position one
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Full count
The best pitchers and batters will use the pitch count to determine how they will handle the next pitch that occurs. Batters, for example, may give up an early strike to gauge how the pitcher is going to attack them.
Last pitch
End count
Swing pitch
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Go ahead
Finishing hit
Walk off
The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates were the first team to win a World Series with a walk-off home run when they defeated the New York Yankees in seven games. The Yankees were heavily favored in the series, but the Pirates won four close games to clinch the win.
Mega slam
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Tap the base with it
Throw it
Baseball, more so than other sports, has a tradition of sportsmanship that players are supposed to follow. Aside from not throwing the bat, players are also not expected to showboat after they hit a home run unless they want to face the fury of the opposing team.
Break it
Swing it
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Two
Three
Four
On June 14, 2019, Jake Bauers became the 327th player and the most current batter to complete a hit for the cycle. He accomplished the feat against the Detroit Tigers in only his first full season in the majors.
Five
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First
Few players defended first base quite as well as Lou Gehrig, who played for the New York Yankees during their early dynasty years. Gehrig wasn't just a great defender, though, as he proved to be one of the most lethal batters in New York's "Murderers' Row."
Second
Third
None
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Outfield
Foul lines
Two large polls mark foul lines on the back fence to help determine if a ball is still in play. That doesn't mean that there still aren't controversial calls, which have become a center of debate as video replay gets more popular.
Infield
End zone
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Splitfinger fastball
Knuckleball
Curveball
Sandy Koufax, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, possessed one of the most lethal curveballs in MLB history. He used the pitch to throw a perfect game and four no-hitters during his career.
Slider
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Triple crown
Complete game
Shutout
Perfect game
The first player in the modern era of baseball to throw a perfect game was Cy Young in 1904 against the Philadelphia Athletics. The game helped cement Young's place as one of the best pitchers of all time, which is why the Cy Young Award is named after him.
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Heavy
Loaded
Occasionally, power hitters are walked on purpose to load the bases in the hopes that the next batter won't fair as well. This play sometimes pays off until a batter hits a home run to give their team four points.
Full
Packed
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King
Starter
Closer
Ace
Randy Johnson spent his Hall of Fame career as an ace pitcher on six different teams across the league. His five Cy Young Awards and 10 All-Star appearances are evidence of just how great he was on the mound.
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Relay
Lead
Load
Battery
Beginning in 1925, Lefty Grove and Mickey Cochrane formed one of the best batteries that the baseball world has ever seen. The two players had Hall of Fame careers where they won two World Series together with the Philadelphia Athletics.
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Head coach
Field manager
Currently, Bruce Bochy is the longest-tenured manager who has been with the same team in MLB. Bochy has managed the San Francisco Giants since 2006, leading the team to three World Series titles.
General manager
President of operations
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