George Will’s 2023 Opening Day quiz

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A Pirates coach once managed a team “that was so bad we considered a 2-0 count on the batter a rally.”

You can be better than that at identifying:

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1. The only pitcher since 1960 to average more than 20 wins over a 10-year span.

Bob Gibson

Juan Marichal

Roger Clemens

Greg Maddux

2. Who holds the Reds’ career home run record.

Johnny Bench

Eric Davis

Frank Robinson

Ted Kluszewski

3. Who holds the Reds’ single-season home run record.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Tony Perez

Joey Votto

George Foster

4. The pitcher who started five games with his team facing postseason elimination and whose team won all five.

Whitey Ford

John Smoltz

Curt Schilling

Andy Pettitte

5. The only player to lead his league in hits five consecutive years.

Nap Lajoie

Tris Speaker

Nellie Fox

Ichiro Suzuki

6. The MVP pitcher who won 16 games, all in relief, for the 1950 Phillies.

Jim Konstanty

Blix Donnelly

Bubba Church

Milo Candini

7. The first Canadian-born MVP.

Ferguson Jenkins

Larry Walker

Eric Gagné

George Selkirk

8. The Hall of Fame pitcher who holds the record for the worst single-season ERA (minimum 50 innings pitched).

Roy Halladay

Rube Marquard

Goose Gossage

Catfish Hunter

9. The player who had the most career hits without winning a batting title.

Carl Yastrzemski

Cap Anson

Paul Waner

Derek Jeter

10. The hitter with the most home runs in a season against one team.

Albert Pujols (12) against the Chicago Cubs in 2006

Jimmie Foxx (10) against the New York Yankees in 1929

Lou Gehrig (14) against the Cleveland Indians in 1936

Hank Aaron (15) against the Houston Colt .45s in 1962

11. The pitcher who reached 500 strikeouts in the fewest innings.

Aroldis Chapman

Nolan Ryan

Tom Seaver

Walter Johnson

12. The only pitcher since 1920 with at least 100 postseason innings and an ERA under 1.00.

Jon Lester

Mariano Rivera

Dave Stewart

Jim Palmer

13. Who was caught just 13 times while stealing 104 bases in a season.

Maury Wills

Lou Brock

Rickey Henderson

Vince Coleman

14. The three two-time MVPs who are not in the Hall of Fame.

Zoilo Versalles, Thurman Munson, Vida Blue

Elston Howard, Dick Groat, Jackie Jensen

Dolph Camilli, Mort Cooper, Lou Boudreau

Dale Murphy, Roger Maris, Juan González

15. The Hall of Famer who hit more than 500 home runs but never 40 in a season.

Harmon Killebrew

Jim Thome

Eddie Murray

Chipper Jones

16. Who reached base in 84 consecutive games.

Ted Williams

Joe DiMaggio

Stan Musial

Willie Keeler

17. The two future Hall of Famers traded for one another.

Vladimir Guerrero, Tony Gwynn

Gabby Hartnett, Kiki Cuyler

Tony Lazzeri, Luke Appling

Orlando Cepeda, Joe Torre

18. The only team to twice win the World Series after being behind three games to one.

Philadelphia Athletics

New York Yankees

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pittsburgh Pirates

19. The first National League player to win consecutive MVP awards.

Rogers Hornsby

Ernie Banks

Carl Hubbell

Willie Mays

20. Who hit the most career home runs in a single park.

Mel Ott, Polo Grounds

Sammy Sosa, Wrigley Field

Babe Ruth, Yankee Stadium

Mike Schmidt, Veterans Stadium

21. The two players who got 200 hits in a season 10 times.

Rod Carew, Derek Jeter

Al Simmons, Bill Terry

Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki

Wade Boggs, Ty Cobb

22. The player who went the longest (11 years) between MVP awards.

Nolan Ryan

Cal Ripken Jr.

Yogi Berra

Willie Mays

23. The teammates who each had 159 RBIs in 155 games in 1949.

Vic Wertz, Hoot Evers

Ted Williams, Vern Stephens

Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges

Bobby Thomson, Johnny Mize

24. The only player with at least 40 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 30 doubles and 100 walks in the same season.

Jeff Bagwell

Dick Allen

Roberto Clemente

Roy Campanella

25. The pitcher with the most wins in the 1940s.

Dizzy Trout

Spud Chandler

Hal Newhouser

Bob Feller

26. The first player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season with five different teams.

Fred McGriff

José Canseco

Alfonso Soriano

Gary Sheffield

27. The team that took the longest time (until its 97th season) to win a World Series.

Boston Red Sox

Philadelphia Phillies

Pittsburgh Pirates

Detroit Tigers

28. The Dodgers pitcher with the most wins since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

Clayton Kershaw

Fernando Valenzuela

Orel Hershiser

Don Sutton

29. The first pitcher after 1900 to strike out at least 300 in a season.

Rube Waddell

Cy Young

Noodles Hahn

Christy Mathewson

30. The first pitcher to reach the Hall of Fame without ever starting a game.

Sparky Lyle

Dan Quisenberry

Bruce Sutter

Lee Smith

31. Who holds the Pirates’ career home run record.

Ralph Kiner

Barry Bonds

Dave Parker

Willie Stargell

32. Who holds the Pirates’ single-season home run record.

Ralph Kiner

Barry Bonds

Dave Parker

Willie Stargell

33. The three who won the pitchers’ Triple Crown (leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts) three times.

Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Sandy Koufax

Lefty Grove, Bob Feller, Roger Clemens

Hippo Vaughn, Dazzy Vance, Steve Carlton

Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson, Justin Verlander

34. The expansion team that in its third season played in the postseason.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

Seattle Mariners

Toronto Blue Jays