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About This Quiz
Autumn brings colorful leaves, cool temperatures, pumpkin spice everything, and - if you're a baseball fan - a chance to see two top teams square off in the World Series. How much do you know about the history of this century-old championship?
Which team has the most World Series victories?
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees boast the most World Series wins in history. They have won 27 times in 40 appearances, losing only 13 times.
Chicago White Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Francisco Giants
Why was the World Series not played in 1994?
The players for one team refused to take part.
The players were on strike.
In August of 1994, baseball players walked off the job as the result of a salary dispute. The rest of the season was cancelled and no World Series took place that year.
A fire destroyed one of the stadiums.
Several players were killed in a plane crash.
Which two current teams have never played in the World Series?
The Dodgers and the Indians.
The Mariners and the Nationals.
Only the Seattle Mariners and the Washington Nationals have never made it to the World Series. The Nationals came close in 2017, only to be beaten by the Chicago Cubs in the National League Divisional Series.
The Mariners and the Marlins.
The Cubs and the Red Sox.
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How many games does a team have to win to gain a World Series championship?
Five.
Three.
Four.
For most of its history, the World Series has been a best-of-7 contest. That means that a team must win a total of four games to win the championship.
Seven.
Which team did the Cubs beat to win the 2016 World Series?
Cleveland Indians.
The Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in a seven-game series. The final game lasted 10 innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chicago White Sox.
New York Yankees.
Which team won the first World Series?
Brooklyn Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Boston Americans
The first official World Series took place in 1903. The Boston Americans -- now the Red Sox -- beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in an eight-game series.
Chicago Reds
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In 1919, a team was accused of intentionally losing the World Series. Which team was it?
Chicago Cubs.
Chicago White Sox.
The 1919 Chicago White Sox became known as the Black Sox as a result of baseball's greatest scandal. Several members of the team were accused of intentionally throwing the series in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate.
Brooklyn Dodgers.
Florida Marlins.
In 2003, a player for the Yankees hit a walk-off home run to win the American League Championship Series over the Boston Red Sox. Who was that player?
Derek Jeter
Mickey Mantle
Alex Rodriguez
Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone, in his first year as a Yankee after being traded from the Reds, ended the ALCS with an 11th-inning walk-off home run, thus ending the Red Sox's hopes once again.
For what is former New York Mets player Mookie Wilson best known?
Hitting a ground ball through another player's legs.
In game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Wilson hit a slow ground ball toward Bill Buckner, who was playing first base for the Red Sox. Buckner rushed the play and the ball went between his legs, allowing the winning run to score.
Holding the Mets record for post-season home runs.
Striking out more than any other player in history.
Eating chicken before every game.
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The longest game in World Series history took place in 2005. How long did it last?
4 hours and 35 minutes.
5 hours and 41 minutes
In terms of time, the longest game in World Series history took place in 2005. It took the White Sox 5 hours and 41 minutes to beat the Houston Astros by a score of 7 to 5.
6 hours and 29 minutes.
4 hours and 52 minutes.
In 1993, a player made Blue Jays history with a series-winning home run at the bottom of the 9th inning. Who was it?
Joe Carter.
Joe Carter played for several teams during his career, but he is best known for his role in helping the Toronto Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series. The Jays were leading 3 games to 2 but trailing the Phillies by one run when Carter came to the plate at the bottom of the 9th inning. His 3-run homer won the game and the series for his team.
Mookie Betts.
Derek Jeter.
Sam Malone.
How many World Series have gone seven games?
12
38
Thirty-eight times, the World Series has needed the maximum number of seven games for a winner to be determined. The first time was in 1909 and the most recent in 2016.
24
9
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Fenway Park is the oldest of the Major League ball parks. When was the most recent World Series game played there?
2004.
2013.
Fenway Park opened in 1912 and has been the site of several World Series games in its history. The most recent was October 30, 2013, when the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.
1911.
1986.
Next to the Cubs, the Boston Red Sox had the longest World Series drought in history. After 86 years, what team did they beat to win the 2004 series?
Cardinals.
After suffering through 86 long years of disappointment, Red Sox fans were finally rewarded with a World Series championship in 2004, when the Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games.
Cubs.
Astros.
Pirates.
Until the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, their long losing streak was said to be a curse caused by what animal?
Chicken.
Black cat.
Grizzly bear.
Goat.
The Curse of the Billy Goat began in 1945, when a local tavern owner was asked to remove his goat from Wrigley Field. William Sianis supposedly declared that the Cubs would not win another World Series, and they didn't for a very long time.
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Until the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, how many years had it been since the team had won a national championship?
97.
68.
108.
Until their 2016 victory, the Cubs had not won the World Series since 1908, when they beat the Detroit Tigers. That's a 108-year drought, earning the team the nickname Lovable Losers.
42.
What is the most common nickname for the World Series?
Fall Classic.
The World Series is often called the Fall Classic. This refers to the fact that it takes place in late October, sometimes spilling into November.
Autumn Championship.
Home Run Derby.
Bat Bonanza.
The long World Series drought experienced by the Boston Red Sox had a colorful name. What was it?
The Billy Goat Curse.
The Curse of the Bambino.
Babe Ruth was known as the Bambino, which is Italian for baby. When the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees at the end of the 1919 season, Boston fans were infuriated and thus began an 86-year drought, during which the Sox were unable to win a World Series.
The Tea Party Curse.
The Fenway Curse.
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Who is the only pitcher to throw a perfect game during the World Series?
Sandy Koufax.
Roger Clemens.
Pedro Martinez.
Don Larsen.
Yankees pitcher Don Larsen pitched a perfect game during the 1956 series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. A perfect game is one in which not only does no opposing player get a hit, but also no one gets on base by any means.
Against which team did Babe Ruth's famous "called shot" take place?
Cubs.
Legend has it that during the 1934 World Series against the Cubs, Ruth was down by two strikes when he pointed to center field. He hit the next pitch some 500 feet, for one of the longest home runs in history. True or not, it's a good story.
Giants.
Royals.
Indians.
What was the first wild card team to ever win a World Series?
Mets.
Marlins.
In recent years, the baseball playoffs have included one wild card team per league, giving an opportunity to the team with the best record that does not win its division. In 1997, the then-Florida Marlins became the first wild card team to win the world series, a feat they accomplished again in 2003.
Giants.
Rockies.
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What Major League player has appeared in the most World Series games?
Don Mattingly.
Sandy Koufax.
Yogi Berra.
Catcher Yogi Berra spent almost all of his storied career with the New York Yankees, much of it during the team's years of dominating the World Series. As such, he played in 75 games over the course of 14 series, including 10 championships.
Mark Grace.
Today's World Series champions receive rings as a memento, but that was not always the case. What did the earliest championship players receive?
Watches.
The tradition of giving rings to the winners began in 1922. Before then, players typically were given a pocket watch.
Plaques.
Nothing.
Team photos.
What is the only non-U.S. team to ever win the World Series?
Montreal Expos.
Tokyo Raiders.
Toronto Blue Jays.
The Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and again in 1993, making them the only team from outside the United States to win. Since the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., the Blue Jays are the only non-U.S. team in Major League Baseball.
Winnipeg Flyers.
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Which of the following teams has appeared in the World Series, but has never won?
San Diego Padres.
While a couple of teams have never appeared in the World Series at all, a few have gotten to the big show but been unable to go all the way. Among them are the Padres, who lost to the Tigers in 1984 and the Yankees in 1998.
Baltimore Orioles.
Cleveland Indians.
New York Mets.
Bill Mazeroski is one of only two players to hit a walk-off home run to win the World Series for his team. For what team was he playing at the time?
Diamondbacks.
Rockies.
Angels.
Pirates.
Mazeroski spent his entire career playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won two World Series with them, including the 1960 series in which he hit the only game 7 walk-off home run in World Series history.
What was the last team to win three World Series in a row?
Yankees.
The Yankees have several World Series streaks in their history, including the most recent three-year win streak in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Before that it was the Oakland Athletics in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Braves.
Pirates.
Reds.
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In 1989, the World Series was interrupted by an unexpected and unwelcome event. What was it?
A players strike.
An earthquake.
The Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants were matched up in the 1989 World Series when thousands of people were gathered at Candlestick Park to watch game 3. Minutes before the game was scheduled to begin, an earthquake struck the area. That game was postponed for 10 days and when the series eventually resumed, the Athletics won in four straight games.
A subway breakdown.
A forest fire.
What is the only team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a league championship series to play in and eventually win the World Series?
Yankees.
Cubs.
Red Sox.
In 2004, the Red Sox were down by three games in the ALDS, making the opposing Yankees one game away from another World Series. The Sox went on to win four games in a row, making it to the World Series and defeating the Cardinals in four straight games, making them the only team to win eight post-season games in a row.
Twins
Who holds the record for the most World Series home runs?
Mickey Mantle.
Mickey Mantle played during some of the most storied years in Yankees history. His career includes 18 home runs during World Series games, placing him ahead of Babe Ruth with 15 and Yogi Berra with 12.
Pete Rose.
Mark McGwire.
Yogi Berra.
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Which pitcher has the most World Series wins?
Sandy Koufax.
Pedro Martinez.
Roger Clemens.
Whitey Ford.
Whitey Ford ended his career with a total of 10 wins during World Series games. He had plenty of changes, having spent his entire 16-year career with the powerhouse Yankees.
Which league has the most World Series wins?
National League.
Pony League.
All Star League.
American League.
The team representing the American League has won the World Series 64 times, while the National League has won 48 times.
Why was the World Series not held in 1904?
One team refused to play.
The first World Series took place in 1903, but the following year, things fell apart when the manager of the then-New York Giants refused to allow his team to participate, even though they were the National League champions. Professional rivalries and personal animosity between John McGraw and the manager of the AL champion Boston Americans (now Red Sox) cancelled the 1904 series, so no champion was crowned.
The players went on strike.
One stadium was destroyed by an earthquake.
No team qualified.
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It isn't unusual for a World Series game to last more than 9 innings. What is the record for the most innings played in order to determine a winner?
12
18
11
14
Sometimes it takes a long time for one team to emerge the winner. Twice -- in 1916 and more recently in 2005 -- a World Series game has needed 14 innings to complete.
Now that the Cubs have won a World Series, which team has the longest winless streak?
Cleveland Indians.
When the Cubs ended their 108-year drought in 2016, they beat the team with the next-longest winning streak. The Cleveland Indians have not won a World Series since 1948.
Atlanta Braves.
Chicago White Sox.
Detroit Tigers.
You Got:
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