If you're a St. Louis Cardinals fan and haven't read it already, I happily recommend Pitch By Pitch: My View of One Unforgettable Game, written by Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson and Lonnie Wheeler. It's a pitch-by-pitch account of game 1 of the 1968 World Series with a lot of background information and good story-telling. (I'm only up to the 7th inning, so don't spoil the ending for me.) Gibson and Pitch By Pitch are the inspirations for today's quiz:
1. Bob Gibson played college basketball at Creighton University and went on to play for what pro basketball team?
That's a gimme for Cardinals fans; the Harlem Globetrotters
2. Gibson won the National League MVP and Cy Young awards in 1968 and led his team to the World Series. Who duplicated those feats in the American League that year?
Denny McLain, who won 31 games
3. Name the two pitchers since 1968 to win the MVP, win the Cy Young and pitch in the World Series in the same season.
Roger Clemens (1986), Willie Hernandez (1984)
4. What team did Sandy Koufax shut out the most times?
Koufax shut the Cardinals out 10 times. Three of those came against Gibson.
5. Major League Baseball lowered the pitcher's mound to its current height after pitchers dominated the 1968 season. What was the previous height and what is the current height?
It went from 15 inches down to 10.
6. Who led the National League in hitting in 1968 with an impressive .335 average?
Pete Rose, and shouldn't that have been talked about a lot more than it has? Hitting .335 in the Year of the Pitcher?
7. And what two relatives finished second and third?
Matty (.332) and Felipe (.317) Alou
8. Who claimed the American League batting title in 1968 with a record-low .301?
Carl Yastrzemski
9. Gibson's league-leading 1.12 ERA in '68 is a well-known stat for long-time baseball fans. Who won the American League title that year with an impressive 1.60?
Luis Tiant
10. Oh, OK, spoiler alert for those reading the book: how many Detroit Tigers did Bob Gibson strike out in game 1 of the 1968 World Series (still a WS record)?
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