World Series Quiz 2025

 BASEBALL AND WORLD SERIES QUIZ 

The 2025 Major League Baseball post-season is in full swing.  As we approach the October Classic, Number 16 is pleased to present a challenging baseball quiz for your enjoyment.  How well do you know trivia about the Grand Old Game?  Find out by completing the 11-question quiz below.


BASEBALL AND WORLD SERIES QUIZ

1.  Who is the youngest player to hit a home run in a World Series game?

A.  Mickey Mantle

B.  Miguel Cabrera

C.  Andruw Jones

D.  Juan Soto

E.  Tony Kubek

2.  When was the first night game in World Series history played?

A.  1971

B.  1970

C.  1969

D.  1973

E.  1972

3.  What is the longest game by innings in World Series history

A.   15 innings

B.   19 innings

C.  17 innings

D.  18 innings

E.   16 innings

4.  Who is the youngest player to appear in a World Series game.

A.  Mickey Mantle

B.   Leslie Ambrose "Bullet Joe" Bush

C.  Julio Urias

D.  Evan Carter

E.  Bret Saberhagen

5.  When was the first modern World Series that featured two teams from the same city?

A.  1911

B.  1933

C.  1923

D.  1906

E.  1908

6.  The New York Mets have won the World Series twice.  In which years did they win?

A.  1968 and 1985

B.  1967 and 1984

C.  1969 and 1985

D.  1968 and 1986

E.  1969 and 1986

7.  The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.  How many times have the L.A. Dodgers and the Yankees played against each other in the Fall Classic?

A.  Ten times

B.  13 times

C.  12 times

D.  9 times

E.  11 times

8.  In 1992, a World Series game was played outside of the United States for the first time.  The Toronto Blue Jays won the Series against the Atlanta Braves,  becoming the first franchise based outside of the U.S. to win a World Series.  The championship returned to Canada in 1993.  Which National League teams did the Blue Jays defeat in 1993?

A.  The Oakland Athletics

B.  The New York Mets

C.  The Chicago Cubs

D.  The Philadelphia Phillies

E.  The St. Louis Cardinals

9.  The New York Yankees were the last team to win back-to-back World Series until the Toronto Blue Jays accomplished the feat.  In which two years were the Yankees repeat World Series winners before the Jays did it.

A.  1971-72

B.  1977-78

C.  1970-71

D.  1976-77

E.  None of the above

10.  In Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, with the Blue Jays trailing Philadelphia by a score of 6-5, Joe Carter hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the nineth inning, to clinch Toronto's second consecutive championship.  This was only the second Series ended by such a home run since Bill Mazeroski's homer in the bottom of the nineth in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series.  For what team did Mazeroski play?

A.  The New York Yankees

B.  The Cincinnati Reds

C.  The St. Louis Cardinals

D.  The Detroit Tigers

E.  The Pittsburgh Pirates

11.  The American League has won the most World Series titles, with a total of 68 championships.  The National League has won 52 titles.  The New York Yankees of the American League have the most victories with 27 wins.  Which team holds the record for the National League?

A.  The St. Louis Cardinals

B.  The Chicago Cubs

C.  The Oakland Athletics

D.  The Pittsburgh Pirates

E.  The Los Angeles Dodgers

ANSWERS

1.  C  

Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones is the youngest player to hit a home run in a World Series games.  He was only 19 years old and 180 days when he hit two home runs for the Atlanta Braves against the New York Yankees on October 20, 1996.

2.  A

1971

The first night game in Major League Baseball history took place on October 13, 1971 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The Pittsburg Pirates defeated the Baltimore Oriole by a score of 4-3 in game 4 of the 1971 World Series.  The Pirates went on to win the championship four games to three.

3.  D

18 innings

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Boston Red Sox by a score of 3-2 in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series.  The game was decided in 18 innings, the longest in World Series history.  However, the Red Sox went on to win the Series in five games.

4.  B

 Leslie Ambrose "Bullet Joe" Bush

 

Bullet Joe Bush

In 1913, right-hander Bullet Joe Bush took the mound for the Philadelphia Athletics at the Polo Ground Game 3 of the World Series.  At 20 years old, 316 days he is the youngest player to date to appear in a World Series Game.  With the Series tied 1-1, Bush allowed just one earned run in a complete game victory over the New York Giants.  The next day, a newspaper headline read , "Giants slain by mere boy."  The A's went on to win the next two games and the championship.

In 1984, Bret Saberhagen became the youngest player to appear in a postseason game at 20 years. 175  days.  In Game 2 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), he allowed three runs (two earned) in eight innings for his Kansas City Royals against the Detroit Tigers.  However, the Tigers beat reliever Dan Quisenberry, and went on to sweep the Series.

5.  D

The 1906 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox was the first modern championship  contested by two teams from the same city.  The White Sox defeated the Cubs 4 games to 2.  It was the White Sox's first World Series victory in franchise history.

The first time two New York teams played in the World Series was in 1941, when the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in five games.

6.  E  

1969 and 1986

The New York Mets of the National League were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants.  In their first season, the Mets posted a record of 40 wins and 120 losses.  During the 1960s, they never finished better than second-to-last until their magical season of 1969.  The "Miracle Mets" won 100 games that season and went on to win the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles.

In 1986, the Mets won their second World Series.  They defeated the Boston Red Sox in seven games.

7.  C

12 times

The New York Yankees of the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League have faced each other in the World Series a total of 12 times.  The Yankees have won eight of those match-ups.

8.  D

The Toronto Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Blue Jays defeated the Phillies in six games, becoming the seventh franchise in Major League Baseball history to win back-to-back victories.  

9.   B.  

1977 and 1978

The New York Yankees were the last team to win back-to-back World Series in 1977 and 1978.

10.  E

Pittsburgh Pirates

Mazeroski

In the 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski led the Pittsburgh Pirates to victory over the New York Yankees four games to three.

11.   A

The St. Louis Cardinals hold the National League record for most World Series victories with 11 titles.

- Joanne

In Praise of Immigrants

Enough is enough!  I am posting this because I am sick and tired of the vilification of immigrants, migrants and refugees by right-wing conservatives.  It's sad that many Americans believe Donald Trump's lies.  It's sad that they believe Fox News.  It's tragic that they they buy the myth that caravans of  "illegal alien" criminals are invading the United States.  Have Americans forgotten the message inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty, which has welcomed scores of newcomers to the New World.  As a reminder, here is that message.  It needs to be heard now more than ever because if Trump and MAGA had its way, America would be a nation of Archie Bunkers.

The New Colossus

By Emma Lazarus

"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
'Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!' cries she
With silent lips. 'Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!'"

My grandparents were immigrants from Sicily.  They eventually settled in Toronto, Canada, but in those days, newcomers from Southern Italy had to go to Ellis Island.  My grandparents were some of the many who have contributed to the building Canada.

Here is a post from Caroline Codsi, a Canadian businesswoman, founder of Women in Governance & Party Certification, a non-profit  organization, created in 2010 to assist women in accessing decision-making roles.  Codsi writes about the value of immigration.  It is worth reading.

For decades, from Eisenhower to Biden, U.S. presidents — both Republican and Democrat — have spoken with pride about what truly makes America strong: its immigrants.

They reminded us that diversity is not a threat but a foundation, that people come to the US not for handouts but for opportunity, that America’s greatness has always been built by those who came with nothing but determination.

From JFK to Reagan, from Bush to Obama to Biden, they all echoed the same truth: the United States is a nation of immigrants. That is its power.
And then came Trump…

Dear American friends, remember who you are. Don't let fear, ignorance, and cruelty rewrite the soul of your nation. Refuse to be dragged backward by those who thrive on division.

Dear Canadian friends, let’s stand firm in who we are. Let’s not allow the current U.S. administration to poison our values, our compassion, or the inclusive society we’ve fought so hard to build. Our identity is not up for negotiation.

Here is a quote from American-born Elizabeth May, leader of Canada's federal Green Party.  After a vacation on Cape Breton Island, her family was inspired to make Canada their home.

Canada wasn't perfect, but it was -- and continues to be -- quite profoundly, a work in progress.  I have always loved the Canadian narrative.  The U.S. has the notion of a melting pot.  Sure they'll put up with immigrants, but they're expected to emerge from that pot homogenized.. 

The building of the railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific was instrumental in bringing about Canadian Confederation.  "The National Dream", as historian Pierre Berton called it, was completed in 1885.  When British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871, the decision was based upon the promise of a railway to the Pacific coast.  Canada would be a country from sea to sea.  So, who was instrumental in building the national dream of a Canada from coast to coast.  Foreign workers, that's who.  Here are the facts according to the website government of British Columbia in an article entitled "Building the Railway."

* Over 17,000 Chinese men came to Canada to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, with more than 70% of the Railway Workers being of Chinese origin.

* Difficult working conditions: Chinese workers were paid less than white workers and were often given the most dangerous tasks, such as handling explosive materials.

* Harsh living conditions: The work was dangerous and living conditions were poor, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Chinese workers.

Many of the Chinese workers were unprepared for B.C.’s harsh winters, especially at Port Moody where ice prevented supply ships from docking and, thus, providing the workers with some relief. It is estimated that more than 600 Chinese workers died during the building of the CPR—more than four for every mile of track. In 1891, a Chinese community association collected over 300 unidentified bodies to be flown back to China for proper burial.

- Asian Heritage Society website, "Chinese Labour on the Canadian Pacific Railway"

Note: According to some estimates, between 600 and 2,200 Chinese workers died during the construction of the Canadian National Railway between 1880 and 1885.

 Canadian Pacific Railway workers

By the way, Chinese immigrants built the American Transcontinental railroad, which Abraham Lincoln described as the United States' most important goal.

"As a once Illinois railroad lawyer, Abraham Lincoln was convinced that railroads were essential to America’s future – drawing the nation together by trade, by travel, and by the defusing of yeomen farmers and immigrants, across the United States."

"Abraham Lincoln and the Transcontinental Railroad," from the official website of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement

This is not an argument for unrestricted or unfettered immigration.  However, immigrants are no more responsible for crime than native-born Americans and Canadians.  In addition, immigrants and migrants do work that most native Americans refuse to do.  

"A lot of Canadians don't want to do the jobs that are so called low-skill of low-pay, which are things like processing your chicken, slaughtering your beef, or getting fish."

- Economist Armine Yalnizyan

Unfortunately, right-wing conservatives stoke fears that immigrants are taking jobs away from native-born Canadians.  At the same time, immigrants are condemned if they are unemployed.  They are accused of living off of Canada's social programs.  It can't be both ways.  The real threat to jobs is Artificial Intelligence (AI), not immigrants.

In a September 23, 2025 column for the Toronto Star, David Olive points out that according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, immigrants comprise about 26% of the Canadian workforce and they account for 35 per cent of commuter programmers, 43 per cent of engineers and 57 per cent of chemists.

I despise the term "illegal aliens."  The correct term is "undocumented immigrants."  They are human beings, many trying to escape persecution in their countries of origin. Others simply want to earn some money to help out relatives,  They are not creatures from another planet.  

Anti-immigrant sentiment is caused by ignorance.  It is a fear what we do not know or understand, including people of different cultures and religions.  The truth is that we all share a common humanity and we all want the best for our families.

- Joanne 

Wise Advice for Parents

Although I am not a parent, I believe the following words are some of the I wisest I have ever read about parenting.  That is why I would like to share this advice it with you.  

You're raising future adults, not eternal children.  Every problem you solve for them is a strength they don't develop.  Every consequence you prevent is a lesson they don't learn.  Every struggle you remove is resilience they don't build.  Through resistance, not rescue.

- Scott Clary

It isn't easy buying a parent these day.  Children have to develop independence.  They have to be allowed to make their own mistakes and learn from them.  It is impossible to protect your children from everything.  They have to face the world on their own terms.  They can't be what their parents want them to be.  That is why they should be accepted for who they are.  Too many parents try to live vicariously through their children.  Assist them but don't control them, or they will end up resenting you.  When they falter, be there for them, but don't rescue them.  As difficult as it sometimes may be, allow them choose their own path.  They will appreciate you for that.

- Joanne

Perversion of Christianity

 

 “I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them.” 

- Donald Trump

Charlie Kirk memorial, September 21, 2025

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” 

- Jesus Christ

Luke 6:27

"When somebody hurts you, just go after them as viciously and violently as your can."

- Donald Trump

From How to Get Rich (2004)  

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.  If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."  

- Jesus Christ 

Matthew 5:38-39

I am tired of the way Donald Trump and JD Vance and Mike Johnson pervert the true message of Christianity.  They practice Christian nationalism, not Christianity.  That is why I am calling them out.  Christianity is not about vengefulness and hatred.  It is not about vilifying immigrants, migrants and people of colour.  It is not about mocking homosexuals or the disabled.  

Trump recently expressed concert about whether he would go to heaven.  If he really wants to inherit eternal life he should read the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  

- Joanne