A little sports trivia on a Monday morning

[Dick Whitman]

On Saturday night I had my annual sports trivia night sponsored by a local church. (For some of you chatting on one of the other threads, you will be happy to know I managed to get in and out of Chicago without being mowed down by repeated gunfire 11 times.)

My six-man team - a group of guys I only see one night a year now that I changed jobs - finished second out of 106 teams, same as last year. The questions are fun, so I thought I'd throw some of them out to the board:

(1) Within two, how many English Premier League titles did Alex Ferguson lead Manchester United to?

(2) Name the three catchers who made their MLB debuts since 1950 who appeared in four decades. Hint: One ended his career with the Cardinals. One ended his career with the Orioles. One is a Hall of Famer.

(3) 1938 Louis vs. Schmeling at Yankee Stadium. Who won?

(4) Who caught the winning touchdown pass in overtime in this year's college football national championship game?

(5) Name the three golfers to win 10 men's golf professional majors:

(6) What year did Loyola-Chicago win the national championship in men's basketball?

(7) The 1983 and '84 White Sox had two players in their Opening Day lineups that shared the same last name. Name them.

(8) Name the only two players to have appeared in more NHL games than Jaromir Jagr.

 

[QYFW]

7) Law

 

[Slacker]

2) McCarver, Dempsey, Fisk.

 

[Steak Snabler]

2) the Cardinals one is Tim McCarver

4) Devonta Smith

 

[Dick Whitman]

7) Law

Rudy and Vance Law is correct.

(Personal note: I once saw Rudy Law lead off the bottom of the first with an inside-the-park home run at the old ballpark. Sinking line drive that the center fielder tried to shoestring or dive for and it rolled past him to the wall. Not even a play at the plate. I confirmed that this indeed occurred a few years later on BR.com.)

 

[Dick Whitman]

2) McCarver, Dempsey, Fisk.

Correct. I had to be really adamant about Fisk because everyone was married to the fact that he was the '72 ROY.

 

[Dick Whitman]

2) the Cardinals one is Tim McCarver

4) Devonta Smith

Correct on both.

I had accurately predicted the Devonta Smith question, because we got one of those every year. I had Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett committed to memory, too. And Trey Burton.

 

[John B. Foster]

8) Howe and Messier

 

[Dick Whitman]

8) Howe and Messier

Correct. We incorrectly guessed Chelios.

 

[playthrough]

5) Nicklaus, Tiger, Walter Hagen

 

[Dick Whitman]

5) Nicklaus, Tiger, Walter Hagen

Correct. I was convinced it was Gary Player, but was overruled by someone whose certainty was greater.

 

[heyabbott]

6) 1963

 

[Huggy]

3. Louis KO'd Schmeling in the first, brutal knockout

 

[Webster]

1) 13 titles for SAF

 

[Dick Whitman]

Looks like you guys got 'em all. Good work.

I'll scare up my notes and post a few more tomorrow.

It's a really fun night. I'm sure this board could assemble a hell of an impressive team. The team that's won has won four years in a row. We keep trying to close the gap, but they are a step ahead right now.

 

[Steak Snabler]

3) Louis

Schmeling won in 1936, which I believe was Louis' first loss.

 

[Dick Whitman]

3) Louis

Schmeling won in 1936, which I believe was Louis' first loss.

That's correct. What's funny is that I said, "It's Louis, because it was at Yankee Stadium and I know Louis won at Yankee Stadium!" (They showed us the ticket stub and asked who won the fight.)

Um, both fights were at Yankee Stadium.

 

[playthrough]

Correct. I was convinced it was Gary Player, but was overruled by someone whose certainty was greater.

Good one to trip people on. Player and Hogan each won nine.

 

[Huggy]

3) Louis

Schmeling won in 1936, which I believe was Louis' first loss.

Indeed it was, Schmeling knocked him out in the 12th round. He said before the fight he thought Louis kept his left hand too low. In the rematch he never got the chance to see if Louis had fixed that, Louis backed him to the ropes, hit him so hard he busted some of his vertebrae.

 

[Spartan Squad]

(3) 1938 Louis vs. Schmeling at Yankee Stadium. Who won?

My grandfather was at the second fight. The story I heard from my dad was my grandfather was late getting to his seat. He walked up just in time to see Schmeling's corner launch the towel into the ring.