Baseball - the Early Years

Choose an answer from the three choices offered after each question and then "Check Your Answers" at the end of the quiz.

1) Abner Doubleday was credited with inventing the baseball, supposedly in Elihu Phinney's cow pasture in Cooperstown, New York. However, many baseball historians can not find evidence that it really happened. (He was a cadet at West Point and the year before, his family moved away from Cooperstown.) Irregardless, what was the year that Abner was believed to have invented baseball?

• 1739
• 1839
• 1869

2) Many baseball historians believe that the first mention of baseball in America was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with a law banning the playing baseball within 80 yards of the town meeting house. What was the year?

• 1792
• 1802
• 1812

3) The first team to play baseball under modern rules were the New York Knickerbockers. The club was founded as a social club for the upper middle classes of New York City, and was strictly amateur until its disbandment. When was the team founded?

• September 23, 1825
• September 23, 1835
• September 23, 1845

4) Semiprofessional baseball started in the United States in the 1860s; in 1869, the first fully professional baseball club was formed and went undefeated against a schedule of semipro and amateur teams. Who was this team?

• Boston Red Sox
• Cincinnati Red Stockings
• Chicago White Stockings

5) The National League was founded in what year?

• February 2, 1865
• February 2, 1876
• February 2, 1896

6) Who is NOT one of the eight charters members of the National League?

• Chicago White Stockings
• Philadelphia Athletics
• New York Yankees

7) After the 1899 season, the league underwent its largest contraction since 1877, dropping four clubs: the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville Colonels, and Washington Senators. This left the “classic eight” teams of the National League, which would stay in place for over 50 years. Who was NOT in the “classic eight”?

• Boston Beaneaters
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Arizona Diamondbacks

8) The Western League renamed itself the American League on October 11,1899. However, they did not declare their major league status until a few years later. What was the date the American League declared their major league status?

• January 28,1901
• February 6, 1901
• January 1, 1902

9) Who is NOT an original American League team name?

• Baltimore Orioles
• Milwaukee Brewers
• New York Yankees

10) The first modern World Series was held between Boston of the American League and Pittsburgh of the National League in 1903. Boston won the series. How many games did Boston win to beat the Pittsburgh team?

• 3
• 4
• 5

Check Your Answers

1. 1839
2. 1792
3. September 23, 1845
4. Cincinnati Red Stockings
5. February 2, 1876
6. New York Yankees
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
8. January 28,1901
9. New York Yankees
10. 5

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