Do You Know Which Record These Baseball Players Broke?

SPORTS

By: Jody Mabry

7 Min Quiz

Image: Tom Kelley Archive/Retrofile RF/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Who's ready for some baseball records? Baseball fans love the best of all time, and a sport that has been around for almost two centuries has more heroes than practically any other sport in the world. Name such as Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx are as well known nearly 100 years after they played as Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. 

But, which records do these players hold? Some have lasted over 100 years, and others are on the brink of being broken. In 1998, Cal Ripken Jr. broke a Lou Gehrig record no one thought was possible to be broken. Still today, few experts if any think Ripken's record will be broken. '98 also featured one of baseball's greatest chases in the history of the game as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled it out at the plate. Which record, and which player would eventually take home the title?

Do you know which speedster holds the record for career stolen bases? Or, that this player was so good most people don't think this record will ever be broken either? How about the hitters who hold career hits, singles, doubles, triples and home run record? Do you know which pitchers struck out the most hitters, gave up the most home runs or had the best winning percentage throughout their careers?

These are the stats you love to hear about, but how many do you really know? Take this quiz to see if you can figure out which players hold these baseball records!

Which record did this ornery player break?

Ty Cobb is known as a "spirited" player with rumors abounding about his attitude. However, he is also considered one of the best players to ever step to the plate as is attested by his highest career batting average of .366 over 24 years.

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Do you know which of these records Mr. Baseball broke?

Pete Rose holds a lot of records with an asterisks in the record books due to being banned from baseball. However, there is no doubt he was a prolific hitter still holding the record for most singles with 3,215.

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He's a real legend, but which of these records belongs to him?

Tris Speaker is considered one of the greatest hitters and defensive outfielders in the game. He has a career .345 batting average and ranks fifth with 3,514 hits. His record of 792 doubles has stood for over 90 years.

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This player did only one thing better than walking, do you know which record is his?

Only three players have ever hit more than 700 home runs. Babe Ruth has 714, Hank Aaron has 755 and Barry Bonds holds the career home run record with 762.

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He's known for home runs, and this record. Do you know which of these records this player owns?

Hank Aaron is possibly the best hitter to have played the game. While Barry Bonds passed is 755 home run record, that number will be tattooed into the history of baseball as one of the most well-known stats in a game of statistics. While he is no longer the home run champ, he still holds the record for runs batted in with 2,297. Incidentally, Bonds is 5th on the list with 1,996.

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Some think he is the best baseball player who ever lived, despite his attitude. Which of these records did he bring home?

Ty Cobb has a ton of baseball records, but one that shows off his skills and confidence the most is his record for stealing home. During his career he stole home 32 times during the regular season and once in the World Series. The next closest are Johnny Evers and Frank Schulte with 21 apiece.

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It took him a long time, but he finally broke this record. Do you know which one?

Pete Rose still holds onto several hitting records, the most important is his all-time hitting record of 4,256. Why is this one so important? It's likely one of the hardest to break in baseball. Of active players, the closest is over 1,200 hits away.

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He made his living on second, but do you know which record got him there?

Rickey Henderson holds the record for the most stolen bases in a career with 1,406. To give you an idea of how amazing this record is and how good of a runner Henderson was, the most steals by an active player is in 2018 is Jose Reyes, who's nearly 900 away from Henderson's record. This one will stand awhile, folks.

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He has almost as many nicknames as he does records, but do you know which of these records this baseball player broke?

A lot of people wonder why Babe Ruth is considered such a great hitter. Some will say it's his home runs, but real baseball fans will cite the most important stat for a hitter -- slugging percentage. Babe Ruth tops the all-time slugging average with an astounding .690. And he's with good company, with Ted Williams in second and Lou Gehrig in third.

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No doubt he was scary at the plate, do you know which of these records is his?

Barry Bonds was such a feared hitter that whenever he stepped to the plate there was always the consideration, "Should we walk him?" And with the career home run record, it's no surprise that he holds the record for career walks with 2,558. Of those, 688 were intentional.

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This player was an aggressive hitter. Do you know which record he wishes he didn't have?

Reggie Jackson was a great hitter. There is no doubt about that, especially when it comes to the post season. Strangely enough, there is a negative record that helps prove the point. To be a good hitter, you need to be aggressive, which is why Jackson's record of 2,597 strikeouts is just as good a statement to his hitting as it is bad.

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Having a lot of records doesn't mean you were the best. But, it may mean you own this record.

Pete Rose always needed to be in the game, so even after moving onto becoming a manager he was also a player. Most of his career hitting records are directly attributed to this single record -- most at bats with 14,053. There are no other players near even 13,000 at bats and only 28 in the history of baseball have achieved 10,000.

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This baseball player owns a record that shows how truly great he was, which record is it?

Barry Bonds holds the career record for runs created with 2.892. He also holds the single season record. This was a statistic developed in the '70s and rehashed with new formulas over the years to determine a player's actual contribution to offensive output of a team.

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Which record does this player have for a Hall of Famer?

Pete Rose actually has the most games played in his career with 3.562, but due to gambling issues he's not allowed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Carl Yastrzemski is next on the list and the leading Hall of Famer in career games played with 3.308.

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Do you know which hallmark baseball record this player owns?

Barry Bonds holds the record for most home runs in a season with 73 as well as the career home run record. At one time it was thought Roger Maris's record of 61 would never be reached. That was until 1998, 37 years later, when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa spent the year battling for the crown. Both players finished with more than 61. McGwire had 70 and Sosa 66.

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It took this player some speed to get this record, which one is his?

Sam Crawford and Ty Cobb were a force in the early 20th century. They hold the top two spots for career triple leaders with Sam Crawford holding the title with 309 between 1899 and 1917. This mark is one of few that are over 100 years old. If you think this mark will be beaten in the near future, think again. There are only two active players on in the top 110 triples leaders of all-time. Jose Reyes, 15 years into his career has 128 triples and Jimmy Rollins, 18 years into his career has 115. This is a record that may last a few more centuries.

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He loved being at the plate, and this record will tell you why.

Alex Rodriguez holds the career record with 25 grand slams, with Lou Gehrig a close second with 23. The only active player in the top 20 is Ryan Howard with 15 grand slams as of early 2018.

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A great record for this pitcher, but do you know which record it is?

This is a record that will probably go for a long time. Pitchers are just not home run hitters, and so the fact that Wes Ferrell has 38 (one as a pinch hitter) is a remarkable feat. In fact, Madison Bumgarner is the only active player in the top 30 on the list with 17, which currently ranks 16th.

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Do you know which of these records belongs to this baseball great?

Hank Aaron still holds a handful of hitting records which may stand for quite some time. He has the career total base record with 6,856. Stan "The Man" is second with 6,134. The only other player over 6,000 is Willy Mays. Of active players, Albert Pujols is closest with 5,159 total bases. Sure, Pujols is a monster at the plate, but does he have enough time left in his career?

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One of the most respected records in baseball belongs to this player. Which record is it?

OK, so this is a record that virtually everyone can say will never be broken, especially with the way the game is played today. To achieve the most consecutive games record a player must appear in every game played by his team. Cal Ripken Jr set this record over 16 seasons. That means no injuries, slumps, sick days, etc. From May 30, 1982 to Sept. 19, 1998 he played in 2,632 consecutive games. Next on the list is a familiar player on record holder lists, Lou Gehrig with 2,130. He held the record for 43 years. There are no active streaks within 2,000 games of Ripken's.

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Which record does this hardballer hold?

Nolan Ryan has the most strikeouts of any pitcher in MLB history with 5,714. During his time in the big leagues, he played 27 years on four teams. What is really stunning about this record is that he was a hard ball thrower clocking in at over 100 mph throughout his career.

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Which record does this 1930s Cubbie still hold?

The 1930s were a hitter's decade with the likes of Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx and others taking the plate. For runs batted in, the 160-club designates the best players you want at the plate when the game is on the line. Hack Wilson in 1930 proved to be the best of all time with 191 RBIs for the Cubs.

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Which negative record does this pitcher hold?

There are some records you just don't want to have, and Jamie Moyer holds one of the worst - The most home runs allowed in a career with 522. Despite holding this record, he isn't in bad company, as Warren Spahn holds the National league record with 434.

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You gotta feel bad for this catcher, which record does he hold?

Modern catchers are probably happy that players don't steal base as much as they used to -- as long as Ricky Hernandez and Vince Coleman stay retired. But, in the late 19th century catchers had a heck of a time holding the top 12 spots for allowed steals by a catcher. The top two spots actually go to the same player, Deacon McGuire, who gave up 293 in 1895 and 278 in 1894.

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Which record does this winning pitcher hold?

Al Spalding holds the record for the best win/loss percentage with .7950. From 1871 to 1877 he won 252 games and lost only 65. Of modern players. Clayton Kershaw leads the pack with 145 wins and 68 losses.

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He wasn't lazy to get this record, just really good. Which record does this ballplayer own?

Bryce Harper is known to excite fans with his bat, which can also lead to a lot of walks. Take for example , a 15-1 route of the Braves where Harper led the team in runs scored without recording a hit. He walked four times by the sixth inning, scored four runs and had an RBI.

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He had a good eye for the game, but which record belongs to this pitcher?

Pitchers need to be on their game, focusing both on the batter at the plate as well as runners on base. Picking off a runner on base can be challenging and can come with some trickery to put out a runner who is a split second late or not paying attention. While some pitchers avoid the risk of trying to pick off runners, others such as Steve Carlton make a career of it. In Carlton's 23 year-career he picked off 144 runners.

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He's the epitome of longevity, which of these records belongs to this hall of famer?

The name Cy Young is synonymous with both pitching and greatness. Young retired after a 21-year career in 1911. Yes, well over a century ago, and yet he still holds significant baseball records which will likely never be reached. He holds records for most career, wins, losses, game saves, complete games and the list goes on. His record of 7,356 innings pitched in his 21-year career is equivalent to pitching 39 nine-innings games every year. It's hard to imagine him having any arm muscles left after that much use.

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Which record belongs to this catcher?

Gary Carter holds the record for most base runners caught stealing, with 810 over an 18-year career. That's about 45 a year. He also holds the record for most allowed stolen bases at 1,498.

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What make or break record does this pitcher hold?

Being a closer is a hard job, requiring pitchers to come into the game often to save the day and with runners on base. Mariano Rivera is used to tough spots, recording the record of 652 saves in his career. The next two on the list are Trevor Hoffman at 601 and Lee Smith with 478.

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Which record did this pitcher set in 1901 and still hold?

Gus Weyhing may not be a big name for a lot of people, but he had a six year streak of winning 25+ games, with 32 wins to end the streak. Small for a pitcher by today's standards at around 5'10" and maybe 145 pounds -- if you exaggerated a bit. Despite having a relatively successful career he holds one dubious honor -- hitting 277 batters during his career.

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Which record does this popular hitter own?

Barry Bonds has several batting records including home runs in a season and all-time. But, to show his true worth he also holds the record for the most MVP awards in a career with seven. The next two on the list each have three -- Stan Musial and Albert Pujols.

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Which strange record does this player own?

Joel Youngblood on April 4, 1982 was traded mid-game from the Mets to the Expos. He drove in two runs on a single for the Mets, was traded and flew to Philadelphia in time to get a hit in the seventh for the Expos. Busy day.

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Which record does this baseball legend share?

Considered "Baseball's greatest single-game accomplishment" hitting four home runs in a game has actually been accomplished 18 times. This is the only record in this quiz to have multiple winners, but considering the accomplishment we feel it's fitting. Lou Gehrig is considered the best hitter to have done it in June of 1932 with a 20-13 victory over the Philadelphia A's.

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Which great pitching record does this player own?

Addie Joss died at the age of 31 with an exceptional career already and likely many more good years left. By his death he recorded a record of 160-97 with 1.89 ERA and 920 strikeouts. But, it is his WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) that is in the record books with 0.968.

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Which Cubby catcher holds this record?

Jody Davis was a catcher for nine years, which was more than enough time for him to collect the single-season record for runners caught stealing (89). Many believe that his early-career control issues gave runners confidence to run, yet in '85 with the help of Johnny Oates, Davis became a much better defensive player, taking advantage of runner overconfidence.

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Which veteran holds this distinction?

Bartolo Colon may have destroyed players from the mound, but in May of 2016 the "impossible happened" as Bartolo Colon hit his first major league home run just shy of his 43rd birthday. The record for the oldest player to have hit a home run belongs to Julio Franco, who hit a home run at 48 years old.

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Which record did this baseball player break?

The most games pitched record is for a pitcher who faces at least one batter in a game. The record goes to Jesse Orosco with 1,252 appearances during a near 24-year career with 10 teams. There are no active players in the 1,000 games pitched club, meaning this one will hold for awhile.

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