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In 1948, the Red Sox had Ted Williams on third, when Billy Goodman hit a ground ball to shortstop Eddie Joost. Goodman reached first safely, but Williams failed to score because he was laughing convulsively. Why?
How was the hockey puck invented?
What was the "Mother's Day Massacre" in tennis?
In the 1938 PGA tournament, Sammy Snead beat Jimmy Hines by one shot. What was the deciding shot?
On 11/22/1950, George Mikan scored all of the Lakers' field goals in a game against the Ft. Wayne Pistons. The Pistons only won by one point. What rule change came about because of this game?
What distinction does heavyweight Jack Doyle carry?
What was unusual about the first three combined no-hitters?
In 1951, the Giants beat the Dodgers in a playoff to win the NL pennant, and the right to lose to the Yankees in the World Series. In 1962, the scene had shifted to the West Coast, but the story was more or less the same. While many people were in both games (like Willie Mays), only one person was in a Giant uniform in 1951, and a Dodger uniform in 1962. Who?
Who is the only football player in history to "goal tend" a field goal after the rule prohibiting building human pyramids, etc.?
Who holds the NHL record for the fastest hat trick?
Why didn't coach Joe Lapchick see the St. John's 1944 NIT victory over George Mikan and DePaul?
A little after agreeing to sign with the Yankees, Lou Gehrig was contacted by a player representing the Detroit Tigers. Who?
Who played in the most mismatched game in Division-1 NCAA football history, and what was the score?
In 1897, Brickyard Kennedy, pitching for the Dodgers, got mad at umpire Hank O'Day and fired the ball at him. How did the umpire get even?
James Naismith is credited with inventing basketball in Springfield, Mass. Another popular American game was invented four years later in Holyoke, Mass. What was this sport, and who invented it?
Who holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak as a coach in college football?
What pitcher's major league career lasted four batters? What did he do after baseball?
Who launched the 20's craze of flagpole sitting?
Who was the only player to hit a home run off Rip Sewell's eephus ball (according to Sewell)?
In 1913 and 1914, Wingate High won the Indiana state basketball championships. What was so unusual about this?
On Feb. 18, 1967, one person struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Harmon Killebrew in a row. Who?
How did a local carpenter named Georges Vezina come to play professional hockey for the Canadiens for 15 years?
How did Stan Mikita score his first NHL goal?
In 1942, Boston College was a shoo-in to go to the Cotton Bowl and secure a national championship. Unfortunately, they lost to .500 Holy Cross in their last game. Why did they end up grateful for the loss?
Who holds the record for holding a major boxing title for the shortest time?
In 1876, Joe Borden threw the first no-hitter in the history of the National League. What role did he fill for the team by the end of the season?
In 1908, three newspapers sponsored an automobile race from New York to Paris-- the long way. Only three cars finished the race. Name the winner, and its country of origin.
Name the four batters ahead of Casey, in the poem "Casey at the Bat."
The following unusual behavior was exhibited by a player when booed as he stepped to the plate to pinch hit for the Tigers. The blanks indicate the player's name. Fill them in.
He raised his hands and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, you see before you the world's greatest hitter. I shall demonstrate." He then hit a home run. While running the bases, he raced to first and slid in. He then got up and raced to second, shouting, "At the quarter, _______ is leading by a lead." After sliding into second, he announced, "At the halfway point, it's _______ ahead by a length." When he slid into third, he cried, "It's _______ leading by a mile." When he touched home, he tipped his cap and shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes my performance for today. I sincerely trust that you enjoyed it."
Who was the only jockey to win horse races before and after being pronounced dead?
In 1896, middleweight champ Bob Fitzsimmons lost his title to Tom Sharkey despite knocking him out in the eighth round! Who was the blatantly dishonest referee?
What players were immortalized in Franklin Adams' poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon"?
In 1980, the Racine Gladiators played the Columbus Metros in a semipro football game. Hal Dyer coached the Metros to a 10-7 loss, but he didn't call the plays. Who did?
What peculiar feat did James B. Hargis and Charles Creighton perform over 42 days in 1930?
What player performed so poorly in his first game as punter for Paul Brown's Bengals that he was cut from the team at halftime?
What college holds the NCAA record for consecutive losses, including a 97-6 loss in 1977 after having led 6-0?
How did Dallas Cowboys' kicker Mike Clark gain entrance into the Dallas Bonehead Club on 12/28/1969?
What placekicker missed an easy field goal because his helmet was on too tight and it was squeezing his brains, and blamed another miss on his holder for holding the ball upside-down?
What prompted a fierce race through the stands to recover a football in a Georgia-Georgia Tech game in 1904?
Describe the Iowa Hawkeyes' "phony penalty trick" that helped their football team defeat Northwestern and Nebraska in the early 20th century.
In three instances, players were robbed of sure touchdowns by improper or illegal tackles. For each situation, give the player tackled and the tackler.