We’re serving up a combination Tuesday Trivia-On This Date today. The topic is Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier on this date in 1947.
The answers are below.
If you have any ideas on what you’d like to see as a theme for either of those categories, let me know. Contact me at sportsdr44@hotmail.com.
Questions
1: Jackie Robinson’s middle name is Roosevelt, a nod to which former U.S. president?
2: Robinson was on a path to qualify for the 1940 Summer Olympics scheduled for Tokyo, but the event was canceled due to the outbreak of World War II. In what event was he a contender?
3: Who did the Brooklyn Dodgers play in Jackie Robinson’s first game in the majors?
4: Robinson led the National League in what statistical category as a rookie in 1947?
5: At the end of 1947, Robinson was the second-most admired person in the U.S. in a poll by The Associated Press. Who was first?
6: Who played the lead role in the 1950 movie, “The Jackie Robinson Story”?
7: In what year did the Dodgers win their only World Series in Brooklyn?
8: Among retired players who started their careers after 1947, and played more than 10 years, only four have had a lifetime batting average of .311 or higher. Jackie Robinson is one, Two of the other three played with the Twins, one for his entire career. Who are they?
9: What company did Robinson work for after retiring from baseball?
10: In 1965, Robinson was named an analyst on ABC’s Game of the Week, the first Black person to do so. The play-by-play announcer closed out the 1960’s by doing Twins games for three seasons. Who was he?
Answers
1: Theodore Roosevelt.
2: Long jump. Despite missing most of the track season because he was also playing baseball at UCLA, Robinson was the NCAA champion in that event in 1940. He won the title with a leap of 24-10. Last year’s NCAA champion, Chrstyn Stevenson of USC, went 26-11¾.
3: Boston Braves. The Dodgers won 5-3 before 26,623 fans at Ebbets Field.
4: Stolen bases with 29. Brooklyn teammate Pete Reiser was second with 14.
5: Bing Crosby.
6: Jackie himself. Ruby Dee played his wife, Rachel.
7: 1955. Robinson did not play in Game 7 after starting at third base in each of the first six games. He hit .182 in the series (4-22).
8: Rod Carew (.328), Kirby Puckett (.318) and Roberto Clemente (.317).
9: Robinson was the Vice President for Personnel at Chock Full O’Nuts, the first African American to be named a Vice President of a major American company.
10: Merle Harmon, who was with the Twins from 1967-1969.
