Can You Hit a Home Run in Baseball Trivia?

The origin of the tradition is much disputed, but for decades, stadiums have adopted the break between the two halves of the seventh inning, often playing the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” That 1908 tune was written by two Americans — composer Albert Von Tilzer and lyricist Jack Norworth — who had never attended a baseball game before.

In the 19^th century, baseballs used natural cowhide stitches, but the National and American leagues added colored stitches after the turn of the century, likely so players could better see the ball (and its spin). In 1934, MLB adopted a league-wide standard for all balls to have 108 double stitches of waxed red thread.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt threw the ceremonial switch from the White House for the game on May 24, 1935, in which the Cincinnati Reds beat the Phillies 2-1 at home. Soon, virtually every team installed lighting in its stadium for night games — though Chicago Cubs owner Phil Wrigley held out until 1988.

A standout for the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs, Robinson was tapped by Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey to help integrate the sport. During his 10 seasons with the Dodgers, the pioneering player boasted a .313 batting average, 972 runs scored, 1,563 hits and 200 stolen bases. The team won six pennants (and the 1955 World Series).

That distinction goes to a trading card for New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. New Jersey baseball buff Anthony Giordano — who in 1991 paid $50,000 for the card featuring the MLB’s famed switch-hitter — sold it at auction in 2022 for an astonishing eight-figure sum. (The buyer was not disclosed.) The sale shattered the record for a baseball card — the $7.25 million fetched for a 1909 card spotlighting Honus Wagner, the famed Flying Dutchman who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 20^th century.