MLB SATs, Year 2008

2008 MLB SATs

Instructions: Please mark the answer that best fits the question. No points will be lost for wrong answers or missed answers, so if you are not sure, make an educated guess.

You have twenty minutes for each section.


SECTION ONE

RULES AND REGULATIONS


1. An MLB regulation, non-extra inning game consists of:

A: Nine innings
B: Nine innings, except in the case of inclement weather, in which a game may be called over any time after four and a half innings if the home team is ahead or five innings if the home team trails
C: However many innings it takes for the Mets bullpen to implode
D: However many innings can be played before Carl Pavano leaves with an injury


2. The strike zone is:

A: An imaginary box that stretches from the knees to the chest of the batter and is as wide as home plate.
B: A designated area in front of each stadium where MLB players protested in 1994.
C: Whatever Angel Hernandez says it is.
D: Ryan Howard's happy place.


3. What happens if a batter is hit by a pitch?

A: The batter is awarded first base
B: Both benches clear and meet on the field.
C: If the batter is Kevin Youkilis and the pitcher is Joba Chamberlain, a formal complaint with the MLB is filed and a six game suspension issued to Chamberlain.
D: A batter of equal caliber on the other team is hit in his next at bat.


4. A _____ happens when two outs are made on one play

A: Two-out play
B: Double play
C: Stupid Baserunner
D: Derek Jeter was batting, wasn't he?


5. Which of the following is explicitly banned by baseball and may cause a lifetime ban from the sport?

A: Amphetamines
B: Pine Tar
C: Scott Kazmir's choice of music in the Mets clubhouse
D: Gambling



SECTION TWO

TRIVIA AND SUPERSTITION


1. Jeffery Maier : Baltimore Orioles :: ______ : Chicago Cubs

A: Billy goats
B: Black cats
C: Steve Bartman
D: Mark Prior


2. What is the general rule of thumb if your starting pitcher is pitching a no hitter?

A: You don't talk to or otherwise associate with said pitcher.
B: You don't mention the words "no hitter"
C: You try to make sure your starter doesn't have to sit too long while your team is batting
D: You put Michael Kay on mute.


3. Why did the Tampa Rays win the 2008 AL East?

A: Because of an infusion of young talent in Crawford, Upton, Longoria and Garza.
B: Because the Red Sox and Yankees could not overcome injuries to their important players.
C: Because they won the games that they had to win.
D: Because they got rid of the "devil" in their name.


4. What was "the Curse of the Bambino?"

A: After Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees, he cursed Boston and they didn't win a World Series for eighty five years.
B: Some baby in the North End gave the evil eye to Fenway Park.
C: Bill Buckner's scapegoat.
D: A myth: Boston just plain sucked for 85 years.


5. Rookie hazing is:

A: A tradition, usually occurring on a team's last road trip, in which the rookies are made to dress in ridiculous costumes so everyone can point and laugh.
B: Something that's as much a part of baseball as peanuts and cracker jacks.
C: A reason for even fans of the most inept teams to smile.
D: Something likely to get you suspended or expelled if done at the high school level.



SECTION THREE
2008 SEASON

1: What is the main difference between Mariano Rivera and Francisco Rodriguez?

A: One is going to the postseason while the other is not
B: One broke Bobby Thigpen's save record while the other did not
C: One was the focus of many a Sportscenter segment and the other was not.
D: One has four World Series rings, a World Series MVP, an ALCS MVP, saved 38 of 39 opportunities to a tune of a 1.43 ERA and 0.67 WHIP and got to pitch the ninth inning of the All Star game and final inning of the Final Game, and the other did not.


2: Which of the following events have some people fuming:

A: The Cubs and Astros played a make up game in Milwaukee after Hurricane Ike made Houston inaccessible, and Carlos Zambrano pitched a no-hitter in a game that was technically a Houston home game even though the stands were filled with Cubs fans.

B: Willie Randolph was fired in the middle of the night in Anaheim, California, after winning the game.

C: Josh Hamilton didn't officially win the Home Run Derby.

D: The Dodgers making the postseason with 83 wins while at least one team with 88 wins will be left out.

E: The Mets bullpen is allowed to exist, at all.


3: Which of the following has not happened (yet) in 2008?

A: The Mariners became the first team with a $100 million payroll to lose 100 games
B: The record for strikeouts in a season broken at 201 (Mark Reynolds)
C: A member of the Boston Red Sox pitches a no hitter
D: Despite being in contention for both the Wild Card and the NL East, the Mets miss the playoffs.


4: How many innings did the All Star game last?

A: 9
B: 12
C: 15
D: I don't know, I went to sleep



SECTION FOUR
ESSAY

Pick one of the following and answer. Points are awarded based on the coherence of your argument and not the style of your writing.


1. Please explain, in detail, the significance of Yankee Stadium. Make sure to refer to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter. Why is it the most important sports venue in the US? What is the significance of its closing?


2. Should a team such as the Texas Rangers or Washington Nationals, in need of pitching, be allowed to sign Carl Pavano? Why or why not?


3. Please define and elaborate on the definition of 'excess celebration' and 'fist pump'. When should it be allowed and when should it be banned? Should who is performing the action be an issue?



END OF TEST


Please submit your answer sheets to the Commissioner's Office for scoring.