Q 01/05

Which nickname, shared with a 1950s cartoon boy hero, did fans and writers give pitcher Tom Seaver?

A) Tom Swift Jr.

B) Tom Terrific

C) Tom Corbett

D) Tom Slick

Answer · why

B) Tom Terrific

Tom Terrific stuck so firmly to Seaver that quarterback Tom Brady was refused a trademark on the phrase in 2019, to avoid confusion with the pitcher.

Q 02/05

Three writers left Tom Seaver off 1992 Hall of Fame ballots to protest the ban on which player?

A) Pete Rose

B) Denny McLain

C) Buck Weaver

D) Hal Chase

Answer · why

A) Pete Rose

Pete Rose had been ruled ineligible for the ballot a year earlier, so three writers sent in blank ballots. Seaver drew a then-record 98.84% of the vot...

Q 03/05

How did the New York Mets win the right to sign Tom Seaver after his first pro contract was voided?

A) A coin toss

B) A sealed-bid auction

C) A lottery drawing

D) A waiver claim

Answer · why

C) A lottery drawing

A lottery drawing among three clubs willing to match the voided offer sent Seaver to New York. The Phillies and Indians were the teams that lost out.

Q 04/05

In which state did Tom Seaver pitch summer ball for the Goldpanners to earn a college scholarship?

A) Montana

B) Colorado

C) Idaho

D) Alaska

Answer · why

D) Alaska

Alaska was his audition: unsure he deserved a scholarship, his future college sent him to Fairbanks, where he won a national tournament game with a gr...

Q 05/05

What rare feat did Tom Seaver pull off on May 9, 1984, with help from a suspended 25-inning game?

A) Two wins in one day

B) Two saves in one day

C) A win and a save

D) Back-to-back shutouts

Answer · why

A) Two wins in one day

Two wins in one day came from a quirk: he pitched the final inning of a game held over from the night before, then started and won the regularly sched...