130 Good Sports Trivia Questions & Answers
January 10, 2025
I was the oddball kid who could not only sit through nine innings of a baseball game without unleashing a single yawn, but also view all 18.5 hours of Ken Burns’ documentary with nary a pee break. From the age of five, I couldn’t get enough of baseball encyclopedias, NFL almanacs, autobiographies of hockey legends who were before my time, and the stats on the backs of 1989 Hoops cards–most of which did not contain pictures of the Menendez Brothers in the stands. As a middle-aged man, I remain an unabashed sports nerd – a fan of the MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA and as such, restricted the trivia in this blog to those professional leagues. I hope these 130 good sports trivia questions and answers are entertaining and enlightening for fans of all ages who enjoy unearthing mind-blowing nuggets about the players/teams they love as much as I do.
130 Sports Trivia Questions
Baseball – Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers
1) What three MLB players homered as teenagers and also in their 40s?
Answer: Ty Cobb, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and here’s the tough one–Rusty Staub.
2) What three pitchers won games in their teens and also in their 40s?
Answer: Bert Blyleven, Herb Pennock, and Mike Morgan.
3) The Yankees rank first with 27 World Series titles in their illustrious history. Which team ranks second?
Answer: The St. Louis Cardinals with 11.
4) How many combined times did legendary sluggers Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson hit 50 homers in a season?
Answer: Zero, believe it or not.
5) Only two players have won MVP awards in both the American and National Leagues. Name them. (Hint: the most recent was in 2024).
Answer: Frank Robinson and Shohei Ohtani
6) Name the five teams with the most losses in Major League history (Hint: they have all been around a LONG time).
Answer: Phillies lead the way with 11,326 (and counting), following by the Braves, Pirates, Cubs, and Reds.
7) Which five MLB franchises have never won a World Series?
Answer: the Rockies, Brewers, Padres, Mariners, and Rays.
8) Which late-’80s St. Louis Cardinal stole a record 50 straight bases without getting caught?
Answer: Vince Coleman
9) This Seattle Mariner great had 10 4-hit games during the 2004 season.
Answer: Ichiro Suzuki
10) Sticking with Seattle, which uber-mediocre Mariner batted close to .200 for his career (.215 to be fair!) and saw his name become synonymous with the .200 batting mark.
Answer: Mario Mendoza
Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers (Continued)
11) In 1986, Bob Welch of the Dodgers struck out this Padres legend three straight times. It was the only time he struck out three times in his 20-year career.
Answer: Tony Gwynn
12) This former slugger signed a free agent deal with the Mets in 1991 and is still paid 1.29 million dollars annually by the team through 2035.
Answer: Bobby Bonilla
13) What gangly Diamondbacks ace once killed a bird with a 105-mph fastball hurled in a spring training game in 2001?
Answer: Randy Johnson
14) Which Astros pitcher signed the sport’s first million dollars-per-year contract in November of 1980.
Answer: Nolan Ryan
15) What physical attribute made Jim Abbott’s 1993 no-hitter for the New York Yankees especially memorable?
Answer: Abbott was born without a right hand.
Sport Trivia (Continued)
16) In 1951, Eddie Gaedel was the shortest player in history to bat in the Major Leagues at 3 feet, seven inches. What were the circumstances?
Answer: As a gimmick, St. Louis Browns legendary owner, Bill Veeck, sent Gaedel up for one at-bat to lead off the second game of a double-header. He walked on four pitches and was replaced by a pinch runner.
17) This Pittsburgh Pirate led the NL in home runs from 1946-1952, the only player even to achieve this feat for 7 straight seasons.
Answer: Ralph Kiner
18) Staying in the Steel City, this Pirates pitcher says he three a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD in 1970.
Answer: Dock Ellis (this video is worth your time)
19) What father/son combo each hit exactly 319 career home runs?
Answer: Cecil and Prince Fielder
20) Knuckleballer Joe Niekro batted 1,165 in his career and hit just one home run. Who did he hit it off of?
Answer: His brother, Phil Niekro, a 318-game winner.
Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers (Continued)
21) This third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves lost all eight World Series games he played in the Metrodome against the Twins in 1987 and 1991.
Answer: Terry Pendleton
22) In 1999, this Arizona slugger (or to be more accurate–‘roided-up light hitting infielder) hit a home run that won a fan $1 million bucks in a jackpot contest sponsored by a local radio station.
Answer: Jay Bell
23) What does singer Bing Crosby have to do with the only existing television recording of Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series?
Answer: Crosby was a part-owner of the Bucs and because he missed the game, he had a film company shoot the footage from his television. Found, 50 years later in a wine cellar, it is the only full recording of this historic game.
24) Which team had an MLB-best 74-40 record when the onset of the strike killed the 1994 baseball season.
Answer: The Montreal Expos
25) This skipper won Manager of the Year with four different teams in 1994, 2004, 2014, and 2022. No one else in Major League history has achieved this feat.
Answer: Buck Showalter
Sport Trivia (Continued)
26) Can you name the four third basemen in history who amassed 3,000+ hits in their careers?
Answer: Paul Molitor, Adrian Beltre, Wade Boggs, and George Brett.
27) This Cubs first-year phenom struck out 20 batters in a single game in 1998, a record for a rookie hurler.
Answer: Kerry Wood
28) Which player did the Yankees purchase from the Red Sox for $108,375 in 1920?
Answer: Babe Ruth
29) The 1971 Orioles boasted four 20-game winners in a single season. How many can you name?
Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, and Dave McNally.
30) The player with the most career Gold Glove awards is actually a pitcher who primarily played for the Atlanta Braves in the ’90s and 00’s. Name him.
Answer: Greg Maddux
List (Continued)
31) What famous Oriole infielder holds the record for most Gold Gloves by a position player?
Answer: Brooks Robinson
32) Roger Clemens, who has the third-most strikeouts in history, won a record seven Cy Young awards. How many did the all-time K leader, Nolan Ryan win?
Answer: Zero
33) What pitcher with an 81-91 career record somehow tossed the only perfect game in World Series history?
Answer: Don Larsen
34) Earlier we looked at the five active teams that have never won a World Series. Which is the only team never to even play in a World Series?
Answer: Seattle Mariners
35) Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson all received the same honor in 1936. What was it?
Answer: They were the first class inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Sport Trivia (Continued)
36) Roberto Clemente tragically passed away in the offseason after achieving a major milestone for lifetime hits. What was that milestone?
Answer: His 3,000th hit. That would be his final tally.
37) Only two left handed pitchers in MLB history have fanned more than 4,000 batters in their careers. One is best known as a Mariner and Diamondback. The other is best known as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Answer: Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton
38) What manager is the all-time leader in wins with 3,731 and the all-time leader in losses with 3,948?
Answer: Connie Mack
39) This famed St. Louis Cardinals slugger had 1,815 career hits at home and 1,815 career hits on the road (what are the odds?).
Answer: Stan Musial
40) In 1999, Fernando Tatis (the current Tatis’ father) faced Chan Ho Park twice in the same inning and was the only player in the history of the sport to do what?
Answer: Hit two grand slams in one inning!
Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers (Continued)
41) Excluding intentional walks, a pitcher in the ’90s and ’00s faced 20,421 batters in his career and ran 3-0 counts on just 133 of them. Name this control freak.
Answer: Once again, Greg Maddux
42) What did pitcher Johnny Vander Meer do in back-to-back starts in 1938?
Answer: He threw consecutive no-hitters.
43) What team with an absurdly good farm system produced a Rookie of the Year winner for four straight years from 1979-1982 and then for five straight years from 1992-1996?
Answer: The Los Angeles Dodgers and the 79-82 players were Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Sax and the 92-96 players were Mike Piazza, Eric Karros, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo, and Todd Hollandsworth.
44) Babe Ruth clubbed 54 homers in 1920. That same year, George Sisler (also a Hall of Famer), finished second. How many dingers did Sisler hit?
Answer: Just 19!
45) What player walked a record 232 times during the 2004 season? For context, Babe Ruth held the record for over 75 years with 170.
Answer: Barry Bonds
46) In 1971, Ron Hunt of the New York Mets set a record that has never been broken by doing what 50 times?
Answer: Getting hit by a pitch.
List (Continued)
47) Sticking with mystery 50-burgers, Hall of Fame pitcher, Bert Blyleven, set his own record by doing this 50 times in 1986.
Answer: He gave up an astounding 50 homers that year.
48) In 1982, Joel Youngblood was traded from the Mets to the Expos and set a record by doing what on the same day?
Answer: He got hits for two different teams on the same day, playing during the day for the Mets and flying to join the Expos for a nightcap against the Phillies.
49) Cy Young threw 749 complete games in his career. How many complete games were there in all of baseball in 2024?
Answer: 26
50) This Hall of Fame shortstop played 2,528 games between 1953 and 1971 and never played in a single postseason game, making him the unfortunate record-holder in that department.
Answer: Ernie Banks
Football – Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers
51) What team did Bill Belichick coach to a 36-44 record over a five-year period prior to winning six Super Bowls with the Patriots?
Answer: Cleveland Browns
52) Justin Tucker owns the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. How long was that booming kick in 2021?
Answer: 66 yards
53) How many Super Bowls did Tom Brady appear in? How many did he win?
Answer: Appeared in 10, won 7.
54) Which eventual Super Bowl winning team played five games that season where they did not score one single touchdown?
Answer: the 2000 Baltimore Ravens
55) Which NFL franchise has had two separate 30-year periods without a single playoff win in its history?
Answer: The Detroit Lions
56) Who caught Brett Favre’s first career pass completion in 1992?
Answer: Brett Favre, catching his own batted ball for a 7-yard loss.
57) What NFL team is the oldest organization in all four major sports not to ever have won a championship?
Answer: the Atlanta Falcons
58) Which franchise owns the record for the most consecutive winning seasons, from 1966-1985.
Answer: the Dallas Cowboys
59) Which two teams have appeared in four Super Bowls but have yet to win one?
Answer: the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills
60) In 1943, there was an NFL player shortage due to WWII and the Eagles and Steelers merged into one team. What were they called?
Answer: the Steagles
Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers (Continued)
61) Which NFL team has won back-to-back Super Bowls on two separate occasions?
Answer: the Steelers
62) Which franchise holds the record for consecutive regular season wins with 23?
Answer: The Indianapolis Colts across the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
63) This team achieved the only “perfect season” in league history, going undefeated in the regular season and playoffs.
Answer: the 1972 Miami Dolphins
64) In 1982, a kicker won NFL MVP, the only time this has ever happened. Name him.
Answer: Mark Moseley of the Washington Redskins
65) This New York Giant made the “helmet catch” that led to an upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Answer: David Tyree
66) In 2006, this running back (and fantasy god) scored a record 28 TDs in a single season.
Answer: LaDanian Tomlinson
67) Can you name the first NFL team to put a logo on their helmet and the only team that still does not?
The Rams were the first in the 1940s and the Cleveland Browns are the only team that still has a logo-less helmet.
68) Which WR holds the single-season mark for most receiving yards with 1,964?
Answer: Calvin Johnson
69) Who holds the single-season sack record with 22.5 and whose record did he break on a controversial Brett Favre flop?
Answer: In 2001, Michael Strahan broke Mark Gastineau’s record of 22 set in 1984.
70) This Buffalo Bill is the NFL’s career sack leader.
Answer: Bruce Smith
List (Continued)
71) Peyton Manning was the #1 overall pick in the 1998 draft. Which QB did the Chargers take with the #2 overall pick?
Answer: Ryan Leaf
72) Drew Bledsoe was the #1 overall pick in the 1993 draft. Which QB did the Seahawks take with the #2 overall pick?
Answer: Rick Mirer
73) This Giants QB coined the now-standard post-Super Bowl line, “I’m going to Disney World!”.
Answer: Phil Simms
74) Seven Super Bowl-winning QBs did not enter their season of ultimate glory as the starting quarterback on their team. How many can you name?
Answer: Nick Foles, Kurt Warner, Doug Williams, Jeff Hostetler, Tom Brady, Jim Plunkett, Trent Dilfer, and Roger Staubach.
75) What is the only franchise to never notch back-to-back winning seasons?
Answer: the Carolina Panthers
76) The 2010 Chargers boasted the NFL’s #1 offense and #1 defense by yards. What did they somehow fail to do?
Answer: Make the playoffs. They finished just 9-7.
77) In a bizarre coincidence, Terry Bradshaw underwent elbow surgery in 1983 and entered the hospital by what assumed name?
Answer: Tom Brady. Maybe he knew the then-seven-year-old Brady would become the GOAT?
78) Tom Dempsey was a field goal kicker for a decade and even hit a 63-yarder in 1970. What physical abnormality made this so remarkable?
Answer: Dempsey was born without toes on his dominant foot. He used a custom-made boot that was squared-off on the end.
79) What NFL franchise has never given a second contract to a QB that they selected in the draft?
Answer: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
80) Only one franchise has never had a QB pass for 4,000 yards. Name them.
Answer: the Chicago Bears
Sports Trivia Questions and Answers (Continued)
81) These two teams played in the highest-scoring game in League history back in 1966.
Answer: Washington beat the Giants 72-41.
82) What were the two highest-scoring (combined) Super Bowls of all time? Hint: One had 75 total points; the other 74)
Answer: 1995 when the 49ers beat the Chargers 49-26 and 2018 when the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33.
83) Which two NFL kickers played parts of four decades?
Answer: George Blanda (1949-1975) and John Carney (1988-2010)
84) Including pre-Super Bowl Era titles, which franchise owns the greatest number of championships with 14?
Answer: the Green Bay Packers
85) Who is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 career yards?
Answer: Emmitt Smith
86) Which five players amassed the most receiving yards of all time?
Answer: Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and Isaac Bruce.
87) Walter Payton is unquestionably one of the best running backs in the history of the sport. How many rushing titles did he win?
Answer: Only one!
88) Hall of Famer Slingin’ Sammy Baugh led the league in what three seemingly incompatible categories in 1943?
Answer: Pass completions/percentage, defensive interceptions, and punting average.
89) Who are the only three non-kickers to play in more than 300 games?
Answer: Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, and Brett Favre
90) Which two quarterbacks share the record for the most playoff games started without a single win?
Answer: Andy Dalton and Y.A. Tittle
Basketball – Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers
91) In the 1971-72 season, this franchise set an all-time record with 33 straight wins.
Answer: Los Angeles Lakers
92) Can you name the three shortest players in NBA history at 5’3, 5’5′, and 5’6?
Answer: Muggsy Bogues, Earl Boykins, and Spud Webb.
93) The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA titles in the history of the league. How many titles have they captured?
Answer: 18
94) This Boston Celtics has the most titles to his credit of any player in NBA history.
Answer: Bill Russell
95) Which non-Celtic has the most NBA titles to his credit. Hint: he was a very good role player in the ’90s and ’00s.
Answer: Robert Horry
96) Usually thought of for his prolific scoring, this player holds the record for the most steals in an NBA playoff game.
Answer: is The Answer, Allen Iverson, who registered 10 steals against the Magic in 1999.
97) What two centers were taken ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft?
Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie.
98) The 1996 Bulls (72-10) and 2016 Warriors (73-9) are considered two of the greatest teams of all-time. Which NBA star played against both squads 20 years apart?
Answer: Kevin Garnett
99) Who is the shortest player to ever lead the league in rebounding?
Answer: Charles Barkley
100) Which NBA franchise has made the NBA Finals the greatest number of times without taking the crown?
Answer: Phoenix Suns (3)
List (Continued)
101) Who are the only two 8 seeds to ever make the NBA Finals (both lost)?
Answer: the 1999 Knicks and 2023 Heat
102) How many three-pointers did Shaquille O’Neal make in his entire career?
Answer: Only one.
103) Which team drafted Kobe Bryant in 1996?
Answer: the Charlotte Hornets who then traded him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.
104) What legendary power forward is third on the all-time scoring list even though he never won a single scoring title in his long career?
Answer: Karl Malone
105) This coach has won 11 NBA titles, an all-time record.
Answer: Phil Jackson
106) This legendary point guard has the most steals AND most assists of all-time.
Answer: John Stockton
107) Who is the youngest player in League history to win Finals MVP?
Answer: Magic Johnson in 1980
108) He was the first foreign-born player to win Finals MVP in 2007.
Answer: Dirk Nowitzki
109) Which three coaches have the most wins in NBA history?
Gregg Popovich, Don Nelson, and Lenny Wilkens
110) Only five players have collected more than 3,000 career blocked shots. Name them.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton, and Tim Duncan
Hockey – Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers
111) Mike Knuble holds the distinction of being the only man to play with what two legendary players. (Hint: one player started their career in 1978; the other is still playing in 2025.)
Answer: Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin
112) This Winnipeg Jets rookie set an all-time rookie goals mark in 1992-93, lighting the lamp 76 times.
Answer: Teemu Selanne
113) This all-time great played for the Montreal Canadians from 1955-1975 and holds the record for most Stanley Cup championships by a single player with 11.
Answer: Henri Richard
114) What Hall of Famer scored a record 10 points in a single game in 1976 for the Maple Leafs?
Answer: Darryl Sittler
115) Six Players from the losing team in the Stanley Cup Finals have still captured the Conn Smythe Trophy. How many can you name?
Answer: Connor McDavid (2024), Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Ron Hextall, Reggie Leach, Glenn Hall, and Roger Crozier.
116) In 1968-69, the Bruin became the first player to register 100 in a single season.
Answer: Phil Esposito
117) In 1981-82, this player became the first to surpass the 200-point mark in a single season. He did it three more times after that.
Answer: Wayne Gretzky
118) Who are the NHL’s “Original Six” teams?
Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, and the Detroit Red Wings.
Answer:
119) Who were the first two goaltenders to score goals in an NHL game? Hint: late-’70s Islanders and ’80s Flyers.
Answer: Billy Smith and Ron Hextall
120) Who is the only player in history to captain two different franchises to Stanley Cup championships?
Answer: Mark Messier (Oilers, Rangers)
Good Sports Trivia Questions and Answers (Continued)
121) Which defenseman signed the first million-dollar contact (over five years) in league history in 1971?
Answer: Bobby Orr
122) What percentage of the NHL typically shoots left handed – keep in mind that 90% of the population is right handed.
Answer: It fluctuates between 60 and 70%.
123) How old was Sidney Crosby when he was named captain making him the youngest player to earn the “C” in league history?
Answer: 19 years old.
124) What team earned the longest unbeaten streak in NHL history at 35 games?
Answer: The Philadelphia Flyers in 1979-80.
125) The Buffalo Sabres drafted Taro Tsujimoto in the 11th round of the 1974 NHL Draft. What was so notable about this player?
Answer: He was made up by the Sabres general manager as a joke-protest of how long and inefficient the NHL drafting process had become.
Sports Trivia (Continued)
126) What father-son duo each scored 50 goals in a season and over 600 in their careers?
Answer: Bobby and Brett Hull.
127) Bill Couto received a lifetime ban from the NHL – the only such ban ever issued. What did he do to earn this punishment?
Answer: He assaulted a referee after losing Game 4 of the 1927 Stanley Cup Finals
128) What hockey legend was still playing at age 52
Answer: Gordie Howe
129) Who is the all-time leader in penalty minutes with 3,971?
Answer: Dave “Tiger” Williams
130) He was the last NHL player to not wear a helmet when he retired in 1997.
Answer: Craig MacTavish
Additional Trivia Resources
- 101 Trivia Questions for Kids
- 101 History Trivia Questions and Answers for Kids
- Disney Trivia for Kids – 125 Questions
- 101 Christmas Trivia Questions for Kids
Further Sports Reading on College Transitions
