Soon, baseball will be back. Will you be ready to spend evenings arguing with friends about who is the better pitcher--Roger Clemens or Orel Hershiser? Will you be ready to listen to Vince Scully every Saturday afternoon?

If not, then pay attention to the Sports Cube's annual baseball trivia quiz.

The concept is simple. Read the 20 questions. They're worth five points each. Don't turn the paper upside down until you've answered everything. Start arguing with your friends. Think about Vin Scully. Baseball's almost here.

All questions had been made up from the information in the 1989 edition of The Sports Encylopedia By David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen. If you have any complaints about the statistics, talk to them.

SCORING

100: You helped make up the quiz or you know Neft and Cohen really well.

85-99: Your father helped build the Hall of Fame or is a major league baseball player.

70-84: You go to 50 baseball games each year. You read the USA Today sports section every day.

50-69: Okay, maybe you like baseball, but you'd rather wait for the opening game of the New England Patriots.

49 or below: You'd rather watch arena football during the summer.

1. Fireballer Nolan Ryan, who will pitch this year for the Texas Rangers, is the only hurler in baseball history to record five no-hitters. Ryan pitched his first two no-hitters in 1973 as a California Angel. He pitched his fifth for the Houston Astros in 1981, when he blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-0. Can you name who Ryan was tied with for most no-hitters in a career before he set the record?

A. Jim Maloney

B. Sandy Koufax

C. Bob Feller

D. Walter Johnson

2. Although Ryan can boast of his no-hitter record, he certainly should keep quiet when the subject of base on balls comes up. Mr. No-Hitter has walked more than 150 batters five seasons in his career. He is also only the second pitcher in baseball history to give up more than 200 free passes to first base in a season. Ryan did it twice (1974, 1977). Fortunately for Ryan, one Hall of Famer holds the single-season record for most walks. Name him.

A. Cy Young

B. Bob Gibson

C. Christy Mathewson

D. Bob Feller

3. Forget pitching for now. Can you name the top five career home run hitters among active players? (Give yourself a point for each correct player.)

4. In 1983, the Philadelphia Phillies captured their second National League title in the 1980s. The Phils won the championship by defeating the Dodgers, but lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. 1983 was also a controversial year for Philadelphia. Pat Corrales, the manager who started the season with the Phils, didn't end the season with them. He was fired on July 18. Can you name who replaced Corrales and led Philadelphia to a National League pennant?

A. Paul Owens

B. Lee Elia

C. Dallas Green

D. John Felske

5. More about 1983. Baltimore's Rick Dempsey collected four doubles in the five-game series against the Phils, which Baltimore won, 4-1. Although Demspey tied a World Series record for most doubles in a single five-game World Series (Eddie Collins did it in 1910), he is nowhere near the two players who share the career record for most doubles in World Series play. Name this duo.

A. Carl Furillo and Lou Gehrig

B. Yogi Berra and Frankie Frisch

C. Duke Snider and Lou Gehrig

D. Frankie Frisch and Pete Fox

6. Back to 1904 and the American League. Philadelphia's Rube Waddell led the league in strikeouts and became the first pitcher in the 20th century to chalk up two consecutive 300-plus strikeout seasons. His strikeout tally in 1904 was the most by any pitcher in a single season until Sandy Koufax fanned 382 batters in 1965. How many batters did Waddell strike out in 1904?

A. 375

B. 326

C. 311

D. 349

7. Give me modern stuff, you're saying. Something about the late 1980s. Fine. Name the National League's last five Rookie of the Year winnners. (Give yourself a point for every correct player.)

8. Baseball has always had its great teams. But since 1950, only one squad has been able to post a winning percentage that ranks among the eight best in baseball history. Name that team.

A. The 1961 New York Yankees

B. The 1969 Baltimore Orioles

C. The 1954 Cleveland Indians

D. The 1986 New York Mets

9. Since we're on the subject of baseball's greatest teams, can you name which team holds the record for most wins in a year and that number?

10. Last season will be remembered as the Year of the Balk. Umpires decided to get tough and start calling it. Who led the major leagues for most balks in 1988?

A. Dave Cone

B. Jose Guzman

C. Pascual Perez

D. Dave Stewart

11. Everyone in baseball knows New York Yankee Rickey Henderson has the most stolen bases (794) among active players. Can you name the next top five base stealers behind Henderson? (Give yourself a point for each correct player.)

12. Still on the subject of stolen bases. Who has stolen the most bases in his career, New York's Darryl Strawberry, Seattle's Hal Reynolds, Detroit's Alan Trammell, Philadelphia's Mike Schmidt or Los Angeles' Kirk Gibosn?

13. There have been 15 Triple Crown winners since 1887. Most baseball fans know that Boston's Carl Yastremski won the last Triple Crown in 1967, when he led the league in hitting (.326), home runs (44) and RBI (121). But in 1909, this Hall of Famer won the crown despite hitting less than 10 homers. Name him.

14. Baseball's Most Valuable Player Award has traditionally been given to non-pitchers. But since 1931, the first year it was awarded, 16 pitchers have won the MVP--eight in the American League and eight in the National League. Name five of the eight pitchers who have captured the MVP in the National League. (Give yourself a point for each correct player.)

15. When you think of homers, you think of 1961, when New York Yankee Roger Maris hit 61 roundtrippers to break Babe Ruth's single-season record. Teammate Mickey Mantle hit 54. The M & M boys helped the Yankees shatter the team record for home runs in a season (240). While the Yanks were tearing up the American League, who led the National League in homers during the 1961 season?

A. Ernie Banks

B. Hank Aaron

C. Orlando Cepeda

D. Willie Mays

16. The crop of National League pitchers during the 1980s has been impressive. But only one National Leaguer has pitched 10 shutouts in one season during the '80s. Name him.

17. Here's one for those who paid attention to last year's World Series telecast. Which Los Angeles Dodger led the Blue Crew in hitting during the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A's?

A. Steve Sax

B. Franklin Stubbs

C. Mickey Hatcher

D. Alfredo Griffin

18. Double plays. Pitchers love them when they need to get out of a jam. Hitters just want to avoid them. In 1988, which hitter led the American League in grounding out into the most double plays?

A. Eddie Murray

B. Wade Boggs

C. Robin Yount

D. Hal Baines

19. Ah, 1969, what a great year for upsets. In the 1969 World Series, the New York Mets shocked the baseball world by defeating the Baltimore Orioles to capture the world championship. Many thought the O's would roll through the Metsies. The Orioles had the pitching and the offense. Baltimore had two 20-game winners (Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally), while the Mets had one (Tom Seaver). The Orioles had Boog Powell (37 HRs, 121 RBI) and the Mets had only... What Mets player led New York in both HRs and RBI in 1969?

A. Ed Kranepool

B. Tommie Agee

C. Cleon Jones

D. Ron Swoboda

20. Which of these active pitchers has struck out the most batters--Oakland's Dennis Eckersley, New York's Tommy John, Detroit's Jack Morris, Chicago's Rick Sutcliffe or Los Angeles' Fernando Valenzuela?

ANSWERS

1. B, Sandy Koufax.

2. D, Bob Feller (1938, 208 walks).

3. Mike Schmidt (542), Darrell Evans (403), Craig Nettles (390), Jim Rice (379), Dave Winfield (357).

4. A, Paul Owens.

5. B, Yogi Berra and Frankie Frisch (10).

6. D, 349.

7. Dwight Gooden (1984), Vince Coleman (1985), Todd Worrell (1986), Benito Santiago (1987), Chris Sabo (1988).

8. C, 1954 Cleveland Indians (.721).

9. 1906 Chicago Cubs with 116 wins.

10 D, Dave Stewart (16).

11. Willie Wilson (564), Tim Raines (544), Vince Coleman (407), Ozzie Smith (403), Dave Collins (385).

12. Gibson (197).

13. Ty Cobb (Cobb hit nine homers).

14. Bob Gibson (1968), Sandy Koufax (1963), Don Newcombe (1956), Jim Konstanty (1950), Mort Cooper (1942), Bucky Walters (1939), Carl Hubbell (1937, 1933), Dizzy Dean (1934).

15. C, Orlando Cepeda (46).

16. John Tudor (1985).

17. C, Mickey Hatcher (.368).

18. B, Wade Boggs (23).

19. B, Tommie Agee (26 HR, 76 RBI).

20. Tommy John, 2227.