[For Seniors] Baseball Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts. Nostalgic and Engaging Multiple-Choice Questions

Yomiuri Giants

In professional baseball, the team with the most championships is the Yomiuri Giants. The Giants are a very historic club that has continued since the early days of professional baseball, and the “V9” era from 1965 to 1973 is still talked about as a legend. Under the leadership of the renowned manager Tetsuharu Kawakami, players like Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima played brilliantly, thrilling fans across Japan.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

The 1998 draft drew major attention to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who, as the ace of Yokohama High School, achieved consecutive spring and summer Koshien championships. Three teams—Nippon-Ham, Yokohama, and Seibu—competed with first-round picks, and in the lottery, the Seibu Lions won the negotiating rights. Nicknamed the “Monster of the Heisei Era,” he went on after turning pro to win Rookie of the Year among many other titles, and his outstanding performances in both Japan and the United States remain vivid in the memories of many baseball fans.

Masashi Yamamoto

In the game between the Chunichi Dragons and the Hanshin Tigers on September 16, 2006, Chunichi pitcher Masahiro Yamamoto achieved a no-hitter. He was 41 years and 1 month old at the time, and as of 2025, this remains the oldest no-hitter in Nippon Professional Baseball history.

Shohei Ohtani

In his third professional year, the 2015 season, Shohei Ohtani had a spectacular year as a pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. That year, he posted an outstanding 15–5 record with a 2.24 ERA and a .750 winning percentage, capturing the Pacific League’s pitching Triple Crown: most wins, lowest ERA, and highest winning percentage.

weight

Under professional baseball rules, there are specifications for bats. The length is strictly limited to “42 inches or less,” and the thickness is “a maximum diameter of 2.61 inches at the thickest part.” However, there is no restriction on weight, so players are free to choose a bat weight that suits their own strength and playing style.

Sawamura Award

The Sawamura Award is a special honor established in 1947 to recognize the achievements and legacy of Eiji Sawamura, a legendary pitcher from the early days of professional baseball who was killed in World War II at the young age of 24. It is presented to the starting, complete-game–type pitcher with the most outstanding performance of the year and is considered the highest accolade for pitchers in Japanese professional baseball. Its official name is the Eiji Sawamura Award.

Shigenobu Ōkuma

Japan’s first ceremonial first pitch took place in 1908 during a game between an American all-star team and Waseda University. The person who took the mound was Shigenobu Okuma, the founder of Waseda University. Although Okuma’s pitch missed the strike zone by a wide margin, Waseda’s leadoff batter, thinking “We can’t let Professor Okuma be embarrassed,” intentionally swung and missed. It’s said that this incident led to the custom that, even today, the batter swings and misses at the ceremonial first pitch.