Global Baseball trivia
So you think you know ball? Let’s put it to the test! Challenge yourself or your friends with these trivia quiz questions. Let us know how you did once you’re done.
1. Which country hosts the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league?
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Japan 🇯🇵
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is Japan’s top professional baseball league and was officially founded in 1950, succeeding the earlier Japanese Baseball League.
NPB is divided into two leagues, each with six teams, for a total of 12 clubs:
Central League
Yomiuri Giants
Hanshin Tigers
Chunichi Dragons
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Yakult Swallows (Tokyo Yakult Swallows)
Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Pacific League
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Orix Buffaloes
Chiba Lotte Marines
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Saitama Seibu Lions
2. Which European country runs the Hoofdklasse, one of the oldest baseball leagues in the world?
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The Netherlands 🇳🇱
The Honkbal Hoofdklasse was founded in 1922.
3. Which Central American league features teams like the Gigantes de Rivas and Indios del Bóer?
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Nicaragua 🇳🇮
The Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional (LBPN) currently consists of six teams:
1. Gigantes de Rivas
2. Indios del Bóer (Managua)
3. Leones de León
4. Tigres de Chinandega
5. Tren del Norte (Estelí)
6. Costa Caribe (Caribbean Coast)
4. Which Japanese pitcher posted seven no-hitters in NPB before joining MLB?
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Hideo Nomo
Hideo Nomo is a legendary Japanese pitcher born in 1971 who became one of the most influential international players in baseball history. After starring in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Nomo made a groundbreaking move to MLB in 1995, becoming the first Japanese player in decades to join the league.
5. Which Korean slugger holds the career home run record in the KBO?
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Lee Seung-yeop
Lee Seung-yeop (born 1976) is a legendary South Korean slugger widely regarded as one of the greatest hitters in Asian baseball history. Playing primarily for the Samsung Lions in the KBO League, he set numerous records, including becoming the league’s all-time home run leader with 467 career home runs.
6. Which Curaçaoan outfielder won 10 Gold Gloves in Major League Baseball?
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Andruw Jones
Jones won 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards in center field (1998–2007) and hit 434 career MLB home runs, making him one of the top two-way outfield talents of his era. In 2005, he led MLB with 51 home runs, finishing second in MVP voting. He later played for the Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees, and also spent time in NPB with the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
7. Who was the first South African-born player to reach MLB?
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Gift Ngoepe
Gift Ngoepe (born 1990 in Pietersburg, South Africa) is the first African-born and African-raised player in Major League Baseball history. A skilled defensive infielder, Ngoepe signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his historic MLB debut on April 26, 2017. In that debut, he also became the first African-born player to record a hit in an MLB game.
8. What team is historically known as the “Yankees of Mexico,” leading in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol championships?
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Diablos Rojos del Mexico
The Diablos Rojos del México, founded in 1940, are one of the most historic and successful franchises in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB). Based in Mexico City, the club is known as “El México” and has built a powerhouse reputation with 16 league championships, making them one of the winningest teams in Mexican baseball history.
9. Which ABL team represents Perth, Australia?
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(Perth) Heat
The Perth Heat, founded in 1989, are one of Australia’s most successful and recognizable baseball clubs. Competing in the Australian Baseball League (ABL), the Heat are based in Perth, Western Australia, and play their home games at Empire Ballpark.
10. Which Italian club, has dominated European Cup competitions?
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Parma
Parma Baseball Club, founded in 1949, is one of the most successful and historic teams in Italian and European baseball. Based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, the club competes in Italy’s Serie A Baseball and is renowned for its strong player development and long-standing winning tradition.
11. Which Dominican Winter League team plays in Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal?
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Tigres del Licey (also Leones del Escogido share the stadium)
Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is one of the most historic and iconic baseball stadiums in the Caribbean. Originally opened in 1955, the ballpark was later renamed to honor Dominican Hall of Famer Juan Marichal.
12. Which league has a cheer culture that includes full-song routines for every hitter?
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Korean Baseball Organization (KBO)
Korea’s cheer culture is widespread, but NC and Doosan are most iconic
13. In NPB, what unique rule applies to tied games during the regular season?
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Games can end in a tie after 12 innings
14. What is the difference between a “save” and a “hold” in bullpen pitching stats?
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A save requires finishing a game with a lead of 3 runs or less; a hold is recorded by a reliever who preserves the lead before handing it off.
15. Can a pitcher return to a game after being removed in international tournament play? (WBSC rules)
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No
Under most international rules, once removed, a pitcher cannot return.
16. Which European team plays in a ballpark beside a medieval castle ruin?
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Oosterhout Twins
The team’s ground is named after the castle: “Sportpark The Slotbosse Toren”
17. Which Australian ballpark features the ocean pretty much directly behind its outfield wall?
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Adelaide Giants
The Adelaide Giants play their home games at Dicolor Stadium (formerly Adelaide Shores Baseball Complex and later West Beach Reserve) located in West Beach, South Australia. The ballpark is a key venue in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) and serves as the center of elite baseball in South Australia.
Viticon Stadium features modern training facilities, fan-friendly seating, and a coastal backdrop that makes it one of the most distinctive baseball venues in Australia. It regularly hosts ABL games, national tournaments, and development programs, helping support the strong baseball culture in the region.
18. Which country invented “pesäpallo,” a baseball variant considered its national sport?
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Finland
Pesäpallo, often called “Finnish baseball,” is the national sport of Finland, created in the 1920s by Lauri “Tahko” Pihkala. It blends traditional baseball concepts with unique rules that emphasize speed, strategy, and rapid decision-making.
The most distinctive feature is the vertical pitching: instead of throwing horizontally, the pitcher tosses the ball straight upward, giving the batter a controlled opportunity to hit. The running bases are arranged in a zig-zag pattern rather than a diamond, creating fast, tactical gameplay.
19. Which Dutch Caribbean island produces more MLB players per capita than any country on earth?
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Curacao
Curaçao, a small island in the Dutch Caribbean, is one of the world’s most remarkable baseball talent producers per capita. Despite a population of only about 160,000, the island has produced a long list of elite professional players, including Andruw Jones, Ozzie Albies, Andrelton Simmons, Kenley Jansen, Jonathan Schoop, Jurickson Profar, and many others.
20. Which team once had a goat curse placed upon them for 70+ years?
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Chicago Cubs
The Billy Goat Curse was a famous superstition surrounding the Chicago Cubs, said to have been placed in 1945 by Billy Goat Tavern owner William “Billy” Sianis. During Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, Sianis and his pet goat were asked to leave because the goat’s odor bothered other fans. Outraged, Sianis allegedly declared:
“Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more!”
For decades afterward, the Cubs experienced heartbreaks, collapses, and near-misses, fueling belief in the curse. The team failed to reach another World Series for 71 years.
The curse finally ended in 2016, when the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians to win their first World Series since 1908 — breaking a 108-year championship drought, the longest in MLB history.
