In 1963, the White Sox went 94-68 and finished in second place, while the Cubs went 82-80 and finished in seventh. Also in 1963, 16-year-old Lesley Gore recorded the pop hit ‘‘It’s My Party,’’ which ended up in first place, a nationwide hit. Her record producer was Quincy Jones. She followed that with another hit, ‘‘Judy’s Turn to Cry.’’ When Gore was 17, she recorded her last top-10 hit, an early feminist anthem, ‘‘You Don’t Own Me.’’
In her obituary, the New York Times wrote, “Ms. Gore made herself the voice of teenage girls aggrieved by fickle boyfriends, moving quickly from tearful self-pity to fierce self-assertion.” ‘‘You Don’t Own Me’’ has been repeatedly re-recorded and revived by performers. In March, during Women’s History Month, I urge you all to listen to this great song and the great voice of Gore.
What does this have to do with the quiz this week? It’s all about celebrity owners and their teams. Have fun and learn a lot.
1. If Bob Hope were in a film about the baseball team of which he was a part-owner, the title would be “Road to ____.”
a. Morocco
b. Cleveland
c. Los Angeles
d. Brooklyn
2. If Bing Crosby were to sing about the baseball team of which he was a part-owner, where would “White Christmas” take place?
a. Chicago
b. Pittsburgh
c. St. Louis
d. Brooklyn
3. Harry Frazee financed the original production of the Broadway hit “No, No, Nanette.” He allegedly used money that he gained from the ownership of what baseball team?
a. Red Sox
b. Yankees
c. Phillies
d. Tigers
4. Gene Autry was famously known as “the Singing Cowboy.” He used his earnings to become very wealthy. He was rich enough to own what MLB team?
a. Texas Rangers
b. Los Angeles Angels
c. Los Angeles Dodgers
d. Washington Senators
5. Bill Maher, the star of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” made real big bucks when he sold his minority share of which big-league ballclub?
a. New York Mets
b. Los Angeles Dodgers
c. Baltimore Orioles
d. Washington Nationals
6. Guggenheim Baseball Management is the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Who is not part of that consortium?
a. Billie Jean King
b. Magic Johnson
c. Peter Guber
d. Tom Werner
7. Ray Kroc made his fortune because of McDonald’s. Not eating Big Macs, but developing and owning the whole company. After retiring from Mickey D’s, he bought a baseball team. Which team was it?
a. Washington Nationals
b. San Diego Padres
c. Los Angeles Angels
d. Houston Astros
8. George Steinbrenner was a shipbuilding magnate before he became the owner of the New York Yankees. He purchased the team for $8.8 million dollars from which media company?
a. CBS
b. NBC
c. Comcast
d. Mutual Broadcasting
9. Here’s a simple question about Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the White Sox and Bulls. Which team did he own first?
a. White Sox
b. Bulls
BTW: The hip-hop-inflected version of ‘‘You Don’t Own Me,’’ featuring the rapper G-Eazy, was recorded by the Australian singer Grace and became a hit in 2015, the same year Gore died. Both versions were produced by Quincy Jones. Have a safe week.
ANSWERS
1. In 1946, Bob Hope said, “My interest in the deal was purely sentimental, as I am a former resident of Cleveland. Of course, I have no interest — ahem — in any money we might make out of the club.”
2. On Oct. 12, 1960, Bing Crosby, an American icon and part-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was on his way to Paris. Before he left, he phoned an assistant and asked him to kinescope Game 7 of the Pirates-Yankees World Series off its TV broadcast. It’s one of the few complete films of a game before 1965. I’m sure Bill Mazeroski is forever appreciative.
3. Harry Frazee’s ownership of the Red Sox enabled him to sell the contract of Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Ruth already was signed through 1920 but wanted a new contract and a big raise after hitting a record 29 home runs in 1919. Frazee balked because, despite Ruth’s numbers, he was becoming a headache Frazee didn’t need or want.
4. Gene Autry recorded the most famous version of ‘‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’’ The Angels were his passion for the last four decades of his life. Autry often traveled with his team and spent lavishly on free agents in his futile pursuit of a championship. The Angels retired No. 26 in honor of their 26th man.
5. On June 4, 2012, Bill Maher purchased a minority stake in the Mets from Fred Wilpon, whose family’s financial difficulties came about as a result of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. Maher reportedly tripled his investment when Steve Cohen and Co. took over the Mets.
6. TV producer Tom Werner is a part-owner of the Red Sox, not the Dodgers.
7. When Ray Kroc told his wife he was going to buy the San Diego Padres, she said, ‘‘Why would you want to buy a monastery?’’ He soon flew to San Diego and bought the team for $12 million.
8. On Jan. 3, 1973, a 12-member group headed by George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees for $10 million from Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). Yankees minority owner John McMullen was quoted as saying, “There is nothing in life quite so limited as being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner.”
9. Reinsdorf purchased the White Sox for $19 million in 1981. He has been the owner and chairman of the Bulls since 1985.
