Karl's Mailbag 11 By Karl Ravech

Q: When was the last triple play in baseball? Marc from Texas
A: Believe it or not Marc, there were 4 triple plays this baseball season! The last one was August 23rd when the Philadelphia Phillies completed a triple play to beat the New York Mets 9-7. What a cool way to end a game!

Q: What is a turkey in bowling? Pete from Missouri
A: Believe it or not Pete, I bowled a turkey once! A turkey is when you bowl a strike three times in a row. The name was given over a hundred years ago, when the owner of a bowling alley gave away a live turkey during the holidays to the first person that could score three consecutive strikes.

Q: What position does David Beckham play? Adan from Texas
A: Always great to get a soccer question Adan! Soccer star David Beckham is a midfielder for the LA Galaxy. He has played both center and right midfielder in his career. Before coming to the US, he played for Real Madrid and Manchester United in Europe. Midfielders play both sides of the ball, meaning they play both offense and defense. Players like Beckham work hard to stay in great shape so they can react to any situation on the field.

Q: Who has hit a golf ball the farthest in a tournament? Emily from Florida
A: Well Becca, it's not Tiger Woods, like you may have guessed. In 1974, professional golfer Mike Austin hit a ball an amazing 515 yards at the US Nationals Senior Open Championship. That's over five football fields! The shot actually went way over the green!

Q: Can you score a field goal with a kick-off? Sally from New York
A: Wow, Sally that would be a pretty cool sight to see. But even if the kicker was able to kick the ball 70 yards and make it through the uprights, NFL rules do not allow a field goal to be scored on a kickoff. If the kickoff sails through the end zone, the receiving teams gets what's known as a "touchback," and start with the ball on their own 20-yard line.

Q: How many basketball players are on a NBA team? Carrington from Florida
A: Great question, Carrington. NBA teams can have a maximum of 15 players, but only 12 can be in uniform for any one game. And of course, there can only be 5 players from each team on the court at a time!

Q: When was the first night game in the NFL? Stan from Illinois
A: This is a fun story, Stan. In 1929 the Providence Steam Rollers, who only played in the NFL for seven seasons, had a game against the Chicago Cardinals. The game was cancelled due to wet field conditions, so they rescheduled to another field where floodlights had just been installed. The game was played at night and the ball was painted white just so the players could see it! The Cardinals wound up winning the game 16-0.

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