With the back-and-forth 2019 home opener in the books, I thought it might be an interesting exercise to take a look at which Sox starting pitchers have taken the ball for the first home game of the season the past fifty years. While some of these pitchers will be duplicates from the Opening Day pitchers Saturday Sporcle, there are quite a few names on the list that will force you to remember past rotations. How many can you name? Good luck!
Quiz Parameters
- I've allotted 15 minutes for completion attempts.
- For hints, I've provided the year and the opponent/result.
Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:
- After Friday's game, the White Sox own a 26-24 record for Home Openers since 1970.
- Their best stretch came from 2002-2014, when they went 12-1, while their longest losing streak is 5, from 1993-1997. Big ups to Yoan Moncada for helping to avoid this ignominious streak.
- They've played the Yankees and the Blue Jays just once apiece during this period, while they've faced the Tigers the most, nine times (2-7 against).
- Their biggest blowout win came in 1972, a 14-0 victory over the Rangers, while their largest loss was an ugly 16-0 blowout against the Tigers, in 1991.
All data from baseballreference.com
