Sporcle Saturday: Opening Day middle infielders since 1970

Nick Madrigal (Laura Wolff / Charlotte Knights)

Continuing the Opening Day Saturday Sporcle series, this week we’ll be focusing on middle infielders: second base and shortstop.

Before heading to the past, let’s look towards the future for a moment: this season, the big question will be who gets the nod on Opening Day at second base. Will Nick Madrigal rake enough during Spring Training that he forces the issue and makes the roster out of camp? Or will the Sox roll with either Leury Garcia or Danny Mendick to start the season?

At shortstop, the Sox will have continuity for a fourth straight season. The questions surrounding this position center on defense, and whether we’ll be looking at a significant regression in BABIP after a seemingly-unsustainable .399 last year.

Time will answer these questions, and speaking of which, it’s time for this week’s Sporcle! Since 1970, who has started Opening Day up the middle? There are 100 entries, how many can you name? Good luck!

Previous Installments

Quiz Parameters

  • I’ve allotted 15 minutes for completion attempts.
  • I’ve grouped positions by season, chronologically.

Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:

  • This marks the 8th straight season a different name will be starting at second base on Opening Day.
  • Nellie Fox holds the franchise record for most Opening Day starts at second, with 13 consecutive seasons. (1951-1963)
  • The franchise record for most Opening Day starts at shortstop is 14, by Luke Appling. Consecutive starts on Opening Day, though, is 13, from 1985-1997.

Direct link here

All data from baseballreference.com


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10 Comments
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KenWo4LiFe

88/100. Thought I did really bad but Iโ€™ll only give myself like 4 extra I couldโ€™ve had. Need to study my 70s middle infielders. Also missed two guys in the past few years.ย 

KenWo4LiFe

Boomer also 88. I missedย 

Spoiler
Saladino, Semien and Hulett
Who he got and he missedย 
Spoiler
Almon and Richard
who I got. Other than that missed the same guys.

asinwreck

98/100. Missed the 1970 second baseman and the 1973 shortstop.

First name I got was the 1976 second baseman, who just celebrated a birthday.

VaChisox

87/100 I’m pretty disappointed. I missed a handful of recent guys and really thought I knew the 1973 SS and 1970 2B but

Spoiler
Knoopย 
didn’t show up. I did get the 1976 2B.ย 

I thought for sure the quiz this week would be on BABIP and/OBP. Perhaps in the near future after our opening day exams of late winter. Thanks as always, Ted.ย 

asinwreck

I had the same guess for 1970.

Spoiler
Aside from Knoop, other names I guessed who didn’t show up were Fred Manrique, Jerry Dybzinski, Rob Mackowiak, and Roberto Alomar (because it is always worth guessing an Alomar for 21st-century Sox roster quizzes).

Right Size Wrong Shape

I was sure that

Spoiler
Manrique
would be on there, but alas…

roke1960

100/100. The last one I got was the only Hall of Famer in the bunch.

kingkellly

86.
I had trouble with the last decade and the early 70s.ย 

joseValentinsMustache

You are not gonna believe who I forgot…