Sporcle Saturday: Opening Day corner infielders since 1960
A new Saturday, and a new set of Opening Day roster positions to Sporcle! Also, if you’re a fan of the signposts of spring (as I am), this weekend marks an important event: tomorrow is the first White Sox Spring Training game.
At any rate, this weekend’s Sporcle will take a look at first and third basemen. While the White Sox have had remarkable continuity at first base on Opening Day (aside from 1998, three guys have manned the position dating back to 1991), third base has been less so. The usual caveats about health, etc., 2021 will mark the first time since 2008 that the same player will have started at the hot corner on Opening Day for three or more consecutive seasons.
We’re now up to 122 entries, how many can you name? Good luck!
Previous installments
Quiz Parameters
- I’ve allotted 20 minutes for completion attempts.
- All players are grouped by season.
Useless information to amaze, annoy, confuse, and/or confound your friends and family:
- Willie Kamm holds the most Opening Day (and consecutive) starts at third base: 9, running the length of his White Sox tenure, 1923-1931.
- As for lack of continuity at first base? From 1908-1917, the White Sox started a different guy at first each season. It wasn’t until Chick Gandil started three straight from 1917-1919 that that particular spell was broken.
- Frank Isbell was the Sox’ first-ever Opening Day first baseman. But he also started Opening Day at third base in 1903, second base in 1906 and 1907, and then again at first base in 1909.
(Image credit: Carl Skanberg)
All data from baseballreference.com
Author
120/122. My two misses played 1B in 1969 and 1970.
Obligatory link.
The 1969 1st baseman came to out little league to sign autographs, so I’ll always remember him.
118. Missed third from 68 and 76 and first from 69 and 70.
121/122. Only missed the 1960 3rd baseman, though I should have remembered him!
In related news.
https://twitter.com/CST_soxvan/status/1365709873023881218
I am not great at these but I enjoy them because I always learn something (often when I visit baseball reference afterward). The 1962/63/64 first baseman is a player I have no memory of ever having heard of. I was born during his years. He was an unusual player. In 1962, he got MVP votes playing 1b and hitting 8 homers in 652 plate appearances and slugging .428. He had a .401 obp and walked 101 times. He put up 22.4 bwar in a 12-year career which has him tied for 808th on the all time list with Craig Counsell, Jim Gantner, and Mookie Wilson among others.