Second Base
If you think second base has been confusing the last two seasons for the Red Sox it was even more problematic in the 1960s. Chuck Schilling, Felix Mantilla, George Smith, Dalton Jones, and my pick since he lasted the longest – Mike Andrews.
Andrews was another in the expanding list of farm products that made a difference. It took five years on minor league toil including one with Williams in Triple-A before Andrews came to play second base for the Red Sox, with a slight detour. The original second baseman was to be Reggie Smith and by the end of April, Reggie was shipped back to center field. Andrews hit .263 in 1967 and by 1969 became an All-Star.
Andrews was not a spectacular defensive player and in 1973 that became a focal point for his signing an affidavit – forced upon him by owner Charlie Finley – claiming he was injured and that was responsible for two crucial errors in the World Series. Teammates and manager Williams stepped up as did Commissioner Kuhn and Andrews was reinstated. Finley ordered Andrews benched for the rest of the series and he never played an MLB game again.
Honorable Mention: I will go with Schilling who finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1961. A right-handed hitter and smooth fielder who never recovered his first-year talent (.259) after a severe wrist injury in 1962.