# Athletes with appropriate names for their sport **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 14, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012 "2013-06-14T19:02:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/21 "2013-06-15T01:16:24Z")
There was once an MLB player named Hu, and another named Watt. Not sure if they ever played infield, though. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/22 "2013-06-15T01:55:26Z")
Hockey player Larry Playfair often didn’t. Neither did his teammate Lindy Ruff. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/23 "2013-06-15T02:03:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There was once an MLB player named Hu, and another named Watt. Not sure if they ever played infield, though. \ Well , there were two Australian Federal politicians by the names of [Abbott](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott) and [Costello](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Costello) who served about the same time together in Parliament … \ ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/24 "2013-06-15T04:59:49Z")
I heard that Joe Theismann’s name used to be pronounced “Theese-man,” but then he changed the pronunciation in college to “Thighs-man” to rhyme with Heisman (as in the Heisman trophy for best college football player every year). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/25 "2013-06-15T05:26:27Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I heard that Joe Theismann’s name used to be pronounced “Theese-man,” but then he changed the pronunciation in college to “Thighs-man” to rhyme with Heisman (as in the Heisman trophy for best college football player every year). Close; when he was young it was pronounced “farv”. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/26 "2013-06-15T05:26:46Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > A couple of bad ones for baseball pitchers: > Bob Walk > Grant Balfour Nick Swisher isn’t too good for a hitter, but he doesn’t fan that often. > [@Chronos](#): > > There was once an MLB player named Hu, and another named Watt. Not sure if they ever played infield, though. [Hu](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/huch01.shtml) played SS and 2B. I saw him play in a game at Dodger Stadium once. When he got a single I was delighted to be able to note on my scorecard that Hu was on first.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/27 "2013-06-15T06:38:32Z")
Pro Wrestlers: Bruiser Brody Bruiser Bob Sweetan Dick the Bruiser The Crusher Abdullah the Butcher ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/28 "2013-06-15T07:17:46Z")
There’s a young up and coming cyclist on the local scene called Peter Peddler. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/29 "2013-06-15T08:29:42Z")
Wolfgang Wolf (ex-)manager of VfL Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga is probably the most apt name in the history of sports. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/30 "2013-06-15T09:27:36Z")
[Bart Crashley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Crashley) is my favorite sports name. Not a great hockey player, but he had the greatest hockey player name. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/31 "2013-06-15T10:04:00Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Nick Swisher isn’t too good for a hitter, but he doesn’t fan that often. Pretty sure he struck out in every postseason at-bat with the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/32 "2013-06-15T14:45:52Z")
Former US high jumper [Nathan Leeper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Leeper) Former sprinter and wide receiver [James Jett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Jett) (his sister Keisha was a good sprinter too) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/33 "2013-06-15T15:13:42Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Some golfers: > > Chip Beck > Birdie Kim (changed her Korean name to “Birdie” when she joined the LPGA) > Jonathan Byrd Duffy Waldorf Wiffy Cox Spike McRoy Hubert Green Willie Wood Tiger Woods (already mentioned) Sandy Lyle ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/34 "2013-06-15T17:07:55Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Pretty sure he struck out in every postseason at-bat with the Yankees. Wrong. He had 21 post-season hits, and 15 walks with the Yankees. While his postseason OBP (.283) is lower than his career OBP (.359), he did pretty well in the the 2009 ALCS and World Series, and 2009 ALDS. Even last year he did better than most of the rest of the Yankees in the ALCS (.308 OBP). ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/35 "2013-06-16T09:04:10Z")
Gary Player has an appropriate name for any sport. Ricardo Rincon has a good name for a pitcher when you consider what it means in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/36 "2013-06-16T12:17:29Z")
John Force (drag racing). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/37 "2013-06-16T16:39:30Z")
Would be even better if it were pod racing. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/38 "2013-06-16T18:35:01Z")
Prince Fielder plays first base, instead of DH. Ryan Longwell is an NFL kicker (although this past year he could have been Ryan Soso) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/39 "2013-06-16T19:26:37Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Ricardo Rincon has a good name for a pitcher when you consider what it means in Spanish. You mean if he hits the corners? Could be good for a third baseman too, if he were good in the hot corner. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012/40 "2013-06-16T20:40:49Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > You mean if he hits the corners? That’s what I meant. Vic Power had a good name for a hitter. It’s too bad his performance didn’t back it up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athletes-with-appropriate-names-for-their-sport/661012.md?page=3)