# Great ballplayer names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2000, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032 "2000-09-29T17:41:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/21 "2000-09-29T20:37:44Z")
Carlester Crumpler, now thats a Defensive Lineman! ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/22 "2000-09-29T20:43:06Z")
I can’t believe a Yankee fan is the first to say: Mookie Wilson ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/23 "2000-09-29T21:05:13Z")
Here’s the chorus of the Dave Frishberg son “Van Lingle Mungo”, it seems somewhat appropriate to post it here. Augie Bergamo, Sigmund Jakooki, Big Johnny Mize and Barney McCoskey, Hal Trosky. John Antonelli, Ferris Fain, Frankie Crosetti, Johnny Sain. Harry Brecheen and Lou Boudreau, Frankie Gusteen and Claude Passeau. Eddie Brizinski, Ernie Lombardi, Huey Mulcahi… Van Lingle Mungo… ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/24 "2000-09-29T21:21:18Z")
Bucky Dent (baseball) Jock Jones (football) Dante Calabria (former UNC basketball player) and everybody’s favorite Nascar driver… Dick Trickle ---
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/25 "2000-09-29T21:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Omniscient \* > \*\*Carlester Crumpler, now thats a Defensive Lineman! \*\* Yeah, too bad he’s a tight end. For the Viqueens. That guy missed his calling. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/26 "2000-09-29T22:03:47Z")
Zenon Andrusyshyn was a kicker at UCLA, not Syracuse and he was burned in effigy after he missed an extra point and had two field goals blocked in a game against USC. It was the one that USC won because of a certain guy’s long touchdown run in the closing minutes. He went on to a long career in the CFL. ---
**Author:** ![aztec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@aztec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aztec)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/27 "2000-09-29T22:28:07Z")
Bartolo Colon, Billy Koch, Jason Isringhausen, Troy Percival, Ramiro Mendoza, Esteban Loaiza, Charles Nagy, Barry Zito, Ryan Rupe… Pitchers always have some great names (funny that only AL pitchers are on this list) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/28 "2000-09-29T22:56:14Z")
To expand beyond our North/Central American borders, I must say that **Pieter van den Hoogenbrand** and **Diego Maradona** are also excellent names. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/29 "2000-09-29T23:41:00Z")
For really, really, really long names, you can’t beat the Sri Lankan national cricket team. Some recent examples: Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene Mapa Rallalage Chandima Niroshan Bandaratilake Handunnettige Deepthi Priyantha Kumar Dharmasena Panagodage Don Ruchira Laksiri Perera Asiri Viswanath Prasanna Jayawardene Romesh Shantha Kaluwitharana In one-dayers, these players actually have their (last) names on the backs of their shirts. Imagine sticking “Bandaratilake” or “Kaluwitharana” on a shirt–the names go towards each elbow. ---
**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:** [September 30, 2000, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/30 "2000-09-30T01:43:24Z")
Rance Mulliniks Best hockey name: Bart Crashley Worst football name: Turdell Middleton ---
**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:** [September 30, 2000, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/31 "2000-09-30T01:44:26Z")
I forgot pitching coach Dick Pole. I wish that was _my_ name 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/32 "2000-09-30T02:02:04Z")
The names keep coming to me - I was looking up Baskerville because I wasn’t sure which school he played for, and I found this. How did I miss it when it happened? **Baskerville Holmes** Age: 32 member of Memphis State’s 1985 Final Four team; tied for the lead in games played at the school with 132, scoring 1,112 points in his four-year college career; of a gun shot from an apparent murder-suicide with his girlfriend Died: Memphis, Tenn., March 18, 1997 ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/33 "2000-09-30T02:29:14Z")
Well, I don’t watch stick-and-ball sports, but here’s some from racing that are fun to say: **Greg Zipadelli** (NASCAR crew chief, aka Zippy; sounds like a cartoon character) **Dario Franchitti** (CART driver) **Helio Castroneves** (CART driver, pronounced Hee lee oh Cass troe nev ez) **Mika Hakkinen** (F1 driver) **Cristiano Da Matta** (CART driver - what’s da matta wit’ you?) **Memo Gidley** (CART driver – I think he’s American; named after a Post-it note??? Possibly pronounced Mee-mo, but in my mind it’s memo) **Jerry Nadeau** (NASCAR driver – just because there are so many ways to mispronounce his last name. My favorite is to make it rhyme with “radio”) **Sterling Marlin** (NASCAR driver whose name means Silver Fish) **Buckshot Jones** (NASCAR driver) ---
**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:** [September 30, 2000, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/34 "2000-09-30T02:41:09Z")
How can you do race drivers and not mention **Dick Trickle**? ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/35 "2000-09-30T02:49:23Z")
Manduck, I would have mentioned the Great DT but xizor got to him first ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/36 "2000-09-30T04:00:59Z")
Serdna Agarralag (Harry Caray fans will understand) ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/37 "2000-09-30T04:12:59Z")
Quinton McCracken Ryne Sandberg (I like the spelling) Warren Spahn (I think “Spawn”) **Paladine** - Glenallen Hill sounds like a wine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/38 "2000-09-30T04:52:52Z")
Rocky Colavito Tito Francona Vada Pinson Bake McBride Blue Moon Odom Bo Belinsky Wally Moon Cookie Rojas ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/39 "2000-09-30T05:12:35Z")
As long as Rance Mulliniks has been mentioned, let’s not forget his platoon partner, **Garth Iorg,** and his brother **Dane Iorg.** **Oil Can Boyd** was a classic. I always liked **Satchel Paige.** And there’s: **Chief Bender Harry Hooper Buddy Biancalana Cholly Naranjo Buster Narum Oscar Gamble Mackey Sasser Cannonball Titcomb Dasher Troy Urbano Lugo Nikco Reisgo** And of course, the great giggler of all time: **Rusty Kuntz** For top notch nicknames you have **Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy,** who got his nickname because the tickers of games he started always read “Losing Pitcher: Mulcahy.” ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/40 "2000-09-30T11:21:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*In hockey, I think “Zarley Zapasky” rolls off the tongue quite nicely. \*\* It’s actually “Zarley Zalapski”. I always thought Miroslav Satan should have played for the New Jersey Devils. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*And of course, the great giggler of all time: **Rusty Kuntz** > > For top notch nicknames you have **Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy,** who got his nickname because the tickers of games he started always read “Losing Pitcher: Mulcahy.” > \*\* I was going to name Rusty Kuntz! And not to be offensive about anyone’s sexual orientation, but I always wondered how much needling Ethan Faggett would have taken from the fans if he’d made it to the big leagues (baseball). He’s still in the minors now, but there’s always hope: Homer Bush (who inspired Yankee fans to chant “We want Bush”) kicked around in the minors for a while before he made it to the majors. Re nicknames: “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy had a great nickname. As did Benny “Death to Flying Things” Ayala. Doug Gwosdz had a pretty neat nickname. He was called “Eyechart”. Finally, there was the case of Josias Manzanillo, who (STOP READING NOW IF YOU’RE SQUEAMISH) was hit by a line drive and lost a testicle. Compassionate baseball fans everywhere nicknamed him “Half a Manzanillo”. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032.md?page=3)