# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BrothaTJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@BrothaTJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrothaTJ)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/61 "2000-10-04T23:58:29Z")
Dickey Simpkins, perennial doorstop for the bulls Ryan Wetnight (TE, may no longer be with the bears) Magglio Ordonez!! Augie Ojeda (new cubs SS) Racing fans- unless I missed it, you forgot Emerson Fittipaldi. ---
**Author:** ![Blunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/62 "2000-10-05T02:31:58Z")
How about the double play combo of the future for the Reds: Calvin “Pokey” Reese, and Travis “Gookie” Dawnins. Spooje: Good call on Ugueth Urtain Urbina. He is the only MLB player to ever have the initals UUU, at least until his brother Ulmer Ulysses gets to the show. ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/63 "2000-10-05T04:35:14Z")
Football Karim Abdul Jabbar. Not to be confused with the “actor” from Airplane. Baseball Turk Wendell Smokey Joe Wood Joey Belle 😃 Willie Mays Hayes. Had to throw that one in. 😃 Mickey Mantle. Greatest ballplayer name ever. Basketball “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Soccer Edson Arantes do Nascimento AKA Pele Ronaldo Nazario de Lima AKA Ronaldo Bebeto Marco van Basten. What a cool name that is! Hockey Steve Yzerman Jim Carey. Not to be confused with Jim Carrey. Tennis Bjorn Borg Marat Safin. Not to be confused with Marat from the French Revolution. Jimmy Connors. Another very cool name! Golf Chi Chi Rodríguez Mark Calcavechia. Or something like that. Eldrick Woods Skiing Alberto “La Bomba” Tomba. Gymnastics Dominique Moceanu ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/64 "2000-10-05T14:48:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Connor \* > \*\*While Crumpler is a good name, I present thess Fightin’ Irish as best football names possible: > > Michael Stonebreaker > \*\* I wonder if he had a brother named Richard. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/65 "2000-10-05T14:50:24Z")
My favorite baseball name, and I wish I had his baseball card is: Honus Waggoner. As for hockey: _Cu_rtis " Cujo" _Jo_seph ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/66 "2000-10-05T14:55:21Z")
Beggin’ yer collective pardons, but it’s Wagner. And this is a quickie reference to Honus [http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/5866/honus.html](http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/5866/honus.html) ---
**Author:** ![PuRpLe\_PrIdE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@PuRpLe\_PrIdE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuRpLe_PrIdE)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2000, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/67 "2000-10-15T16:38:48Z")
Jerry Stackhouse Bob McAdoo Speedy Claxton Stanislav Medvedenko Radoslav Nesterovic Olumide Oyedeji Aleksandar Radojevic Bruno Sundov Arvydas Sabonis Soumaila Samake Iakovos Tsakalidis Hidayet Turkoglu Zan Tabak Dragan Tarlac David Vanterpool Clarence Weatherspoon That’s all the basketball players I can think of for now. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-\*- Pride of the Purple Forever! ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/68 "2000-10-16T00:12:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DRY \* > \*\* > > As did Benny “Death to Flying Things” Ayala. > > \*\* Never heard this for Benny, but he’s the second one with this name - Bob Ferguson was first. Some others: Billy Grabarkewitz, LA Dodgers Buy-a-vowel club: Kent Hrbek, Twins Curtis Leschyshyn, Hurricanes (NHL) 3 best team names (hockey minors) Calgary Hitmen Macon Whoopee Castor Raiders (say them together…) ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/69 "2000-10-17T04:43:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by neutron star \* > College Football : > > Drew Brees - Doesn’t this name just SCREAM quarterback? > > Omar Easy - That would make a good name for a rapper. \*\* Funny you should mention that; Oklahoma had a running back from 1980-84 named George “Buster” Rhymes. You have to wonder if “Busta” took inspiration from George’s nickname. On the subject of OU football greats with unusual names: Gomer Jones Uwe Von Schamann Tinker Owens Caesar Rentie Stockar McDougle Jermaine “Gumbo” Fazande Jim Rockford (it’s funny when you realize that actor James Garner is originally from Norman) ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Shadowfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfox)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/70 "2000-10-17T18:04:57Z")
Isn’t there a woman athlete named “Picabo Street”? I remember seeing that name once on the tv and wondering if it was her real name or not. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/71 "2000-10-17T19:26:31Z")
The Best Football Name Ever: **Dexter Manley** ---
**Author:** ![JosephFinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JosephFinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JosephFinn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/72 "2000-10-17T19:51:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shadowfox \* > \*\*Isn’t there a woman athlete named “Picabo Street”? I remember seeing that name once on the tv and wondering if it was her real name or not. > \*\* Picabo Street is an Olympic medalist and World Champion in downhill skiing (you’ll figure me if I don’t know which events - I’m inclined to say slalom). Personally, I love the name of the one outstanding player on the Chicago Bears: Brian Urlacher. That’s a name that screams “get out of the way before I crush you.” ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/73 "2000-10-17T20:05:39Z")
Picabo (pronounced Peek-a-boo) Street is a skiier – Her parents let her name herself when she was little (the name she was born with is Baby Girl Street). Glenallen Hill is a YANKEE not a Cub. (I love his first name – could his parents not decide?) In football, my favorite is this guy named Amos Zereoue. (no idea what team he’s on though) **divemaster** , you beat me to “serdna agarralag”. (Andres Galarraga – I love his name!) The Mets’ Benny Agbayani. The Astros’ Ken Caminiti. The Diamondback’s Tony Womack (There’s just something cool about his last name). The Tigers’ Deivi Cruz (it’s pronounced Davey – what a cool way to spell it though, and the name sounds cool when you say it.) Former Yankee Chilli Davis (Chilli is short for Charles). My friend’s brother Charles calls himself Chilli cuz he thinks its so cool. How bout Chuck Knoblauch – not such a funny name in itself but i found out that knoblauch means garlic in German (I hate Chucky so much!) ---
**Author:** ![JosephFinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JosephFinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JosephFinn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/74 "2000-10-17T21:07:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by shimmery \* > \*\* > Glenallen Hill is a YANKEE not a Cub. (I love his first name – could his parents not decide?) > \*\* But he was a Cub for a while. I just thought of another great one, unfortunately in the context of a news story that says he has malaria: Dekembe Matumbo, of the Atlanta Hawks. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/75 "2000-10-17T21:27:29Z")
Napoleon LaJoie Rabbit Maranville Gabby Hartnett Kiki Cuyler (Whose given name was Hazen Shirley Cuyler) Gil Hodges Choo Choo Coleman Pee Wee Reese Oisk Skoonj Duke Newk Yogi Dizzy Mickey Mantle Frankie Frisch, the Fordham Flash Frenchy Bordagaray Ping Bodie Clete Boyer Wahoo Sam Crawford Double Duty Radcliffe Cool Papa Bell Satchel Paige And my daughter’s personal favorite: Mickey Morandini I could go on, but I won’t. Baseball players have the best names. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2000, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032/76 "2000-10-17T21:30:09Z")
Sorry. I forgot Harmon Killebrew, a name which scares my daughter. **Harm** on. **Kill** ebrew. He was pretty damn dangerous to pitchers, anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-ballplayer-names/35032.md?page=3)