The All-Uniquely Named

Friday, June 15 2007 @ 12:48 AM EDT

Contributed by: Mick Doherty

Yesterday, we challenged the readers of Batter's Box to "brainstorm up a few uniquely-named ballplayers ... Maybe even put together a roster of such men."

The response was creative and inventive, and thanks in large part to the Lahman Database machinations of Bauxite John Northey, we do in fact have a full roster of such men, a result I predicted might be "well nigh impossible" to achieve. So, as I often am in baseball projections, that was way wrong -- but as Baseball's Hall of Names often is, this roster is at least quite entertaining. See for yourselves, and take time to meet (and yes, to critique) ...

THE "YOU, 'NIQUELY NAMED" NINE
** indicates Hall of Famer
* indicates All-Star

RULES:

  1. A player must be the ONLY player in baseball history with the particular given first name.
  2. The player must actually GO by that given first name.
  3. An exception to Rule #2 is if a player is the only one in MLB history to have a particular first name, but goes by a nickname AND is the only player in MLB history to go by that nickname, then that player is considered eligible. Examples: Lindall "Lindy" McDaniel is in, as are Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins and Tristram "Tris" Speaker. However, Greggory "Gregg" Olsen is not, thanks to Gregory "Gregg" Jefferies.
  4. We are only considering names of Western origin, so Daisuke Matsuzaka and those of Japanese and other non-Anglo origins can wait their turns for a different Hall of Names squad to form ... There have already been multiple Hidekis in the big leagues, can others named "Daisuke" and "Hideo" and the like be far behind?
LINEUP
C Elston Howard* (.274, 14 years; two GOld Gloves, 1963 AL MVP)
1B Harmon Killebrew** (573 homers; 1969 AL MVP)
2B Ryne Sandberg** (.285, 16 years; nine Gold Gloves; 1984 NL MVP)
SS Shawon Dunston* (.269, 150 homers, 212 SB, 18 years)
3B Graig Nettles* (22 years, 390 homers, two Gold Gloves)
LF Vada Pinson* (2757 hits, 256 homers, 305 SB, 18 years)
CF Tristram "Tris" Speaker** (.305, 3514 hits, 1912 AL MVP)
RF Magglio Ordonez* (219 homers through 2006)
DH Edd Roush** (.323, 268 SB in 18 years)

BENCH
C Yorvit Torrealba (solid backup for three teams through 2006)
IF/OF Delino DeShields (.268, 463 SB in 13 years)
IF Jewel Winklemeyer Ens (.290, 1922-25 PIT)
OF Torii Hunter* (164 homers, 108 SB, six Gold Gloves through 2006)
OF Claudell Washington* (164 homers, 312 SB in 17 years)
OF Devon White* (.263, 346 SB, 17 years, seven Gold Gloves)

ROTATION
RHSP Gaylord Perry**(314-265)
RHSP Early Wynn** (300-244)
LHSP Vida Blue* (209-161)
RHSP Mordecai Brown** (239-130)
RHSP Ferguson Jenkins** (284-226)

BULLPEN
RHRP Ugueth Urbina* (44-49, 237 saves)
LHRP Darold Knowles* (66-74, 143 saaves)
RHRP Huston Street (2005 AL ROY; 9-5, 60 saves through '06)
RHRP Lindy McDaniel* (141-119, 172 saves)
RH-LONG Waite Hoyt** (237-182)

UNIQUE NOTES ... The last cuts from the pitching staff were RHSP Burleigh Grimes, who was certainly better than Vida Blue from a career perspective, and RHSP Orel Hershiser, who may have been -- but we want a lefty in the rotation, so Vida is it ... We'd love to make RHRP Hoyt Wilhelm the closer on this team, and there has not been another player first-named "Hoyt," but unfortunately, his full name was James Hoyt Wilhelm ... Oh well, at least we have a (different sort of) Hoyt on the team in Hall of Fame righty Waite Hoyt ...

Among the many players disqualified because they "went by" a more common name than the one they were given (and it has been shared by at least one other MLB player) are some names you are bound to, ironically enough, recognize: Atanasio (Tony) Perez, Lucius (Luke) Appling, Rhoderick (Bobby) Wallace, Wilver (Willie) Stargell, Sherwood (Sherry) Magee, Bernabe (Bernie) Williams, Fredric (Fred) Lynn, Ralston (Rollie) Hemsley, Fury (Gene) Tenace, Denton (Cy) Young, Rik (Bert) Blyleven, Elroy (Roy) Face and Melquiades (Mel) Rojas ... you could start up a pretty decent roster just from that list!

The last cut among the position players was OF Garret Anderson and his 227 homers through 2006; he barely qualified anyway, as there have been several Garretts to play big league ball, so he would have made it by the "skim" of his "t" ... We'd love to include RHRP Darwin Harrikson (Salom) Cubillan, just because the overall name is SO cool, but he really doesn't make it on merit ... In a few years, RHSP Anibal Sanchez might be on this team for merit ...

ctually, you could build a pretty good overall pitching staff from guys who didn't make the above roster, but who do have qualifying names -- RHSPs Carsten Charles Sabathia (who is also MLB's only "C.C.") could front a rotation including Sanchez and ex-Jays Tanyon Sturtze and Kelvim Escobar, with RHSP Yusmeiro Petit waiting his turn as well ... The bullpen could include guys like righties Ambiorix Burgos and Aquilino Lopez and LHRP Gowell Sylvester Claset ...

Among others suggested in yesterday's brainstorming thread, Anselm Winn Moore qualifies -- there wass another "Anselm," but it was a middle name, and Moore doesn't make the squad on merit ... Cupid and Candy were nicknames of the players (in "Candy's" case, multiple players) who bore them -- and though Candy Maldonado had a unique first name, "Candido," he shared his nickname with half a dozen others, including HOF pitcher Cummings ...

Others who "qualify" for this team but did not make the final roster cuts are OF Sixto Lezcano, C Yadier Molina, 3B Aramis Ramirez and OF Lastings Milledge ... I could easily see the last three of those, at least, making the team's bench (at least) in a few years ...

And where's Rance Mulliniks? Well, Rance Pless keeps the front half of Mulliniorg off this team ... Anthony Nomar Garciaparra doesn't get to start at shortstop because "Nomar" is his middle name ... There have been four Gradys, including All-Star 1B Grady Hatton, so young Mr. Sizemore is not unique in that regard ... Trot Nixon stands alone, but his first name is "Christopher" and "Trot" is a nickname for his middle name, Trotman ...

If not Mulliniks, then what about his modern-day equivalent, Chone Figgins? Well, that's Desmond DeChone Figgins, and there have been three MLB players named "Desmond" ... Bengie Molina's brother is mentioned above, but the ex-Jay backstop's given name is "Benjamin," so he's out ... Outfielders Hosken Powell and Drungo Hazewood don't make the team on merit, though those names sure would be great if they decided to open a bar together ... Welcome to Drungo Hosken House! ...

Apologies to 3B Urbane Pickering and OF Glenallen Hill, who also didn't make the cut, and especially to HOF talent Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler, who was the only first-named Hazen (one other player actually had that as his middle name) but shares the nickname Kiki with two others ... Now, don't get started on the different pronunciations of "Kye-Kye" and "Kee-Kee" ...

So, Bauxites ... anyone missing? Our 25-man/25-name roster already includes eight Hall of Famers and a dozen more All-Stars and has earned more than two dozen Gold Gloves. Can it actually be better?

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