All-Star Name Team
by Dale S on Mar 18, 2010 10:57 PM EDT
65 comments
I love names (read the phone book as a kid. Picked my favorite name off of each page, then staged a March Madness style bracket competition. Winner of Ann Arbor phonebook ca. 1985: Tetsufumi Ueda.) . I love baseball. I love baseball names.
This year's spring training rosters seem to have been unusually rich in name possibilities. Whether you are a fan of the simply unusual (Dlugach), the image evoked (Seay, Lyon) , the poetic effect (Rainwater, Fu Te Ni), or the double entendre (Coke), this year had something for you. It has made me think about great names of teams past.
So now that we've done the Tigers all-aught team, and the Tigers all-suck team, how about the All-Name Team? What are the best Tigers names in franchise history? Feel free to use any criteria you want, but explain your choices!
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bless You Boys writing staff.
0 recs |
65 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
I hate to pull out the winner so early,
Barbaro Garbey has got to be near the top of the list. Certainly above, say, Pat Sheridan.
My goodness, that's fantastic!
How did I miss him?
Great name!
he had a heck of a season!
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Mar 19, 2010 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
My favorites
would have to include Skeeter Barnes and Chet Lemon. Also liked Milt Cuyler since his last name sounded like my first name. Nook Logan had a good name too if not a good game. I liked Bobby Higginson’s name just for the way they announced it at Tiger Stadium (Bobby Higgin…son). Placido Polanco was fun to say among recent names.
Especially if you put . . .
. . . the proper lisp into it: Plaw-thee—do
I don't think Placido is from Barthelona
Isn’t that more of a Spain-Spanish pronunciation? Hard to remember these things from high school Spanish…
They're not Tigers yet...
But you gotta love Deik Scram and Josh Rainwater
by SabreRoseTiger on Mar 18, 2010 11:46 PM EDT reply actions
Yes, if I were Leyland
I would put Deik Scram on the roster just for the joy it would give me once I stopped being Leyland and was me again.
Also see...
Charles Furbush & Jared Gayhart
by JAYRC on Mar 19, 2010 12:51 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sparky Anderson must be the manager
Who doesn’t like the name Sparky?
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
Don't forget Uguey
You have to include Ugueth Urbina
Hiram Bocachica makes an appearance here, too
Not only for the old school first name, but that last name is classic in my book.
In the Bengali language (think Calcutta and Bangladesh), “boca” means stupid, and “chica” is often used to refer to girls in Spanish (although I think someone tried to set the record straight in a thread the other day), so if you combined the terms from the mixed languages, Hiram’s last name translated to “Stupid girl”.
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
"boca"
is “mouth” is Spanish; “little girl mouth” (Guess what Boca Raton means!)
Mouse Mouth
so unless there’s a joke i’m missing…
by GreatGooglyMoogly on Mar 19, 2010 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Couple of old school pitchers for ya: Eldon Auker and Schoolboy Rowe
I like Auker’s name, plus he wrote a charming little baseball book called “Sleeping Cars and Flannel Uniforms” which I have around here somewhere.
As for Rowe, it just highlights a time when people were literally known by their nicknames…and that’s a pretty good one.
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
And one last one: Goose Goslin
The man who hit in the World Series winning run in game 6 of 1935 with two outs in the 9th inning, gotta give him credit for having a decent moniker, too.
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
The side point here being that he was the guy who delivered the Tigers their first ever Championship
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
Wow, can you imagine performing introductions
between Goose Goslin and Goose Gossage?
Tanana the Banana
Hey, what can I say, I was a pre-teen in his Tigers heyday.
He pitched the first game I ever saw at Tiger Stadium….and proceeded to give up two first inning bombs, including a lead off home run to Rickey Henderson. He was definitely a banana that day.
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
Jim Walewander
Rico Brogna
Rob Deer
Pete Incaviglia
Buddy Groom
Lloyd Moesby (don’t know why I like that one)
Steve Searcy
Kevin Ritz
Scott Lusader
Doug Strange
Al Pedrique
Johnny Grubb
Rusty Kuntz
Junior Felix
Franklin Stubbs
Kevin Wickander
Joe Boever
Curtis Pride
Raul Cassanova
Beiker Graterol
Wendell Magee
Eulogio De La Cruz (especially when coupled with the Dugout IM name FuneralOnAShip)
Yorman Bazardo
Alas, he was never a Tiger, but I humbly submit that Mackey Sasser has the best baseball name of my 30-year lifetime.
by russkiejedi on Mar 19, 2010 2:21 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Jim Walewander forever.
Not only did he have a great name, he was Nuke LaLoosh-ish in his adoration for the Dead Milkmen.
by frisbeepilot on Mar 19, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
How could I have forgotten....the immortal JOHHNY WOCKENFUSS!
Especially since I remembered him just a few weeks ago in some facebook thread….
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
Good call on John B. Wockenfuss!
I know the ’84 spring training trade helped win the Tigers the WS, but did they have to include ’Fuss in the deal?
I LOVED his peek-a-boo, uber-closed batting stance!
I'm owner/editor of The Wayne Fontes Experience and a deputy editor at Bless You Boys.
Awww
I remember one of my working in the nursing home summers. One of our younger, paraplegic patients was a big Tigers fan. He’d have Ernie on the radio and since I worked second shift, I’d pop into his room from time to time to hear the score. Wockenfuss was our Tiger that year, and we both agreed the announcers had to be REALLY careful saying his name.
Thanks for reminding me of Johnny and my patient.
best names, talent ignored:
Boom-Boom Beck (sadly, a P)
Heine Beckendorf
Davey Crockett (alas, not the King of the Wild Frontier)
Hoot Evers
Davy Jones (maybe of pirate fame)
Rusty Kuntz
Grover Lowdermilk
Heinie Manush
Boots Poffenberger
Germany Schaefer (and for the inspiration behind Rule 7.08(i) – http://bit.ly/U5KS2)
Dizzy Trout
Icehouse Wilson
by GreatGooglyMoogly on Mar 19, 2010 8:52 AM EDT reply actions
I would
add Virgil Trucks to the list, only because I like it.
Welcome to Detroit, NO sissies allowed
Clete Thomas
How can you not pick a guy who shares a name with the shoe? Too bad his mom spelled it wrong. :)
In a long distance relationship with the Tigers--and, yes, we're doing fine.
Skeeter Barnes
Came to mind immediately. My favorite tiger for a period in time…
Have to admit though, “Dizzy Trout” is pretty spectacular. I’d have to give him my vote.
A lifelong Tigers fan
what about nicknames
Sean “The Mayor” Casey
Kenny “The Gambler” Rogers
Carlos “Glassman” Guillen – okay so maybe that one hasn’t caught on quite yet…
Wikipedia's got quite an exhaustive list of nicknames
Some of the more interesting Tigers ones:
Baby Doll Jacobson
Slim Love
Roscoe “Rubberlegs” Miller
Pepper Peploski
Rabbit Robinson
Lil Stoner
Suds Sutherland
Gee “The Madman from Mississippi” Walker
Lance “Big Wheel” Parrish
“Frank Tanana Daquiri”
Some of the recent/current Tigers are listed with nicknames I’ve never heard of (such as Bobby Seay as “Uncle Fester” or Placido Polanco as “Peanut”). Apparently Phil Coke gets called “The Coke Machine.”
by SabreRoseTiger on Mar 19, 2010 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Most interesting names in Tigers history, IMO...
Ossie alvarez
Doc Ayers
Tim Byrdak
Enos Cabell
Ty Cobb (I refuse to have a Tigers list without Ty on it.)
Pop Dillon
Hoot Evers
Cy Fried (that just sounds cool)
Pinky Hargrave
Red Mckee
Cotton Pippen
George Quellich (only Tigers player to have his last name start with “Q”)
Dusty Ryan
Frosty Thomas
Dizzy Trout
Jo-Jo White
List of names Here
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
Weren't Dusty, Frosty, and Dizzy
3 of the 7 dwarfs?
So confusing...
I remember that entire spring training when he was “earning his stripes” Nuke? Nuk? Eventually, someone told our announcers that it rhymed with “book”. That helped…for a few days.
and Sparky's favorite can't miss prospect
Torey Lovullo, now managing the Pawtucket Red Sox. And of course, that big basher- Pete Incaviglia, who was a coach at Erie for 3 seasons
Purnal Goldy
I set up an account just to post what has to be the winner here – Purnal Goldy. Played 29 games for the Tigers in ’62 and ’63. As I recall he hit home runs in each of his first two ABs. But the name is the thing that kept him in mind for the past 40-some years.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=goldypu01
Anybody have these yet?
Mayo Smith.
And the All-American name of Billy Bean.
At one point in time...
The Tigers had both Billy Bean and BIlly Beane on their roster.
by frisbeepilot on Mar 21, 2010 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Rocky!
Way to go, 77bestrookieclassever! He was one of my early Tiger heroes!
Long time reader, first post here...
I’m going with these from the 1980’s:
Stan Papi
Duffy Dyer
Dan Schatzeder
Dave Gumpert
Wayne Krenchicki
Johnny Grubb
Best 2nd base name
Can’t forget Tito Fuentes. He maned 2nd base in the 70’s before Lou Whitaker.
Kudos to Dale S for this fun topic drawing at least two people out of lurking status.
Also, the original 1901 Tigers team was full of great names.
Holy Smokes...
Roscoe Miller….332 innings pitched.
It was a different game back than for sure.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
My Blog: Strike Three Mechanics
Everything WAS better in the old days
A starting roster with not 1, not 2, but 3 “Kids”…plus a Doc and a Ducky?
I would trade that for cellphones and credit default swaps any day.
On second thought...
What we have lost in Kids and Duckies, I think we have more than gained in Biker Greiterols, Barbaro Garbeys, and Purnal Goldys (Goldies?) Society is making progress after all.
Plus a Davey Crockett
Back when the “Wild Frontier” was a trip to St. Louis.
by frisbeepilot on Mar 21, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I always was partial
to Gates. Gates Brown, that is. Rusty Staub, who was know as Le Grande Orange in Montreal. Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell. “Prince” Hal Newhouser. Duke Sims.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
