Finding the Outstanding Among the Unique

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There has been a lot of excitement the past couple days over one of the most hyped and promising prospects in baseball being called up to the Majors. For those of you haven’t heard Boston Red Sox 20 year old shortstop Xander Bogaerts is making his MLB debut tonight. While perusing baseball reference yesterday I noticed that there had never been a Xander, nor a Bogaerts in history. This led me to ask who some other players of note there have been, where both their first and last names were specific to them in the annals of Major League history. Many great people chimed in with helpful answers, notably Andy on this very site, and Bill Parker, who does wonderful work at the Platoon Advantage. I have compiled my own personal list of the All-Time team of players who fit this criteria. Somethings to note before we begin, to qualify a players birth name must be unique, no nicknames. Also the player had to play a sizable portion of their career at said position, not just a couple of appearances. Lastly this list is not the greatest in terms of WAR, or any other measure, it is my list. Feel free to leave yours in the comments. Who knows, maybe Xander Bogaerts himself will earn a spot someday.

The Infield:
Catcher- Harry “Muddy” Ruel- Compiled a career OBP of .365
First Base- Ferris Fain- Farris was a 2 time batting champ with the Philadelphia Athletics
Second Base- Placido Polanco- Polanco has over 1000 career runs scored.
Third Base- Harmon Killebrew- 11th all-time in homeruns.
Shortstop- Nomar Garciaparra- 882 OPS, the 2nd best among shortstops with 1000 games.
The Outfield:
Left Field- Yoenis Cespedes- Career 121 OPS+
Center Field- Tristram “Tris” Speaker-His 792 doubles are the most all-time
Right Field- Vada Pinson- One of only 22 players ever with 250 steals and 250 homeruns.
The Pitchers:
Number 1 Starter- Sanford “Sandy” Koufax-Was the youngest man ever inducted into HOF
Number 2 Starter- Rik “Bert” Blyleven- 5th most strikeouts ever.
Number 3 Starter- Orel Hershiser- MLB record 59 inning scoreless streak
Number 4 Starter- Carsten “CC” Sabathia- Tied for the 2nd in Pitchers WAR since 2000
Number 5 Starter- Sefat “Yu” Darvish- Has the highest career K% of any starter ever.
Closer: Ugueth Urbina- Had 9 straight seasons with more than a K an inning

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Richard Chester

11 years ago

It’s Ferris Fain, not Farris Fain. There have been a few players with a last name of Ferris, notably Dave Ferriss. If you’re looking for a 1B there’s always Fenton Mole who accomplished very little.

Author

Neal Kendrick

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Thank you, I had a typo. He remains on my list because he is still the only first named Ferris, but I appreciate it.

Darien

11 years ago

Ruel is not very close to being the only Harry ever; of course, you said “no nicknames,” and his birth name of “Herold,” with that peculiar spelling, is much less common, leaving him in contention with only Herold Juul — whose “Herold” was technically a middle name. Still and all, you may wish to edit this to call him “Herold” instead of “Harry” just so people won’t have the same kind of spit-take I did and say “no way is he the only Harry in MLB history.” 🙂

Darien

11 years ago

Oh, and: my first thought when I saw Placido Polanco at 2B was “I can’t imagine there were too many people overlapping with Rogers Hornsby.” This is how I discovered the utterly forgettable but charmingly-named Rogers Hornsby McKee.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Darien

Rogers Hornsby McKee makes some of the “Youngest to do …” lists, incl. – youngest to finish a game (16.336) – youngest with a complete game, and complete game win (17.017) – part of youngest two pitchers to appear in same game, with teammate George Eyrich on 8-22-43, 70 years ago tomorrow. Combined age of 35 years, 147 days. My hunch is McKee’s father was a Cardinal fan. McKee was born 9-16-26, the day Rogers Hornsby went 6 for 7 (with 5 Runs and 4 RBI) in double-header sweep of the Phillies that kept the Cardinals tied for the pennant… Read more »

Hub Kid

11 years ago

Great list, Neil, and not a bad team, either.

I thought Urban Shocker would be a contender as a pitcher, but I see that Red Faber’s given name is also Urban, along with quite a few other hits on Baseball-Reference.

I was amazed that Placido Polanco is the only major leaguer with that surname, although it doesn’t look as if that is going to last too much longer, with many active Polancos in the minors.

Hub Kid

11 years ago

Reply to Hub Kid

following up my comment in a post and thread about names, I must apologize for mis-spelling Neal’s name.

Author

Neal Kendrick

11 years ago

Reply to Hub Kid

No apology needed, thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed it.

Darien

11 years ago

Sorry, one more: it just occurred to me that you said a player’s *birth* name must be unique… and Sandy Koufax was born Sanford Braun, which surname overlaps with four other players.

Author

Neal Kendrick

11 years ago

Reply to Darien

Yes, I decided that if the first name was not used as a surname for other players I would allow it. I almost included Jacoby Ellsbury as a corner guy because of this.

11 years ago

Thirteen-year Boston/Milwaukee Braves utility man Sibby Sisti is the only Sibby, Sisti or major leaguer to have Sebastian as a first name (others have it as a middle name, and none go by it).

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

An alternative team:
– Catcher: Ralston (Rollie) Hemsley (only Ralston as a first name)
– First Base: John Phalen (Stuffy) McInnis (only Phalen)
– Second Base: Delino DeShields
– Third Base: Harlond Clift
– Shortstop: Shawon Dunston
– Left Field: Albert Jojuan Belle (only Jojuan)
– Center Field: Edd Roush
– Right Field: Rocco Domenico Colavito (only Domenico)
– Designated Hitter: Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty (only Jacobo)
– Starting Pitcher: Eppa Rixey
– Relief Pitcher: Shigetoshi Hasegawa
– Swingman: Vitautris Tamulis

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

For any outfield position you could also toss in Hazen Shirley (Kiki) Cuyler, first name, middle name and nickname.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Alas, Kiki is not the only Cuyler. Milt Cuyler was a Tigers outfielder in the 1990s, incl. their everyday guy in 1991 when he was 3rd in RoY voting.

Author

Neal Kendrick

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

I couldn’t decide for over 15 minutes whether I wanted Deshields or Polanco on my team. I love the list.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Neal Kendrick

Boof Bonser deserves a spot on the team – just for the name.

Same for Ivey Merwin Shiver and the mellifluous-sounding Ski Melillo (even though neither has the required uniqueness).

I thought I had a winner with Heathcliff Slocumb. Except, his real name is just Heath.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

And then there’s 1B Henry Irven (Bow-wow) Arft (middle name, nickname and last name)

Luis Gomez

11 years ago

Last year in this site, somebody mentioned the unique names involved in a Reds-Padres trade: Mat Latos, Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso.

Unless I did something wrong in my search, all those first and last names are unique in the Big Leagues.

Author

Neal Kendrick

11 years ago

Reply to Luis Gomez

That is incredible. I realized Latos and Volquez, but neither Grandal nor Alonso came to my mind.

Jim Bouldin

11 years ago

I think I’ll go harm and kill a brew right now as a matter of fact. I am about to run some simulations after all…

11 years ago

Madison Bumgarner! There have been three Baumgartners and a few guys with Madison as a middle name or surname but none as a first name.

Author

Neal Kendrick

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

Yeah, I was tempted to include Bumgarner, but the quality of my staff was to strong to find room.

Mike L

11 years ago

I’d like to throw in HOF Maximillian George Carnarius, who played as Max Carey (OF, most of his games in Center). He’s not better than Tris Speaker, but a name like that suggests that this team needs a 4th outfielder (or at least slide him over)

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Mike L

Good one. He just squeaks in, as there is a Maximilian and a Maximiliano, but nobody else with Carey’s spelling variant.

Luis Gomez

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

There is also Maximino Leon, a Mexican right hander who played from 1973 to 1978 for the Braves.

11 years ago

He only played in three games, but Hildreth Milton Flitcraft really is a phenomenal name.

Jim Bouldin

11 years ago

Zoilo Casanova Versalles
Lerrin LaGrow
Rawlins (“Rawly”) Eastwick
Fieldin Culbreth
Rowland Office
Jeromy Burnitz
Joakim Soria
Orestes Destrade
Atlee Hammaker
Hideo Nomo
Denard Span
Dechone (“Chone”) Figgins
Chien-ming Wang
Jair Jurrjens
Brennan Boesch
Shin-soo Choo
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Hiroki Kuroda
Jacoby Ellsbury

and introducing…

Arquimedez Pozo
Dude Esterbrook
Pickles Dillhoefer

Pozo was terrific at geometry if I recall correctly.

Luis Gomez

11 years ago

Reply to Jim Bouldin

I thought for a second about Orestes Destrade, but then I remembered Orestes Saturnino (Minnie) Miñoso. However, both are in my list of All-time Greatest Names.

Jim Bouldin

11 years ago

… Pi (Pius) Schwert was pretty good at it also, especially the circular stuff.

Manager certainly has to be Branch Rickey I would guess.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Jim Bouldin

Or Miller Huggins.

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Drungo Hazewood.

Lawrence Azrin

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

@31/JA,

He died about a month ago (July 19th, age 53).

Chad

11 years ago

Dagoberto (Bert) Campaneris at shortstop … 53.3 WAR

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Chad

Except there was a Dagoberto Cueto who pitched 21 innings for the 1961 Twins.

Chad

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Stupid expansion.

11 years ago

Quinton Antoine McCracken.

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

For now. But, Pittsburgh has a pitcher at AA named Quinton Miller – will have to see if he gets a call up in September (with a 5.8 BB/9, perhaps not).

There was also a 19th century player named Marshall Quinton.

GrandyMan

11 years ago

Rufino Linares.

Doug

11 years ago

Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie, 26.3 WAR, 118 OPS+

Chad

11 years ago

Biff Benedict Pocoroba … so what if he had a negative career WAR? If you don’t include his only All-Star season with a -1.1 WAR, he would have ended his career with a stellar 0.6 WAR. Other guys nicknamed Biff, but he appears to be the only guy named Biff.

Chad

11 years ago

Reply to Chad

What’s the record for lowest WAR in a season in which a player made the All-Star team? -1.1 has to be in contention.

Lawrence Azrin

11 years ago

Reply to Chad

@40/Chad,

Our favorite whipping boy Joe Carter only had a -0.5 WAR in 1996. Howaever, he did have a -1.8 WAR in 1990, when he was 17th in the MVP voting.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Chad

Alfredo Griffin was -1.5 WAR in 1984. He played in the A-S game but actually wasn’t really on the team. Griffin was literally pulled out of the stands to replace Alan Trammell who suffered another kind of pull in the pre-game warmup.

With the updated B-R WAR calculations, Griffin has turned positive with 2.9 career (formerly he was -2.2), of which 2.5 came during his RoY season.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Chad

Guess who beats Griffin. None other than Reggie Jackson.

Jackson was a 1983 A-S selection with -1.8 WAR for that season. At the A-S break he was .214/.344/.428. After the break, he went .173/.229/.250 with two HR.

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Sandy Alomar had -0.6 WAR in his 1991 All-Star season (voted in by the fans). And while he may not have the lowest WAR for an All-Star, he likely holds some other dubious records:

Home Runs: 0
RBIs: 7
Runs: 10

Those, by the way, are his full season marks, not his marks at the All-Star break! At the All-Star break, he had 4 RBIs, and 7 runs scored.

11 years ago

Reply to Ed

In 52 ABs with RISP that year he batted .096.

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Chad

So, we can have a battery of Boof Bonser and Biff Pocoroba.

For manager, we have our choice of Buck (Ewing, Martinez, Rodgers, Showalter), Bucky (Harris, Walters) or Buddy (Black). Or (my personal favorite) Bibb Falk (managed one game for the 1933 Indians).

David Horwich

11 years ago

Perusing the list of players born in Hawaii provides us with these gems:

Onan Kainoa Satoshi Masaoka

Kolten Kaha Wong

Bronson Kiheimahanaomauiakeo Sardinha

There have been a couple of other Bronsons, and one other Sardinha, but I vote for “Kiheimahanaomauiakeo” as the all-time most unique MLB name of any type. 20 letters! Jarrod Saltalamacchia looks on with awe.

Jim Bouldin

11 years ago

The legal name issue got me a searchin’ and I could not find a comprehensive file anywhere containing basic player info for all players, including their commonly used names and their full legal names. So I created one. I used the Baseball Cube site to get the data for technical reasons, which only goes back to 1903 but that’s still just < 16K players. The Retrosheet data goes back farther, but contains no full legal names, nor the position and years played, which I included, along with the html link to each player's data page. It's a basic text file… Read more »