Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine
We did something like this once before, but honestly, I can't find the thread, so let's start from scratch. Here's your challenge:

Using last (family) name-to-first (given) name overlaps, what is the longest string of players you can build? For instance, there's Mark Corey Thurman Munson, tying together the former Pittsburgh RHRP Mark Corey, recent Jay RHRP Corey Thurman and Yankee captain and catcher Thurman Munson. But that's just three guys ... surely someone can do better?

The only rules are these:


Tell us who the players are (as done above), especially if we may not have heard of them; and use the real and most common name of a player, that is, don't try to sneak Bobby Lee Bonds or Johnny Lee Bench into your string, when you can just as well rely on (Carlos [Lee) Guetterman] -- and yes, Guetterman's "real" name is "Arthur Lee" but he went by Lee whereas you're not going to get a glimmer of recognition, even in Cincinnati, if you try to go with Lee Bench.

Get it? Okay Bauxites, whatchagot?
Reader Challenge: The Name Train | 26 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mike Green - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 10:37 PM EDT (#150664) #
Rex Cecil Travis Lee Thomas Howard Bailey Quarters

I'm kidding about the Bailey Quarters, who is there solely for Pepper's benefit.  Rex Cecil was a wartime pitcher.  Howard Bailey pitched for the Tigers just before their 1984 triumph. The rest are fairly well known players.
Bruce Wrigley - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:10 PM EDT (#150668) #
Tom Carroll Hardy Richardson

Ralph Terry Lee Bales

Gene Michael Paul Carey Selph

Rex Cecil Travis Jackson Lind

Graeme Lloyd Russell Ford Garrison

Tommy John Andre David Anderson Hernandez

Kevin Frederick Frank Charles Bennett Flowers


Rob - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:17 PM EDT (#150670) #
Kevin Joseph Nolan Ryan Howard Earl Henry Aaron Robinson Cano

Kevin Joseph pitched briefly for the Cards. Joseph Nolan, catcher from the 80s. Howard Earl apparently played in the 1890s. Who could possibly forget Earl "Hook" Henry from the 1940s Indians? Aaron Robinson was also a catcher (1947 All-Star).
Pepper Moffatt - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:25 PM EDT (#150671) #
Bailey Quarters

Heh.. thanks!  Jan Smithers, like Lynette Mettey, make me wish I was born about 25 years earlier.

Hmm.. how about Roger Craig Robinson Cano
King Ryan - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:31 PM EDT (#150672) #
Before I submit mine:

What is the ruling on Henry Aaron?

King Ryan - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:32 PM EDT (#150673) #
Rob, I hate you.  That is almost exactly mine.  Boooo.
Original Ryan - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:43 PM EDT (#150674) #
With a bit of help from Baseball Reference:

Gary Nolan Ryan Howard Earl Henry Austin Kearns

Original Ryan - Thursday, July 13 2006 @ 11:44 PM EDT (#150675) #
Bah.  I knew I should've hit refresh.
Mick Doherty - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 12:26 AM EDT (#150678) #
Are you asking if "Hank" can be "Henry"? Sure ... I think he was equally well known as both. So no "ruling" really necessary.

But Rob, as brilliant as your is, I gotta tell you, following the Reds in the '80s, I never once heard Joe Nolan called "Joseph" - maybe his momma called him that, but ... oh well. I  think it's cool anyway.
Mike D - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 12:27 AM EDT (#150679) #

If I can get a judge's ruling on my use of Rafael Santo Domingo and Jean-Pierre Roy...

Rafael Santo Domingo Jean Pierre Roy Graham Lloyd Russell Martin Duke Snider

Mick Doherty - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 12:30 AM EDT (#150680) #
Great Mike. Though I gotta ask, can that be read aloud properly, or is it Jean-Pierre "Wah"?
Mike Green - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 10:21 AM EDT (#150686) #
Actually, you can put mine and Rob's together to make

Rex Cecil Travis Lee Thomas Howard Earl Henry Aaron Robinson Cano.

The minor league guys are like glue, man.

Geoff - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 10:49 AM EDT (#150689) #
This might be stretching things a bit:

Billy Bryan Harvey Branch Rickey Clark Brock Davis Cook Rojas Alou

Geoff - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 10:54 AM EDT (#150690) #
Yep, Clark Brock won't pass, nor will Rojas Alou.
Mike D - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 10:58 AM EDT (#150691) #
It's funny, Geoff -- I was also flustered by the absence of "Clark" as a first name.   Zero in baseball history!
Mike D - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 11:00 AM EDT (#150692) #
Ack!  I have to disqualify myself.  The ex-Jay Aussie lefty spells his name Graeme Lloyd.
Bruce Wrigley - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 11:31 AM EDT (#150694) #

With a couple very light flexibilities on spelling...

Jim Gary Nolan Ryan Franklyn German Barranca

and

Tommy John Buck Stanley Hack Wilson Alvarez

MatO - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 02:25 PM EDT (#150699) #
Rafael FurCal RipKen Griffey Junior Felix Jose Canseco
Shaker Mo - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 03:05 PM EDT (#150703) #

Fred Carl Everett Scott Earl Henry Jackson Todd Walker Cooper

 

Mostly oldtime guys and cups o' coffee:

 

Fred Carl: 99 AB in 1899

Carl Everett: 0 dinosaurs

Everett Scott: 1914-1926 with Boston and New York, among others.

Scott Earl: Batted .114 in a handful of AB with the 1984 Tigers. Does he still get a ring?

Earl Henry: Nicknamed "Hook", he went 1-4 as a pitcher with the Indians in 44/45.

Henry Jackson: 10 games in 1887.

Jackson Todd: 10-16 for the Mets and Jays (1977-1981)

Todd Walker: Wow, a familiar name!

Walker Cooper: Solid catcher from the 40's and 50's. Career .285 hitter.

Geoff - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 03:42 PM EDT (#150705) #
I can expand on Shaker Mo's name train if it is accepted that Fred Carl's first name is Frederick. We can even make a loop:

Frederick Thomas John Frederick Carl Everett Scott Earl Henry Jackson Todd Walker Cooper

Which can then become a recursive train of ... Frederick Thomas John Frederick Thomas John Frederick Thomas John Frederick Thomas John Frederick Carl Everett Scott Earl Henry Jackson Todd Walker Cooper

And then there were two guys with middle names of Cooper and the last name Sullivan, and one fella known simply as Sullivan, to make a nice caboose to this crazy train.

Mick Doherty - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 04:04 PM EDT (#150707) #

MatO's is my favorite so far, though poor (Fur)Cal RipKen, who gets BOTH his names chopped up! But why stop at Canseco? If we're chopping up names, I'd think we can go with

Rafael FurCal RipKen Griffey Junior Felix Jose TartaBull Henry Benn(y) Agbayani

And with the last four letters of Benny's name, we could probably ask Yanni to perform the national anthem(s).

iconoclast37 - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 04:12 PM EDT (#150709) #
Umm, did we really forget Clark Griffith, pitcher for Chicago (both NL and AL), the Highlanders, et al, and, of course, HOF manager of the Washington Senators?
Shaker Mo - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 04:33 PM EDT (#150716) #

One more, then back to work: 

Fredric Lynn Nelson Norman Roy Frank Thomas John Russ Christopher George Brett Jodie Beeler

Brian W - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 05:26 PM EDT (#150720) #
Tommy John Ryan Jackson Todd Ritchie Lewis Carl Dale Alexander Ferguson Jenkins

The only catch is that it's actually Richie Lewis, not Ritchie.  Some pretty obscure players in the list:
Tommy John: All-star pitcher
John Ryan: either of two that played in 1884 and 1884 only.
Ryan Jackson: 1B/OF for Florida/Seattle/Detroit
Jackson Todd: former Blue Jay pitcher
Todd Ritchie: former Pirates pitcher
Richie Lewis: relief pitcher mostly for Florida
Lewis Carl: one game wonder from 1874
Carl Dale: threw 4 innings for Milwaukee in 1999
Dale Alexander: Detroit/Boston 1B from 1930's
Alexander Ferguson: pitcher primarily with BOS/PHI in 1920's
Ferguson Jenkins: Hall of Famer
Mike Green - Friday, July 14 2006 @ 05:49 PM EDT (#150722) #
Fernando Rodney Scott Carter Elliott Maddox

Not as long as one might hope for, but Rodney Scott is worth remembering.
Mick Doherty - Sunday, August 22 2010 @ 09:21 PM EDT (#221284) #
Sure, this thread is more than four years old, but as long as guys like Boone Logarn are in the big leagues, it may remain relevant! Okay, I have to sneak in one minor league cuppajoe guy to make this work, but ...

Henry Aaron Boone Logan Drake Wade Taylor Phillips Paine

  • Henry Aaron - all-time home run king
  • Aaron Boone -- of the Boone brothers, nemesis of 2003 Red Sox
  • Boone Logan -- part of Melky Cabrera trade
  • Logan Drake -- 1922-24 CLE, RP
  • Drake Wade - minors; .235-hitting OF, 2006 Pensacola
  • Wade Taylor -- 7-12, 1991 NYY RHSP
  • Taylor Phillips -- LHS/RP, 16-22, 9 saves, 1956-63, four teams
  • Phillips "Flip" Paine -- RHRP, 10-1, 1951, '54-58 Braves, Cards

 

Reader Challenge: The Name Train | 26 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.