I guess it all started with Cher and Pele. For some reason, singers and soccer stars are famous for going by their first names. Now, I'm a lot more familiar with the latter rather than the former. In fact, I'd be surprised if there's anyone out there who know these two groups equally well. It's kind of like a Venn diagram where the two circles never quite touch. So, let's see how you do. Cast your votes, then scroll down to see how you did (and to learn a little more about who these folks actually are). 1. Aaliyah 2. Alisson 3. Ashanti 4. Cafu 5. Dalida 6. Dida
Real name: Aaliyah Hauton Country: USA Age: Died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22 Notes: Illegal marriage with R. Kelly at age 15
2. Alisson
Real name: Alisson Becker Country: Brazil Age: 27 Notes: Goalie for Liverpool, Brazil
3. Ashanti
Real name: Ashanti Douglas Country: USA Age: 39 Notes: In 10-year relationship with rapper Nelly
4. Cafu
Real name: Marcos Evangelista de Morais Country: Brazil Age: 49 Notes: Most caps ever for Brazil
5. Dalida
Real name: Iolanda Gigliotti Country: France Age: Suicide at age 54 in 1987 Notes: Born in Egypt of Italian parents
6. Dida
Real name: Nélson de Jesus Silva Country: Brazil Age: 46 Notes: Goalie for Milan, Brazil
7. Dido
Real name: Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong Country: UK / Ireland Age: 47 Notes: Arsenal fan
8. Dio
Real name: Ronnie James Dio Country: UK Age: Died at age 67 in 2010 of stomach cancer Notes: Lead singer for Black Sabbath
9. Ederson
Real name: Ederson Santana de Moraes Country: Brazil Age: 26 Notes: Goalie for Manchester City, Brazil
10. Edurne
Real name: Edurne García Almagro Country: Spain Age: 34 Notes: Began career at age 7 acting in soap operas
11. Enya
Real name: Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin Country: Ireland Age: 58 Notes: Name Anglicized to Enya Brennan
12. Imany
Real name: Nadia Mladjao Country: France Age: 40 Notes: Family was from Comorros
13. Joselu
Real name: José Luis Mato Sanmartín Country: Spain Age: 29 Notes: Actually born in Germany 14. Juanes
Real name: Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez Country: Colombia Age: 47 Notes: Lives in Flroda 15. Kaka
Real name: Ricardo dos Santos Leite Country: Brazil Age: 37 Notes: Midfielder, Ballon d'Or winner 16. Kenedy
Real name: Robert Kenedy Country: Brazil Age: 23 Notes: In Chelsea organization
17. Kesha
Real name: Kesha Sebert Country: USA Age: 32 Notes: AKA Ke$ha
18. Lorde
Real name: Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor Country: NZ / Croatia Age: 23 Notes: Name comes from her "fascination with royals and aristocracy" 19. Maxwell
Real name: Gerald Maxwell Rivera Country: USA Age: 46 Notes: Son of a Haitian mother and Puerto Rican father
Real name: Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade Country: Brazil Age: 38 Notes: defender, primarily with PSG 20. Neymar
Real name: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior Country: Brazil Age: 27 Notes: 3rd highest scorer for Brazil
21. Rivaldo
Real name: Rivaldo Barbosa Ferreira Country: Brazil Age: 47 Notes: Ballon d'Or winner 22. Shakira
Real name: Shakira Mebarak Ripoll Country: Colombia Age: 42 Notes: Partner of Gerard Pique, Barcelona & Spain star 23. Shaqiri
Real name: Xherdan Shaqiri Country: Switzerland Age: 28 Notes: Born in Yugoslavia of Albanian parents
24. Sia
Real name: Sia Furler Country: Australia Age: 44 Notes: Since 2014, has covered most of her face at concerts and on TV 25. Tarkan
Real name: Tarkan Tevetoğlu Country: Turkey Age: 47 Notes: Born in Germany
26. Tinashe
Real name: Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe Country: USA Age: 26 Notes: Father is from Zimbabwe
27. Willian
Real name: Willian Borges da Silva Country: Brazil Age: 31 Notes: Winger for Chelsea, Brazil
28. Xavi
Real name: Xavier Hernández Creus Country: Spain Age: 39 Notes: Has won 31 trophies for Barcelona & Spain 29. Xhaka
Real name: Granit Zhaka Country: Switzerland Age: 27 Notes: Has Albanian parents
30. Zico
Real name: Arthur Antunes Coimbra Country: Brazil Age: 66 Notes: Star for Brazil, coach since 1999
Real name: Woo Ji-Ho Country: S Korea Age: 27 Notes: Leader of the boy band Block G
Last week, we looked at the worst baseball careers ever, for batters. We defined that as coming up to only once, then whiffing. So, how can we define something similar for pitchers? How about you get one shot in the bigs, and never record an out? Makes sense to me. Notes:
I eliminated any position players who were in just to mop up. These had to be real honest-to-goodness hurlers
I limited it to the modern era (1903 and after).
I’m listing them from least disastrous to most disastrous (and using earned runs as way to do that)
BTW, no Walter Alstons in this group Lou Bauer Year: 1918 Team: Philadelphia A’s Earned runs: 1 Game notes: Walked the 2 batters he faced Player tidbits: Only 1 season of minor league ball for his whole career Gordie Sundin Year: 1956 Team: Baltimore Orioles Earned runs: 1 Game notes: 18 years old Player tidbits: All state in high school for baseball, football & basketball
Bill Moore Year: 1925 Team: Detroit Earned runs: 2 Game notes: 3 straight walks Player tidbits: Played one year in Williamsport PA (home of Little League)
Marty Walker Year: 1928 Team: Philadelphia Phillies Earned runs: 2 Game notes: Starter on the last day of the season; got the loss Player tidbits: Full name was Martin Van Buren Walker
Joe Brown Year: 1927 Team: Chicago White Sox Earned runs: 3 Game notes: Starter Player tidbits: With such a common name, it’s surprising to know that there’s only one other Joe Brown among the almost 20,000 players who have donned an MLB uniform
William Ford Year: 1936 Team: Boston Braves Earned runs: 3 Game notes: Starter Player tidbits: Gave up pitching & played OF for 4 years in the minors
Mike Palagyi Year: 1939 Team: Washington Senators Earned runs: 3 Game notes: Faced 3 Hall of Famers: Joe Cronin, Jimmie Foxx, and Ted Williams Player tidbits: Lived to be 96
Jim Schelle Year: 1939 Team: Philadelphia A’s Earned runs: 3 Game notes: A's would end up losing 16-3 Player tidbits: Never got above C league otherwise
Fred Bruckbauer Year: 1961 Team: Minnesota Twins Earned runs: 3 Game notes: Twins would end up losing 20-2 Player tidbits: Slated to be a starter for the Twins that year, but blew his arms out in spring training
Doc Hamann Year: 1926 Team: Cleveland Indians Earned runs: 6 Game notes: No other professional baseball before (or after) his MLB debut Player tidbits: He and Bruckbauer were both from New Ulm, MN
So, what could possibly constitute a “worst baseball career ever” – in this case, if you’re a batter? How about if you got up only once, and then struck out? Yup, that’s it. Just one shot at glory, and you blew it big time. Notes:
I eliminated any pitchers. Hey, they can’t bat anyway, right?
I also eliminated anyone who was listed without any position. Just wanted to make sure they weren’t pitchers.
I limited it to the modern era (1903 and after).
I’m listing them from oldest to most recent.
BTW, the famous Moonlight Graham actually got his bat on the ball. He at least avoided a big K. There is one famous major leaguer here though. In fact, he’s in the Hall of Fame! Can you guess who he is? Read on … Claude Gouzzie Year: 1903 Team: St. Louis Browns Position: 2B Interesting Tidbit: Born in France
Willy Fetzer Year: 1906 Team: Philadelphia Phillies Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: Head baseball coach at Davidson, NC State & UNC
Hunky Shaw Year: 1908 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates Position: 3B Interesting Tidbit: Actually had his own (T206) baseball card
Larry McClure Year: 1910 Team: New York Giants Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: Attended Choate & Amherst
Ed Conwell Year: 1911 Team: St Louis Cardinals Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: Nickname was “Irish”
John Vann Year: 1913 Team: St Louis Cardinals Position: C Interesting Tidbit: Played in minors for 17 years
George Tomer Year: 1913 Team: St Louis Browns Position: 3B Interesting Tidbit: Once managed the Kalamazoo Celery Pickers
Delos Brown Year: 1914 Team: Chicago White Sox Position: SS Interesting Tidbit: Only played 2 years of professional baseball
Al Cypert Year: 1914 Team: Cleveland Indians Position: 3B Interesting Tidbit: Had a law degree from Harvard
Frank Fletcher Year: 1913 Team: Philadelphia Phillies Position: 3B Interesting Tidbit: AKA Fletcher Franks
Buck Sweeney Year: 1914 Team: Philadelphia A’s Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: Born Charles Francis
Harry Daubert Year: 1915 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates Position: SS Interesting Tidbit: Once played for the Lima (OH) Cigarmakers Newt Halladay Year: 1916 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates Position: SS Interesting Tidbit: Died of TB at age 21
Ed Murray Year: 1917 Team: St Louis Browns Position: SS Interesting Tidbit: Namesake Eddie Murray is in the Hall of Fame
John Cavanaugh Year: 1919 Team: Philadelphia Phillies Position: 3B Interesting Tidbit: 1st player born in 1900s to play in MLB
Augie Swentor Year: 1922 Team: Chicago White Sox Position: 3B Interesting Tidbit: Only played 3 seasons in professional baseball
Uke Clanton Year: 1922 Team: Cleveland Indians Position: 1B Interesting Tidbit: Also made an error in that one game
Joe Price Year: 1928 Team: New York Giants Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: Nickname was “Lumber”
Dutch Fehring Year: 1934 Team: Chicago White Sox Position: C Interesting Tidbit: Head baseball coach at Purdue & Stanford
Walt Alston Year: 1936 Team: St Louis Cardinal Position: 1B Interesting Tidbit: In the Hall of Fame as a manager for the Dodgers
Bill Sodd Year: 1937 Team: Cleveland Indians Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: 107 home runs in 7 minor league seasons
Carl McNabb Year: 1945 Team: Detroit Tigers Position: 2B Interesting Tidbit: Nickname was “Skinny”
Doc Daugherty Year: 1951 Team: Detroit Tigers Position: SS Interesting Tidbit: 1945 West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year
Dick Teed Year: 1953 Team: Brooklyn Dodgers Position: C Interesting Tidbit: 17 seasons in the minors
Moose Morton Year: 1954 Team: Boston Red Sox Position: C Interesting Tidbit: Father Guy played in MLB for 11 years
Rod Miller Year: 1957 Team: Brooklyn Dodgers Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: At bat came at age 17
Leroy Ream Year: 1969 Team: Philadelphia Phillies Position: OF Interesting Tidbit: High school teammate of Hall of Famer Joe Morgan
John Bormann Year: 2017 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates Position: C Interesting Tidbit: Called up from A ball
