Odd Mascots of Division I Sports

Now, there are, of course, plenty of Bulldogs, Tigers, and Eagles out there. There are also, however, some that are a little different, maybe even unique.

We’ve all heard of some of these, right? I mean, Georgetown’s got the Hoyas, Ohio State the Buckeyes, and Tennessee the Volunteers. But what the heck do they mean? Where the heck did they come from?

In this post, I’m going to share some of my favorites, all from NCAA Division I schools.

Fighting Things

• Notre Dame Fighting Irish - originally after Irish immigrant soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War
• Illinois Fighting Illini - after the Indian tribe, for which Illinois is named
• North Dakota Fighting Hawks - formerly the Fighting Sioux, which was deemed politically incorrect
• Campbell Fighting Camels - from the name of the college

Mr. & Mrs. Gaylord and Gladys Campbell
(yup, Gaylord)

Straight -Up Nouns

• Elon Phoenix - rising from the ashes, after a devastating 1923 fire
• Hofstra Pride - formerly the Flying Dutchmen, changed in 2001because it was politically incorrect
• Northern Kentucky Norse - Norse = men from the north; winner of 1971 student poll
• Tulsa Golden Hurricane - originally, the Golden Tornadoes, which was already taken (by Georgia Tech, no less)
• Marshall Thundering Herd - from a popular 1923 Zane Grey novel about buffalo hunters
• Long Beach State Beach - mascot is Elbee the Shark, who just so happens to be non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them (I kid you not)

It’s supposed to be a hurricane (hint, hint),
something which has never actually hit Tulsa

Straight Colors

• Harvard Crimson - from the color of the jerseys; beat out magenta in an 1875 student poll
• Alabama Crimson Tide - from the color of the jerseys; formerly the Thin Red Line, a reference to Alabama’s Civil War troops
• Syracuse Orange - from the color of the jerseys; associated with the Dutch, who originally settled the area
• Dartmouth Big Green - from the color of the jerseys; formerly the politically incorrect Indians
• Cornell Big Red - from the color of the jerseys
• Stanford Cardinal - from the color of the jerseys; formerly the Indians
• North Texas Mean Green - after a nickname for the defense & the color of the jerseys

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Otto the Orange

Colorful Adjectives

• Texas Tech Red Raiders - from the color of the jerseys; formerly the Matadors
• St John Red Storm - from the color of the jerseys; originally, the politically incorrect Redmen
• St Francis Red Flash - from the color of the jerseys; also after a particularly quick offensive backfield from the 1920s
• Duke Blue Devils - from the color of the jerseys; also after a crack French military unit in WWI
• Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders - from the color of the jerseys; also after the Colgate Red Raiders
• Delaware Blue Hens - after the blue hens that Delaware troops in the Revolutionary War brought to cockfights
• Presbyterian Blue Hose - a variation of the Blue Stockings, from the uniform
• Tulane Green Wave - from the color of the jerseys, as well as a fight song published in the school newspaper in 1920
• Canisius Golden Griffins - a winged lion; also after French explorer Lasalle’s ship, the Griffin, built in Buffalo, the site of Canisius (perhaps the most obscure reference on here)
• Kent State Golden Flashes - after a 1927 contestant, with the winner picked by the school president; formerly the Silver Foxes, after a fox farm adjacent to campus
• Minnesota Golden Gophers - from the color of the pants; Minnesotans have been known as “gophers” since the mid 1800s
• Niagara Purple Eagles - from the color of the jerseys; formerly just the boring Eagles
• Evansville Purple Aces - from the color of the jerseys; formerly just the Aces

Scotty the Scotsman, a Medieval Scottish warrior (and Presbyterian’s mascot)

Uninspiring People

• Tennessee Volunteers - from the number of volunteers who signed up to fight the War of 1812
• Navy Midshipmen - a 17th century term for apprentice seamen, who berthed “amidship” 
• Purdue Boilermakers - from a typical occupation for the engineering-heavy school back in the 1800s when it was coined
• UTEP Miners - from the school’s original name, the State School of Mines and Metallurgy
• Nebraska Cornhuskers - from one of the state’s main products; used derisively by Iowa after Nebraska scored an upset win against them
• Stetson Hatters - from the Stetson hat; after John B Stetson, who started the company that made them & also founded the school
• Loyola Chicago Ramblers - from the 1920s football team’s barnstorming reputation
• Idaho Vandals - from a sports writer who compared them to the barbarians who sacked Rome in the 5th Century
• Penn Quakers - because so many Quakers settled in Pennsylvania, which is known itself as the Quaker State

His nickname is the incredibly dull John B

What the Heck Is It?

• Texas A&M / New Mexico State / NC A&T / UC Davis / Utah State Aggies - from the “Agricultural” in or previously in these colleges’ names
• Utah Utes - an Indian tribe, the source of the state’s name
• Ohio State Buckeyes - from the tree, common in the state; the dried seeds look like the eye of a deer
• Georgetown Hoyas - originally the Stonewalls; came from a Latin/Greek cheer, “Hoya saxa!” – basically “What rocks [these men are]”
• Virginia Tech Hokies - nonsense words from a school cheer
• Hawaii Rainbow Warriors - from the many rainbows that appear in Hawaii, as well as the warriors popular in Hawaiian history; originally the Deans
• St Bonaventure Bonnies - from the school name; originally the Brown Indians, from the color of their jerseys
• Chattanooga Mocs - originally the Moccasins, after Moccasin Bend, where Chattanooga is located; also cited as referring to the water moccasin, the snake, and the shoe, with its Native American connotations
• Vermont Catamounts - another term for cougar; the winner of a 1926 student poll
• Univ. of Kansas City Roos - following the adoption of two baby kangaroos by the Kansas City Zoo
• VMI Keydets - a play on “cadets,” what the students at the military college are called; oddly, the mascot is a kangaroo
• Akron Zips - from a 1927 student poll, perhaps referencing a local company’s product; the mascot, Zippy, is also a kangaroo
• Wichita State Shockers - someone who harvests wheat – i.e., into shocks, or stacks
• Coastal Carolina Chanticleers - a “proud and fierce” rooster, from Chauncer’s Canterbury Tales
• Grand Canyon Lopes - short for antelopes, common in the area
• St Louis Billikens - a mythical creature who brings good luck, sort of the opposite of a gremlin
• Manhattan Jaspers - after the school’s first athletic director, Brother Jasper

Looking more like Frankenstein, “Wu” is supposed
to be a "big, bad muscle-bound bundle of wheat”

Uninspiring Pooches

• Albany Great Danes - originally the Pedagogues; student Kathy Earle won $25 in a 1967 contestant to come up with a new name
• Boston Univ / Wofford Terriers - from the scrappy, feisty dog, originally bred to fight animals in their burrows
• UMBC Retrievers - after Chesapeake Bay retrievers; UMBC stands for University of Maryland Baltimore Campus, with Baltimore being located on the Chesapeake Bay; winner of a 1966 contest
• Southern Illinois Salukis - after the “royal dog of Egypt,” with Southern Illinois long being nicknamed Little Egypt, for its rich soil between two rivers, the Mississippi and Ohio

Nightmare fuel, pure nightmare fuel

Uninspiring Animals

• Rice / Temple / Florida Atlantic Owls - from their association with learning, particularly as the symbol of Athena, the Greek goddess of knowledge
• Oregon Ducks - because of the state’s wet weather
• Oregon State Beavers - because of the importance of beaver pelts in the state’s early history
• TCU Horned Frogs - origin unknown; formerly the Preacher Boys
• Richmond Spiders - likely from the Cleveland Spiders, now the Cleveland Guardians, a very successful baseball team at the time
• St Peters Peacocks - resurrected itself, as did the peacock in mythology, after being closed during WWI
• Youngstown State Penguins - from the cold weather there
• UC Irvine Anteaters - from a joke originally championed by the water polo team

His name is Zot, he was inspired by
Johnny Hart’s comic strip B.C. & he's my fave

How Italian is Moonstruck?

 How Italian is Moonstruck?

It’s such a great movie. It’s my wife’s absolute favorite. She always says, “Everybody’s so Italian.”

Looking at the actors’ bios on IMdB really got me thinking though. Exactly how Italian is this thing? Hint: it’s not just Cher.

Let’s take a look at the main actors in the film, as well as the director, writer & producer. Here’s what we’ll do …

1. I’ll show you the character’s name and a still of them from the movie
2. You can guess whether they’re Italian or not (be sure to write down your answer)
3. Scroll down a bit
4. I’ll show you the actor’s name, as well as a standard photo
5. Under the photo, I’ll list the actor’s real ethnicity

Ready? Here we go …

1.  Loretta Castorini

2.  Rose Castorini

3.  Cosmo Castorini

4.  Old Man (presumably Loretta’s grandfather)

5.  Ronny Cammareri

6.  Johnny Cammareri

7.  Rita Cappomagi

8.  Raymond Capomaggi

9.  Director/Producer

10.  Writer

Write down your answers?  Okay, let's see how you did ...

1.  Loretta Castorini – Cher

Armenian. Cher was born Cheralynn Sarkasian, to an Armenian father and American mother. She also has a little Cherokee blood in her, something she always emphasized, especially early in her career.

2.  Rose Castorini – Olympia Dukakis

Greek.  Her parents were Greek immigrants. Michael Dukakis, governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate, is her cousin.

3.  Cosmo Castorini – Vincent Gardenia

Italian.  Born Vincenzo Scognamiglio in Naples, Italy. Immigrated to the US at age 2.

4.  Old Man – Feodor Chaliapin Jr.

Russian.  Born in Moscow. His wealthy, well-known family fled the Bolsheviks for Paris when Feodor was 19. He later immigrated to the US to pursue an acting career. His father, Feodor Chaliapin Sr., was a famous opera singer.

5.  Ronny Cammareri – Nicholas Cage

Italian.  Born Nicholas Coppola, and related to Francis Ford Coppola, as well as the rest of the Coppola family. He changed his name to Cage to avoid any appearance of nepotism.

He is actually only half Italian, through his father August, a comparative literature professor. His paternal great-grandparents immigrated to the US from Basilicata, in southern Italy. 

6.  Johnny Cammareri – Danny Aiello

Italian.  Though both his parents were of Italian ethnicity, his mother was actually an immigrant (from Naples).

7.  Rita Cappomagi – Julie Bovasso

Italian.  A serious theatrical actress, she also played in super Italian movies such as Wise Guys, Saturday Night Fever & Staying Alive (and playing John Travolta’s mom in the last two, no less).

8.  Raymond Capomaggi – Louis Guss

Jewish.  “Often cast as Italian,” according to Variety. Was also in The Godfather.

9.  Director/producer – Norman Jewison

English. Despite that surname. Born in Canada.

10.  Writer – John Patrick Shanley

Irish.  In proper form, he remembers being “thrown out of St. Helena's kindergarten, banned from St. Anthony's hot lunch program and expelled from Cardinal Spellman High School."

Final tally …  Moonstruck is approximately 1/3 Italian.  Sort of like a pizza roll, you know.

B Movie Title Generator – Action International Pictures Version

If you’re a B movie fan like me, you’ve probably heard of American International Pictures. It gave us such classic titles as The She-Creature, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Invasion of the Saucer Men & Hot Rod Girl. It was home to such luminaries as Roger Corman, Bert I Gordon & Edward L Cahn.

Hard to believe that someone would try and rip them off, but there is another AIP out there – Action International Pictures. It’s one of those straight-to-video companies from the 80s. 

No great movies here (exactly the opposite, actually), but plenty of risible titles. Indeed, they seem to follow a basic formula of two juicy key words, and nothing else:

• Space Mutiny
• Future Force
• Teenage Exorcist
• Death Chase
• Jungle Assault

• Eternal Fist
• Project Vampire
• Operation Warzone
• Final Sanction
• Maximum Breakout
• Brutal Fury

They’re funny enough as is, but I noticed they seemed to all run together in my mind, making even funnier combinations. Jungle Fury, anyone? How about Teenage Warzone? Space Exorcist?

I wasn’t expecting that

Here, try it for yourself… I’ve taken all the titles I could find under AIP, split them into their 2 components, then broken them into groups of 10:

• 0 action assault
• 1 alien avenger
• 2 blood breakout
• 3 brutal chase
• 4 battleground cops
• 5 deadly fire
• 6 death fist
• 7 double force
• 8 eternal fury
• 9 fatal hit

• 0 final house
• 1 future island
• 2 invasion kill
• 3 jungle manor
• 4 last mutiny
• 5 lost nerve
• 6 maximum platoon
• 7 miami prey
• 8 hell reactor
• 9 mission ride

• 0 night sanction
• 1 project seed
• 2 rapid skies
• 3 raw threat
• 4 space thunder
• 5 street vampire
• 6 sudden vengeance
• 7 teenage wars
• 8 unknown zone
• 9 cyber hunter

Now, all you have to do is:

1. Think of a 2-digit number (your age, birth date, birth month, address, favorite jersey number – you name it)
2. Look it up in one or more of the tables

For example, my age (63) gives me:

• Death Chase
• Maximum Manor
• Sudden Threat

A book instead of a movie

Not so sure about that second one, so let’s try my favorite jersey number (21):

• Blood Avenger
• Invasion Island
• Rapid Seed

Rapid Seed? Once again, I’m not sure that’s gonna make the cut.

One final try – the year of my birth (59):

• Deadly Hit
• Lost Ride
• Street Hunter

It’s a winner, folks!

Anyway, give it a try yourself. See what you come up with.

By the way, if this sounds familiar, I actually did something like this before, though much more broadly.

Top NFL Draft Pick … Names

I follow the draft somewhat closely. There’s always a hope that the loser teams I follow will catch lightning in a bottle somehow.

Part of the fun, though, are the great names that pop up. I mean, there’s 259 picks, so there’s bound to be some good ones.

This year was just okay, Last time I did this, they were a lot better.

#15 – Ameer Speed
Pick – 214
By – New England
From – Michigan State
Plays – CB
Note – He does run a 4.34 40-yard-dash

#14 – Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Pick – 31
By – KC
From – KSU
Plays – DE
Note – Several good Scrabble racks here

The press pic as mug shot

#13 – Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Pick – 199
By – Baltimore
From – Oregon
Plays – OT
Note – Good luck, announcers!

If the Wolf Man played football

#12 – Zay Flowers
Pick – 22
By – Baltimore
From – Boston College
Plays – WR
Note – Zay is short for Zavien

#11 – SirVocea Dennis
Pick – 153
By – Tampa Bay
From – Pitt
Plays – LB
Note – Father’s name is SirVantis

I dunno – looks more like a stockbroker to me

#10 – Adetomiwa Adebawore
Pick – 100
By – Indianapolis 
From – Northwestern
Plays – DT
Note – “add-E-TOMMY-wah add-E-BAR-eh” (thanks, Wikipedia)

Showing off his dance moves

#9 – Juice Scruggs
Pick – 62
By – Houston 
From – Penn State
Plays – C
Note – No relation to Earl (or OJ Simpson, for that matter)

“So, what ya doing after the game?”

#8 – Henry To’oTo’o
Pick – 167
By – Houston 
From – Alabama
Plays – LB
Note – C’mon, who names their kid Henry, right?

I have no idea what that thing is around his neck, but it looks serious

#7 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Pick – 20
By – Seattle 
From – Ohio St
Plays – WR
Note – How’d the Smith get in there?

#6 – Kyu Blu Kelly
Pick – 156
By – LA Chargers 
From – Clemson
Plays – G
Note – Dad Brian (c’mon, Brian?) played in the NFL
 

#5 – YaYa Diaby
Pick – 82
By – Tampa Bay 
From – Louisville
Plays – TE
Note – He’s a Greek grandmother?

#4 – Rashee Rice
Pick – 54
By – Kansas City 
From – SMU
Plays – WR
Note – Is your rice rashy? Then try new RashOff!

Do!

#3 – O’Cyrus Torrence
Pick – 59
By – Buffalo 
From – Florida
Plays – G
Note – Begora, a lad from the Old Sod

Obviously adopted

#2 – DeMarvion Overshown
Pick – 90
By – Dallas 
From – Texas
Plays – LB
Note – As if Overshown wasn’t weird enough

What are those things on his arms?

#1 – Sidy Sow
Pick – 117
By – New England 
From – Eastern Michigan
Plays – G
Note – He’s from Quebec, but I don’t think that explains it

Wishing he could move like Adetomiwa Adebawore

Funny WBC Names

Finally got around to watching the WBC. Unfortunately, it was just the final (and my team lost!). I love baseball, but it’s hard to compete with soccer and March Madness.

One player, though, really caught my attention – Lars Nootbar. It wasn’t just the crazy name though (I vaguely recall seeing him play in the MLB playoffs for … was it St. Louis?). What the heck was he doing playing for Japan? 

If you’d like to know – and want to hear some other crazy names – continue reading.

Jake Rabinowitz – Czech Republic

What’s a nice Jewish boy doing playing for the Czech Republic? Jake: Team Israel needs you.

Interestingly, Jake’s an American. Born in New York City, he played college ball at Fordham. From there, he went to the Extraliga, the Czech national league. He was basically their Shohei Otani. 

He pitched 1 perfect inning in this year’s WBC.

And he’s a schwartzer!

Evan Rutckyj – Canada

I’d like to buy a vowel …

Evan was born in Windsor, drafted by the Yankees, but never made it out of AA. After being released by them, the pitcher bounced around some independent, minor & other leagues in Canada, Mexico, Japan & Australia.

This year’s WBC was not Evan’s best work. In 2.2 innings, he gave up 5 hits, 2 walks & 4 runs.

Oh, by the way, it’s pronounced “ROOT-skee.”

Not a young Harrison Ford

Lance Lynn – USA

I love the alliteration on this one. It also reminds me of Lance Link, Secret Chimp, a TV show from my youth that featured … you guessed it, chimps playing spies.

Alright! Here’s somebody I’ve heard of before. Indeed, Lance has been in the bigs for 11 years, has a record of 123-84, was a two-time All Star & a one-time World Series winner. 
In the WBC, Lance started two games, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP & 8 K’s in 9 innings.

Lynn has battled weight issues throughout his career. He’s currently listed at 275. He lists his favorite foods as pizza, beer & vodka (I am not making that up).

BTW, he’s married to the equally wonderfully named Dymin Lynn.

Mitchell Stumpo – Italy

Now, Stumpo’s pretty great all on its own. But combine it with the very non-Italian-sounding Mitchell …

But wouldn’t you know – the majority of Team Italy is made up of Americans (with Italian heritage, I would assume). Indeed, their manager is none other than Hall-of-Famer Mike Piazza.

As for Mitchell, he’s a NC native, attended Guilford College there, and was drafted by the D-Backs in 2017. The pitcher made it to AAA last year.

In this year’s WBC, Stumpo pitched 3 innings; gave up a couple of hits, 1 walk, and no earned runs; and struck out 5.

Yup, the Amarillo Sod Poodles

Yimi Garcia – Dominican Rep

Yippin’ yimminy, it’s Yimi!

Here’s another one I’m familiar with. If I hadn’t watched him in the postseason the last three seasons, though, I’m not sure I would be.

Yimi’s basically a middle reliever. Over 8 years, he’s been in over 300 games, with a strikeout per inning, 18 saves, but a 16-25 record. 

In this year’s WBC, he pitched 2 innings, giving up a walk, 2 hits, and an unearned run.

Oh, c’mon, Yimi – cheer up!

Rowdy Tellez – Mexico

Rowdy Roddy Piper, right? Well, how about Rowdy Randy Tellez?

Another pretty familiar name. The first baseman has been up for 5 years, playing with Toronto and Milwaukee, blasting 78 homers and notching 216 RBIs in that time.

I was a little disappointed to learn “Rowdy”’ is a nickname. His real name is Randy John, and he was born & raised in Sacramento.

His paternal grandfather played in the Mexican Baseball League though. Rowdy's Jewish through his mother, however, so I guess he could have played for Israel as well.

Another follower of the Lance Lynn diet?

Joshwan Wright – Panama

Apart from Mr. Wright, a Google search on “joshwan” is giving me a kind of chair, a pair of Indian guys & a couple of dudes named Josh Wan.

Our Joshwan was drafted by the A’s in 2018, and has yet to make it past high A. In his four seasons, he’s played every position except short and first base. 

Poor Joshwan got only one AB in the WBC, making an out.

Norwith Gudino – Venezuela

Checking in with Google again, I see that “norwith” is typically a misspelling of “norwich.”  You know, like Norwich, CT or Norwich City FC, or Norwich Terrier?

When I search on “norwich gudino,” however, I see that our guy was signed by the Giants in 2015 and spent 8 years in their organization. After being released (after testing positive for drugs), he signed with the Red Sox. Over his career, he’s been a Volcano, a Green Jacket & a Flying Squirrel.

Sick flow, dude

Warwick Saupold – Australia

Got a weird last name? Well, make sure you give your kid an odd first name as well.

Kind of surprised I never heard of this guy before, as he did make the majors. In particular, he was a reliever for the Tigers for three years. Overall, he had an ERA of 4.98, a WHIP of 1.584, but a record of 8-4. He went by the imaginative nickname of “Aussie.”

He also played in Australia for a couple of years before Detroit, as well as in the Tigers’ minor league system for the same amount of time. After the bigs, he played in Korea for a few years.

 

Finally, he’s also played in the WBC for Australia three times. This year, he pitched 2.2 scoreless innings.

Mug shot for assault in a Toledo bar

Chen Chen – China

Short, sweet, efficient …

Not a lot out there on this dude. All I could find was that he plays in the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League), is primarily an outfielder, and has a pretty mediocre bat (.205 BA, with about a third of his at-bats being strikeouts). He’s still young (24), though, so maybe there’s hope. He plays for the Fubon Guardians.

Poor Chen got 12 at bats during the WBC, with nary a hit, but with 5 strikeouts. The Chinese team went a woeful 0-4.

There was actually a lot more info on this Brooklyn poet of the same name

Yoennis Yera – Cuba

Once again, can’t beat the alliteration. Especially when both names begin with a weird letter like Y. 

This guy’s a little older, at 33. A pitcher, he’s played for teams in Cuba and Mexico. He has been – in English translation – an Olmec, Horseman, Crocodile & Cotton Picker. He threw a no-hitter as an Olmec. He’s been in the WBC two times running.

Just to make things more confusing, he’s also referred to as Yoanni and Yoenni.

Algodonero = cotton picker

Cheslor Cuthbert – Nicaragua 
Cuthbert’s bad enough. Combine it with the made-up Cheslor, though, and – congratulations! – you’ve made it onto to this list.

Cheslor is currently playing in the Mexican League, but previously played 6 years in MLB, almost all for the Royals. The corner infielder totaled over 1000 at bats, slugging 27 HRs, notching 119 RBIs, and batting .250 on the nose. He was the Royals’ starting third baseman for one year, batting .274 with 12 homers & 46 runs batted in.

What’s interesting about Cheslor is that he was born on Corn Island, in the Caribbean. Most people don’t realize that Nicaragua’s Caribbean islands and eastern coast were a British protectorate until 1894. Thus, Cheslor grew up speaking a creole English, and had to learn Spanish when he joined the Nicaraguan team.

By the way, his middle name is Jesly.

Or should I say, feliz cumpleanos?

Johneshwy Fargas – Puerto Rico

Honestly, wouldn’t Johnny have been distinct enough? I mean, for a guy from Puerto Rico?

Fargas (often misspelled “Vargas”) was in the majors for a single year, with that year being split between two teams, the Mets and the Cubs. The outfielder got 52 at bats, with no homers, 5 RBIs, 4 runs, and another .250 BA on the dot. 

Before and after, he played nine seasons in the minors, in the Giants, Mets & Cubs organizations. He has been a Volcano, Greenjacket, Rumble Pony & Flying Squirrel. 

Poor Johneshwy got only one AB in the WBC, failing to do anything with it.

Shlomo Lipetz – Israel

Shlomo, the Hebrew Samuel, is one of my all-time favorite names. It’s just so fun to say.

Though born in Tel Aviv, Lipetz now lives in Brooklyn. In addition to any baseball duties, he’s also Vice President of Programming and Music Director at City Winery, in Manhattan.

Shlomo’s baseball career started with a visit to NYC as a kid, catching a Mets game while there. He then made his way to the Little League World Series, pitching for the Israeli team at age 10. 

Next, it was college ball at UCSD, following that up with semi-pro leagues in the States as well as teams in Mexico and Israel. He also played for Team Israel in the European Baseball Championship and the Olympics. 

This is his second WBC. He is the only native-born Israeli on the club, with everyone else being born in the US (but Jewish, I would assume).

He even has his own bobblehead

Woo Suk Go – South Korea

Anytime you can get “suck” into a name, you know you’ve got a winner.

Here’s Woo-Suk’s complete entry on Wikipedia:

“Go Woo-suk (Korean: 고우석; born August 6, 1998) is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the LG Twins of the KBO League. He competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics.”

Caught channeling Bob Gibson here

Nabil Crismatt – Colombia

What the heck is a “nabil”? Or a “Crismatt,” for that matter?

Well, actually, Nabil is an Arabic name, meaning “noble.” As for Crismatt …

Put the two together, though, and you’ve got a major league reliever who played the last three year with the Cards and Pads. He’s been in over 100 games, for 150 innings, an 8-3 record, 3.38 ERA, and 144 Ks. In the minors for 10 years, he’s been a Cyclone, Traveler, Chihuahua, Firefly & Tomato-Picker. 

He’s appeared for Team Colombia at the Pan American Games and twice in the WBC.

In this year’s WBC, Nabil got a start, going 4 innings, giving up 3 hits & 1 run, and striking out 4.

Wait, he was a Rumble Pony too?

Lars Nootbaar – Japan

It’s a great name all on its own. But what is this guy doing playing for Japan?

So, first things first. Lars is indeed half Japanese, on his mother’s side. His father, on the other hand, is an American of Dutch (and English and German) descent. 

Lars was born and raised in Southern California, playing his college ball at USC. An outfielder, he played the last two years for the Cards, notching 290 at bats, 14 dingers, but only a .228 average.

Lars has a brother named Nigel, who played in the Orioles org. Yup, Nigel Nootbar.

Hi Mom!

Kungkuan Giljegiljaw – Chinese Taipei

Most of these guys are named Chen. How in the world did this guy get in here?

This is actually his aboriginal Taiwanese name (he’s a member of the Paiwan tribe). It’s pronounced “gong-kwon gi-li-gi-lao.” He actually changed it from Chu-Li Jen.

A catcher, Kungkuan played in the Guardians org for 5 years, making it as far as AAA, but only getting 4 at bats there. He’s been in the CPBL, Taiwan’s professional league, for the past 3 years.

He did quite well in the WBC, getting 12 ABs, batting .333, and tallying 1 homer & 3 RBIs.

Have no idea what that thing on his cap is

Cam Opp – GB

Here I was thinking I’d find a good Nigel Sillybottom or Benedict Codswallop-Bummerton. I certainly wasn’t expecting something like this.

Wouldn’t you know, he’s a bloody Yank! Born in Colorado, Cam (short for Camrin) attended West Point! Turn out he, like the author, is a dual national.

After playing a year in an independent league, Cam was signed by the Mets. Unfortunately, his 2 years in the minors has resulted in a 4-12 record, with a 6.98 ERA and 1.723 WHIP. 

In the WBC, he pitched 1 inning, giving up 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks. Team GB didn’t make it out of pool play, going 1-3.

Sicnarf Loopstock – Netherlands

Oh, c’mon! Somebody’s trolling me, right?

There’s actually a simple explanation for this. Sicnarf is simply his father’s name, Francis, backwards. As for Loopstock, supposedly it means “walking cane.”

Sicnarf is from Aruba, which probably explains why he speaks five languages – English, Spanish, Dutch, French & Papiamento. I tell ya, it’s a hotbed of polylinguists. 

The catcher spent 8 years in the Guardians org, totaling over 1000 at-bats. He’s spent the past couple of years in the Dutch majors.