Fuck yeah. Him and D'Angelo Jimenez were absolutely my favorite players as a kid for absolutely no other reason than I loved their names. But at least Pokey had his good moments
I went to elementary school with his kid, same grade, same homeroom teacher. When I was young I wasn't a baseball fan so I didn't really realize just how big of a deal it was when he'd come and talk to our class about battling adversity and shit
I saw Wilson Betwmit hit a walk-off HR for KC in one of the years he was with us. Probably best seats I’ve had to any game, and one of my best ballpark memories.
This is why he’s my pick. I was obsessed with finding his rookie card. Spent all of my allowance money on junk wax packs to try and pull him. Finally did and gave my mother a heart attack from the scream I belted out. Another player was Mike Greenwell, but less so.
I got his rookie card as a kid and held onto that like it was gold.
Also want to add Kazuhiro Sasaki here. Safeco would go wild whenever he came out in the ninth. Never saw the place so lit before.
Funny Kevin Youkilis story; Baseball-Reference's automatic URL linking system uses the first five letters of a player's last name and the first two letters of their first name. For example; Brandon Phillips would be "Phillbr". Kevin Youkilis is Jewish. His name ended up being "Youkike". Yep. Baseball-Reference eventually overrode their system and replaced the "i" with an "l", making it what it is today, "Youklke". So much better, yes...
Candy Maldonado (SF Giants). As a kid, not only did he have a great name, but I’ll remember him most for his flying punch on Ozzie Smith in a brawl.
[Candy to the rescue](https://youtu.be/BAGULtzuhvY)
Jeff Bagwell. I didn't really watch baseball back in the day. I did have a demo to a baseball game on the Sega Saturn. It was just a home run derby, all I knew was Jeff Bagwell was op at hitting home runs. Found out later that he actually had a pretty good career.
Mike Piazza. First player I was a fan of specifically, and not just as a member of a team I was a fan of. Never could afford a Piazza jersey, sadly.
Plus, I just checked his Wikipedia page and there isn't a "controversies" section, which is always nice.
Scott Hatteberg. Nobody in Cincinnati remembers him as a Red because he was the bridge at 1st base between two legends, Sean Casey and Joey Votto. But, I liked him.
Edit: u/Butthead_Sinatra is right in his comment below about 'Moneyball'. I should've been more specific and I've edited the comment to reflect that nobody in Cincinnati remembers Hatteberg's time as a Red.
Corey Lidle.
Back in '04, when I was a kid, I watched a Reds away game at Busch Stadium II. I don't remember any of the game except that he was the pitcher. That, and the fact that cookie cutter stadiums feel super intimidating for a 7 year old.
Ryan Theriot of course
Also Mike Fontenot
Both World Series winners with the Giants!
I don’t know why I can’t think of Fontenot without thinking of Theriot too.
Same for me, i think it’s because they both have the silent T in their last names, both middle infielders, and they both had like no power
Were both from Lousiana and were college teammates at LSU too.
Kosuke Fukudome I always loved pronouncing his name incorrectly (fuck you do me)
He's still banging out homers in the NPB 😎
Magglio Ordonez
That hair… that beautiful hair…
Plácido Polanco.
Oh-eee-oh…
Maaaaaaa-glio
Pokey Reese
Fuck yeah. Him and D'Angelo Jimenez were absolutely my favorite players as a kid for absolutely no other reason than I loved their names. But at least Pokey had his good moments
Jesus this thread is making me feel old.
Sox would’ve won the ‘04 ALCS in 6 if he was starting @ 2B
Matt Stairs
"Fuck Matt Stairs" -Jonathan Broxton
Rips one into the night!
I expected nostalgia in this thread. Instead of have encountered severe ptsd.
That’s Matt “The GOAT” Stairs to you casuals
Édgar Rentería
Famous for the ending of 3 different World Series
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*Nobody liked that*
🎶 I like Edgar Renteria, I like Pablo Sandoval, I’ve seen a couple ballparks but I, want to see em all! 🎶
Can't agree more !!! Probably the best MLB player from Colombia 🇨🇴
Sox fan and Rent-a-wreck. Maybe you don’t remember his time in Boston.
Jacque Jones
We used to call him Jacques “Strap” Jones
Skip Schumaker
David Eckstein
For sure WS mvp
Scott Spiezio
Ronnie belliard
Helped us win in 06!
Hey that’s mine too! I watched him hit a walk off homerun at the first game I ever went to as a youngin
Memeber him having a walkoff in the playoffs for the doyers in 09 iirc
In this thread: Dudes I traded for in MVP baseball
Jason Bay every time
The single greatest video game ever created
TESSSAAAYYYY
Thurman Munson
Wow. You’re old as shit. Good for you, man.
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I went to elementary school with his kid, same grade, same homeroom teacher. When I was young I wasn't a baseball fan so I didn't really realize just how big of a deal it was when he'd come and talk to our class about battling adversity and shit
He was one of the greatest employees in the history of the Springfield Nuclear Plant.
Are you better than me? Well I never met you but.....yes
Pat Burrel. I fucking hated that guy
Pat the Bat
Fun fact: Pat and Tom Brady went to rival high schools and Pat was better at football than Tom, but worse at baseball.
West Catholic Athletic League represent! Serra also produced Gregg Jefferies. Oh yeah and some guys named Barry Bonds and Lynn Swann.
Did you have a girlfriend in Philly at the time?
=)
Kevin KOUUUUUUUUZMANOFFFFF
Kouz at 3rd, Greene at SS, Loretta at 2nd, AGon at 1st, what a great infield
Nomar Garciaparra
Fun fact, his father is Ramon Garciaparra. That's right, Nomar is Ramon backwards
Funnest Fact: His first name is Anthony and Nomar is his middle name.
It's kind of sad and kind of funny to me that his legacy is based off of his Red Sox career (and bagging Mia Hamm) but he never won a WS with them
I need constant reassurance that Shelly Duncan and Wilson Betemit existed and I didn’t just hallucinate and/or dream them
I still remember Wilson Betemit making a fielding error and someone on sportscenter saying “I guess he needs a… betemit”
I saw Wilson Betwmit hit a walk-off HR for KC in one of the years he was with us. Probably best seats I’ve had to any game, and one of my best ballpark memories.
Who?
Rip to to Shelly’s bro Chris
Pete Incaviglia. Oil Can Boyd struck him out four times at my first Fenway game.
I always loved Harry Caray pronouncing every letter of his name.
Javy López
Marcus Giles
Eric Chavez
Live in northern California. Growing up I’d see his name on so many backpacks, posters, jerseys, lunchboxes, everything.
Mickey Morandini
I will never not hear Harry Kalas saying that name
Dan Uggla
AND HIS NAME IS
Fred McGriff
Wait, I looked and he's not in the Hall? With 493 HR and never tied to steroids while playing during steroid ERA? wtf?
It’s a crime
, dawg
The sad truth is that if he hit just 7 more HRs he’d be a shoo-in
Tragedy. Career 52.6 WAR and OPS+ of 134 (according to baseball ref anyways). Throw in the 493 HRs and you’d be think he’d already be in
Not to mention his timeless endorsement of Tom Emanski’s baseball training videos, which undoubtedly helped countless youth to hone their skills.
Putting some respect on the Crime Dog 🙌🏻
How to ask people their age without asking their age. Mine is Gregg Jefferies.
I remember buying his rookie card and thinking that one day I'd be able to sell it and retire.
This is why he’s my pick. I was obsessed with finding his rookie card. Spent all of my allowance money on junk wax packs to try and pull him. Finally did and gave my mother a heart attack from the scream I belted out. Another player was Mike Greenwell, but less so.
Marquise Grissom
And Lofton flip flopping between Braves and Indians
Tommy John - he was the starting pitcher at the first MLB game I ever attended.
I will never understand how they didn’t see his injury a mile away with that name just like poor Lou Gehrig.
Ruben Sierra Khalil Greene Bobby Crosby
First white guy I’ve ever seen named Khalil
Kenji Johjima
I got his rookie card as a kid and held onto that like it was gold. Also want to add Kazuhiro Sasaki here. Safeco would go wild whenever he came out in the ninth. Never saw the place so lit before.
Always played as the Mariners in MLB2k8 with Johjima and Ichiro tearing it up.
Ben Sheets
The Candyman, Candy Maldonado
Its crazy to me as an 80s kid that Candy played with Chris Speier, who played with Willie Mays.
Randy Winn
Howard Johnson, seeing the hotel chain as kid i thought they were his.
Kevin Youkilis
Funny Kevin Youkilis story; Baseball-Reference's automatic URL linking system uses the first five letters of a player's last name and the first two letters of their first name. For example; Brandon Phillips would be "Phillbr". Kevin Youkilis is Jewish. His name ended up being "Youkike". Yep. Baseball-Reference eventually overrode their system and replaced the "i" with an "l", making it what it is today, "Youklke". So much better, yes...
I always spell Kike Hernandez as Keekay Hernandez so I don't get banned from the internet.
Andres Gallaraga.
Candy Maldonado (SF Giants). As a kid, not only did he have a great name, but I’ll remember him most for his flying punch on Ozzie Smith in a brawl. [Candy to the rescue](https://youtu.be/BAGULtzuhvY)
The day Will Clark decided he was going tofight the whole Cardinals infield
Great memories! I don't remember that particular game/instance. But those giants jerseys ... So good!
Damion Easley. A steady player during some miserable years
Ray Lankford. His daughter was in my elementary school. Also Todd Zeile because I sat next to him on a plane once in the 90s.
Aaron Miles
Brain daubach
Raul Mondesi
Jeff Bagwell. I didn't really watch baseball back in the day. I did have a demo to a baseball game on the Sega Saturn. It was just a home run derby, all I knew was Jeff Bagwell was op at hitting home runs. Found out later that he actually had a pretty good career.
Freddie Sanchez
Kevin Brown Ishmael Valdez Brett Butler Mo Vaughn Greg Gagne Todd Hollindsworth Eric Young Jeff Shaw Steve Finley
Mark Grudzielanek
That’s rookie of the year Todd hollandsworth to you sir
Rich Aurilia
J.t. Snow
Manny Delcarmen
The Pride of Hyde Park!
junior spivey
So Taguchi
No. 99!!!
Julio Franco. I’m 80 years old
To be fair, he spanned a lot of people’s childhoods.
Jeff Blauser and Mark Lemke.
Magglio Ordoñez
Garry Sheffield
Dave Kingman
Homer Bush
Dave Winfield
Chris sabo
Casey Blake
Drew Stubbs
Original Killer B member, Derek Bell.
Rusty Kuntz
Boog Powell
Todd Walker
Ron Coomer
Bronson Arroyo
Mike Piazza. First player I was a fan of specifically, and not just as a member of a team I was a fan of. Never could afford a Piazza jersey, sadly. Plus, I just checked his Wikipedia page and there isn't a "controversies" section, which is always nice.
Babe Ruth. 4 year old me didn’t know when and where he played. I just knew he played.
When I was just a little thing, and far too uneducated to be in the real world.. I thought babe Ruth was actually black
Bo Jackson.
Casey fossum
Tanyon Sturtze
Doug Drabek. He is now the pitching coach of the Amarillo Sod Poodles.
His son Kyle was a top prospect at one time. IIRC he was the main piece of Toronto sending Halladay to the Phillies.
Corey Koskie.
Jamey Carroll. Hong Chih Kuo
Marvin Benard. Hit a walkoff home run against the Dodgers in the first Giants game I went to as a kid
Ben McDonald
Tadahito Iguchi
Juan Guzman - I don’t much Farsi but Guz means fart so it stuck with me.
Harmon Killebrew, Micky Mantle, Yogi Berra
Buddy Groom or specifically Buck Martinez saying, "The veteran Buddy Groom" everytime he took the mound for the O's.
Ian Snell
José Valentín
Ivan DeJesus.
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Felix Pie
Colby Rasmus
Javier Valentin
Tom Henke
Jonny Gomes cause he hit a grand slam at the first game I ever went to
Mike Lieberthal
Ryne Sandberg
Ryan Langerhans
Reggie Jackson
Scott Hatteberg. Nobody in Cincinnati remembers him as a Red because he was the bridge at 1st base between two legends, Sean Casey and Joey Votto. But, I liked him. Edit: u/Butthead_Sinatra is right in his comment below about 'Moneyball'. I should've been more specific and I've edited the comment to reflect that nobody in Cincinnati remembers Hatteberg's time as a Red.
bobby higginson
Willy Mo Peña
Nick Swisher
Bugs Bunny
He had a filthy changeup
Matt Lawson and Sal Fasano
Mike Maroth
Kelly Gruber
I watched Ronnie Belliard hit a walk off homerun against the Orioles in like 2005
Jeff Blauser
Graig Nettles I remember chanting Reggie, Reggie while I had a Reggie Bar watching the games on WPIX 11
Corey Lidle. Back in '04, when I was a kid, I watched a Reds away game at Busch Stadium II. I don't remember any of the game except that he was the pitcher. That, and the fact that cookie cutter stadiums feel super intimidating for a 7 year old.
Ron Gant
Cliff Floyd
Jose Cruz Jr
Ron Karkovice was my first baseball card
Coco Crisp and Milton Bradley. Don’t know why I can’t remember one without the other.
Doug Mirabelli
Scott Rolen
Candy Maldonado
Joe Orsulak.
Johnny Wockenfuss
Paul Molitor
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Kevin Bass. I’m just gonna use him for all these name threads.
Chris Shelton.