Coco Crisp
June 24, 2004
Coco Crisp is the switch-hitting centerfielder for the up and coming Cleveland Indians. I don’t even want to know if it is his real name or not, as it rockets him to the top of my all-time Major League Baseball Food Team. It puts him past Catfish Hunter, Mudcat Grant, Tim Salmon, Steve and Dizzy Trout, and one-time teammates Chili Davis and Candy Moldonado. Let’s not forget Alfredo Griffin. Bill Bean (and Billy Beane). Randy Bass. Bob Kipper.
(There is also now a Barry Wesson in the majors, but I haven’t come up with a rule yet for brand names. That would open the floodgates to the likes of Bill Campbell and Tom Prince, for starters.)
The more uncommon the food name, the better. Thus, I prefer a name like Strawberry over, say, just Berry. There is only one Strawberry in the history of major league baseball. There are a number of Berry’s in the history of baseball; the one I always think about is Ken Berry, who played most of his career with the White Sox and was a nemesis to the Red Sox.
The Red Sox have had a few food-named players. Jim Rice of course. Steve Curry. Charlie Berry and, much later, Sean Berry. Jeff Frye and Jack Coffey (admittedly a stretch on spelling, but this is more often a spoken discussion than written, and would allow names like Johnny Oates and Bob Veale to be added to the larger roster). Rob Deer (if you include game) and Jimmie Foxx (if you include game and allow for a stretch on spelling). Catfish Metkovich (you could look it up!).
(If you want to get cute, you could also add to the Red Sox list Bernie Carbo, Eric Wedge, Guido Grilli, Jack Baker, Tom Brewer, and old-time player Ralph Glaze. Don’t forget Wes Stock and Taffy Wright.)
Another list, for another time, is the startling number of Red Sox players past and present whose last name is also a place name in Massachusetts. Tim Wakefield. Carl Everett and Everett Scott. Fred Lynn and Lynn McGlothen. Joe Hudson (and a Sid Hudson back in the 1950s). Wes Gardner (and a Larry Gardner back in the early 20th century). Tom Bolton. Jeff Plympton. Erik Hanson. Garry Hancock. Mike Paxton. Bill Lee, Lee Graham, and Sang-Hoon Lee. Lou Clinton. 1920s one-hit wonder Bob Adams. Allen “Rubberarm” Russell, Jack Russell, Rip Russell, and Jeff Russell.
Current Red Sox announcer and former big league pitcher Bob Tewksbury is an honory member, despite having never appeared for the Red Sox.
(In an odd detail of this Boston placename thing, the Red Sox once traded away a promising young infielder, Adam Everett, for outfielder Carl Everett. In another, Lou Clinton was traded for Lee Thomas.)
Sadly, Daryl Boston never played for the Red Sox. Nor did Lee Hancock.
But Ernest Dudley Lee did.
(How about an all music team? Steve and Dave Sax. Frank Viola. George, Buddy, (and many other) Bell’s. Ryan Minor. Bill Singer. Jimmy Key. Sam Horn (who was a teammate of Dave Sax and Jody Reed at the same time.)
OK, I will stop now.
Posted by Bill Trippe at June 24, 2004 11:36 PM
