We’re all caught in the in-between of the holiday season at work right now — your days off from Thanksgiving and days off from Christmas seem to have a giant chasm in the middle and it makes your days go by at a record slow pace. So instead of digging deep on this Friday, how about we lighten the mood with a few players that are fun to root for because of one incredibly silly reason: they have sweet names.
I actually ran this piece over at the old blog before fully committing to North Side Bound and I had every intention of bringing it over here. If you’ve already read it, here’s a reminder. If you haven’t, it’s probably because my teeny tiny blog was never on your radar! Enjoy!
Trent Giambrone | IF, Iowa
A few years ago, my guy Brad on Twitter gave Giambrone the nickname of “Giant Trombone” and not one single day has passed when I haven’t read Trent’s name and not picture an oversized brass instrument.
Edmond Americaan | OF, South Bend
I’ve gotta admit, I have never seen the last name Americaan before in my entire life. With the tail-end of Edmond’s last name pronounced “con” instead of “can” it makes him sound a little extra fancy.
Yohendrick Pinango | OF, Myrtle Beach
I think this is probably the most fun name on the list. If your name sounds like you are casually greeting the ace of the Chicago Cubs pitching staff, you get extra points.
Flemin Bautista | IF, Myrtle Beach
Alright, so I know I don’t truly rank guys here on The Friday Five, and instead just toss five unranked guys out into the world. But if Bautista’s name was pronounced “Flamin’” instead of “Fleh-mean,” he would have been in a category of his own. Nevertheless, it’s still good enough to make it.
Max Bain | RHP, South Bend
Probably the most talked about All-Name Guy, Max’s presence on the mound isn’t the only thing that’s intimidating. Sharing a name with a super villain is a pretty easy way to have a future fan club named after you.
A bonus five for your pleasure:
Bradford Deppermann – Brad Depperman (one N) doesn’t sniff this list. Bradford Deppermann (two Ns) is terrific.
Bryce Ball – No extra points for sweet nicknames, but I almost made an exception for Ball Bunyan.
Davidjohn Herz – Not David, not John, but Davidjohn. Last name including a Z has added fun to it.
Pablo Aliendo – He isn’t an extra terrestrial but Pablo was absolutely a stranger to Cubs fans before this year. Now he’s one of the top catchers in the system.
Jake Slaughter – I’m pretty sure this is the name given to every single cool, made-up player in MLB The Show.
Feature photo of Max Bain by Rebecca Snyder/@becsnyder
