Unique Names

Here is a list of the 406 players in MLB history who are the only player in MLB hiustory to have BOTH their first name, AND to have their last name:

Raleigh Aitchison
Gibson Alba
Santo Alcala
Gair Allie
Porfi Altamirano
Rugger Ardizoia
Casper Asbjornson
Tucker Ashford
Elden Auker
Leslie Aulds
Shooty Babitt
Burke Badenhop
Cha Seung Baek
Jersey Bakely
Rocco Baldelli
Wladimir Balentien
Collin Balester
Pelham Ballenger
Stud Bancker
Jap Barbeau
Salome Barojas
Cuno Barragan
Kimera Bartee
Yorman Bazardo
Jodie Beeler
Petie Behan
Ronald Belisario
Reno Bertoia
Randor Bierd
Rivington Bisland
Rae Blaemire
Linc Blakely
Hiram Bocachica
Ping Bodie
Jung Bong
Boof Bonser
Doe Boyland
Gibby Brack
Yhency Brazoban
Lesli Brea
Fatty Briody
Arlo Brunsberg
T.R. Bryden
Francisley Bueno
Sim Bullas
Madison Bumgarner
Watch Burnham
Jeromy Burnitz
Emmanuel Burriss
Putsy Caballero
Napoleon Calzado
Cardell Camper
Sil Campusano
Conrad Cardinal
Esmailin Caridad
Cisco Carlos
Giovanni Carrara
Amalio Carreno
Keefe Cato
O.P. Caylor
Italo Chelini
Jin Ho Cho
Hee Seop Choi
Shin-Soo Choo
Archi Cianfrocco
Galen Cisco
Uke Clanton
Gowell Claset
Harlond Clift
Flea Clifton
Pasqual Coco
Ivanon Coffie
Bunk Congalton
Mays Copeland
Trace Coquillette
Ensign Cottrell
Marlan Coughtry
Callix Crabbe
Gavvy Cravath
Creepy Crespi
Ches Crist
Walton Cruise
Press Cruthers
Darwin Cubillan
Fats Dantonio
Eulogio De La Cruz
Yurendell DeCaster
Garton Del Savio
Flame Delhi
Wheezer Dell
Delino DeShields
Orestes Destrade
Emerson Dickman
Reese Diggs
Pickles Dillhoefer
Alec Distaso
Lester Dole
Atley Donald
Octavio Dotel
Jean Dubuc
Clise Dudley
Shawon Dunston
Erubiel Durazo
Cedric Durst
Rawly Eastwick
Vallie Eaves
Derrin Ebert
Jacoby Ellsbury
Verdo Elmore
Narciso Elvira
Chester Emerson
Darin Erstad
Vaughn Eshelman
Alvaro Espinoza
Dude Esterbrook
Uel Eubanks
Ferd Eunick
Ferris Fain
Rags Faircloth
Anton Falch
Rikkert Faneyte
Darcy Fast
Chone Figgins
Pembroke Finlayson
Gar Finnvold
Bryce Florie
Bartolome Fortunato
Lawrence Freund
Marion Fricano
Ernesto Frieri
Emiliano Fruto
Kosuke Fukudome
Dot Fulghum
Kason Gabbard
Yovani Gallardo
Balvino Galvez
Daff Gammons
Nomar Garciaparra
Debs Garms
Dinty Gearin
Samuel Gervacio
Bernard Gilkey
Tinsley Ginn
Jerry Don Gleaton
Jot Goar
Purnal Goldy
Goose Goslin
Mase Graffen
Beiker Graterol
Denver Grigsby
Cecilio Guante
Creighton Gubanich
Tedd Gullic
Yamid Haad
Atlee Hammaker
Loy Hanning
Devern Hansack
F.C. Hansford
J.A. Happ
Topsy Hartsel
Ziggy Hasbrook
Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Thorny Hawkes
Chicken Hawks
Dirk Hayhurst
Drungo Hazewood
Emmet Heidrick
Crese Heismann
Olaf Henriksen
Remy Hermoso
Orel Hershiser
Mahlon Higbee
Shea Hillenbrand
Vedie Himsl
Myril Hoag
Oris Hockett
Holly Hollingshead
Trader Horne
Hanson Horsey
Chin-Lung Hu
Miller Huggins
Kei Igawa
Tadahito Iguchi
Blaise Ilsley
Hernan Iribarren
Kazuhisa Ishii
Charlton Jimerson
Waldis Joaquin
Kenji Johjima
Smead Jolley
Addie Joss
Jair Jurrjens
Kila Ka'aihue
Benn Karr
Kenshin Kawakami
Cactus Keck
Katsy Keifer
Masao Kida
Harmon Killebrew
Malachi Kittridge
Nub Kleinke
Punch Knoll
Masahide Kobayashi
Satoru Komiyama
Dae-Sung Koo
Hong-Chih Kuo
Hiroki Kuroda
Jul Kustus
Masumi Kuwata
Flip Lafferty
Lerrin LaGrow
Hobie Landrith
Tacks Latimer
Bevo LeBourveau
Regis Leheny
Christopher Leroux
Rufino Linares
Vive Lindaman
Em Lindbeck
Abel Lizotte
Baldy Louden
Torey Lovullo
Fletcher Low
Peanuts Lowrey
Donny Lucy
Dolf Luque
Biz Mackey
Waddy Macphee
Warner Madrigal
Ever Magallanes
Duster Mails
Vincent Maney
Effa Manley
Georges Maranda
Firpo Marberry
Wedo Martini
Shairon Martis
Onan Masaoka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Dal Maxvill
Sport McAllister
Quinton McCracken
Stoney McGlynn
Stover McIlwain
Limb McKenry
Bid McPhee
Mox McQuery
Trick McSorley
Jouett Meekin
Cla Meredith
Scat Metha
Hensley Meulens
Levi Meyerle
Lastings Milledge
Dustan Mohr
Fenton Mole
Bitsy Mott
Dominic Mulrenan
Horatio Munn
Masanori Murakami
Simmy Murch
Cholly Naranjo
Bots Nekola
Fu-Te Ni
Jonathon Niese
Otho Nitcholas
Hideo Nomo
Takahito Nomura
Talmadge Nunnari
Emory Nusz
Rebel Oakes
Rowland Office
Tomokazu Ohka
Franquelis Osoria
Case Patten
Harrison Peppers
Pol Perritt
Pretzel Pezzullo
Squiz Pillion
Vada Pinson
Togie Pittinger
Gaylen Pitts
Elmo Plaskett
Jennings Poindexter
Placido Polanco
Sidney Ponson
Harlin Pool
Arquimedez Pozo
Tot Pressnell
Blondie Purcell
Pid Purdy
Merritt Ranew
Ribs Raney
Erwin Renfer
Flint Rhem
Branch Rickey
Dorsey Riddlemoser
Nikco Riesgo
Jerrod Riggan
Culley Rikard
Eppa Rixey
Sendy Rleal
Billy Jo Robidoux
Stanley Robison
Bullet Rogan
Henri Rondeau
Edd Roush
Bama Rowell
Muddy Ruel
Glendon Rusch
Marius Russo
Jae Kuk Ryu
C.C. Sabathia
Lenn Sakata
F.P. Santangelo
Kazuhiro Sasaki
Admiral Schlei
Crazy Schmit
Ossee Schreckengost
Pi Schwert
Epp Sell
Carey Selph
Jae Weong Seo
Merle Settlemire
Zak Shinall
Tsuyoshi Shinjo
Urban Shocker
Costen Shockley
Strick Shofner
Lev Shreve
Hosea Siner
Sibby Sisti
Roe Skidmore
Terrmel Sledge
Heathcliff Slocumb
Clancy Smyres
Esix Snead
Colonel Snover
Alay Soler
Joakim Soria
Denard Span
Tris Speaker
By Speece
Levale Speigner
Scipio Spinks
Jigger Statz
Kennie Steenstra
Rennie Stennett
Dernell Stenson
Royle Stillman
Gat Stires
Snuffy Stirnweiss
Lin Storti
Allyn Stout
Cub Stricker
Seem Studley
Tanyon Sturtze
Park Swartzel
Oad Swigart
Kazuhito Tadano
So Taguchi
Shingo Takatsu
La Schelle Tarver
Junichi Tazawa
Jug Thesenga
Verle Tiefenthaler
Cannonball Titcomb
Specs Toporczer
Rupe Toppin
Wyatt Toregas
Cristobal Torriente
Pie Traynor
Overton Tremper
Coaker Triplett
Quincy Trouppe
Chin-hui Tsao
Twink Twining
Koji Uehara
Ugueth Urbina
Elam Vangilder
Zoilo Versalles
Kerrville Vinegar Bend
Edinson Volquez
Kermit Wahl
Chien-Ming Wang
Pee-Wee Wanninger
Buzzy Wares
Link Wasem
Ehren Wassermann
Rickie Weeks
Biggs Wehde
Podge Weihe
Huyler Westervelt
Stefan Wever
Gurdon Whiteley
Possum Whitted
Denney Wilie
Kettle Wirts
Mellie Wolfgang
Rynie Wolters
Favel Wordsworth
Yats Wuestling
Keiichi Yabu
Yasuhiko Yabuta
Yam Yaryan
Masato Yoshii

Most parsimonious game ever?

Pop Quiz:

Q: What is the fewest possible number of plate appearances by one team in an official game?

A: 27? No wait...15? No..

Would you believe...13?


Whilst poking around on bbrefpi, I encountered the following gem: Box

Dick Drago held the Orioles perfect for four innings, except for a Frank Robinson dinger. By the time it started raining in the middle of the 5th, the O's were winning, the game (featuring five future Hall of Famers, by my count) was official, and Drago went down in history for the fewest batters faced in a complete game - an unbreakable record!

Captain Zero's Zeroes

Ever wonder what a roster would look like, comprised entirely of the worst players to have ever suited up? Wonder no longer.

STARTING LINEUP	Pos	Year	Team	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS+
Brad Ausmus	C	2006	HOU	2	39	3	.230	.308	.285	54
Ivy Griffin	1B	1920	PHA	0	20	3	.238	.281	.274	47
Bill Hallman	2B	1901	CLE-PHI	0	41	13	.185	.238	.235	36
Art Scharein	3B	1933	SLB	0	26	7	.204	.269	.244	34
Jim Levey	SS	1933	SLB	2	36	4	.195	.237	.240	24
Brian Hunter	LF	1999	DET-SEA	4	34	44	.232	.280	.301	48
Willy Taveras	CF	2008	COL	1	26	68	.251	.308	.296	56
Earl McNeely	RF	1928	SLB	0	44	8	.236	.299	.319	60
Skeeter Newsome	DH	1936	PHA	0	46	13	.225	.266	.265	33
"Bench"	Pos	Year	Team	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS+
Jim Sundberg	C	1975	TEX	6	36	3	.199	.283	.256	55
Billy Hunter	2S	1953	SLB	1	37	3	.219	.253	.259	37
Hunter Hill	13	1904	SLB-WSH	0	31	14	.204	.236	.226	49
George Barclay	OF	1904	STL-BSN	1	38	17	.205	.241	.254	55
Michael Bourn	OF	2008	HOU	5	29	41	.229	.288	.300	57
Average (Min 502 PA)				2	35	17	.218	.271	.268	46.1
ROTATION	Pos	Year	Team	W	L	IP	K	WHIP	ERA	ERA+
Jose Lima	SP	2005	KCR	5	16	169	80	1.66	6.99	63
Dan Griner	SP	1913	STL	10	22	225	79	1.53	5.08	64
Irv Young	SP	1907	BSN	10	23	245	86	1.41	3.96	64
Hal Gregg	SP	1944	BRO	9	16	198	92	1.71	5.46	65
Eric Milton	SP	2005	CIN	8	15	186	123	1.55	6.47	66
Average (Min. 30 GS)				8	18	205	92	1.57	5.59	64.4
BULLPEN	Pos	Year	Team	W	L	SV	K/9	WHIP	ERA	ERA+
Vic Darensbourg	LG	1999	FLA	0	1	0	4.15	2.05	8.83	49
Ron Davis	SU	1986	MIN-CHC	2	8	2	6.14	2.01	8.59	49
Lee Guetterman	SU	1992	NYY-NYM	4	5	2	2.73	1.80	7.09	51
Jose Mesa	CL	2003	PHI	5	7	24	6.98	1.76	6.52	61
Derrick Turnbow	CL	2006	MIL	4	9	24	11.02	1.69	6.87	66
Mike Williams	CL	2003	PIT-PHI	1	7	28	5.57	1.70	6.14	69
Average (Min. 50 GR)				3	6.2	13	6.1	1.84	7.34	57.5

You'll probably notice a few things about this team:

• first of all, several of these players were traded mid-season (no surprise), but also that it includes the left side of the infield for the 1933 St. Louis Browns. You'd think that with those clunkers draining valuable VORP for 500+ PAs, the Browns wouldn't be such a good team, but they actually won the pennant that year! Just kidding, they finished dead last.
• Also interesting is the fact that Jose Mesa appears both on this list, AND on the list of top 3 closers' ERA+ seasons!
• Speedsters Willy Taveras, Brian Hunter and Michael Bourn all spent the bulks of their careers with the Astros.
  

Cleveland Indians All-Time All Star Team

I had so much fun compiling that all-time all-star team, I thought I'd do it for just the Indians. I figured I'd use similar rules, except compile a 25-man roster: 8 position players plus a DH (best season by a player not already listed, rather than the best season by a DH), with a minimum of 502 PA. The bench is comprised of a backup catcher, a backup 2B/SS and a backup 1B/3B, and two extra outfielders (again, no duplicate seasons allowed, so each is for the next best unique player).

For pitchers, it was a bit trickier and perhaps a bit arbitrary. To make the rotation, a pitcher simply needed a minimum of 30 games started. I did this instead of making a minimum 162 IP because a lot of old-timey pitchers were coming up who only started 10-15 games and relieved another 2-30, yet pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. I simply did not want those guys on my All-Star team, because I assume there was a reason they didn't spend the entire season in the rotation, and alsdo because I think their numbers look ugly.

In the pen, I wanted three closers, two setup guys and a situational lefty.

1) A closer was simply defined as someone who a) relieved at least 50 games, and b) had at least 20 saves.

2) A setup guy was defined as someone who a) relieved at least 50 games, b) saved 19 or fewer games, and c) was not:

3) A situational lefty, which I (rather arbitrarily) defined as someone who a) relieved at least 50 games, b) threw with his left hand, and c) had at least 10 fewer innings pitched than appearances.

Without further ado...

STARTING LINEUP	Pos	Year	Team	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS+
Johnny Romano	C	1961	CLE	21	80	0	.299	.377	.483	132
Jim Thome	1B	2002	CLE	52	118	1	.304	.445	.677	197
Nap LaJoie	2B	1904	CLE	6	102	29	.376	.413	.552	205
Al Rosen	3B	1953	CLE	43	145	8	.336	.442	.613	179
Lou Boudreau	SS	1948	CLE	18	106	3	.355	.453	.534	164
Albert Belle	LF	1995	CLE	50	126	5	.317	.401	.690	177
Tris Speaker	CF	1916	CLE	2	79	35	.386	.470	.502	185
Shoeless Joe Jackson	RF	1911	CLE	7	83	41	.408	.468	.590	193
Manny Ramirez	DH	2000	CLE	38	122	1	.351	.457	.697	186
Bench	Pos	Year	Team	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS+
Victor Martinez	C	2005	CLE	20	80	0	.305	.378	.475	130
Roberto Alomar	2S	2001	CLE	20	100	30	.336	.415	.541	150
Boog Powell	13	1975	CLE	27	86	1	.297	.377	.524	154
Rocky Colavito	OF	1958	CLE	41	113	0	.303	.405	.620	180
Elmer Flick	OF	1905	CLE	4	64	35	.308	.383	.462	166
Average (Min 502 PA)				25	100	14	.334	.420	.569	171
ROTATION	Pos	Year	Team	W	L	IP	K	WHIP	ERA	ERA+
Addie Joss	SP	1908	CLE	24	11	325	130	0.81	1.16	205
Luis Tiant	SP	1968	CLE	21	9	258	264	0.87	1.6	186
Cliff Lee	SP	2008	CLE	22	3	223	170	1.11	2.54	175
Gaylord Perry	SP	1972	CLE	24	16	343	234	0.98	1.92	170
Herb Score	SP	1956	CLE	20	9	249	263	1.17	2.53	166
Average				22	10	280	212	0.99	1.95	180
Average (Min. 30 GS)
BULLPEN	Pos	Year	Team	W	L	SV	K/9	WHIP	ERA	ERA+
Paul Assenmacher	LG	1996	CLE	4	2	1	8.49	1.29	3.09	159
Rafael Betancourt	SU	2007	CLE	5	1	3	9.08	0.76	1.47	312
Steve Mingori	SU	1971	CLE	1	2	4	7.15	0.97	1.43	267
Jose Mesa	CL	1995	CLE	3	0	46	8.16	1.03	1.12	415
Mike Jackson	CL	1998	CLE	1	1	40	7.73	0.88	1.55	307
Bob Wickman	CL	2001	CLE	5	0	32	8.78	1.11	2.39	187
Average (Min. 50 GR)				3	1	21	8.23	1.01	1.84	275