Antonio Bastardo.

I wonder if he got teased in school any?

I am so glad that Razor Shines is active in baseball. Go Razor.
Can we get Urban Shocker back in baseball?

Urban Shocker died 79 years ago. Today's attention should be turned to the unjustly ignored Callix Crabbe.

Razor Shines was the White Sox third base coach just last year.

Anyway, I feel less of a desperate need for pitching prospects now that Gavin Eaton has returned from sub-mediocrity to mediocrity.

I am so glad that Razor Shines is active in baseball.

He's been a minor league manager for a while - he was at Charlotte the last couple of years.

-- MWE

"He's magnificent! I read his book!" -- Marty Pattin

For those who rode the short bus, bastardo means in Spanish exactly what it sounds like in English.

I look forward to Bastardo Montalban's return to BTF.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming bio by John Jakes...

For those who rode the short bus, bastardo means in Spanish exactly what it sounds like in English.

it was more of a long van...

The Blue Jays once had a minor league reliever named Perfecto Gaud. He was a bit less than perfect whenever he was on the mound.

These are the 10 best or funniest names on current major league rosters:

10. Felix Pie
9. Coco Crisp
8. R.A. Dickey
7. Chris Bootcheck
6. Callix Crabbe
5. Jimmy Gobble
4. Boof Bonser
3. Kevin Slowey
2. Kosuke Fukudome/Kazuo Fukumori
1. Dan Uggla

Some honorable mentions: David Riske, Chone Figgins, Edinson Volquez, Josh Fogg, Tom Gorzelanny, Yusmeiro Petit, Brian Bocock, Ubaldo Jimenez, Ryan Garko, Alberto Callaspo, Yorvit Torrealba, Yorman Bazardo, Yuniesky Betancourt, Yunel Escobar, Angel Pagan, Geovany Soto, Vladimir Guerrero, Wilson Betemit, Duaner Sanchez, Merkin Valdez, Melky Cabrera, Zack Greinke

Biran Bocock should definitely be in the top ten.

I just saw Randor Bierd for the first time during Saturday's Sox-O's game.

These are the 10 best or funniest names on current major league rosters:

These players of today just don't have what it takes to compete against the likes of Dick Pole and Pete LaCock.

Rusty Kuntz, anyone?

Certainly hope the Phillies fans who have created fan groups like the Wolf Pack have something special ready for Bastardo.

I've always enjoyed the name Lance Broadway.

Can we count Bossman Junior Upton?

These players of today just don't have what it takes to compete against the likes of Dick Pole and Pete LaCock.

More like the parents of the players of today. They're not cruel enough anymore.

Bastardo was 9-0 with a 1.87 ERA in 15 starts at Lakewood last year. 98 K's, 42 walks, 63 hits and 12 wild pitches in 91.2 innings.

This year he's 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 5 starts at Clearwater, with 47 K's, 10 walks, and 20 hits in 30.2 innings. And Razor Shines already wants him promoted.

One might say he's a pitching prospect.
Soon to become more famous than welterweight boxer Elvin Bastardo? We can only hope.

Joe "Sold into" Savery is looking pretty good at Clearwater too, but not nearly as dominating as Bastardo.

Certainly hope the Phillies fans who have created fan groups like the Wolf Pack have something special ready for Bastardo.

"Los Padres no Casados de Bastardo"

I'm waiting for the day when someone with a name like "Fukwitt" makes it into the majors, and announcers have no choice but to repeatedly swear during broadcasts.

It would be similar to 2001, when I tittered every time I heard about this new slugger named "Poo Holes."

It would be similar to 2001, when I tittered every time I heard about this new slugger named "Poo Holes."

Astros fans of the late 70's and early 80's had already been there and done that.

Well, not so much the "slugger" part....

Conrad Nussbaum needs to stop living in the past. How could Luis Pujols have been a greater Astros backup catcher than Tony Eusebio?

Hopefully the Jays decide to call up Buck Coats. That would go ahead and settle this discussion real fast.

I'm waiting for the day when someone with a name like "Fukwitt" makes it into the majors, and announcers have no choice but to repeatedly swear during broadcasts.

Just have Bert Blyleven call all his games.

Let us hope Bastardo never pulls a Carl Mays and kills a player named Kenny.

I'm fond of Yovani Gallardo. Any name that ends in Lardo...

I wonder if he got teased in school any?

Where I come from, if your name can be easily converted to "Tony The Bastard", you get left alone.

I wonder if he and Dan Le Batard have crossed paths yet.

I'm fond of Yovani Gallardo. Any name that ends in Lardo...

I'm thinking the ells in his name don't sound like English ells. Or am I out of the loop here?

Lenny DiNardo...now that's funny.

I never understood how you get "poo holes" from Pujols. There been various Spanish footballers witht the same last name and once knew a spaniard with that last name.

They all pronounced it poo-yol or puh-yol.

Is it different for non-spanish spanish speakers?

They all pronounced it poo-yol or puh-yol.
Well, Joaquin Andujar was Wa-keen An-du-har. Guad-a-la-hara is how the city in Mexico pronounced. Is the "middle of the word J" pronounced differently by a Spaniard than a New Worlder?

Is it different for non-spanish spanish speakers?

Do you say Miguel "teh-yada"?

They all pronounced it poo-yol or puh-yol.

Is it different for non-spanish spanish speakers?

Spanish pronunciation would be "POO-hols" (more or less--the j is pronounced like a "harsh" H; sort of like hocking a loogy). If the name has an origin other than Spanish, i.e. Basque, Catalan or Gallego (which it might; I have no idea), it might be pronounced differently, but that's the Spanish phonetics given the spelling of Pujols.

And "Gallardo" is definitely pronounced "guy-YAR-do."

I try not to say Tejada at all. Just musing as to whether Spanish has the same regional pronounciations as English, as from the Pujols comment it appears to be the case.

Another one is "z" which many places in spain is pronounced with a "th" sound.

The guy I knew was from Valencia so that may well be the case!

Let us hope Bastardo never pulls a Carl Mays and kills a player named Kenny.

Tremendous.

Just musing as to whether Spanish has the same regional pronounciations as English, as from the Pujols comment it appears to be the case.

To clarify: the "j" is pronounced pretty much the same everywhere in the Spanish speaking world as far as I know, but Spain has many different *languages* (not just dialects) spoken (such as those I listed). If Pujols originates in one of those languages, the J might well be pronounced differently in the original tongue; I don't know anything about those other languages, other than that they exist and more or less where they're spoken (Gallego in the NW part of Spain, Basque in the north central area, Catalan in Catalonia (northeastern area, including Barcelona).

You're correct that the "z" (and also the soft "c") varies in different places (pronounced like a "th" in some regions, but like an "s" in most).

You're correct that the "z" (and also the soft "c") varies in different places (pronounced like a "th" in some regions, but like an "s" in most).

I thought that was kind of interesting that in Pan's Labyrinth, they went with the lisping pronunciations.

I thought that was kind of interesting that in Pan's Labyrinth, they went with the lisping pronunciations.

Not sure what part(s) of Spain that's set in, but the lisp is used in both Madrid and Barcelona.

Not sure what part(s) of Spain that's set in, but the lisp is used in both Madrid and Barcelona.

Although set in Franco-era Spain (not Madrid or Barcelona, BTW), the director is Mexican, so that's why I thought it was interesting.

I miss Shooty Babitt.

I thought that was kind of interesting that in Pan's Labyrinth, they went with the lisping pronunciations.

Not sure what part(s) of Spain that's set in, but the lisp is used in both Madrid and Barcelona.

According to my Spanish ex-girlfriend, the lisping (th) replaces the s-sound c, and is characteristic of Castillan Spanish, which explains why it's common in Madrid. FWIW, Latinos in America could identify her immediately as Spanish from that alone.

Also, no love for Stubby Clapp in this thread?!?

There are lots of accents/dialects of Spanish, just like there are many different versions of English spoken here in the States. My friend Vanessa is from Chile - her Spanish sounds markedly different from the classic Castilian Spanish I was taught in high school (for instance, when using first person plural present verbs, she adds "po" to the end - "Vamos" becomes "Vamopo").

I don't speak very well, but can understand people from Spain much better than I can people from Latin America.

In any event, if there is a dialect that pronounces Pujols "Poo-yole" or "Poo-yoles", it wouldn't surprise me.