Welcome to part six of the Donruss Names Series, where we look at some of the more interesting names on the back of Donruss baseball cards. This series takes advantage of the fact that from 1981 to 1992, Donruss printed the players full legal name on the back of their cards. If you're new to this series of posts or just want to reminisce, here's what we've covered so far:
Part 1: Famous players who went by their middle name
Part 2: Players who you thought had a nickname, but their nickname was their real name
Part 3: Players with a unique first name (Part 1)
Part 4: Players with a unique first name (Part 2)
Part 5: Players with a unique middle name
All of the previous posts can be accessed by clicking here.
This week, we'll look at players who went by a nickname and get the scoop on their real names.
Interestingly, three of this week's players were prominent members of both the '77 and '78 New York. So if you know your late 70's Yankees, you should score well with this quiz. I'll mix the non-Yankees in with the Yankees.
If you want to skip ahead to the answers, feel free. The questions and answers are repeated below along with the cards that show the info.
1) Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of John Milton? (1982 Donruss)
A) Roy White
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers
2) Which part-time player from the late 70s and early 80s had the given first/middle name Gene Ellis? (1981 Donruss)
A) Denny Walling
B) Champ Summers
C) Mickey Klutts
D) Broderick Perkins
3) Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Russell Earl? (1982 Donruss)
A) Paul Blair
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers
4) Which future manager who played 17 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of John Albert? (1981 Donruss)
A) Buck Martinez
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Tony Pena
5) Which relative of a more famous player had the given first/middle name of Elliott Taylor? (1982 Donruss)
A) Dale Berra
B) Ken Brett
C) Larry Yount
D) Bump Wills
6) Which pitcher from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Albert Walter? (1982 Donruss)
A) Sparky Lyle
B) Dick Tidrow
C) Goose Gossage
D) Ron Guidry
7) Which future pennant winning manager who played 19 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of Johnnie B.? (1986 Donruss)
A) Dusty Baker
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Terry Francona
8) Which long-time Cub and Dodger had the given name Robert James? (1982 Donruss)
A) Ron Cey
B) Rick Monday
C) Bill Buckner
D) Rick Sutcliffe
9) Which pitcher who carved out a 19-year career as a reliever had the given name Frank Edwin? (1982 Donruss)
A) Willie Hernandez
B) Bruce Sutter
C) Lee Smith
D) Tug McGraw
OK, time to see how you did.
1) Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of John Milton? (1982 Donruss)
A) Roy White
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers
2) Which part-time player from the late 70s and early 80s had the given first/middle name Gene Ellis? (1981 Donruss)
A) Denny Walling
B) Champ Summers
C) Mickey Klutts
D) Broderick Perkins
Mickey Klutts belongs in the all-time pantheon of great baseball names in my opinion.
3) Which position player from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Russell Earl? (1982 Donruss)
A) Paul Blair
B) Bucky Dent
C) Lou Piniella
D) Mickey Rivers
Red Sox fans especially might find it surprising that Bucky Dent's middle name is Earl and not f***ing.
4) Which future manager who played 17 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of John Albert? (1981 Donruss)
A) Buck Martinez
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Tony Pena
Buck only managed a season and a half with Toronto, but for some reason I thought his tenure was longer. He had a winning percentage of .465.
5) Which relative of a more famous player had the given first/middle name of Elliott Taylor? (1982 Donruss)
A) Dale Berra
B) Ken Brett
C) Larry Yount
D) Bump Wills
Bump played in Japan in 1983 and 1984 before retiring.
6) Which pitcher from the '77 and '78 World Champion Yankees had the given first/middle name of Albert Walter? (1982 Donruss)
A) Sparky Lyle
B) Dick Tidrow
C) Goose Gossage
D) Ron Guidry
The acquisition of Goose Gossage for the 1978 season caused some tension with Lyle, who was the shutdown closer in 1977.
7) Which future pennant winning manager who played 19 years in MLB had the given first/middle name of Johnnie B.? (1986 Donruss)
A) Dusty Baker
B) Cito Gaston
C) Ned Yost
D) Terry Francona
8) Which long-time Cub and Dodger had the given name Robert James? (1982 Donruss)
A) Ron Cey
B) Rick Monday
C) Bill Buckner
D) Rick Sutcliffe
The flag-saving outfielder opted for Rick instead of Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby.
9) Which pitcher who carved out a 19-year career as a reliever had the given name Frank Edwin? (1982 Donruss)
A) Willie Hernandez
B) Bruce Sutter
C) Lee Smith
D) Tug McGraw
How did Tug McGraw become Tug McGraw? I'll leave you with this funny excerpt from McGraw's SABR biography
“I never answered to another name,” he told author Stanley Cohen in A Magic Summer. “My mother started calling me Tug when I was an infant because of the way I nursed. ‘He’s a real Tugger,’ she said.
“On my first day of kindergarten, the teacher called the roll and when she finished she said, ‘Is there anyone whose name I didn’t call?” I raised my hand. ‘My name is Tug McGraw,’ I said. She looked at the roll and said, ‘I have a Frank McGraw.’ I said, ‘No, that’s my dad. He already went to kindergarten.’”
How'd you do on the quiz today? Which name surprised you most? Thanks for reading.
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