* What did you just call me?

December 12, 2008

I noted with some amusement a piece by Dan Graziano, the baseball writer for The Star-Ledger, in which he finds it necessary to spell out the phonetic pronunciation of the newly-acquired relief pitcher J.J. Putz (sounds like “pootz”). Putz, who had spent his entire six-year career with the Seattle Mariners, is used to being his team’s closer. He saved 36 and 40 games in 2006 and 2007, respectively, but was slowed by injuries this year.

Appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, Putz is not Jewish and he brings to mind other Yiddish-sounding names, without a Jew in the lot. Bill Hickman, a member of the Society for American baseball Research, provided the following material

  • Connie Grob (Yiddish for coarse or rude), Washington Senators, 1956
  • Larry Hisle (a heizel is a brothel), Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewres, 1968-71 and 1973-82
  • Ed Karger (tighwad), several clubs, 1906-11
  • Clyde Klutz (clumsy person), longtime baseball scout
  • Brent Knackert (a k’nacker is a big shot), Seattle Mariners (1990) and Boston Red Sox (1997)
  • Emil Kush (kiss), Chicago Cubs, 1941-42 and 1946-49
  • Bris Lord, several clubs, 1905-07 and 1909-13
  • Kevin Mench, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, 2002-present
  • Earl Mossor (a mosser is a squealer), brooklyn Dodgers, 1951
  • Dave Schneck (snail), New York Mets, 1972-74

Would iyou/i call this man Putz?

Would you call this man Putz?
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Tagged as: J.J. Putz, New York Mets, Yiddish

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