Hall of Name: Baseball's Most Magnificent Monikers from 'The Only Nolan' to 'Van Lingle Mungo' and More Paperback – March 17, 2020

D.B. Firstman’s Hall of Name is for every baseball fan who wondered if there really was a player named Pebbly Jack Glasscock, or if Coco Crisp was for real. It is for every fan who read and loved the non-statistical parts of Bill James Historical Abstracts, and wondered what the players (and life) were like during past eras. It is for every fan who read Jayson Stark’s Useless Information columns and found it to be one of the most entertaining (and therefore useful) parts of their day.Although all that links the players highlighted in the book are unusual, funny or downright strange names, the book is also a social history of the US, in a way, describing the lives and times of the players, and how they got their names (some are inexplicable).Finally, for baseball fans, the book is a reminder of each player’s unique and difficult path to the Majors, with some of these guys (almost) never getting the call despite hitting the cover off the ball in the Minors while others have an easier, if sometimes less obvious, path.I am now a member of the Smead Jolly Fan Club, and wish I could have seen how truly awful his defense must have been, because the guy was a pure hitter.

This book is just a joy from first page to last. When our son played baseball, he'd occasionally have a teammate with an unusual name, and someone would inevitably say -- man, that's a great baseball name. Baseball fans all know what we mean, but it's hard to define precisely what makes a great baseball name -- we all just know it when we hear it. DB Firstman knows it, too, and he's put together a wonderful collection of the best, most interesting, most unusual, most remarkable baseball names. But if it were just a collection of names, it would have limited value -- DB's notes are what make this book grand and well worth the price. A skilled writer as well as an accomplished statistician, DB adds background and context to all of the players' stories -- information that makes this book a sincere delight for everyone who cares (even a little) about the nation's past time. SO much fun!! Since we're deprived a proper opening day this spring, this book can remind you of why you loved baseball in the first place.

DB Firstman hits for the cycle in this stunning and quite amazing book. Every baseball fan--and every linguist--will find much to savor in these pages. The HALL OF NAME is not a fast read--and I mean this in the most positive sense. Readers will linger over these pages. The book is packed with information and data: trivia, yes, but also compelling nutshell biographies and vivid descriptions of one hundred major league players who just happen to have one thing in common: unusual names. I picked it up intending to read for a few minutes to catch the drift of the book's intentions and strategy. An hour or so later, I was still reading, entry to entry, finding entertaining nuggets of information. Firstman is a first-rate researcher. This book is obviously a labor of love. And I can't wait to read its sequel.

I bought this book back in 2020 and read it cover to cover. Inspired by the recent baseball season, I started reading some of my favorite chapters again (Dirty Names Done Dirt Cheap, Sounds Good to Me, and No Focus Group Convened). Fav section for each player---The Wonder of His Name and Fun Anagrams!!Lots of baseball history, amazing player biographies, and fun word play.

This book is delightful! If you love baseball and fascinated by it's history and oddities and weird names then this is the book for you. Yes? Me too.Have you ever wondered about names like Pete LaCock, Coco Crisp and, of course, Van Lingle Mungo? I have, my whole life. What DB Firstman has done here is absolutely wonderful. Each player is introduced with his birth name, nickname and other biographical information. This is followed by a career narrative including the players' best game. The real joy and hilarity of the book derives from the next part - "the wonder of his name".I loved the stories about each player and couldn't wait to read the next. I was such fun. It's been awhile since I've read a "history" book (baseball or otherwise) that was so darn funny and plainly entertaining. Highly, highly recommended.

It is fun to read about the players with unusual names, the origins of those names and so on. But what was most interesting was the treasure trove of information on each highlighted player. I knew Ferris Fain played for a few years, but never knew he played in the Pacific Coast League or why his career was cut short. The name Van Lingo Mungo was familiar to me, but not his extensive career (Where did DB find all this information?) nor his shenanigans at the Hotel Nacional in Cuba in 1941! This isn't the kind of book you read through cover to cover. More likely you pick it up from time to time to read about a few players and come back to it another time. I would like to see a sequel that included Coot Veal and Spook Jacobs from the 50s.

Having been a baseball fan since I was very young, part of my enjoyment came from collecting baseball cards and appreciating some of the weirder names that I’d come across. If you’re anything like that, this is an ideal book for you.It would have been easy to put together a simple book of funny names with a little snippet of information about each one, but D.B. Firstman offers a deep dive into these players, giving some insight as to how these players got these names in the first place, and giving life to punchline names like “Rusty Kuntz” and “Tony Suck”.This could be a dry read, but Firstman’s sense of humor and wit make it entertaining and something you find yourself going back to. I look forward to a second volume.