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What’s in a Name? Punny You Should Ask

Sep 6, 2004  •  Post A Comment

By Lee Alan Hill

ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman has made a name for himself by making up names for others.

Mr. Berman said he began concocting his sometimes-clever, always-silly puns, based mainly on the names of baseball and football players, “because we had time to fill, and I was trying to make the coverage fun.”

He said he can’t recall which baseball star name he first made, well, sport of. It was either pitcher Frank Tanana (“Frank Tanana Daiquiri”) or first baseman John Mayberry (“John Mayberry, R.F.D.”).

Here are some of his favorites (from a reported list of more than 1,000):

  • Roberto “Remember the” Alomar
  • Kevin “Small Mouth” Bass
  • Bert “Be Home” Blyleven
  • Steve “I’ve Got You Babe” Bono
  • Ron “Born in the U.S.” Cey
  • Jim “Two Silhouettes On” Deshaies
  • Ron “Double” Dibble
  • Tom “East of” Edens
  • Danny “Uriah” Heep
  • Tommy “Ben” Herr
  • Bob “Yom” Kipper
  • Urbano “Renewal” Lugo
  • Chris Fuamatu “Bad” Ma’afala
  • Curtis “My Favorite” Martin
  • Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff
  • John Orton “Hears a Who”
  • Tim “Purple” Raines
  • Andre “Bad Moon” Rison
  • Mark “Tossed” Salas
  • Scott “Room” Servais
  • Bobby “Be My” Valentine
  • Andy “Dick” Van Slyke
  • Rich “Not Ready” Yett