Supporting Blake Drake and the other MLB players with rhyming names

Of the thousands of prospects throughout baseball’s minor league systems, one stands out more for name than high ceiling. Unlike the two dozen players whose names are familiar to their parents or grandparents, this particular outfielder needs his first and last name to make history.

St. Louis prospect Blake Drake, if he keeps rising through the ranks, will become one of the few major leaguers to have a first name that rhymes with his last name. The California native had a breakout 2014 at the Johnson City rookie level of the Appalachian League, where he hit six home runs and hit .287. He moved up a level to Peoria to start last season, then earned a trade to Palm Beach in mid-2015.

In a few years, Cardinals fans could very well see him play at Busch Stadium. If so, they should have a lot of fun chanting his name as he approaches the plate. His rhyming two-syllable name sounds louder than most, even some of the most famous on the following list.

Here are ten current or one-time major league players whose first name rhymes with last.

blue moon

This switch-hitting first baseman played from 1921 to 1932 with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox. Primarily due to his outstanding defense, baseball historian Bill James ranked Lu Blue the 77th-greatest first baseman of all time.

Bill’s Hill

A pitcher in the late 1800s, Bill Hill played for major league teams in Cleveland, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, and Louisville.

don hahn

This easy-to-pronounce center fielder was a first-team member of the Montreal Expos, who joined the National League in 1969. Hahn later joined the New York Mets, where he helped his club win the NBA pennant. 1973.

john brown

Since he only lasted one major league season, it would be quite appropriate to say that after pitching two innings with the 1964 Milwaukee Braves, John Braun was gone from the big stage.

mark clark

Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 225 pounds, this 74-game MLB winner was certainly bigger than the two syllables in his names. He divided his ten-year career, which began with the Cardinals in 1991, among the White Sox, Mets, Indians and Rangers.

green gene

This seven-year veteran had the unusual role of catcher and right fielder, two positions he played for the Reds, Cardinals, Orioles, Senators and Indians beginning in 1957.

ed head

A pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1940 to 1946, Ed Head finished with a respectable 3.48 earned run average and a record of over .500.

greg legg

Ironically, Legg was best known for his arm, finishing his career with no stolen bases and more than a dozen assists. The middle infielder’s two seasons were spent with the Phillies from 1986-1987.

sam nahem

This pitcher took the mound in the late 1930s and early 1940s for two different teams, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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