30 Most Feminine Names in MLB History

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

In all sports, one will find unique names. The NFL had JaMarcus Russell, the NBA had the late Manute Bol and the NHL had Keith Tkachuk.

The baseball annals have also seen their share of interesting names, from Rabbit Maranville to Nap Lajoie. Yet, looking through some of the players in the game today as well as in the past, some names just seem a bit off. Thinking about it now, some names just seem a bit girlish, even with gender neutral names like Casey.

Oh, and let's not forget Oakland A's outfielder Coco Crisp and the memories of grandma's perfume that his name brings.

In fact, let's take a look at some of these names and look at the 30 most feminine in baseball history.

Casey Candaele

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

As I mentioned in the introduction, Casey is a fairly gender neutral name.  Still, every Casey I've ever met, human and animal, has been a female, so it will qualify for this list.

That said, we're kicking things off with Casey Candaele, who spent nine seasons as a utility man with the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians.

The diminutive switch-hitter wasn't anything special, but his claim to fame was. Candaele's mother, Helen Callaghan, played in the famous All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which inspired the hit movie A League of Their Own.

Christy Mathewson

photo courtesy of nndb.com

I understand that Mathewson's nickname was short for Christopher, but I actually went to summer camp with a girl named Christy Mathewson.  Thus, the Hall-of-Famer makes the cut.

Still, despite his feminine-sounding name, Mathewson was one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and his 373-188 career record to go with a 2.13 career ERA shows it.

Kelly Shoppach

Gail Oskin/Getty Images

Yes, Kelly is also a gender-neutral name and I see that Shoppach has a pretty sick beard going on, but look at his name. It sounds as though it were a rejected character idea for Beverly Hills 90210.

Shelley Duncan

Jason Miller/Getty Images

OK, so Shelley is just his middle name.  Still, the fact that he goes by it combined with the fact that my mother's name is Michelle and that she went by Shelley in high school puts the Cleveland Indians outfielder on the list.

Torii Hunter

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Come on, ladies and gentlemen.  Are we really surprised about this one?  The second "i" is all we need, especially since Hunter's real first name is Victorii.

Kendrys Morales

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

I'll admit that Kendrys is a pretty badass sounding name, but Morales only recently started going by that.  When he first came to the majors, he was "Kendry."  That sounds a bit feminine and juvenile, don't you think?

Kenley Jansen

Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Only one piece of evidence is needed as to why Kenley is a feminine name.  It turns out that there is also a Kenley Collins, who was a contestant on the hit TV show Project Runway.  I don't care that Collins is a woman, the association with the show itself makes Jansen's first name feminine enough.

Gaby Sanchez

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Sanchez's given first name is Gabriel, which is fairly common.  Still, last I checked, the nickname associated with Gabriel was "Gabe" and not "Gaby"...

Doe Boyland

photo courtesy of seamheads.com

Clearly, Mr. Boyland wanted to be associated with a female deer and not the sole novel of Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray.  Call me crazy, but maybe he would have had more than 21 MLB games and one career RBI had he gone by his given name of Dorian?

Oliver "Patsy" Tebeau

photo courtesy of vintagecardprices.com

Easily one of the greatest contact hitters of his generation, it's unclear as to how Tebeau came to be known by his famous nickname.  Still, find me another man TODAY who goes by that name, and I'll buy you a steak dinner.

Granville "Granny" Hamner

photo courtesy of baseball-almanac.com

A three-time All Star for the Philadelphia Phillies team known as "The Whiz Kids," I can't help but wonder if Hamner spent his spare time knitting sweaters for his teammates..

William "Kitty" Bransfield

photo courtesy of starsofthediamond.com

If Hamner spent his spare time knitting sweaters, maybe Bransfield spent his time chasing the balls of yarns that were used to make the sweaters?

Still, all jokes aside about his nickname, Bransfield was a good contact hitter in the early days of baseball, batting .270 and striking out just 383 times in 12 seasons.

Dale Thayer

Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Yes, I understand that Dale is also a gender neutral name, as both the Disney character and hilarious individual from King of the Hill each have that name.

However, whenever I hear the name "Dale," my first memory is that of my grandparents' Roy Rogers and Dale Evans records.  Sure, Mr. Thayer looks like he enjoys his fair share of country music, but the memory speaks for itself.

I hear the name, and "Happy Trails" immediately starts playing in my head.

Raymond "Snooks" Dowd

Even though Dowd only played in 16 major league games, the nickname is absolutely incredible.  That said, I think we all know where this one is going.

Coco Crisp

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Covelli Crisp has gone by his famous nickname since he was a child and to be honest, the first thing I think of when I hear his nickname is a certain chocolatey cereal.  However, it also makes one think of the scent of Chanel No. 5 and, in my case, my neighbor's old poodle.

Given how many could associate it with a women's perfume, it's only right that Crisp make the list.

Madison Bumgarner

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

I apologize if I'm crossing a line here, but am I the only one who thinks that Madison is a stripper-ish name?

Shannon Stewart

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Normally, I would just make fun of Stewart for having a name that is given out to girls 99.9% of the time.  Yet, that would be too arbitrary and cruel, so I won't do it.

Instead, I'll point out that he shares both his first and last name with a beautiful young lady who was on America's Next Top Model.

Allie Reynolds

photo courtesy of vintagecardtraders.org

I wish I was kidding, but that is Reynolds' real first name.  Sure, he won six World Series rings, made six All-Star teams and even threw two no-hitters in 1951, but he still has the same name of my older sister (though her given name is Alexandra).

Thus, he's on the list.

Addie Joss

In nine seasons, Adrian Joss posted an incredible 1.89 ERA and had a career record of 160-97. Still, he chose to go by the name "Addie."

Today, everyone I know with that name is a middle-aged woman.

Aubrey Huff

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Though the last couple of seasons have dogged him at the plate, Huff has had a reputation as a reliable left-handed power bat for most of his career.  Still, his name isn't exactly one that screams intimidation.

Rather than a good hitter, Huff's name sounds almost like that of a cheerleader.  On top of that, I had a friend growing up whose younger sister just happened to be named Aubrey.

Candy Cummings

photo courtesy of rustywilly.com

Remember how when I mentioned Madison Bumgarner, I said that I thought his first name was stripper-like?  Regarding Mr. Cummings, this name just sounds like that of a porn star.

Charles Arnold "Chick" Gandil

photo courtesy of baseball-fever.com

Gandil's name is known in the baseball world for being one among the eight players implicated in the infamous Black Sox Scandal.  Yet, regarding his appearance on this list, his nickname says it all.

Lindy McDaniel

photo courtesy of baseball-almanac.com

When hearing McDaniel's first name, I think of three things: a successful pitcher who enjoyed 21 seasons in the majors, delicious cheesecake, and a great aunt who used to pinch my cheeks in a torturous manner.

Dizzy & Daffy Dean

photo courtesy of sportsillustrated.cnn.com

We're going to kill two birds with one stone here and discuss the Dean Brothers.  Dizzy was the ace of the pitching staff of some St. Louis Cardinals teams known as the "Gashouse Gang."  He went 150-83 with a 3.02 ERA in 12 seasons and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Daffy was also a pitcher, but nowhere near as dominant as his brother.

All stats aside, however, doesn't "Dizzy & Daffy Dean" sound like it should be a vaudevillian sister act?

Casey Fossum

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Well, here we are back on the Casey bandwagon.  This time, instead of the son of a baseball pioneer, we have a mediocre lefty specialist who owns a 5.45 career ERA over nine seasons.

Fossum last pitched in the majors during a brief stint with the Mets in 2009, registering a 2.25 ERA in three appearances.  Oddly enough, that was the lowest ERA he had posted since 2002.

Currently, he is pitching on a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

Casey Blake

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Not only has every Casey I've known been a girl, but I also remember going to kindergarten with a girl named Blake.  Though Casey Blake looks like a tough individual and had a decent power swing in the prime of his career, his association with my memories lands him on the list.

Rennie Stennett

photo courtesy of baseball-almanac.com

Instead of going by his given first name of Renaldo, Stennett chose to go by Rennie.  Personally, it sounds like a variation on the women's name Renata, not to mention sort of juvenile for a baseball player.

Babe Adams

photo courtesy of ebay.com

Charles Benjamin Adams was one of the best control pitchers of his time, but why did he have to go by the nickname "Babe"?  Besides a talking pig, it just makes me think of what my girlfriend calls me whenever she wants me to take out the trash!

Babe Ruth

photo courtesy of inquisitr.com

George Herman Ruth earned his legendary nickname by being just 19 years old at his first spring training for the Baltimore Orioles.  He went on to have one of the most incredible careers in baseball, smacking 714 home runs as well as being a top pitcher during his days with the Boston Red Sox.

Still, as I mentioned with Adams, the nickname "Babe" just has too many womanly connotations.  Though he's a baseball legend, he has to headline this list.