It’s quite possible that merely supposing what I am about to suppose qualifies me as a delusional moron, but if I will sin, I will sin boldly: I believe there are “pitcher names.” This is the easiest way I can think of to explain what I’m talking about:
QUIZ: Is The ‘Pitcher Name’ Phenomenon Real?
Taylor Rogers
Michael Flacco
Rafael Ortega
Russell Wilson
These are the names of four random minor leaguers who are currently playing A-ball, so you probably haven’t heard of any of them. Three of them are position players. One is a pitcher. Which one?
I’ll bury the answer, to allow you a second to think it over. I swear to God that I’ve observed the phenomenon, though. A guy named Bruce is usually, though not definitely, a pitcher, right? Same with guys named Chris, right? And once you get into Kris territory, well, all five major leaguers named Kris are pitchers. Anyway, of the four names above, the pitcher is Mr. Rogers, and if that was your hunch, perhaps you know what I’m talking about.
It’s a phenomenon I have explored with our own Jeff Sullivan before, and I feel it’s high time we attempt to examine it in an official capacity. Since I’m always begging for your help, you probably already guessed that I would attempt to enlist your services again, and you were right.
I have created a Sporcle quiz featuring the names of 31 players. Each one is a double-A player whose name you probably won’t recognize. You are to guess whether each player is a batter or pitcher. You will have no information other than the player’s name.
To guess that a player is a pitcher, type “pitcher.” To guess that he’s a position player, type “batter.” When you’re finished, please tell me your score. You can do so by commenting on this article or by tweeting me at @jon_bois; please do not do both (to avoid risk of a miscount or fire hazard).
Remember, this is in pursuit of science. If your score is high, tell me. If it’s low, tell me. If it’s in between, tell me.
Once I’ve received a healthy amount of data, I’ll sort through it and try to figure out whether I’m an intrepid journalist who is on to something, or a stupid sack of crap with horrible ideas, at which point I’ll update this StoryStream and share what I’ve learned.
Let’s get to work, friends. These are the feats men build statues about.
See More:
