Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! We at the TDT Media family wish you all a happy and healthy holiday. In the spirit of the holiday, yours truly will go through the top Easter-themed baseball names in this game's long history. Not only are there great names here, but there are also many exciting stories from the players' playing careers and beyond. Before diving into your candy baskets, let's get into the best Easter baseball names.
Luke Easter
Luscious "Luke" Easter is the ultimate name for an Easter-themed article. The fifth child of 10 children born to James and Maude Easter, Luke dropped out of school after the ninth grade and spent his time playing ball. Easter first participated in organized baseball in 1937, playing outfield and first base for the St. Louis Titanium Giants while batting cleanup. The American Titanium Company sponsored the Giants, for which Easter and his teammates worked year-round but were given time off to play baseball.
The Giants were disbanded in 1942, a year after Easter suffered a season-ending broken ankle in a car wreck. Like many other players, Easter was drafted for World War II. In 1945, Easter spoke with the Chicago American Giants' manager, "Candy" Jim Taylor—another name we will mention later. After talking to Taylor, Easter was directed to Abe Saperstein, a significant baseball promoter who founded the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters in 1926.
Saperstein invited Easter to join the new team he was starting, the Cincinnati Crescents. The Crescents weren't able to gain admission into the Negro American League in 1946 but played against many Negro League teams that year. While statistics are hard to come by for the 1946 Crescents, the March 30, 1949 edition of Sporting News reported that Easter hit .415 with 152 RBI and an unverified 74 home runs. It was also noted that he hit a home run that year that reached the bleachers in the center field of the Polo Grounds. His teammate Bob Thurman said that he hit it halfway up the stands about 500 feet, and it was a line drive.
Easter then signed with the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League for $1,100 a month in 1947 as they looked to replace Josh Gibson in their lineup, who had died of a stroke that past winter. Easter hit 10 home runs that season while posting a .311 average and playing the outfield. Then, in 1948, he tied his teammate, Hall of Fame slugger Buck Leonard, with 13 homers while recording a .363 batting average and leading the NNL with 62 RBI. Easter also posted a career-high eight triple-baggers and helped the Grays to a Negro League World Series championship. He was chosen for the 1948 East-West All-Star Game following the season.
With Major League Baseball starting to become integrated, Easter was signed by the defending World Series champion Cleveland Indians in 1949. Cleveland already had the first African American player in the American League, Larry Doby and Satchel Paige. Easter would play first base and outfield in Cleveland for 491 games from 1949 to 1954. His home runs would earn the nickname "Easter eggs" due to his enormous power and hard-hitting ability. Easter had three full seasons in Cleveland, 1950, 1951 and 1952. He smashed 93 homers while hitting .274 over those seasons. That included hitting 31 homers in his last big league season in 1952 while driving in 93 runs.
Easter would stick around the game as he played eight more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring at 48 in 1964.
Hop Bartlett
With the given name Homer Robert Barlett, the Boone County, Missouri native pitched for the Indianapolis ABCs and Kansas City Monarchs in 1924 and 1925. Bartlett later changed his name to James Homer Barley Sr. He was a southpaw and posted a 5.18 ERA and 1.89 WHIP over 24 1/3 innings pitched in his two seasons. The nickname Hop might be iconic, especially for an Easter name list, but the only thing that was likely "hopping" was hitters hopping out of the way of his pitches. The left-hander walked 21 batters in his short career while striking out just five. Bartlett died at 72 in 1972 in Columbia, Missouri. Not much background information can be found on him, including the reason for the nickname. My only guess is that perhaps he hopped off the mound.
Travis Baptist
Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 45th round of the 1990 MLB Draft, Baptist stuck around in the Jays minor league system until the Minnesota Twins took him in the 1996 Rule 5 Draft. The left-handed pitcher debuted in MLB at age 26 in 1998 with the Twins. However, he didn't last long, as he pitched in just 13 games, all in relief. Baptist posted a 5.67 ERA over those 13 games. Before making his major league debut, the southpaw was selected to start the Triple-A All-Star Game for the Pacific Coast League team as a member of the Salt Lake Buzz. Baptist pitched three more seasons in the minor leagues after that season. He pitched between the Salt Lake Buzz and Pawtucket Red Sox - Boston's Triple-A squad in 1999, the Pittsburgh Pirates Triple-A affiliate Nashville Sounds in 2000, and Chicago White Sox Triple-A affiliate Charlotte Knights and Double-A affiliate Birmingham Barons in 2001.
Preacher Roe
Branch Rickey's brother, Frank, a scout, signed Elwin Charles "Preacher" Roe to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938. Roe made his major league debut later that same year. When he was signed for a $5,000 bonus, Roe was one semester short of earning his degree from Harding College. He gained national attention when he reportedly struck out 26 batters in a 13-inning game against Arkansas Tech.
According to Roe, the name Preacher came from when his Uncle Bathis asked him his name, and he answered "Preacher." A longtime friend of Roe, Kay Matthews, said it had come from his grandmother, who called him that name, hoping he would grow up to become a preacher. Roe gave up four runs over two innings in his MLB debut before disappearing into the Cardinals farm system for the next five years. The Pirates acquired Roe in a trade that sent two young major leaguers, pitcher Johnny Podgajny and outfielder Johnny Wyrostek, to the Cardinals in 1943. Roe went 13-11 with a 3.11 ERA his first year in Pittsburgh in 1944. He then made his first All-Star Game in 1945, leading the National League with 148 strikeouts in 235 innings, 7.3 WAR, and a 2.65 FIP.
Roe had two more forgettable seasons with the Pirates before he was traded to the Branch Rickey-owned Brooklyn Dodgers, along with third baseman Billy Cox and utility infielder Gene Mauch, after the 1947 season in exchange for pitchers Vic Lombardi and Hal Gregg and outfielder Dixie Walker.
The West Plains, Missouri native would make four more All-Star Games in consecutive seasons from 1949 to 1952. In each of his first five seasons in Brooklyn, Roe posted an ERA of 3.30 or less and even garnered MVP votes in all four All-Star seasons. In 1951, the southpaw finished fifth in NL MVP voting, going 22-3 while posting a 3.04 ERA and striking out 113. Roe pitched until age 38 in 1954 and finished with a 3.43 career ERA.
Pedro Pastor
A Cuban pitcher in the Negro National League in 1924, Pastor pitched for the Cuban Stars West and Detroit Stars at age 30 that season. Pastor posted a 4.08 ERA in just three recorded starts and struck out six while walking 11 over 17 2/3 innings.
Roy Easterwood
One of the many players to only play in the majors during World War II, Roy Charles Easterwood made his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1944 after five years in the minor leagues - four years in the Cincinnati Reds system and one in the St. Louis Cardinals system. In 17 games with the Cubs, the right-handed catcher went 7-for-33 (.212) while slugging .364 and hitting one homer. The Waxahachie, Texas native pitched four more years in the Cubs minor league system before his career ended at age 33 in 1948. Easterwood was traded to an independent minor league team in Dallas, Texas, for shortstop Leon Brinkopf.
Henry Easterday
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1864, Easterday debuted at 19 years old for the Philadelphia Keystones of the Union Association in 1884. The Union Association was a major league that lasted just one season. The first record of Easterday playing ball appeared in 1883 when he was reported to have played for a Chester, Pennsylvania team named "Ross." No records of his statistics are readily available from that club. Still, the Chester Times reported that he played a good shortstop, and his playing ability caught the attention of the Keystones.
In the first records of Easterday being in the Keystone lineup in mid-April 1884, he recorded two hits, including a double. After their August 7 game, the Keystones folded as Easterday finished the season with a .243/.275/.287 slash line and five doubles in 28 games. Easterday signed with the Augusta Browns of the Southern Association the following season, but he only hit .180. In 1886, the right-handed hitter played for the Bridgeport Giants of the Eastern League and hit .198. He was then signed to play for the Buffalo Bisons of the International League in 1887.
There were reports that Easterday was signed to play for the Louisville Colonels of the American Association (AA) after the 1887 season. Baseball Reference lists that the Kansas City Cowboys, also of the AA, purchased him for $1,200 from Louisville. While he had a .888 fielding percentage in 1888, Easterday only hit .190 and signed with the Columbus Solons of the AA. Defensively, the shortstop rarely made many errors, as he never had a fielding percentage below .870.
As a 25-year-old in 1890, Easterday moved around the AA as he played for three different teams - the Solons, Philadelphia Athletics, and Louisville Colonels. At the end of his four-year stint in the majors, Easterday had just a .180 batting average with nine homers and .510 OPS. He jumped around the minors for the next few years; his final year of organized ball is known to have been in 1894. Easterday played for two different teams in two different leagues that year, beginning with the Macon Hornets of the Southern Association and ending with the Lynchburg Hill Climbers of the Virginia League. The Hill Climbers are the last known team that Easterday played for, as he died of typhoid fever at home on March 30, 1895, 30.
Howard Easterling
Over seven seasons in the Negro Leagues, Howard Willis Easterling played for three teams and was a five-time All-Star. At 25 years old in 1937, Easterling made his first All-Star Game playing for the Cincinnati Tigers of the Negro National League. He played 35 games that year and slashed .351/.401/.573 with 12 doubles, seven triples, one homer, and 29 RBI.
He then played one game for the Chicago American Giants in 1938 before moving on to the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League II in 1940. Easterling played for the Grays from 1940-43 and in 1946, with his four other All-Star selections coming in 1940, 1943, and 1946 (two). He led the league in triples (9) and RBI (45) in 1940 and triples (10) in 1943. Over his five seasons with Homestead, Easterling posted a .309/.363/.464 with 16 homers, 27 triples, and 181 RBI. Easterling also helped the Greys, led by Candy Jim Taylor, to a Negro League World Series title in 1943 as they beat the Birmingham Black Barons.
Jamie Easterly
Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 1971 MLB Draft, James Morris "Jamie" Easterly made his major league debut in 1974. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds on April 6 but was hit hard the next two outings and was sent down to Triple-A Richmond. Easterly would stick in the majors for the 1975 season, as he made 21 appearances. Splitting time as a starter and reliever in 1976, the Houston, Texas native posted a 2.96 ERA in Triple-A before earning a September call-up. Easterly pitched for the Braves until 1979 and was sold in a waiver deal to the Montreal Expos following the season. He spent the entire 1980 season in Triple-A Denver.
After being converted into a full-time reliever, Easterly was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers in a waiver deal and pitched well over two and a half seasons there. In 84 games for Milwaukee, Easterly pitched to a 3.71 ERA, 1.514 WHIP, and seven saves over 104 1/3 innings. In June 1983, the Brewers traded Easterly, right-handed hurler Ernie Camacho, and outfielder Gorman Thomas to the Cleveland Indians for outfielder Rick Manning and southpaw Rick Waits. Easterly pitched his final five professional seasons in Cleveland, posting a 4.04 ERA and striking out 170 over 274 1/3 innings in 146 outings. Over his 13 big league seasons, Easterly held a 4.62 ERA and 16.1 percent strikeout rate.
Ted Easterly
Theodore Harrison "Ted" Easterly was born on April 20, 1885, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was drafted by the Cleveland Naps (now the Guardians) from the Pacific Coast League's (PCL's) Los Angeles Angels in the 1908 Rule 5 Draft. Before that, the catcher had played for a handful of semipro teams in San Diego and Pasadena for a few seasons in the Oil and Agriculture League. There, he encountered a young Walter Johnson, and Los Angeles Times sportswriter Harry A. Williams persisted in getting Easterly a tryout for the PCL Angels. Easterly played 11 games for the Angles in their 1907 season, in which they won the PCL Championship, going 9-for-40 and earning an invitation for the 1908 season. In the 1908 season, Easterly would hit .309 with three home runs in 123 games and was tied for the PCL lead in assists with seven behind the plate. After being drafted by the Naps, the left-handed hitter got invited to spring training in 1909 and made the team after working with a formidable pitching staff that included Addie Joss, Cy Falkenberg, Heinie Berger, and some guy named Cy Young.
Easterly debuted as a pinch-hitter against the Detroit Tigers on April 17, 1909, and made his first start three days later with Cy Young as his batterymate. He recorded his first career hit in that game. Easterly split time behind the plate with veteran Nig Clarke. In his first season, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Easterly slashed .261/.293/.390 with 14 doubles, 10 triples, eight stolen bases, and 27 RBI. He threw out 49 percent of attempted base stealers in the defensive game. He would play two more full seasons in Cleveland while hitting over .300 in both seasons and also played some outfield.
Then, after playing 65 games for the Naps in 1912, Easterly's services were purchased from the Chicago White Sox. In 30 games for Chicago to end the 1912 season, he entered 21 as a pinch hitter. He would play another season with the White Sox, but reports circulated that Easterly was bound to return to the PCL. Instead, he signed a three-year contract to play for George Stovall at the helm of the Kansas City Packers of the new Federal League.
Easterly lasted two seasons in the Federal League. In the first season, he hit .335, which was suitable for third-best in the league. He posted 12 triple-baggers. In 1915, Easterly finished hitting .272 before the Federal League folded later. Easterly would jump around teams in the PCL and other leagues through about 1922. He died of bladder cancer at the age of 66 in 1951.
Crosses
Now, we get into the portion of this article that will have multiple players with the same name, either first or last. The name "Cross" is very fitting for Easter as the cross is the principal symbol of the Christian religion, which recalls the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross, his resurrection, and his gift of everlasting life.
Cross
Amos Cross
Clarence Cross
Frank Cross
Jeff Cross
Joe Cross
Lave Cross
Lem Cross
Monte Cross
Norman Cross
The most notable Cross here is Lafayette Napoleon "Lave" Cross, who played for nine franchises over 21 seasons. Most of his career was spent with four different Philadelphia franchises after he played the first two years with the Louisville Colonels in 1887 and 1888. Following the 1888 season, Cross was purchased by the Colonel's American Association rivals, Philadelphia Athletics. In 1890, he played for the Players' League's Philadelphia Quakers. Cross would return to the AA's Athletics after the Players' League disbanded. The AA would also disband after the 1891 season, and Cross joined the National League's Philadelphia Phillies, where he would remain for the next six seasons. Over those six seasons, he slashed .295/.339/.397 with 21 homers. After the 1897 season, Cross was traded along with Jack Clements, Tommy Dowd, Jack Taylor, and $1,000 to the St. Louis Browns for (funny enough) Monte Cross, Red Donahue, and Klondike Douglass.
Cross was assigned to the Cleveland Spiders in March 1899 before returning to the Browns that June. Then, in May 1900, he was purchased by the Brooklyn Superbas for $3,000 from St. Louis, who was now the Cardinals. He jumped to the now American League Philadelphia Athletics before the 1901 season and, after five seasons there, was purchased by the Washington Nationals in 1906. The Nationals released him in 1907 when he was at the age of 41. Over his 21 seasons, Cross recorded a .292 batting average and .711 OPS with 47 homers, 1,378 RBI, 303 stolen bases, and 411 doubles.
Take Me To Church
Bubba Church
Hi Church
Len Church
Ryan Church
Ryan Church is the most notable player here as the faithful head to Church on this beautiful Easter Sunday. Ryan Matthew Church was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 14th round of the 2000 MLB Draft out of the University of Nevada. After four years in the Cleveland minor league system, Church was traded to the Montreal Expos along with Maicer Izturis for Scott Stewart. After the 2007 season, he was traded to the New York Mets along with Brian Schneider for Lastings Milledge. Then, before the trade deadline in 2009, the Mets traded him to the Atlanta Braves for Jeff Francoeur. He was granted free agency after the 2009 season and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates before they turned around and traded him at that year's trade deadline. Church was traded with D.J. Carrasco and Bobby Crosby to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Pedro Ciriaco, Chris Snyder, and cash. Over seven seasons for five different teams, the left-handed hitting outfielder slashed .264/.336/.431 with 56 homers, 267 RBI, 134 doubles, and 103 OPS+.
Rabbits and Bunnies
Rabbit Maranville
Rabbit Warstler
Rabbit Robinson
Rabbit Benton
Joe Rabbitt
It's easy to decipher who the most notable Rabbit in MLB history was, as Walter James Vincent "Rabbit" Maranville was a Hall of Fame middle infielder. Despite hitting just .258 in his 23-year career, Maranville is touted as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history. Even modern metrics can support this as he led the league in defensive WAR three times, including a 4.2 dWAR in 1914, which ranks in the top 15 all-time for a season. In his first two full seasons with the Boston Braves, Maranville finished third and second, respectively, in NL MVP voting. In 1914, the Braves swept the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.
The Braves traded Maranville to the Pirates after the 1920 season, and he would play in Pittsburgh from 1921 to 1924 before being traded to the Cubs before the 1925 season. The Pirates traded him, Wilbur Cooper, and Charlie Grimm to the Cubs for Vic Aldridge, George Grantham, and Al Niehaus. He became the Cubs' player/manager that season and was subsequently put on waivers after the season, picked up by the Brooklyn Robins. Brooklyn released Maranville in the middle of the 1926 season, and after a minor league stint, he signed as a free agent with the Cardinals before the 1927 season. He became the Cardinals' everyday shortstop in 1928 and finished 10th in MVP voting. The Springfield, Massachusetts native returned to the Boston Braves before the 1929 season and remained the regular shortstop and second baseman through 1933. He garnered MVP votes once again in all five of those seasons. Maranville retired after playing 23 games with the Braves in 1935 at 43. He finished his career with a .258/.318/.340 slashline, 380 doubles, 884 RBI, and 1,256 runs scored. Maranville was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954 after passing away on January 5.
Bunny Brief
Bunny Hearn (1926-1929)
Bunny Hearn (1910-1920)
Bunny Madden
Bunny Pearce
Bunny Roser
Bunny Fabrique
Bunny Downs
Tons of Candy
Candy Cummings
W.A. "Candy" Cummings is one of the greatest pioneers of the game, credited with inventing the curveball. Cummings was born in Ware, Massachusetts, on October 18, 1848, as one of 11 brothers and sisters. What made him famous came about when he was 14 years old in 1863. At a beach in Brooklyn with some friends, they had fun throwing clamshells into the ocean and making the clams curve before hitting the water. Cummings played early versions of baseball as a child, which was then called "town ball" or "The Massachusetts game." He began experimenting with how to make a baseball curve the same way as the clamshells.
After graduating from boarding school, he began to play for several amateur teams: the Brooklyn Excelsiors, the Brooklyn Stars, the New York Mutuals, the Lord Baltimore, the Philadelphia Pearls, and the Hartford Dark Blues. In April 1867, Cummings figured out how to throw a curveball in a game against Harvard as a member of the Stars, rolling it off his second finger while jerking his wrist. The Harvard batters could not figure out how to hit the pitch and demanded to see how he threw it. In six big league seasons with the National Association's New York Mutuals, Baltimore Canaries, Philadelphia Whites, and Hartford Dark Blues, and the National League's Hartford Dark Blues and Cincinnati Reds, Cummings recorded a 2.42 ERA, 145-94 record, and 259 strikeouts over 2,149 2/3 innings.
Candy Jim Taylor
James Allen "Candy Jim" Taylor was a third baseman, pitcher, and second baseman who played in the Negro Leagues for 19 seasons between 11 different teams. He was a member of three championship teams as a player: the 1909 St. Paul Gophers, the 1912 Chicago American Giants, and the 1916 Indianapolis ABCs. He was also a player-manager during his career and led the St. Louis Stars to a Negro National League championship in 1928. Taylor also led the Homestead Grays to two World Series victories over the Birmingham Black Barons in 1943 and 1944. He began his managerial experience in 1919 as a player/manager and was with 16 different teams during his 45-year career as both player and manager.
As a player, Taylor hit .297 with a .805 OPS and posted a career Baseball-Reference WAR of 5.3.
Taylor began his work as a non-playing manager in 1935 and managed the Negro National League All-Star team. He also served as the vice-chairman of the Negro National League. After beginning the 1948 season as manager of the Baltimore Elite Giants, he passed away in the spring before the start of the regular season after an extended illness.
Candy Sierra
The Bishops
Max Bishop
Charlie Bishop
Mike Bishop
Jim Bishop
Lloyd Bishop
Bill Bishop (1886-1889)
Bill Bishop (1921)
Frank Bishop
Braden Bishop
The Christians
Justin Christian
Christian Garcia
Christian Yelich
Christian Vazquez
Christian Bethancourt
Christian Friedrich
Christian Colon
Christian Bergman
Christian Walker
Christian Garcia
Bob Christian
Christian Parker
Christian Arroyo
Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Christian Lopes
Christian Villanueva
The Jesuses
Emmanuel De Jesus
Ivan de Jesus
Ivan De Jesus
Jose de Jesus
Jesus de la Rosa
Jesus Figueroa
Jesus Flores
Jesus Guzman
Jeus Hernaiz
Jesus Lorenzo
Jesus Montero
Jesus Pena
Jesus Reyes
Jesus Sanchez
Jesus Sanchez
Jesus Vega
Jesus Sucre
Jesus Alou
Jesus Aguilar
Jesus Colome
Jesus Feliciano
Jesus Tavarez
Jesus Vega
Jesus Delgado
Jesus Cruz
Jesus Luzardo
Jesus Tinoco
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