10 MLB Players Who Pronounce Their Name Wrong

Have you ever watched baseball and heard the play-by-play guy say a player’s name and wonder who the hell he is talking about? It even happens to me and I’m a huge baseball fan.

I know the influx of Latino talent has caused some confusion, but this list doesn’t contain anyone from Latin countries. I focused on players that linguistically, it doesn’t make much sense to pronounce their name ‘correct’.

A few of these players have even played on my favorite team and thought their name was pronounced a lot different than what ‘correct.’

We list ten didn’t baseball players and spell out their pronunciation phonetically. Do you agree with this list?

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Sports Crush: The Bella Twins

We’ve written a handful of ‘Sports Crush’ posts since we launched AmericasWhiteBoy.com a few years ago. We’ve spotlighted sportscasters, female MMA fighters, Olympians and WWE Divas Summer Rae, A.J. Lee & Paige. The response was so great, we decided to double the pleasure by featuring The Bella Twins (Nikki Bella & Brie Bella).

The Bella Twins have been in the WWE for a few years, with a brief hiatus in 2012. Those who don’t watch WWE, but love reality television, you will recognize them from E!’s “Total Divas” reality show.

You have seen a lot of them lately, because they are beautiful AND it helps that they are dating the two most popular WWE superstars, John Cena & Daniel Bryan.

We are crushing on The Bella Twins and once you look at our photo gallery, you will understand why.

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2014 NFL Mock Draft – Jadeveon Clowney #1?

Now that all the major pro days are over and all the scouts have seen the top prospects in person, the draft board is taking shape.

The recent pro days of Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel ‘wowed’ scouts and have been the talk of sports media. I don’t know how much a pro day really matters in the overall scheme of things, but they can majorly help a player’s draft stock. Both players did just that, there stock is as high as ever.

Many of the teams picking in the top 10 need quarterbacks. Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr and Manziel are all in play to be taken in the first round. A team in the second round could even trade up to take a sleeper, like Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo or Alabama’s A.J. McCarron.

Here is the first round of our 2014 NFL Mock Draft.

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Dead Wrestlers List: When and How They Died

I cannot remember a time when I didn’t watch pro wrestling. My dad and grandfather used to watch it all the time and I was enamored by the wrestlers on the TV screen.

As many people my age, I grew up in the age of Hulkamania. I always wanted him to win, but that character got old. I found myself liking “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Andre the Giant and Junk Yard Dog. I think that is when I legitimately fell in love with wrestling and not just the festival around Hulk Hogan.

The life of a professional wrestler is difficult. The road isn’t kind and bad habits can take over one’s life.

As the years went by, I’ve started seeing all my favorite WWE, WWF, WCW & ECW wrestlers die off at an alarming rate. I often wondered how they died. I made this list for those who are fans of wrestling and are interested in how their favorite wrestler passed away. Continue reading →

Sweetbob’s Hipster Music Playlist: April 2014

I decided to super-size this month’s playlist with 15 songs (again). April is usually a bit light when it comes to new music, but I found some good ones.

I always keep an ear out for new music. I love discovering new bands/songs, it’s a habit from my days as a music journalist. Even though this is mostly a sports blog, I still add quite a bit of music and pop culture content.

I have been called a hipster on more than one occasion. I like indie music more than any other genre of music. Don’t get me wrong, I can rock out to Richard Marx or Ace of Base (depending on the amount of alcohol in my system).

Here are 15 new indie songs I’m currently listening to. All of the songs are fresh and most have only been released within the last two months.

Your ears will thank you for listening! Continue reading →

2014 MLB Team Preview: Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals season ended when Bryce Harper went ‘balls out’ crashing into the outfield wall. He injured his knee and just about everything else. The injuries lingered and was never the same. He gained muscle this offseason and looks like he should go pee in a cup for someone. He’s bound to have a breakout year.

The Nationals missed the playoffs by a few games and they kept every key player. They didn’t go out and break the bank on free agents. The front office knows that they just had a down year and the current roster could compete for a World Series ring this season.

Can Stephen Strasburg’s new slider be the missing piece for a Cy Young award-winning campaign?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Washington Nationals.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays were the popular pick to make a big leap in 2013. Well, we got the right division for the surprise team (Boston), but Toronto found themselves in the basement of the AL East.

The additions of Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey and Josh Johnson didn’t pay off at all. Reyes broke his ankle and was out until almost the All-Star Break, Johnson looked like a Four-A pitcher and then Jose Bautista suffered an injury that ended his season early. Can Toronto be a playoff team if both stay healthy all season?

Can R.A. Dickey regain control of his knuckleball?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Toronto Blue Jays.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers couldn’t make it out of Spring Training unscathed. Geovany Soto and super prospect Jurickson Profar are expected to be out at least three months with injuries. They aren’t a deep team, so these injuries will be felt early.

Texas made some big moves by acquiring Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo to compete with the Joneses in the AL West. Oakland and Los Angeles will be pests and stay in the race all season.

Ian Kinsler was a big piece in Texas’s resurgence. Prince Fielder will be a nice source of offense, but will his weight become an issue late in the season?

Will the Rangers starting rotation be good enough to make the postseason?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Texas Rangers.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

All offseason we talk about the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, but the Tampa Bay Rays always end up in the discussion at the end of the season. They build through the draft and develop their own, so they stay quiet while the Sox and Yanks throw around big money.

The Rays were second in the AL East, just behind the World Series champs. Matt Moore had a career year with 17 wins and they called up their gem prospect, Wil Myers. With all the young arms in the rotation, it’s hard to predict a win total this season. They could all have double-digit wins and lead the team to a 100-win season or a few could implode. I think it’s fair to say the Rays will land somewhere in the middle

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Tampa Bay Rays.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

As a Cubs fan, I really hate seeing the St. Louis Cardinals do well. They’re so stacked and seem to have a bottomless pool of elite pitchers they can call up from the minors.

Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha could both be at the top of the rotation for the next decade. Also, Matt Adams, Kolten Wong & Oscar Tavares could all be future All-Stars. They pick at the bottom of first-round in every MLB Draft. How do they always have one of the best farm systems?

The NL Central will be one of the most competitive divisions in the Majors. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates both have playoff-caliber teams. Can either team knock off St. Louis?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the St. Louis Cardinals

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Seattle Mariners

The Mariners went on a spending spree this offseason. The started the offseason by giving Robinson Cano the ‘godfather offer’ and couldn’t refuse. They then added Corey Hart, Logan Morrison and Fernando Rodney.

The AL West is loaded this season (if you omit the Houston Astros). The Rangers, A’s and Angels are all expected to battle for the division crown and AL Wild Card spots. Is there room for Seattle in that race?

Players often have a down year immediately after they sign a huge long-term deal. Will Robinson Cano be an exception?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Seattle Mariners.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: San Francisco Giants

Going into last season, the San Francisco Giants were the defending World Series champions. Well, things didn’t line up perfectly and they fell flat on their faces. Buster Posey missed some time with an injury and pitchers Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum pitched poorly.

They come into this season healthy (sort of) and with a chip on their shoulder. Every baseball talking head has already given their rival Los Angeles Dodgers the NL West crown. They will do everything possible to keep that from happening. The Dodgers will have to fight for the division.

Can Pablo Sandoval keep his weight under control during the season?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the San Francisco Giants.

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