Posted on 04/22/2025 12:54:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
"That’s quite the name. Will be fun for the announcers to say for sure."
The 2024 MLB Draft got underway Sunday night in Fort Worth, Texas, coinciding with the rest of MLB’s All-Star break in the Dallas area.
With the fourth overall pick in the draft, the Oakland Athletics selected Nick Kurtz, a first baseman from Wake Forest who is a two-time member of the All-ACC first team. It is, by many accounts, a great pick for Oakland.
Almost immediately upon hearing the pick, however, some on social media pointed out that the player’s name could prove tricky for broadcasters.
It’s the second time in as many months that a player’s name has drawn attention for sounding dangerously close to a slur. After Eastern Michigan football got a commitment from Noah Knigga, EMU play-by-play announcer Tom Helmer said he had already been working hard to learn how to pronounce the name correctly.
Kurtz was the second Wake Forest player selected the top five of the draft, as the Cincinnati Reds selected Demon Deacons pitcher Caleb Burns second overall.
When I worked at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour, the favorite thing to send a new employee to lookup was an entry in the phone book. Jack Meoff.
At the phone company, we had a real person named "Elmer C. Fuddpucker".
Wait until they hear about Noah Knigga
He is mentioned in the article.
He is mentioned in the article.
I hope in my lifetime people will go back to being sane and having lives.
His name, from now on, is NICHOLAS.
NICHOLAS KURTZ.
Rehearse it until you can’t get it wrong no matter what.
When I was at Andersen AFB on Guam back in the late 70’s, the NCO club had a manager named Joe Blow. We used to think of excuses to get him paged over the loudspeaker and the whole club cracked up every time. Ah, youth.
Back in my lost-luggage delivery days I delivered one to a guy last name of Facchenei - pronounced “Fockin A”.
I know of a Realtor by the name of Richard Head.
Nick asked his brother Dick, “Got any gum on ya Dick?”
Nick Kurt Dale.
And Heywood Jablome.
Mr. Hurts sure filled out a lot of Delaney Cards but he managed to disappear before his name was called.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.