Coco Crisp

I’m suspending entries in the “Greatest Name” contest. There is a man on the Boston Red Sox baseball team whose given name seems to be Coco Crisp.

After seeing him in only two games, I can see that he has a bad attitude. In the former game he spiked a second baseman as egregiously as I have ever seen anybody spike someone, and remember that I am old enough to remember Pete Rose’s entire career. Coco did not suffer the ensuing criticism quietly, either. Hey! I spiked him fair and square! He was alone, though, in that estimation. Even his own bench booed him, which is almost unheard of in baseball.

It can be hard to catch all of the details in replays, but in either his next time at bat, or during the next game, the pitcher of the “spiked” team threw one straight at Coco, hit him too. Coco didn’t take this quietly either, he charged the mound and exchanged blows with the pitcher. If I were the manager, I’d be yelling at the pitcher, kick him! kick him! What a nightmare for a manager: your pitcher breaks his hand on Coco Crisp’s head.

Here too, Coco’s team supported him in lukewarm fashion. Sure, they emptied the bench onto the field, but they didn’t seem too concerned that Coco took a couple of licks. I’d guess that they were pretty sick of his antics by now. Remember, the Red Sox are the team that got rid of Manny Ramirez this year because of his perceived “bad behavior.” Can Coco be far behind? Manny, he can kill people if he wants to, he stays on my team, I’ll dispose of the bodies.

But the name, Coco Crisp, that’s a winner right there. Bad attitude notwithstanding, his place in baseball history is assured.