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Golden Sombrero: Chase d’Arnaud

Top 1: Chase d’Arnaud struck out swinging against Wandy Rodriguez

Top 3: d’Arnaud called out on strikes against W. Rodriguez

Top 4: d’Arnaud struck out swinging against W. Rodriguez

Top 6: d’Arnaud struck out swinging against Fernando Rodriguez

Top 9: d’Arnaud grounded out to shortstop against Mark Melancon

Top 11: d’Arnaud grounded out to third base against Aneury Rodriguez

Final Line: 0-for-6, 4 K

Notes: It was a tough night for the Pirates’ rookie infielder on Sunday night, as d’Arnaud went hitless in six at-bats and wore the sombrero.  Typically a sombrero is a made possible by extra innings.  In this game, however, d’Arnaud had already completed the feat by the sixth inning, and somehow managed to avoid wearing the platinum sombrero from there on out.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 70

*How is it that there wasn’t some sort of sombrero in Sunday night’s marathon between the Red Sox and Rays??

Golden Sombrero: Grady Sizemore (No. 3)

Bottom 1: Grady Sizemore struck out swinging against Jeff Karstens

Bottom 2: Sizemore struck out swinging against Karstens

Bottom 5: Sizemore struck out swinging against Karstens

Bottom 7: Sizemore grounded out to short against Karstens

Bottom 10: Sizemore struck out swinging against Tony Watson

Final Line: 0-for-5, 4 K

Notes: I somehow overlooked this one last week when reporting sombreros.  Like so many sombreros, Sizemore’s third of the 2011 season came in an extra-inning affair on the 19th against the Pirates.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 47

Top 50 Prospects Update: Taillon, Teheran, Chapman, Moustakas and Jennings

With a third of the MLB season in the books, and some of the baseball’s best prospects now suiting up for their respective big league squads, it’s time to reflect on the performances of our Top 50 Prospects.  Today we look at 14-10, which includes: Jameson Taillon, Julio Teheran, Aroldis Chapman, Mike Moustakas and Desmond Jennings.

14. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Class-A: 1-1, 3.10 ERA, 29 IP, 4 BB, 24 K, 1.103 WHIP

13. Julio Teheran, RHP, Atlanta Braves

Triple-A: 4-1, 2.36 ERA, 49.2 IP, 16 BB, 41 K, 1.188 WHIP, 0.2 HR/9

MLB: 0-1, 5.19 ERA, 8.2 IP, 4 BB, 2 K, 1.615 WHIP

12. Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Cincinnati Reds

Triple-A: 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 4.2 IP, 2 BB, 8 K, 2.357 WHIP

MLB: 2-0, 6.92 ERA, 13 IP, 20 BB, 15 K, 2.000 WHIP

11. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

Triple-A: .289/.355/.497, 12 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 18 BB, 39 K

10. Desmond Jennings, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Triple-A: .272/.376/.467, 10 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 28 BB, 41 K, 9 SB

Golden Sombrero: Paul Maholm

Top 3: Paul Maholm struck out swinging against Randy Wells

Top 4: Maholm struck out swinging against Wells

Top 6: Maholm struck out swinging against James Russell

Top 8: Maholm called out on strikes against Scott Maine

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Who cares? Dude fired a three-hit shutout against the Cubs.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 33

Playing LOL-ball: Funniest names in baseball history

What’s in a name? A great many syllables, if you’re Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. But while the former journeyman pitcher’s title is impressively weird, it has many rivals – most of them old-timey – for the goofiest name in professional baseball history.

I’ve compiled a brief, unordered list of those names. Who is the funniest? And whom, as I quickly scoured over a century of data, did I unjustly overlook?

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