Milan Dinga, with rocket-launcher action!

According to some estimates, more than 4,500 professional baseball players served in World War II. While players like Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio are known for their military service in the 1940s, you don't hear much about modern players giving up parts of their careers to the armed forces. That makes someone like Milan Dinga a rare breed.

Dinga, one of the most successful athletes to come out of the United States Military Academy, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2007 and made it to AAA Salt Lake City last year, the highest an Army alumnus has ever risen in baseball. The right-handed pitcher has battled shoulder problems in his professional career; a rotator-cuff injury shut him down for most of 2008.

But injuries aren't Dinga's problem now. The U.S. Army last year rescinded a program that allowed cadets to swap professional sports for military service, forcing Dinga and others to put athletic careers on hold for two-year military commitments. Teams have apparently been told the players' baseball time counts toward those two years, meaning some could be back soon.

I'm hoping Dinga's time passes safely and quickly, because the major leagues could certainly use a Milan Dinga. Strangely enough, Dinga is a slang term for the drug Ecstasy, and it's also a city in Pakistan.

The (leather) gloved one -- or four

I debated a headline of "Billy Beane is at my door," but it just didn't work.

Michael Jackson isn't a wacky name, but only four professional ballplayers have carried the moniker, according to Baseball-Reference.com. In honor of the gloved one, let's honor the four men who wore another kind of glove.

Two Michael Jacksons made it to the majors -- both pitchers, and both as Mike Jackson. Michael Warren Jackson, a lefty, played parts of four seasons in the early 1970s. Born March 27, 1946, in Paterson, N.J., he was signed by the Phillies in 1964. Jackson played his final game in 1973 with Cleveland, finishing with a 5.80 ERA. No word on where Mike is now.

The other major leaguer, Michael Ray Jackson, had a significantly more successful career. This Mike Jackson, a righty born in December 1964, pitched 17 seasons, retiring in 2004 with a 3.42 ERA. His teams: the Phillies, Mariners, Giants, Reds, Indians, Astros, Twins and White Sox. He saved 40 games for the Indians in 1998 and is tied with Paul Assenmacher for most games pitched in the 1990s -- 644. Once again, not sure where he's at these days. Anyone?

We complete our MJ homage with two Michael Jacksons who didn't quite make it to the big stage. Known only as Michael T. Jackson, this guy was drafted in the ninth round by the Texas Rangers out of Virginia's Appomattox High School in 1985. He batted .190 in 33 rookie-league games, which apparently wasn't good enough for the next level.

Texas must have a thing for these guys, because in 1993 they drafted pitcher Michael J. Jackson out of Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas. And, just for good measure, Texas Texas Texas Texas. This Michael pitched 15 games and compiled a 5.88 ERA.

They ought to be brothers

Clearly there's been some mistake, some sort of mix-up on the East Coast that kept Bridger and Shooter Hunt apart during their formative years. Right? How could these guys not be brothers? Well, here at Mayobanex, Waskal and Boof, we don't let something minor like blood get in the way of such things. As of now, the Hunt boys are brothers.

Let's start with Bridger Hunt. A 2006 draft pick of the Dodgers, the right-handed infielder grew up in Oviedo, Fla., just outside of Orlando. Oviedo's claim to fame is its chickens. That's right, chickens. It's not a long-standing tradition; the first one is believed to have appeared in this parking lot in 1994. But the chickens of downtown Oviedo now number around 30, which makes them a powerful voting bloc here.

As for Bridger himself, I'm not clear on his status. The California League's Inland Empire 66ers list him as inactive, and the team has no statistics listed for him. If he is a 66er, he'll be a teammate of Manny Ramirez for a few games next week. Important distinction: This is a different Bridger Hunt.

Meanwhile, Shooter Hunt is pitching for the Beloit Snappers, a Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. His 10.70 ERA through Tuesday is less than impressive, but that's what the minors are for. He was Minnesota's No. 7-ranked prospect heading into this season, according to Baseball America, and was a first-round draft pick last year, so Shooter's apparently got some bullets in there somewhere.

Shooter grew up just up the coast in New Jersey, attending Ramapo High School. Strangely enough, the city appears to have no relationship to chickens. But his hometown of Wyckoff does have a poultry farm. Unfortunately, Shooter is just a nickname. His given name is Steven Daniel Hunt, but his father was a huge fan of the movie "Hoosiers," in which Dennis Hopper plays a character named Shooter. So let's not quibble over details. He'll always been Shooter to us.

The man's an animal -- or a body of water

Independent baseball has had its share of cool names, and the trend continues with right-handed starter Bear Bay of the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Considering Alaska has its own Bear Bay, it seems like the northern climes have more than their share. But the pitcher hails from Texas, which does not appear to have a corresponding body of water.

One caveat: Bear is a nickname, quite unfortunately. His given name is Ronald, which would ordinarily disqualify a player from Mayobanex, Waskal and Boof. But he goes by Bear, which is good enough for a Monday.

Bear came closer than most to the major leagues, pitching -- and winning -- one game for AAA Buffalo in 2006. But he never made it to Cleveland, instead spending 2007 at single-A Bakersfield in the Texas Rangers' system. He was originally drafted by the Cubs, but was traded to Cleveland in 2005.

In case you never get to see him in person, here's what Bear Bay looks like on the mound.

Man, can this guy fly!

Mariners fans everywhere (OK, there probably aren't Mariners fans everywhere) are eagerly awaiting the ascent of Jetsy Extrano, a switch-hitting Venezuelan infielder who is expected to play in the short-season minors for Seattle this year. He was a No. 1 seed in the MLB.com Moniker Madness contest this year, losing to eventual finalist Beamer Weems. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

Jetsy's name has caught on among Mariners fans, even spawning a facetious "award" for the recently signed Mariners prospect with the most unique name. Quite an honor, I'd say.

I was not able to find an interview with Jetsy or a biography, so I don't know much more about him. Were his parents "Top Gun" fans, as was the case with Maverick Lasker? Or is it a nickname brought on by explosive speed? The guy only has nine stolen bases in 147 games, so perhaps it's an exaggeration. By the time he makes it to the majors, maybe he'll be known as Mopedy Extrano.

Jonny Bravo, now in Technicolor!

You may be familiar with Johnny Bravo, but we'd like to introduce you to Jonny Bravo. One is animated and has tall, blond hair. The other is real and pitches for the Quad Cities River Bandits, an A-level farm team of the St. Louis Cardinals. We don't mean the Jonny Bravo who played for the San Fernando Valley Quakes, a soccer team, because we know there's likely to be a lot of confusion over this proliferation of Jonny Bravos.

Jonny, a lefty who attended high school in Chino Hills, east of Los Angeles, went on to play college ball at Azusa Pacific University, a small NAIA school in the Southern California foothills. He was drafted by the Cards in the 23rd round last year and had a decent season for Johnson City, but things appear to have taken a turn for the worse in 2009. As in a 21.94 ERA turn for the worse. Perhaps his current stint on the disabled list will help.

We should also note that he was the 695th pick in the 2008 draft. Going back to 1965, that pick has never been a lucky one. Sorry, Jonny.

But can he see Russia from his house?

So Sarah Palin called and said we just had to feature this guy, and who are we to say no to the mayor of Wasilla? Maverick Lasker, at just 19 years old, already has reached prominence with his made-for-fame moniker. You'll be shocked to discover that he's from Arizona. And, as embarrassing as this is, he was named for the "Top Gun" character played by Tom Cruise.

Among the coolest qualities of this pitcher on the Milwaukee Brewers' Arizona League team is this strength listed in a 2008 pre-draft scouting report: He's got moxie. Although he struggled with his command and shoulder injuries at Sandra Day O'Connor High School in Phoenix, some scouts see him as at least a valuable reliever one day.

Just to reiterate, he was named after a Tom Cruise character. Sigh...

So sweet, so obscure

There are nicknames (a la Coco Crisp, although Covelli Loyce Crisp isn't bad) and then there's the real thing. Sugar Ray Marimon is the real thing -- apparently.

Hard to find much about Sugar Ray, although there's no evidence that's anything but his real name. A Colombian, he's a pitcher in the Kansas City system. Last year, he had a rough six-game stretch with the Burlington Royals of the Appalachian League. Not sure where he'll be this season, but the fact remains: His name is Sugar Ray.

Anyone know anything else about this guy? I'm assuming his parents were boxing fans.

The dirtiest little emperor

We figured that someone else had to have noticed the prevalence of strange names is baseball, and we were right. Take MLB.com's annual Moniker Madness contest, for example. They start with 64 names of minor-league players, which are narrowed down in brackets by the fans. Eventually, the votes bring us one true champion, a name to beat all names. This year, that name was Dusty Napoleon.

The A's catching prospect, who sometimes gets dirty but does not wear epaulettes, is in his second season with the single-A Kane County Cougars. He was the 600th pick of the 2007 draft, just 599 places behind pitching phenom David Price. His line so far this year show's why he's in the Oakland system: 17 walks, 14 strikeouts, .438 OBP. Classic Moneyball.

But who really cares about stats? We here are all about the name, and Dusty Napoleon is a good one. While we believe baseball has too many wonderful names to choose a champion, Mr. Napoleon gets a leg up on most others. Let's forget the fact that his real name is Michael Dustin Napoleon; his chosen name is simply dynamite.

Is this heaven? No, it's North Carolina.

In keeping with the theme of celebrity-named players, today we'll take a look at none other than Ray Liotta. Not the guy who played Shoeless Joe in "Field of Dreams," but his distant cousin, a 26-year-old pitcher from Louisiana.

According to the player himself, he and the actor actually are related, albeit tenuously. Baseball folks were high on Liotta for his own talents back in 2006, but he hasn't done much since then. Now pitching for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Kansas City Royals affiliate in the single-A Carolina League, the former prospect hasn't made it past AA.

Of course, if Ray Liotta plays for the Royals and nobody is around, does his fastball make noise?

Cannonball Run...sort of

Now batting for the Princeton Rays, third baseman Burt Reynolds. But don't expect the mustache.

As we mentioned yesterday, the Princeton Rays of the Appalachian League boast a Dominican at the hot corner with the unlikely name of Burt Reynolds. According to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, his father came up with the name because he was a fan of the actor. Do West Virginians know how lucky they are to have Mayobanex Acosta and Burt Reynolds on the same team?

The younger Reynolds, of whom at least one fan club has taken notice, was born in the Dominican Republic but grew up in New Jersey. He was drafted by the Nationals in 2006 but ended up at a Florida community college. In 2007, he was discovered by Tampa Bay -- who surely saw the possibilities of his name -- and signed.

He's shown himself to have some hitting talent -- he batted .289 with six homers in 58 games last year -- but the name is always going to drive Burt's popularity. At least here. And here.

Another day, another Mayobanex

It is possible, just possible, that we could see two players named Mayobanex in the major leagues one day. As it is, it's exciting enough to have two of them playing professional baseball in the United States. Today we bring you Mayobanex Acosta, another Dominican laboring in the low minors.

Acosta, a 21-year-old catcher, has played two seasons for the Princeton Rays, a West Virginia low-minors affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. On a side note, one of the Princeton Rays' best hitters last year was named Burt Reynolds, who is -- strangely enough -- also Dominican.

According to this 2007 story from the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Acosta wants to be the first big-name Dominican catcher in the majors. Unfortunately for him -- and for our dreams of two Mayobanexes -- Acosta's numbers in the Appalachian League are unremarkable. Although a .253 average over two seasons makes him good enough for the San Francisco Giants, so keep your fingers crossed.

Mayobanex, Waskal and Boof: Baseball's wackiest names

Welcome to Mayobanex, Waskal and Boof, a child of the Campaign for Mayobanex, which can be found here. We aim to bring you the latest news and notes about our favorite wacky-named baseball players, including the one and only Mayobanex Santana of the independent Tucson Toros. This blog expands into the larger world of wacky-named players. After all, why just dwell on Mayobanex when Boof Bonser and Waskal Adames also play professional baseball?

We welcome suggestions and comments, and we invite you to submit your nominations for the wackiest baseball name. We'll be profiling these beacons of individualism as time goes on.

Fittingly, our first profile is Mayobanex Santana, who we first saw play for the Modesto A's at a California League game in Stockton, Calif., in August 2004. It remains the only time we have seen the great man play in person. During spring training in 2005, we asked Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane about the lanky Dominican infielder. His answer? "Doesn't he play for the Angels?" So sad, and it only got worse for our favorite player.

Just a month later, he was suspended 50 games for drug use, but he has bounced back and found a spot on the rosters of several minor-league teams. We're hoping that the Golden League's Toros can set Mayobanex back on the major-league track. Hey, stranger things have happened.