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The 5 best Blue Jays player names of all time

By Hal Hilden |

Through the years, Major League Baseball has been blessed with great players as well as players with great names. Players like Urban Shocker, and Dick Pole, to Charlie Manlove, Coco Crisp, and Stubby Clapp. Some are honest-to-goodness real names, while others are designated nicknames.

The Toronto Blue Jays have had their share of colourfully-monikered players. Here’s my Top 5 in no particular order. Who’s in your Top 5?

1. Joe Cannon (Joseph Jerome Cannon) was an outfielder and pinch runner who played for the Jays in 1979 and 1980. He was a poor hitter and was more known for his base running, stealing 12 of 14 bases in 1979. That same year also saw Joe hit his one and only home run. He played sparingly the following season, and then spent his final two seasons of pro ball playing for the Jays minor league affiliates. The cannon was a dud at bat, but a weapon on the base pads.

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2. Mark Lemongello was traded along with Joe Cannon and another player from the Houston Astros to the Toronto Blue Jays for Andy Ashby after the 1978 season. Mark’s time in Toronto was one of futility and aggression. He was a starting pitcher and went 1-9, with a bloated 6.29 ERA, appearing in 18 games and starting 10. Mark saved his best pitch of the season for when he threw an ashtray at then-GM Peter Bavisi upon hearing he was being sent to the minors. He never made it back to the majors.

3. Butch Edge (Claude Lee Edge) was a starting pitcher claimed by Toronto in the 1976 expansion draft from Milwaukee. After two seasons at AAA Syracuse Butch Edge made it to the show, starting nine games for the Jays, going 3-4, with a 5.23 ERA and a complete game. In 51.2 innings he walked 24 and struck out 19. This was the only time Butch would ever spend in the majors. He ended up not being as ‘sharp’ a signing as the Jays had hoped.

4. Homer Bush (Homer Giles Bush) brought his infectious smile and hard-nosed play to the Jays in a trade prior to the 1999 season. Homer played mostly second base for the Jays from 1999 – 2002, with his inaugural season being his best, where he appeared in 128 games, hit .320 and swiped 32 bases. Sadly, injuries derailed what could have been a great career, and Homer was released by the Jays in 2002. He appeared in 49 more MLB games, retiring in 2004. This Homer could have been a great hitter.

5. Huck Flener (Gregory Alan Flener) was a left-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Jays in the 9th round of the 1990 amateur draft. He made his debut in 1993, appearing in six games, and he would be called up two more times, in 1996 and 1997. This ended up being his entire MLB career, 29 games, 3 wins, and a 5.51 ERA. Huck could huck, but just didn’t have enough chuck.

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