It’s not uncommon for a rookie to break into the national spotlight and hear his name spelled or pronounced incorrectly. Jonathan Papelbon was referred to as “Jon” Papelbon for a few months before promptly correcting the media. UConn’s Niels Giffey was called “Nyles Giff-ee” for a few games before broadcasters were informed it should be pronounced “Neels Giff-ay.” For Kendrys Morales, the mistake lasted seven years.
According to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times, via Hardball Talk, there is an “s” at the end of Morales’ first name that was left off when he signed with the Angels in 2004. Since his name was spelled correctly on his birth certificate and all other legal documentation, Kendrys decided to leave it alone. When asked about it on Wednesday, Morales spoke like a man who wants order restored.
“No, no, no, no, no,” he said in Spanish. “They’ve been spelling it wrong.”
Better late than never, right? The real bonus for me here is that the correction comes at a time when Jon Miller will no longer be calling ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. In fact, I’m surprised Miller didn’t catch the error himself given his rich background in the Spanish language. Fortunately, we won’t have to listen to him explain why there is an “s” at the end of Kendrys for three hours every time the Angels appear on Sunday Night Baseball this season.
