Name game
By Jack O’Connell
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There are eight players in the major leagues whose first names are Chad — and half of them are in the Yankees-Phillies series. The Yankees have three Chads — pitcher Chad Gaudin, outfielder Chad Huffman and catcher Chad Moeller — and the Phillies one — pitcher Chad Durbin. The other Chads are with the Diamondbacks (pitcher Chad Qualls) the Dodgers (pitcher Chad Billingsley), the Mariners (pitcher Chad Cordero), and the Cubs (infielder Chad Tracy).
Huffman is the newcomer among the Yankees’ Chads. He was called up Sunday from Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and had 1-for-4 that afternoon in a 9–5 victory over Houston, his hometown. Gaudin returned to the Yankees May 26 after he had been designated for assignment by Oakland. He pitched in 11 games, including six starts, for the Yankees last year. Moeller, who was recalled from Scranton May 20, also played in 41 games for the Yankees in 2008.
Prior to Moeller’s joining them, the Yankees had only one player in their history with that first name. Outfielder Chad Curtis batted .263 in 340 games with the Yankees from 1997 to 1999 and is best known for hitting two home runs in Game 3 of the 1999 World Series against Atlanta at Yankee Stadium.
In addition to three Chads, the Yankees also have a Chan — Ho Park, the Korean pitcher.
