It's Lew time!

I love Minnesota Twins baseball. How could you not like it? The team plays hard and well. A league MVP, batting champ and Cy Young award winner pretty much guarantee excitement. Of all the great players on the team, my favorite player to watch is Lew Ford. He hustles like crazy and likes to have fun in the dugout too. He usually slides head first into something every game he plays. It may be home plate, outfield, 1st base or the concession stand.

But what's with his name? Lew?

I realize it is probably short for Lewis. But it is just too close to Ew. Which is what usually is said when bare feet step on sidewalk gum on a hot summer day. It's a complicated name. It can also be spelled Louis. I think this spelling is best when using the name Lou. It was used by baseball greats Lou Brock and Lou Gehrig. Football coach Lou Holtz too.
How many Lew's can you name. Lew Alcinder is the only one. And he changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar because he was tired of everyone misspelling it.
You also run into the problem of pronunciation with Louis. It can be pronounced Loo-is, Loo-ee, and in one song it's 'A Loo-aye, Loo-aye, Ohhh baby, we gotta go. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.'
And I haven't even mentioned Lou's of the female persuasion. There's Deputy Barney Fife's fiance, Thelma Lou. There's LuLu from Hee Haw.
In England, they call the bathroom the Loo. You can 'skip-to-muh-loo'. The Irish can 'Tu-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra.' You can see why I am so confused.

Which brings me back to my favorite player Lew Ford. So far this year he hasn't played any games yet due to injury.
I'm not shouting Boooooo. I'm shouting Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

Lew Ford highlight reenactment.

Used by permission. Ethan Bell Copyright.