I wanted to ask ex-Mets/ Tigers third baseman Howard Johnson what his parents were thinking when they named him, but he didn't return my phone call. Did Cleveland Indians outfielder Milton Bradley's parents meet during a game of the home version of "Concentration" and decide to commemorate it upon the birth of their son? I never got to ask that either.

You may wonder why this lifelong baseball fan, given the opportunity to interview some big-league ballplayers, to take his place alongside Roger Angell and Lawrence Ritter, would squander it by choosing to ask the Texas Rangers' Herbert Perry, "Are you ever mistaken for the Herbert Perry whose kids I used to babysit for?" Is it enough to point out that my earliest baseball memory is of my parents watching the original New York Mets on TV? It took me a while to warm up to their lovable futility, but I immediately liked that Charlie Neal and Rod Kanehl shared a name with my younger brother Neil. (And no, I didn't hear back from Herbert Perry either.)

I had better luck with some of today's ballplayers whose parents weren't quite so humorous, but who nonetheless have names that one might recognize from other pursuits. The Chicago Cubs' Bobby Hill (a fan of Jay-Z) doesn't watch "King Of The Hill," though he has heard of it, and confirmed for me, disappointingly, that his parents are not named Hank or Peggy. Clint Black enthusiast Mike Myers finds himself with two noted namesakes with two noted theme songs. he told me that although he has yet to hear "Austin Powers" when he enters a game, "Halloween" has been a popular selection at his former home park in Colorado and his current one in Arizona. Is it paranoia on my part or was he barely tolerating my questions? ("It's amusing when the fans say something original, but it gets really boring if I hear the same thing three times a week.") In any case, I was able to learn that under the category of infield chatter-or did that go out of style around the time of the Babe Ruth League?-his teammates do not find either "Schwing" or "Yeah Baby" useful.

Does Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers favor his namesake's fried chicken or Boston Market? He didn't reply to my questions, which seemed slightly odd in that you'd think he'd be at least moderately grateful that I didn't bring up that series-ending walk he gave up to the Atlanta Braves at the very end of his brief Mets career. Do they play "It's A Gas" when Dave Berg comes up to bat at the Skydome in Toronto (and if not, how come?), name-checking the recently departed MAD magazine writer? Can't tell you-I didn't receive an answer.

Then there are those players who share their names with people operate somewhere between celebrity and household name. I was assured by everyone I spoke to in advance of submitting these questions that there was no way the ballplayers had heard of their musical counterparts. And to be sure, I am not exactly surprised by their responses. A few years ago, Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell fronted the rock band V.I.E.W., and when they played Hoboken, local promoter and San Francisco Giants supporter Todd Abramson booked the New York band Honus Wagner to open, thinking the headliners might get a kick out of that, which indeed they might have had any of them heard of Honus Wagner, the greatest shortstop in history. But if someone has seen fit to tell me about the Dallas sportswriter Ira Kaplan, is it so unreasonable to think that, somewhere along the line, ballplayer Greg Norton heard that the bassist in a famous punk band shares his name? Is the pitcher Terry Adams too busy working on his slurve to know about NRBQ's Terry Adams? Let's find out.

Questions for Terry Adams, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies:
1. Have you ever heard of the piano player Terry Adams and his group NRBQ? If yes, have you ever heard any of their music, or just their name? No. [He did say, however, that there were four Terry Adams in the town where he grew up: he and his dad and another Terry Adams and his dad… the other one was a troublemaker.]
2. Do you or did you ever play a musical instrument? No, I attended chorus in middle school.
3. Please name a song and a musical act that you like, past and present. [Was something lost in the translation (these questions were asked via e-mail)?] I saw the 'Nutcracker' musical during Christmas as a kid.

Questions for Terry Adams, piano player for NRBQ:
1. Have you ever heard of the baseball player Terry Adams? Yes. Somebody gave me his baseball card.
2. Did you ever play much baseball? No. I did play once. I swung the bat and it went around my head and and I hit the ball when it came around and I got on first. I don't know if anyone's ever done that before.
3. Do you have a favorite team? No.

Questions for Greg Norton, infielder for the Colorado Rockies:
1. Have you ever heard of Greg Norton, former bassist with the punk-rock group Hüsker Dü? If so, have you ever heard any of their music? Can you be specific, any impressions, etc.? No.
2. How about the board game "Hüsker Dü." Ever played that? No. The Beatles board game "Flip Your Wig"-Hüsker Dü named an album after that. Ever played that? No.
3. Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü was easily identifiable by his moustache. What would you consider to be helpful for those of us who have trouble telling the two Greg Nortons apart? My nose is my most memorable facial characteristic.
4. Since Husker Du broke up, Greg Norton has worked as a chef. What one dish would you say you most like to prepare? I love to make taco salad.
5. Please name a song and musical act that you like, past and present. Metallica.

Questions for Greg Norton, former bassist for Hüsker Dü:
1. Have you ever heard of the baseball player Greg Norton? Yes, he used to pitch for the Cubs.
2. Did you play much Little League baseball when you were young? What was the name of your team? I can't remember if we were the Tigers of the White Sox. I played center field. The one highlight I remember: I jumped up and made a spectacular one-handed catch. They were going to give me the game ball till the next inning another kid hit a ball up the middle and made it all the way around the bases, and they gave it to him. But he was just lucky.
3. Do you have a favorite team? Longtime Twins fan. Let's contract the Brewers.

Former T&D Market first baseman Ira Kaplan is currently playing for Eastern Division stalwarts Yo La Tengo.