Mookie Betts real name is Markus Lynn Betts. He was born on October 7, 1992, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Diana Collins and Willie Betts. His parents nicknamed him "Mookie" to honor various relatives, and the name stuck. His mother was especially influential in encouraging him to play sports, and when he was three, she taught him to bowl. Two years later, she formed a team for her son and other unwanted players, and she served as the coach. Despite fears of many Red Sox fans, Betts was not named after Mookie Wilson, whose ground ball through the legs of Bill Buckner in the 1986 World Series still haunts a nation of fans. Instead, his parents chose his name in part to form the initials MLB, matching those of Major League Baseball. Betts has attributed his nickname "Mookie" to his parents watching former NBA guard Mookie Blaylock play basketball shortly after he was born.