What's in a Baseball Nickname

Nicknames are more common in childhood than later in life, except in sports. And in no sport are nicknames more pervasive than baseball. Who hasn't heard of "Slammin Sammy" or "The Rocket" or "The Big Unit"?

Baseball nicknames often tell us something about the player. Names like "Penguin," "Pee Wee," "Stretch," "Red," "Whitey," "Bones," "Moose," "Baby Bull," "Big Mac," and "Pudge" all reveal something about appearance or physique. Having hardly anything between his chin and his chest, Walt Williams was called "No Neck," and Ken Harrelson's prominent nose caused him to be called "Hawk." "Wee" Willie Keeler was just five feet four inches tall. Sometimes the identifying trait is not visible, as was the case with two of my Minor League teammates in the 1960s who were named after their penises: "Snake" and "Hook." Occasionally a nickname relates to personality, such as "Goofy," "Space Man," "Bulldog," "Daffy," and "Blue." Some are based on unusual mannerisms, such as the "The Human Rain Delay," the name given to former Cleveland first baseman Mike Hargrove because of his lengthy, time-consuming batting rituals, or Harry "The Hat" Walker, who took his cap off between every pitch when batting.

Some nicknames stem from performance, such as "Charlie Hustle," "Mr. October," "Hammerin Hank, " "Donnie Baseball," "Wizard," and "Sudden Sam." A few relate to a player's weakness, such as the "Wild Thing," for Phillies pitcher Mitch Williams, who walked the bases loaded and caused his team to lose the 1992 World Series. "Bus" missed the bus on the first road trip of the season. During my first season in pro ball I muffed enough ground balls that my teammates, likening my glove to a steel girder, called me "I-beam." The next season that changed to "Moonbeam" after my fielding improved and I began to read serious books on the team bus.

Geographical origin produces some nicknames, such as "The Georgia Peach," "Mex," and "Oil Can." "Wahoo" Sam Crawford, Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell, and "Hondo" Clint Hartung were all called after the names of their hometowns.¹ For a while in the late 1960s and the 1970s, a few players had their nicknames, instead of their surnames, stitched on the back of their jerseys. "HAWK" Harrelson was the first to do so, followed by "MUDCAT" Grant, Ralph "ROADRUNNER" Garr, and a handful of others. Whether coincidence or not, the trend declined around the time Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner asked his newly acquired free agent pitcher Andy Messersmith to have "CHANNEL" stitched above his jersey number 17, looking for some free advertising for his cable network of that name, notes Hall of Fame librarian Bruce Markusen in his column "Cooperstown Confidential."²

Elaborate, multiword nicknames coined by sportswriters and broadcasters are known to fans but never used by the players themselves. Can you imagine the Boston Red Sox calling their teammate Ted Williams "Splendid Splinter" or the Giants calling Willie Mays "Say Hey Kid" or the Pirates calling Honus Wagner "The Flying Dutchman"?

Authentic or not, nicknames have been good for baseball. Fans feel closer to individuals when they can use a nickname, and such a memorable moniker as "The Sultan of Swat," "The Iron Horse," or "The Yankee Clipper" probably increases a star player's potential of becoming a household name.

It takes time for a player to acquire a genuine nickname. When players are just starting out in pro ball, most are called by simple diminutives of their surnames, such as "Ash" for Ashford, "Topper" for Topham, or "Doobie" for Duboise. Although these are not very original, they do imply an intimacy and closeness lacking with given names. And sometimes they stick, such as "Bags" for Bagwell and "A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez. Some rookies retain the nicknames they had while playing amateur baseball when those names are known to one or more of their new teammates.³

"Acquiring a nickname is part of arriving," said Cardinals infielder Mark Grudzielanek. "If you are worth giving a name to, it means your teammates think you're okay and that you're going to be around for awhile."⁴ I can...