Nicknames

[Chris]

As I read the post about Joe D's nicknames I started thinking about nicknames, the good Vs. the bad, the old Vs. the new.

It seems to me like in the old days guys had colorful nicknames, they were descriptive, humorous, rythmic, they helped define the player.
Nowadays it seems like nicknames are boring and uncreative, even repetitive. Every one wither gets an -y at the end of their name, or they shorten the name to one syllable or combine the first and last name.

Just curious as to people's favorite nicknames through the history of baseball and hoping someon can remind me of a modern day player that has a personality to it

I think Commerce Comet is about one of the coolest, Louisiana Lightining.
ROCKET, there's a good modern day nickname for a throwback of a player

[Sixty one]

Don't they call Zimmer Popeye?

[penguin4]

Dwight Gooden had a good one: "Doctor K."

And "Boomer" is so fitting for Wells.

"Warrior" worked for PaulO, but it didn't seem to stick (that plus he hated it!).

I think in the old days players had such creative nicknames because of the lack of TV/radio to describe them; hence, the writers had to be more creative, and their style was much more purple (that is, wordy, metaphorical, descriptive, etc....). You didn't just "hit a homer" as nowadays, you "wallopped a long moonshot that went into orbit and landed in no man's turf, galloping the happy trot around the four white corners of the diamond, smiling through the dust as the opponents oggle dumbfounded" (or something to that effect). And in that way, they tried to pin names on the players to beef up the story. Take Lou Gehrig, for instance... everyone knows him as "The Iron Horse" but in the years before his streak columnists had a million and one names to describe him -- none of which really caught on: "the Crown Prince of Swat" or "Heir Apparent" (to "the King of Swing" Babe Ruth); "the Slambino," "Larrupin' Lou," "Columbia Lou," and "Piano Legs," to name some. I guess nowadays the writing is a lot more concise, and people don't really have the same interests for that, nor writers that mentality -- unless you're Chris Berman, in which case you make an ass out of yourself trying.

[Nome]

That's true Penguin. But Mel Allen was credited with developing lots of colorful nicknames for the Yankees during his broadcast years.

One of my favorites is for a team, not a player - "Five O'Clock Lightning"

Andy

[Sixty one]

How about, "Old Reliable" Tommy Heinrich and "The Big Cat" Johnny Mize?

[Buzah!]

Vic Raschi, Super Chief Allie Reynolds, Steady Eddie Lopat, Spud Chandler, Whitey Ford and Snuffy Stirnweiss...

[Sixty one]

How about: Truman (Tex) Clevenger
Marshall (Sheriff) Bridges
Ewell (The Whip) Blackwell
Anthony (Poosh 'Em Up Tony) Lazzeri

[b-ball-lunachick]

Chris -- good post...I agree with you and as for modern day names, forget it...we're stuck with A-Rod...blech...no imagination...I think penguin is onto something there with the reasoning of not having to be as descriptive with the age of our media, but I would still love to see that come back...you should write a short editorial up and send it to the News and Post...maybe they would give it some play too and name some of the players today...or we could come up with a more imaginative list and submit it with your editorial...

I like the Big Cat Johnny Mize too Sixty-One...notice how Chris said that they are recycling them? I don't like that...Wasn't Galarraga referred to now as the Big Cat or am I wrong? I guess it's the same with Pudge, first Fisk, now I-Rod...


I always liked:

Walter "Big Train" Johnson
Reggie Jackson "Mr. October"
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Ty Cobb the Georgia Peach (who was anything but peachy in personality
Roger Rocket Clemens
Wee Willie Keeler

I like how Luke Appling was nicknamed "Old Aches and Pains"...I hate whiners!! That would never happen in this day and age...his agent wouldn't allow it!

but my all time favorite was Louisiana Lightning...I just saw him again recently on ESPN Classic...I could watch that man pitch all day long...not sure if it's just because of him, or the memories it brings back of my childhood...probably both!

[coalcracker]

Charlie "King Kong" Keller

[SanFrANSKY]

Best Yankee Nicknames:

"Happy Jack" Chesbro

Whitey Ford, "The Chairman of the Board"


Non-Yankees:

Walter "Big Train" Johnson

"Stan the Man" Musial

Harold Pee Wee Reese

But the coolest-sounding name to not even need a nickname is

Napoleon Lajoie.

Say it out loud and I think you'll agree. (it's pronounced LAH-zho-ey)