# Great baseball nicknames **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 24, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176 "2009-04-24T02:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BuzzSaw101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@BuzzSaw101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuzzSaw101)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/1 "2009-04-24T02:16:45Z")
I was messing around on [www.baseball-reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com) and I came upon two of the greatest nicknames ever. “The Only” Nolan [http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nolanth01.shtml](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nolanth01.shtml) and Bob “Death to Flying Things” Ferguson [http://http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fergubo01.shtml](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fergubo01.shtml) Can either one of these nicknames be topped? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/2 "2009-04-24T02:46:40Z")
[Dick “Doctor Strangeglove” Stuart](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stuardi01.shtml) [Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mulcahu01.shtml). [Al “The Mad Hungarian” Hrabosky](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hraboal01.shtml) ['Ronald “Big Mac” McDonald](http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=mcdona002ron) (only a minor leaguer, but still . . . ) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/3 "2009-04-24T02:51:46Z")
Garry “The Secretary of Defense” Maddox Every Day Eddie Guardado Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd Spaceman Bill Lee Mike “The Human Rain Delay” Hargrove Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn Charlie “Piano Legs” Hickman Charlie “The Mechanical Man” Gehringer ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/4 "2009-04-24T03:33:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mulcahu01.shtml). Good old “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy, the ultimate Phillie. Since this was the one I came in to name, an amusing stat from his linked Baseball Reference page is in order. In 1938, Mulcahy went 10-20, “led” the league in giving up earned runs, had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 0.75, and boasted an ERA+ of 87. The Baseball Writers Association of America, obviously no more up to the task than they are today, placed him 25th in voting for NL MVP with three votes (two votes ahead of Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons, 11-8 with an ERA+ of 129). Now I’ve thought of one: [Johnny “Pepper” Martin, “The Wild Horse of the Osage”](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martipe01.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/5 "2009-04-24T04:12:02Z")
When your name is [Rusty Kuntz](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kuntzru01.shtml) or [Johnny Dickshot](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dicksjo01.shtml), you don’t need a nickname, but they called Johnny… “Ugly.” Ugly Dickshot. I was always partial to “Wild Horse of the Osage” as well (in fact I’m now editing to pretend that I knew it had already been mentioned). ---
**Author:** ![Man\_from\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Man\_from\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_from_Mars)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/6 "2009-04-24T04:21:47Z")
What about Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown? ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/7 "2009-04-24T11:33:01Z")
Fred McGriff-The Crime Dog Gabby Harnett-Old Tomato Face Vladimir Guerrero-Vlad The Impaler Alex Rodriguez—A-Roid Travis Snider- The Amazing Sniderman ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/8 "2009-04-24T13:52:37Z")
Joakim “The Mexicutioner” Soria. And those he strikes out have been “Mexicuted”. My hispanic roommate is insanely jealous he never thought of it before. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/9 "2009-04-24T13:58:33Z")
Joaquin Andujar–“Walking Underwear” ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/10 "2009-04-24T14:19:11Z")
[Bert “Be Home” Blyleven](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blylebe01.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/11 "2009-04-24T14:49:56Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Travis Snider- The Amazing Sniderman I’m a Blue Jay fan and have never heard this. But I hope Snider succeeds, because this would be a genuinely fabulous nickname. But you have to spell it “Snider-man.” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/12 "2009-04-24T15:00:38Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Gabby Harnett-Old Tomato Face I wonder whether he or [Henry Nicholas “Tomato Face” Cullop](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/culloni02.shtml) received the nickname first. [James Timothy “Mudcat” Grant](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grantmu01.shtml) [Larvell “Sugar Bear” Blanks](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blankla01.shtml) [Carl “The Reading Rifle” Furillo](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/furilca01.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/13 "2009-04-24T15:00:59Z")
> [@Hi\_Neighbor](#): > > [Bert “Be Home” Blyleven](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blylebe01.shtml) Did anyone _ever_ call him that during his playing career? A Bermanism isn’t the same thing as a real nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/14 "2009-04-24T15:12:02Z")
[Dannis Ray “Oil Can” Boyd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Ray_Boyd) ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/15 "2009-04-24T15:28:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Did anyone _ever_ call him that during his playing career? A Bermanism isn’t the same thing as a real nickname. I don’t know. One thing I did like about Chris Berman was his penchant for coming up with some humorous nicknames. If that doesn’t count, then I’ll go with [The Say Hey Kid](http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/16 "2009-04-24T15:35:29Z")
I’m kind of partial to Arky Vaughn, but not because I think it’s such a great name or anything. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/17 "2009-04-24T15:39:08Z")
Dummy Hoy, a deaf centerfielder in the 1800’s. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/18 "2009-04-24T15:42:28Z")
> [@Hi\_Neighbor](#): > > I don’t know. One thing I did like about Chris Berman was his penchant for coming up with some humorous nicknames. I like some of them too, and I’m not as down on him as some other posters are. But I think his names are a different animal and selfishly I’d prefer this thread not turn into a list of Bermanisms because there are so many, even though some are good. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/19 "2009-04-24T15:43:05Z")
An ode to my Phillies: Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams Pat “The Bat” Burrell Shane “Flyin’ Hawaiian” Victorino Jimmy “J-Roll” Rollins Ryan “Mad Dog” Madson Brad “Lights Out” Lidge ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176/20 "2009-04-24T16:07:31Z")
Felix “El Gato” Fermin Coco Crisp’s name is a nickname, but a family nickname not a baseball one. I think it’s spectacular, tho. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-baseball-nicknames/494176.md?page=2)