From SCOOTS McGOOTS to SOUTHERN THUNDER & BISCUIT PANTS to THE SPLENDID SPLINTER … Baseball Nicknames, Past and Present

August 23-25 will mark the 2019 MLB season Players’ Weekend – and there is a new twist. This year, the uniforms will be black and white (not a choice I would have made). The players will be providing all the color. Players will be able to bring their personalities to the field in their equipment (bats, batting gloves, wristbands and more) and will also be able to wear “tribute” patches and self-selected “nicknames” on their uniforms. The nicknames will once again be the highlight of the weekend and, in this post, Baseball Roundtable will take a look at BBRT’s three favorite nicknames from each team. I’ll follow that up with a look at back at what BBRT earlier reported as the best and worst baseball nicknames of all time.  Here’s a spoiler alert, Lou Gehrig makes both the best and worst lists, having worn the monikers “Biscuit Pants” and “Iron Man.”

Side Note:  BBRT apologizes for the time between posts.  Just got a new computer and file and program transfers are taking longer than a “computer minute.”

First, my favorite nickname for this season?  That would be “WHO” – to be worn by Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto. (We now know the answer to “Who’s on first?”)

There are plenty of other good nicknames out there. Like the Indians’ Shane Bieber’s “NOT JUSTIN” (see his 2019 Topps’ card), Mike Leake’s “DRIP” and Melky Cabrera’s “MELK MAN.” There are also some that relate directly to on-the-field achievements, like Aroldis Chapman’s “THE MISSILE,” Nelson Cruz’ “BOOMSTICK”  and hit-stealing Kevin Kiermaier’s “OUTLAW.”

There are a few that tie to physical characteristics, like Tyler Glasgow’s “BABY GIRAFFE,” Jared Hughes’ “OSTRICH” and Pablo Sandoval’s “PANDA.”  There are even a couple that tie to past or part-time occupations – Michael Fulmer’s “THE PLUMBER” and Steve Cishek’s “SPEEDPASS.”  And, let’s not forget the nicknames that just make you smile, like  Zach Davies’ “BAT BOY,” Scott Barlow’s “SCOOTS McGOOTS,” and Jeff McNeil’s “FLYING SQUIRREL.”  We should also give a nod to Luke Jackson’s “SKYWALKER,” because Star Wars never gets old.

So let’s get to it.  Here are BBRT’s three favorite nicknames from each team.

—-Arizona Diamondbacks—-

Mike Leake – DRIP.

Jarrod Dyson – ZOOMBIYA.  The kind of pitch you are looking for – one that zooms by ya. Plus, it takes me back to the ’60s.

David Peralta – FREIGHT TRAIN. He runs the bases with abandon.

—–Atlanta Braves—–

Josh Donaldson – BRINGER OF RAIN.  This one’s been around awhile – as have his high-flying, rain-bringing dingers.

Mike Foltynewicz – HIGH FOLTAGE.

Julio Teheran – EL CABALLO DE OLAYA.  The Horse of Olaya – and of the Braves.

—-Baltimore Orioles—–

Chance Sisco – SISCO KID.  I loved the “Cisco” Kid, when I was a “kid.” No “Poncho” on the team though.

Trey Mancini – BOOMER.

Richie Martin – RICH BOY.  Hmm? Possible backlash?

—-Boston Red Sox—-

Nathan Eovaldi – NITRO.

Chris Sale – THE CONDUCTOR.  He does punch a lot of tickets.

Mookie Betts – MOOKIE.  Can’t improve on that.

—–Chicago Cubs—–

Javier Baez – EL MAGO.  The Magician.  Have you seen his glove work?

Steve Cishek – SPEEDPASS.  Not a pitching term, but Cishek once worked at a gas stations that used the Speedpass.

Brandon Kintzler – SALT.  Kintzler is said to have a “salty” personality.

—–Chicago White Sox—–

Ivan Nova – SUPER NOVA.

James McCann – McCANNON.

Yoan Moncada – YOYO.

—–Cincinnati Reds—–

Joey Votto – WHO.  … is on first?

Michael Lorenzen – ZEN.  Gives me a sense of peace on the diamond.

Jared Hughes – OSTRICH. Watch him run in from the bullpen.

—–Cleveland Indians—–

Shane Bieber – NOT JUSTIN.  Topps, pay attention.

Jason Kipnis – DIRTBAG.  He’s a scrapper, not afraid to get his uniform dirty.

Yasiel Puig – WILD HORSE.  This one’s often attributed to a Vin Scully description of a Puig triple, “The Wild Horse is loose.”

—–Colorado Rockies—–

David Dahl – BABY DAHL.  Might be a little soft.

German Marquez – MARQUEE.

Bryan Shaw – GEEK.  Loves video games.

—–Detroit Tigers—–

Michael Fulmer – PLUMBER.  Fulmer has worked as a plumber in the off-season.

Brandon Dixon – BANDIT.  Great nickname, not so great story.  Apparently, someone misheard him being called “Brandon;” thought he heard “Bandit.”

Niko Goodrum – STINCHCOMB.  Wha-a-at?

—–Houston Astros—–

Jake Marisnick – BIG FUDGE.  A reference to his eating habits while on the DL.

Josh Reddick – MR. IRRELEVANT.  Hard to standout on the star-studded Astros’ squad.

George Springer – HORHAY.  A nod to his Puerto Rican and Panamanian roots.

—–Kansas City Royals—–

Scott Barlow – SCOOTS McGOOTS.  Makes me smile.

Jacob Junis – JUNE BUG.  See above.

Richard Lovelady – LOVE.  Oh, more back-to-the-’60s vibe. The Summer of Love.

—–Los Angeles Angels—–

Albert Pujols – LA MÁQUINA.  He has been a long-time hitting machine.

Dillon Peters – DILLYPICKLEZ.

Shohei Ohtani – SHOWTIME.

—–Los Angeles Dodgers—–

Kenley Jansen – KENLEYFORNIA.

Walker Buehler – BUETANE.

Pedro Baez – LA MULA.  The Mule.  Quite the work ethic.

—–Miami Marlins—–

Curtis Granderson – GRANDYMAN.

Garret Cooper – COOPALOOP.

Jose Urena – EL NUEVE.  The nine.  I thought it might be the inning Urena prefers to pitch.  But I saw a story that says, in the Dominican Republic, youngsters would often greet each other with “El Nueve” — considered an friendly acknolwegement.

—-Milwaukee Brewers—-

Zach Davies – BAT BOY. Davies is also wearing “BB” in place of his uniform number.

Josh Hader – HADARADE.

Yasmani Grandal – YAZMANIAN DEVIL.

 

—–Minnesota Twins—–

Nelson Cruz – BOOMSTICK.

Jose Berrios – LA MAKINA.  A pitching machine.

Max Kepler – RὉŻYCKI. Maximilian Kepler-RὉŻYCKI.

—–New York Mets—–

Jeff McNeil – FLYING SQUIRREL. Plays with a lot of energy.

Seth Lugo – QUARTERRICAN.  A nod to his grandfather.

Todd Frazier – TODDFATHER

—–New York Yankees—–

Aroldis Chapman – THE MISSILE.

James Paxton – BIG MAPLE.  Canadian roots.

Giancarlo Stanton – PARMIGIANCARLO.

—–Oakland A’s—–

Liam Hendriks – SLYDAH. Gotta love the breaking ball. (Or is it White Castle?)

Mike Fiers – SMOKEY.

Chris Herrmann – WORM.

—–Philadelphia Phillies—–

Scott Kingery – JETPAX. Kingery runs the bases with abandon.

Jake Arrieta – SNAKE.  Just a classic.

Mike Morin – MOOSH.  I like the sound and the alliteration.

—–Pittsburgh Pirates—–

Felipe Vazquez – NIGHTMARE.  Vazquez wants to give bad dreams to batters, I assume.

Chris Archer – FLACO FUERTE.  Skinny Strong.  Assigned by a teammate who grabbed Archer’s arm and was apparently underwhelmed.

Melky Cabrera – MELK MAN.

—–Saint Louis Cardinals—–

Adam Wainwright – UNCLE CHARLIE.  More love for the breaking ball.

Michael Wacha – WACHAMOLE.  Is it a dip or a carnival game?

Ryan Helsley – HELLZ BELLZ.

—–San Diego Padres—–

Joey Lucchesi – JOEY FUEGO.  He’s been on fire since he got this nickname at Southwest Missouri State.

Chris Paddock – SHERIFF.  A Texan through and through; known for his game-day cowboy hat.

Fernando Tatis, Jr.  – EL NIÑO. A tribute to his big-league dad.

—-San Francisco Giants—–

Madison Bumgarner – MAD BUM.  All three of BBRT’s Giants’ favorites are MLB long-standing classics.

Pablo Sandoval – PANDA.

Jeff Samardzija – SHARK.

—–Seattle Mariners—–

Dee Gordon – A lightning bolt emoji. The man can run – enough said.

Dan Vogelbach – THE BABE.  Does he really look like George Herman Ruth?

Felix Hernandez – KING FELIX.  Another well-established moniker.

—–Tampa Rays—–

Kevin Kiermaier – OUTLAW.  How many hits has he stolen with his glove?

Tyler Glasnow – BABY GIRAFFE.   6’ 6”, ‘nuff said.

Tommy Pham –  PHAMTASTIC.

—–Texas Rangers—–

Elvis Andrus – EL COMANDO.  Commander. Given to him by his brother, guess we know who was in charge.

Delino DeShields – LIL BOP.  His MLB dad was known as BOP.

Nomar Mazara – BIG CHILL.

—–Toronto Blue Jays—–

Ken Giles – 100 MILES GILES.  A nickname based on Radar-gun readings.

Teoscar Hernandez – MR. SEEDS. Sunflower seeds, that is.

Vlad Guerrero, Jr. – THE KID.  The kid of a Hall of Famer, of course.

—–Washington Nationals—–

Hunter Strickland – SOUTHERN THUNDER.

Max Scherzer – BROWN EYE.  Scherzer has honored his blue eye in the past (he has heterochromia of the eyes); the brown eye gets the honor this year.

Erik Fedde – FEDDECCINI. Didn’t get this word play pasta me.

——-BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE’S BEST AND WORST ALL-TIME NICKNAMES——-

Nicknames have always been a part of our national pastime – some complimentary (Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio); some less so (Fred “Bootnose” Hoffman). Here is a look two purely subjective nickname-based lineups – one focused on baseball’s best nicknames, the other on some of the national pastime’s worst. (Keep in mind, these are not nicknames chosen for the weekend.  They are earned monitors that “stuck.”)

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s get to the lists, leading off with some of MLB’s worst nicknames – often cruel, but always descriptive and almost always interesting.

—-BASEBALL’S WORST NICKNAMES—-

P – Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy … Ouch! Mulcahy “enjoyed” a nine-season major league career (1935-47, minus five WWII years), during which he earned his nickname. He ran up a career record of 45-89, with a 4.49 ERA (all with the Phillies), leading the NL in losses twice, hits allowed once, earned runs allowed twice, walks allowed once, hit batsmen twice and wild pitches once. Notably, he made one MLB All Star squad; in 1944, when he led the NL with 22 losses (versus 13 wins), despite a respectable 3.60 ERA.

C – Gabby “Old Tomato Face” Hartnett … The Hall of Fame catcher reportedly picked up his nickname as he gained weight and developed a ruddy complexion. Notably, even “Gabby” was a nickname (real name Charles Leo Hartnett) – reflecting Hartnett’s career-long shyness and reluctance to speak to anyone, particularly reporters. Harnett played 20 MLB seasons (1922-41, all but the last season with the Cubs), hitting .297, with 236 home runs and 1,179 RBI. He was a six-time All Star and the 1935 NL MVP.

1B – Lou “Biscuit Pants” Gehrig …  Great player with multiple nicknames –ranging from Biscuit Pants on the low end to Buster in the middle to Iron Man on the high side.  The Biscuit Pants monitor acknowledged Gehrig’s baggy uniform pants, thick legs and sturdy derriere. A Hall of Famer, Gehrig played 17 seasons with the Yankees (1923-39), producing a .340 career average, with 493 home runs, 1,995 RBI and 1,888 runs scored. He was a seven-time All Star, two-time AL MVP, won one batting, title, led the AL in home runs three times, RBI five times, runs scored four times, doubles three times and triples once.

2B – Charlie “Piano Legs” Hickman …  At 5’9” and 215-pounds, it’s easy to imagine the source of Hickman’s nickname. Hickman played 1B, 2B and OF during his 12-year MLB career (1897-1908), delivering a .295 career average, with 50 home runs and 614 RBI. Hickman led the AL in hits and total bases in 1902, when he split time between Boston and Cleveland.

3B – Gary “The Rat” Gaetti … Despite the uncomplimentary nickname, Gary Gaetti was anything but a rat on the field. Also known as G-Man, Gaetti had a 20-season MLB career (1981-2000 with the Twins, Angels, Royals, Cardinals, Cubs and Red Sox). He was a career .255 hitter, with 360 home runs and 1,341 RBI.  Gaetti was a two-time All Star, four-time Gold Glover at third base and the 1987 American League Championship Series MVP.

SS – Bill “Wagon Tongue” Keister … Unlike Gabby Hartnett (see the catcher on this list), Bill Keister just wouldn’t shut up.  In a seven-season MLB career (1896-1903), Keister played for Brooklyn, Boston, Saint Louis and Philadelphia in the NL and Baltimore and Washington in the AL.  He hit .312, with 18 home runs, 400 RBI and 131 stolen bases – spending time at shortstop, third base and second base.   In the field, Wagon Tongue did not put his money where his mouth was.  In 1901, he set the all-time MLB low for fielding average by a shortstop (.851) – making 97 errors in 112 games (650 total chances).

LF – Johnny “Ugly” Dickshot … Not the best looking of men, it’s reported that Dickshot granted himself the title of the ugliest man in baseball.  Clearly, the combination of his nickname and actual name earns Dickshot a spot on this list of worst baseball nicknames.  In six major league seasons (spread over 1936-45), he played in 322 games (Pirates, Giants, White Sox), hitting .276, with seven home runs and 116 RBI. More than half his career offensive production came in his final season (1945, White Sox), when he hit .302, with seven home runs and 58 RBI.

CF – Hunter “Captain Underpants” Pence … The story has it that, during a minor league game, an aggressive heckler thought that (on the minor league PA system) “Hunter Pence” sounded a lot like “Underpants” and proceeded to taunt him with the Underpants chant, which  apparently had more staying power when teammates promoted Mr. Underpants to “Captain.”  As of this writing, Pence is in his 13th MLB campaign, with a .280 career average, 241 home runs and 931 RBI.  He is a three-time all star.

RF – “Bucketfoot” Al Simmons … Another Hall of Famer on this list, Simmons’ nickname (which he disliked) was drawn from his batting stance.  The bucketfoot stance seemed to work for him. In 20 MLB seasons (1924-1944; Athletics, White Sox, Tigers, Senators, Braves, Reds, Red Sox), Simmons hit .334, with 307 home runs and 1,828 RBI. He led his league in batting average, hits and total bases twice each and RBI once.

So, there is BBRT’s worst nickname lineup. If I had a bench, it would be manned by such notables as: Fred “Bootnose” Hoffman; Walt “No Neck” Williams; Jeff “Penitentiary Face” Leonard; Ernie “Schnozz” Lombardi; Harry “Stinky”Davis;  Dick “Dr. Strangeglove” Stuart; and Bris “The Human Eyeball” Lord.

—–BEST BASEBALL NICKNAMES—-

Now, here’s the BBRT lineup based on a very subjective judgment of the  best baseball nicknames.  As you will note, solid performance often results in a solid (and memorable) nickname.

P – “Sudden” Same McDowell … Yes, there are some Hall of Fame Pitchers with great nicknames. Walter “Big Train” Johnson, “Rapid Robert” Feller are  just two. However, that  “Sudden” nickname is my favorite.  McDowell – whose blazing heater could be past you with amazing suddenness – was a six-time All Star and five-time league strikeout leader. In a 15-year MLB career (1961-75, with the Indians, Giants, Yankees and Pirates), McDowell went 141-134, 3.17 and fanned 2,453 hitters in 2,492 1/3 innings.

C – Johnny “Little General” Bench … Catchers are supposed to take charge on the field and this nickname fits Hall of Famer Johnny Bench both behind and at the plate. Bench was a leader for the Reds for 17 seasons (1967-83). He was a 14-time All Star, ten-time Gold Glover, two-time league HR leader, two-time league MVP, 1968 Rookie of the Year and 1976 World Series MVP

1B – Lou “Iron Man” Gehrig … Hall of Fame slugger Lou Gehrig (see his career achievements in the worst nickname lineup under Biscuit Pants) earned this nickname for his combination of power and durability (until it was broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1995, Gehrig held the record for consecutive games played at 2,130).

2B – Felix “The Cat” Millan … The Cat earned his nickname for his slick fielding around the keystone sack.  In 12 MLB seasons (1966-77, with the Brave s and Mets), Millan was a three-time All Star and two-time Gold Glover. He put up respectable offensive numbers with a career line of .279-22-403, with 699 runs scored.

3B – Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose … BBRT could have put the ultimate hustler in at nearly any place on the diamond, but I like his aggressive play at the hot corner – where Rose started 627 games in his career. MLB’s all-time hits leader (4,256), Rose played 24 seasons in the majors (1963-86) – with the Reds (19), Phillies and Expos. Known for his hustle and aggressive play, Rose was a 17-time All Star, three-time batting champion and two-time Gold Glover, as well as the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year and 1973 NL MVP. He led the NL in games played five times, hits seven times, double five times and runs scored four times.

SS – Ozzie “The Wizard of Oz” Smith … In his 19 MLB seasons (1978-96, with the Padres and Cardinals), Hall of Famer Smith’s defensive wizardry earned him 13 Gold Gloves. The 15-time All Star had a career average of .262, with 28 home runs, 793 RBI, and 1,257 runs scored.

LF – Ted “The Splendid Splinter” Williams … Williams’ nickname – the Splendid Splinter – reflects his lanky, splinter-like build and his splendid skills.  Notably, Williams’ play earned him a team’s worth of nicknames – The Kid, Teddy Ballgame and The Thumper also among them.  Williams’ career on-base percentage of .482 is the best in baseball history.  Think about it – reaching base, basically, one of every two trips to the plate. Williams was a 19-time All Star, two-time MVP and two-time Triple Crown winner.  In 19 seasons with the Red Sox (1939-60, time lost for service in WWII and the Korean Conflict), Williams won six batting titles, and lead the AL in runs six times, RBI four times, home runs four times, doubles twice, walks eight times and total bases six times. He retired with a .344-521-1,839 stat line – and is the last MLBer to hit .400 for a season (.406 in 1941).

CF – Franklin “Death to Flying Things” Gutierrez … A lot of people probably expected to see Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio or Ty “The Georgia Peach” Cobb in this spot.  However, based on the quality of the nickname, far-ranging outfielder Frank “Death to Flying Things” Gutierrez belongs here. In ten big league seasons (2005-13 & 2015-17, with the Indians, Mariners and Dodgers), Gutierrez earned one Gold Glove, a .257-97-361 stat line and one awesome nickname.  Note: two players from the 1800s – Jack Chapman and Bob Ferguson also  were honored with this nickname.

RF – Stan “The Man” Musial … Hall of Famer Musial (who started more than 1,800 of his 3,026 game played in the outfield) was indeed “The Man” – and not just in Saint Louis (where he played from 1941-63).  He was respected for his bat and his attitude around baseball.  Musial was a seven-time batting champ and three-time MVP, who also led the NL in hits six times, runs scored five-times, doubles eight times, triples five times and RBI twice. He retired with a .331 average, 3,630 hits 1,946 runs scored and 1,951 RBI.

If I had a bench for this squad, you might find such players as: Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio;  “Rapid Robert” Feller; Babe “The Sultan of Swat” Ruth; Jimmy “The Beast” Foxx;  Don “Donnie Baseball” Mattingly; Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, Reggie “Mr. October” Jackson; Al “The Mad Hungarian” Hrabosky; Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas; and Dwight “Dr. K” Gooden.

Again, all these choices are subjective.  BBRT would love to hear from readers on some of your favorite MLB nicknames.

Primary Resources:  

BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE ON THE TOP 100 BASEBALL BLOG LIST

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.