Harvey Frommer /
History
/
Yankees
HARVEY FROMMER ON
SPORTS
What's in a Yankee Nickname?
(I)
Yankee nick-names have run the gamut from complimentary to embarrassing,
from hero worshipping to amusing from over-reaching to on
target. Herewith, a
sampler.
"The
Babe" George Herman Ruth leads off the list and paces the list in
most nick-names acquired. First called "Babe" by teammates on the Baltimore
Orioles, his first professional team because of his youth, G.H.Ruth was also
called "Jidge" by Yankee teammates, short for George. He called most players
"Kid," because he couldn't remember names, even of his closest
friends. Opponents called him
"The Big Monk" and "Monkey."
Many of Babe Ruth's nick-names came from over-reaching sports writers
who attempted to pay tribute to his slugging
prowess:
"The
Bambino", "the Wali of Wallop", "the Rajah of Rap", "the Caliph of Clout",
"the Wazir of Wham", and "the Sultan of
Swat", The Colossus of
Clout, Maharajah of
Mash, The Behemoth of Bust,
"The King of Clout."
Other Yankee nick-names, expressions, bon mots of note for "Babe"
and "Ruth" In spring training
1927, Babe Ruth bet pitcher Wilcy Moore $l00 that he would not get more than
three hits all season. A notoriously weak hitter, Moore somehow managed to
get six hits in 75 at bats. Ruth
paid off his debt and Moore purchased two mules for his farm. He named them
"Babe" and "Ruth."
"Babe Ruth's Legs" - Sammy Byrd, used as a pinch runner for Ruth "Bam-Bam"
- Hensley Meulens could speak about five languages and had a difficult name
to pronounce.
"Banty rooster" -
Casey Stengel nickname for Whitey Ford because of his style and
attitude.
"Battle of the Biltmore" 1947 Series celebration in Manhattan's
Biltmore Hotel was a time and place where Larry MacPhail drunkenly fought
with everyone and ended his Yankee ownership time.
"Biscuit Pants" - A reference to the well filled out trousers of Lou
Gehrig.
"Billyball" - the aggressive style of play utilized by Billy Martin
"Blind Ryne" - Ryne Duren because of his very poor vision, uncorrected
-20/70 and 20/200.
"Bob the Gob"
- Bob Shawkey
spent most of 1918 in the Navy as a yeoman petty officer aboard the battleship
Arkansas.
"The Boss" - A a
formerly apt description of Yankee owner, George
Steinbrenner
"Boomer" - David Wells, for his in your face
personality.
"The Boston Massacre" - described the way the Red Sox collapsed in
1978 and the seep of a four game series by the Yankees that
September.
"Broadway" - Shortstop Lyn Lary was married to
Broadway star Mary
Lawler.
"Bronx Bombers" For the borough and home run power.
"Bronx Zoo" a derogatory reference to off color behavior on and off
the playing field through the years and especially in the
1970s.
"Brooklyn Schoolboy" was what they called Waite Hoyt for his time
as a star pitcher at Erasmus High School.
"Bulldog" - Jim Bouton, for his tenacity.
"Bullet Bob" - Bob Turley, for the pop on his
fastball.
"Bye-Bye"- Steve Balboni, the primary DH of the 1990 Yankees had 17
homers but hit just .192.
''Carnesville Plowboy'' - Spud Chandler for his hometown of Carnesville,
"Deacon" - Everett Scott, for his not too friendly
look.
"Georgia Catfish" - Jim Hunter, name given to him by Oakland owner
Charles Finley
""the CAT-a-lyst," name given to Mickey Rivers by Howard Cosell for
his ability to trigger Yankee team offense.
"Chairman of the Board" - Elston Howard came up with
the phrase in tribute to
Whitey Ford and his commanding and take charge manner on the
mound.
"Clutch versus Clutch" - qualitative commentary about Yankee-Red Sox
competition.
"Columbia Lou" - Lou Gehrig because of his collegiate roots.
"Commerce Comet" - Mickey Mantle
"The Count" - Sparky Lyle, handlebar mustache and lordy ways
"The Crow" - Frank Crosetti loud voice and chirpy ways
"Danish Viking" - George Pipgras, for his size and
roots.
"Daddy Longlegs. - Dave
Winfield, for his size and long legs.
"Death Valley" - the old deep centerfield in Yankee Stadium -
a
home run here was a mighty
poke.
"Dial-a-Deal - Gabe Paul earned this one for his telephone trading
habits.
"Donnie Baseball" - Don Mattingly was the only player in any sport
to have a nickname with the actual name of his or her sport in it. Some say
it was coined by Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay; others say it came from
Kirby Pucket. Kay takes the credit; Mattingly gives the credit to Puckett.
"El Duque" - Orlando
Hernandez
"El Duquecito" -ADRIAN
HERNANDEZ because of a
pitching style similar to Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, the younger Cuban
is of no relation to his elder countryman.
"Ellie" - affectionate
abbreviation of Elston Howard's first
name
"Father of the Emory Ball" Rookie right-hander Russ Ford posted a
26-6 record with 8 shutouts, 1910
Fireman" - The first to have this nick-name was Johnny Murphy, the
first great relief pitcher who put out
fires. Joe Page picked up this
nick-name for his top relief work later
on.
"Five O'clock Lightning" - At five o'clock the blowing of a whistle
at a factory near Yankee Stadium signaled the end of the work day in the
1930s and also what the Yankees were doing to the opposition on the
field.
Flash" - Joe Gordon earned this nick-name because of his fast, slick
fielding and hot line drives.
Four hour manager" - Bucky Harris, who put his time in at the game
and was finished.
"Fordham Johnny" - for the college Johnny Murphy
attended.
"Friday Night Massacre" - April 26, 1974, Yankees Fritz Patterson,
Steve Kline, Fred Beene, Tom Buskey, and half the pitching staff were traded
to Cleveland for Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow, and Ceil
Upshaw.
"Gator" - Ron Guidry,
who came from Louisiana alligator country.
"Gay Caballero" - Lefty Gomez for his Mexican roots and fun loving
ways.
"Gay Reliever" - Joe
Page for his night owl activity.
" Gehrigville." Bleachers in right-center at Yankee
Stadium.
"The Godfather" - Joe Torre, for his Italian roots and his leadership
skills on the baseball field.
"Gooneybird" - Don Larsen's teammates called him that for his late-night
behavior.
"Goofy" or "El Goofo" - earned by Lefty Gomez for his wild
antics
"Goose"
Gossage
"The Great Agitator" -for Billy Martin, self
explanatory.
"Grandma" - it was not a nick-name Johnny Murphy liked, but he was
called that for his pitching motion, rocking chair style. Another story is
that fellow Yankee Pat Malone gave him the name because of his complaining
nature especially as regards food and lodgings.
"Happy Jack" Jack
Chesbro's time as an attendant at the state mental hospital in Middletown,
New York where he pitched for the hospital team and showed off a very pleasant
disposition won him the nickname.
"Holy Cow" - one of Phil
Rizzuto's ways of expressing awe
"Horse Nose" - a nick-name given catcher Pat Collins by Babe Ruth,
a reference to a facial feature.
"Horsewhips Sam" - Sam Jones earned this because of his sharp-breaking
curve ball.
"House That Ruth Built" - Ruth's immense popularity that propelled
the Yankees into their new home, Yankee
Stadium
"Home Run" - Frank Baker, for the two game winning homers he hit in
the 1911 World Series.
"Home run twins"
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, phrase coined in
1961.
"Iron Horse"
- Lou
Gehrig
"Joltin' Joe" - Joe DiMaggio,
for the jolting shots he hit.
"Jumping Joe" Joe Dugan earned his nickname for being AWOL from his
first big league club as a youngster
"Junk Man" - Eddie Lopat frustrated hitters off stride
with an
assortment of slow breaking
pitches thrown with cunning and accuracy.
"Kentucky Colonel" -
Earl Combs came from Kentucky
"The King and the Crown
Prince" - Babe Ruth and
Lou Gehrig
King Kong" Charlie Keller earned this nick-name because of
his muscular body type and black, bushy
brows.
"Knight of Kennett Square" - Herb Pennock because he raised thoroughbreds
and hosted fox hunts in his home town of Kennett Square,
Pennsylvania.
Knucksie" - Phil Niekro because of his knuckleball
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