Great Baseball Nicknames

Some serve as tributes, others are simply appropriate, and a few were intended to poke a little fun at the victim.

Baseball, unlike any other sport, has a long tradition of nicknames, from “The Flying Dutchman” to “The Splendid Splinter” to the slightly more derisive “Captain Hook.” If you were really something special, you might even have qualified for more than one.

Here are some of the best of the best:

– George “Sparky” Anderson: “Captain Hook” (So-called for the longtime manager’s penchant for changing pitchers early and often.)

– Ernie Banks: “Mr. Cub” (Played all 19 of his Major League seasons in Chicago.)

– Joe DiMaggio: “The Yankee Clipper,” “Joltin’ Joe” (In honor of his smooth yet powerful style.)

– Leo Durocher: “The Lip” (Famous for his arguments with umpires.)

– Lou Gehrig: “The Iron Horse” (Played in 2,130 consecutive games.)

– Reggie Jackson: “Mr. October” (Postseason play normally brought out his best.)

– Randy Johnson: “The Big Unit” (Hard-throwing lefthander stands 6-foot-10.)

– Walter Johnson: “The Big Train” (Known for his imposing presence and a fastball that may have reached 100 miles per hour in his prime.)

– Willie Mays: “The Say Hey Kid” (”Say Hey” was his signature greeting.)

– Babe Ruth: “Sultan of Swat,” “The Bambino” (Home run king of the non-steroid era.)

– Nolan Ryan: “The Express” (In honor of his dominating fastball.)

– Honus Wagner: “The Flying Dutchman” (Because he was fast…and Dutch.)

– Ted Williams: “The Splendid Splinter,” “Teddy Ballgame” (Noted for his thin build and ultra-competitive nature.)