SAVAGE VIEWS – Great Named Baseball Players

 SAVAGE VIEWS – Great Named Baseball Players

Let’s take a walk down memory lane when baseball players had unique names.  Here’s a list of ten names that come to mind.

1.    George Herman “Babe” Ruth.  With a name like Babe Ruth how could he not turn out to be one of the best players ever.

2.    Jerome Herman “Dizzy’ Dean was the ace pitcher of the so-called Gashouse Gang.  Another Hall of Fame pitcher who is ranked among the greatest players ever to play the game.  Led the league in complete games four years in a row. He once won 30 games for the Cardinals.

3.    Enos “Country” Slaughter was another player for the St. Louis Cardinals who was elected to the Hall of Fame.  Country Slaughter was famous for the “Mad Dash” from first base to home on a single that was the decisive run in the seventh game of the 1946 World Series. 

4.    Granville “Granny” Hammer was one of the “Whiz Kids” of the Philadelphia Phillies.   He debuted with the Phillies as a 17-year-old kid and spent 15 ½ years with the team as a shortstop.  I remember listening to the game against the Dodgers in 1950 when they beat Brooklyn and made it to the World Series.

5.    Sebastian “Sibby” Sisti was a utility player who made his MLB debut as an 18 year old.  He spent his entire 15 year career with the Braves.  I’ve always loved that name.

6.    Elwin “Preacher” Roe was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers along with Billy Cox and Gene Mauch in exchange for Dixie Walker and a couple of other players.  It seems that Dixie was not a fan of baseball integrating and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1948.  Roe had a wonderful six year run with the Dodgers, including a 22-3 record in 1951.  I still remember listening to the game when he hit a homer in Forbes Field – Roe was a notoriously bad hitter.  Billy Cox was one of the best fielding third basemen of all time.

7.    Harold “Pee-Wee” Reese was another Dodger elected to the Hall of Fame.  Some feel that Pee-Wee made the Hall primarily for his support of team-mate Jackie Robinson.  He was certainly a true “Southern Gentleman”.

8.    James “Catfish” Hunter was another great pitcher who was elected to the Hall of Fame.  Another guy who never pitched a minor league game.  He was one of the first free agents who signed a lucrative deal with the Yankees after winning his freedom.

9.    Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd pitched for ten seasons with three different teams.  It’s been said that he got his nickname from his beer drinking days in Mississippi where beer was often referred to as “oil”.   While pitching for the Red Sox he won 31 games in the two-year period 1985-1986.  Over the other eight seasons he won a total of 47 games.

10. Johnny “Blue Moon” Odum spent 13 years as a pitcher for four different teams.  His greatest success came as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty.  He began his career with the A’s as a 19 year old.  In his first game he gave up a homer to somebody by the name of Mickey Mantle.  He’s remembered for two notable clubhouse fights.  One with Vida Blue and the other with Rollie Fingers.  Seems he said some stuff that ruffled feathers.

I’m curious as to why none of today’s ball players have memorable nick names.

Ray

April 30, 2024