Where Have all the Nicknames Gone?

There used to be more fun in sports in those days of playful nicknames.

Dominic DiMaggio of the Boston Red Sox was The Professor simply because he wore glasses. His more famous brother Joe was The Yankee Clipper, a Yankee to the core for his entire career, who was also called Joltin’ Joe, a fun alliteration that was even made into a song.

There was Cookie Lavagetto of the Brooklyn Dodgers, hero of the 1947 World Series and the tall skinny Red Sox slugger Ted Williams who was known as The Splendid Splinter.

Shoeless Joe Jackson of the Chicago White Sox was so poor he spent most of his boyhood in the South barefoot.

Yankee Lou Gehig was the Iron Horse for his iron-willed stamina in playing continuous games.

Who could forget Hammerin’ Hank Aaron, record holder for home runs or Ty Cobb the Georgia Peach?

In Seattle we had our own tall and lanky Rainier’s pitcher Hector Skinny Brown, as well as pitcher Kewpie Dick Barrett so called for his substantially round tummy.

In pro football there was Elroy Crazy Legs Hirsch, the wild runner with his own unique style of legwork. And Washington Redskins quarterback Slinging Sammy Baugh coined for slinging the ball across the field like Zeus hurling his thunderbolt across the sky.

Boxer Joe Lewis was the Brown Bomber who could knock his opponents out cold with one powerful punch.

Argentinean boxer Luis Firpo was The Wild Bull of the Pampas named after the plains of Argentina where the caballeros rode.

Boxer Archie Moore was The Old Mongoose for his crafty dead-on moves in the ring, one swift punch that could kill a cobra.

Jack Dempsey was the Manassa Mauler for obvious reasons.

And of course there was The Babe!

Closer to home we had those wild and crazy hydroplane drivers Wild Bill Cantrell famous for his speed, and the often told story of taking a turn so fast he ended up in someone’s flower bed on Lake Washington, only to be handed a martini by delighted spectators. And Seattle favorite, daring former race car driver and Gold Cup winner Lou Leadfoot Fageol of Slo Mo fame.

It’s true we’ve got a few nicknames now, like The Kid for Ken Griffey Jr.

But it’s just not the same. It’s not so ubiquitous. It’s not so fun-loving.

Fun for us though, we have one in the family: my ex's stepdaughter the champion boxer, Molly The Mauler McConnell, one tough cookie who spars with men and some refuse to fight.

Photo: Shoeless Joe Jackson/Wikimedia