For sports enthusiasts, baseball remains an all-time favorite since baseball history goes back to the 18th century.
If these ancient names excite you, here are unique baseball nicknames that will grow your fondness for this game.
In the sport's history of baseball, there have been unique and creative nicknames such as 'Crime Dog' (for Fred McGriff), 'Georgia Peach' (for Tyrus Raymond Cobb), or 'Shoeless Joe' (for Joseph Jefferson Jackson), coined by the teammates, fans, and the media.
Each of these greatest nicknames has a reason or short story behind them.
Creative Baseball Nicknames
Read on to learn about the creative baseball nicknames.
1. Big Unit- During batting practice in 1988, Randy Johnson collided head-first with outfielder Tim Raines, prompting his teammate to exclaim, "Damn! You're a big unit!".
2. Crime Dog- One of ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman's nicknames for Fred McGriff originated from the cartoon dog 'McGruff.'
3. Ears or The Sphinx- The dueling nicknames given to Don Mossi were derived from his distinctive facial features — his prominent nose and ears.
4. Eye-chart- Doug Wayne Gwosdz, nicknamed 'Eye chart,' is an American former professional baseball catcher.
5. Goose- Leon Allen Goslin waved his arms as he chased fly balls, had a long neck, and acquired this name.
6. Mudcat- Jim Grant was the roommate of his boyhood idol, Larry Doby, when he first came to Cleveland, and Doby dubbed him 'Mudcat.'
7. Old Aches and Pains- Luke Appling earned this unique name of 'Old Aches and Pains' by continually complaining about his various ailments.
8. Schnozz- Ernie Lombardi was given this byname for his big nose. He was one of the biggest and best hitters in baseball of all time.
9. Scrabble- Marc Rzepczynski got the nickname 'Scrabble' given to him by the Toronto Blue Jays media because of the high score his surname could score in the game.
10. Spaceman- Bill Lee was a successful pitcher in the major leagues for many years and was named 'Spaceman.'
11. The Bird- coach Jeff Hogan gave Mark Fidrych his byname 'Bird' as he thought Fidrych looked like Big Bird from the television show 'Sesame Street.
12. The Chairman of the Board- As a tribute to his calm, relaxed demeanor in challenging situations, Edward Charles Ford became known as 'the Chairman of the Board'.
13. The Duke of Tralee- Roger Bresnahan was given this nickname for his Irish roots. He was born in Tralee, Ireland.
14. The Laser Show or Muddy Chicken- Dustin Pedroia had two great nicknames. The press called him 'the Laser Show,' but his nickname around the Red Sox was 'Muddy Chicken.'
15. The Lemmer or The Dirt Player- Mark Lemke was nicknamed 'The Lemmer,' but Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox liked to call him 'The Original Dirt Player' because he never left the field with a clean uniform.
16. Ugly- Johnny Dickshot was known as 'Ugly' because of his self-proclaimed status as the 'Ugliest Man in Baseball.'
Baseball Nicknames For Guys
Great nicknames have been used in baseball to address outstanding players. Some of these nicknames include 'Cool Papa' (for James Thomas Bell), 'Iron Horse' and 'Biscuit Pants' (for Henry Louis Gehrig), 'Wonder Hamster' (for Matt Stairs), and 'Huff Daddy' (for Aubrey Lewis Huff) remains popular to date. Read on to learn more about baseball nicknames for guys.
17. American Idle- In the final three years of his contract with the Yankees, Carl Pavano made nine appearances, earning a reputation as a hypochondriac. He would miss time with injuries such as a sprained butt, earning him this nickname.
18. Archie- You may hear Rick Manning as 'Arch' or 'Archie' in the broadcasts. This became his nickname because of another professional athlete named Manning, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning.
19. Dizzy- Paul Howard Trout was an American professional baseball player who got the nickname due to his eyes.
20. Man of Steal- When you look at Rickey Henderson's stats, you would understand this: 1,406 career steals and a record of 130 in 1982.
21. Mr. Hoover- Brooks Robinson is known as 'Mr. Hoover for his legendary performance.
22. Muscles- Teammates called Joe Medwick' Muscles'.
23. Rapid Robert- Bob Feller took the American League by storm as a teenager, leading to this nickname.
24. Road Runner- Ralph Garr has been given this nickname due to his speed.
25. Rusty- Daniel Joseph Staub was given this nickname due to his red hair.
26. The Capital Punisher- While playing in the nation's capital, Frank Howard punished AL pitching for 237 home runs in seven seasons.
27. The Flyin' Hawaiian- Shane Victorino has Hawaiian descent and plays the game with endless energy and spunk, therefore this nickname.
28. The Greek God of Walks- Known for his ability to get on base while he played in the minor leagues, Kevin Youkilis was nicknamed 'Euclid: The Greek God of Walks' in the most famous book, 'Moneyball: The Art Of Winning An Unfair Game.
29. The Hawk- Andre Dawson was given to him by an uncle at a very early age as he attacked the ball like a hawk while most kids his age would shy away from the ball.
30. The Judge- Frank Robinson earned the byname because he presided over the team's Kangaroo Court, the first of its kind in baseball.
31. The Sandman- Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' was the perfect sonic descriptor for Mariano Rivera.
32. The Silent One- Chris Chambliss was given this byname for his silent behavior during the matches.
33. Thunder- Nicknamed 'Thunder' for his meteoric blasts, Andre Thornton is a professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, and Cleveland Indians.
34. Vincent Van Go- Vince Coleman was a true artist of the stolen base as he had 752 stolen bases.
35. Wild Bear- The Tigers offered Cecil Fielder the position of cleanup hitter, and he became a hero to the local baseball fans, nicknamed him 'Wild Bear.'
36. Yogi- When Lawrence Peter Berra sat with arms and legs crossed, a friend suggested he looked like a Hindu yogi.
Cool Baseball Nicknames
The unique nicknames in the history of baseball include 'Little Steam Engine' (Pud Galvin), 'Big Papi' (for David Américo Ortiz Arias), and 'Flying Things' (for Bob Ferguson), and 'Wild Elk' (for Edward Burlton Heusser).
Are you looking for some cool baseball nicknames? Check out the list below.
37. Babe- George Herman Ruth, popularly known as 'Babe' Ruth, acquired multiple nicknames during his career, such as 'The Great Bambino' and 'The Sultan of Swat. The name also resembles the members of the 'Baseball Hall of Fame.
38. Big Hurt- Frank Thomas was given the nickname 'Big Hurt' by White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson for the damage he inflicted on opposite pitchers.
39. Blue Moon- Johnny Lee Odom had a classmate in grade school who thought Odom's face looked like the moon.
40. El Toro- Carlos Zambrano was nicknamed 'El Toro' because of his fiery demeanor during games.
41. Hammerin Hank- Hank Aaron earned the name 'Hammerin' Hank' by hitting an impressive 755 home runs.
42. Jasper- During his years at Girard College, Harry Davis was given the nickname Jasper by his schoolmates.
43. Knucksie- Phil Niekro earned the nickname by mastering the knuckleball, a floater of a pitch with no spin or rotation that is hard to control and a bear to hit.
44. Le Grand Orange- Daniel Joseph Staub had this nickname due to his red hair.
45. Marmaduke- Many know John Smoltz as Smoltzie, but his teammate in Atlanta, Dale Murphy, gave Smoltz his first ever nickname, 'Marmaduke.'
46. Ryan Express- Lynn Nolan Ryan was popularly known by this byname.
47. Say Hey Kid- Willie Mays has one of the best nicknames in baseball history. It came about because he used to greet everyone with 'Hey' when he saw them.
48. Secretary of Defense- Garry Maddox was one of the best center fielders of his era, and he was also the most prominent outfielder in franchise history, and therefore this nickname.
49. The Commerce Comet- Mickey Mantle was a star athlete from Commerce, Oklahoma, and therefore, this nickname.
50. The Gambler- Kenny Rogers said, "Every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser".
51. The Professor- Kyle Hendricks is nicknamed 'The Professor' by his teammates and fans. It is not only a reference to Hendricks' Ivy League education but also an homage to Greg Maddux, who also sported the same handle.
Funny Baseball Nicknames
Have you heard The Big Train (for Walter Johnson), Big Cat (for Andrés José Padovani Galarraga), Big Mac (for Mark David McGwire), and Baby Bull (for Orlando Cepeda)?
Well! Baseball history is full of funny nicknames. Read on to learn some of the most amusing nicknames.
52. Bucketfoot Al- During his two-decade-old career, During a 20-year career, Aloysius Harry Simmons bashed significant league pitching at a .334 clip on his way to the Hall of Fame. With an exaggerated stride toward third base and earned the nickname 'Bucketfoot Al.'
53. Bye-Bye- Steve Balboni has given the name because of his propensity to hit home runs.
54. Catfish- Jim' Catfish' Hunter's nickname was invented by A's owner Charlie Finley. He also created a story for the media about Hunter catching fish in the backwoods creeks of North Carolina.
55. Clank- Darrell Evans received the nickname due to his fielding difficulties.
56. Ding Dong- Wilbur Gary Bell, nicknamed Ding Dong, is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher.
57. Ducky-Wucky- Fans called Joe Medwick Ducky-Wucky more than merely Ducky, presumably because of his gait or the way he swam.
58. Dummy Hoy- William Ellsworth Hoy is the first deaf person to have a successful career in Major League Baseball. Hoy played from 1886 to 1902.
59. Egg- Bruce Benedict never played a position other than catcher during his entire major league career.
60. Howdy Doody- Darrell acquired the nickname due to his resemblance to the famous television puppet of the same name.
61. Human Rain Delay- Mike Hargrove attained the nickname 'The Human Rain Delay' for his deliberate routine at the plate before each at-bat and before each pitch.
62. Joey Bats- Jose Bautista was terrific as Joey Bats in 'The Hitman' on YouTube.
63. Kung Fu Panda- Pablo Sandoval was the loveable giant panda.
64. Oil Can- Dennis Boyd was born in Mississippi (where beer may be referred to as oil) and got this nickname.
65. The Gerbil or Popeye- Don Zimmer was given these nicknames because of his facial resemblance to the cartoon character.
66. The Human Vacuum Cleaner- Brooks Robinson gave a legendary performance for the Orioles in the 1970 World Series.
67. The Penguin- Ron Cey was named 'Penguin' because of his awkward running style.
68. Three-Finger- Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown became better known as 'Three-Finger' Brown because of an accident he sustained in childhood.
69. Tomato Face- Nick Cullop is the all-time minor league RBI king. His nickname was given because his face turned bright red whenever he got angry.
70. Toy Cannon- Jimmy Wynn's small stature and powerful bat led to this nickname.
71. Zamboni- Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon marvelled at how the St. Louis third baseman Ken Reitz could pick up everything.
