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Posted By: warshawlaw

I like the nicknames that supplant the real name so much that that are on the cards and even became autograph styles: Choo Choo Coleman, Boo Ferriss, Bobo Holliman, Buck Newsome, Cookie Rojas, Whitey Ford, Whitey Lockman, Mickey Cochrane, Granny Hamner, Rip Sewell, Pie Traynor, Ki Ki Cuyler, Duke Snider, Yogi Berra, Moose Skowron, Babe Ruth, Cy Young,

Now playing left field: Lefty O'Doul, Lefty Gomez, Lefty Grove, Lefty Phillips

Then there are the nicknames that say all you need, often ironically, about the player's style: Gabby Street, Eddie The Brat Stanky, Ewell The Whip Blackwell, Gabby Hartnett, Hammering Hank, Knuckles Cicotte,

There are the Whiteys: Ford, Lockman

There are the diminutives. Baseball is about the only major sport played professionally by Sammy, Bobby, Davey, Richie, Tommie, Eddie, etc.

I think we see fewer nicknames now because of how insulting public discourse in general has become and how sensitive people have become to being categorized with names that bring up physical characteristics. Also, newspaper sportswriting is so sterile compared to the styles of the earlier columnists, who for the most part created the labels. The nicknames we hear today are the result of publicity departments or in some cases, players being silly (Rock Raines?).