Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Dave Snyder</b><p>Perhaps this is a stupid question and I apologize if it's already been covered, but everytime I see a T206 J.J. Clarke card up for auction, it's listed as J.J. Clarke, Nig, Cleveland. Can someone please tell me what Nig means? Is it just a nickname like "Rube" or "Doc"?<br /><br />On a side note, will baseball ever have another era where we find the following names all playing at once?<br /><br />Hunky, Bunk, Rube, Wildfire, Wild Bill, Chief, Doc, Nig, Red, Whitey, Home Run, Jap, Shad, Ginger, Beals, Heine, Kitty, Mordecai, Iron Man, Wid, Birdie, Jiggs, Patsy, Kid, Hobe, Peaches, Dolly, Fielder, Otto, Nap, Lefty, Paddy, Moose, Dots, Rebel, Hub, Deacon, Bugs, Germany, Admiral, Boss, Happy, Tris, Tubby, Gabby, Kaiser, Hooks, Lucky<br /><br /><br />

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>"Nig" was a common nickname in the late 1800's-early 1900s for ballplayers with dark complexion. Insensitive to be sure, but it was pretty much a sign of the times. Clarke was of Indian descent.

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Dave Snyder</b><p>Thanks Dan,<br /><br />That's what I figured, but hoped it wasn't true. I'm curious as to why PSA would choose to list him as "Nig" on their slab while SGC and GAI list him as J.J. (which is what it says on the actual card itself). <br /><br />

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Dan Bretta</b><p>I don't have a problem with PSA putting his nickname on the slab. It is in a historical context what he was commonly known as. Albert Bender is more commonly known and referred to as "Chief" still to this day even though many would find that offensive as well. Nobody would use those nicknames today as we have grown to be more tolerant as a society. You can't erase the past though.

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Dave Snyder</b><p>I don't have a problem with it either - especially if that's what he was called on a regular basis. It's part if the character that makes the T206 set so colorful (no pun intended). I'm just surprised that PSA (and others) would continue to use the name given the heightened sensitivity to it nowadays. As a society, we seem to be a lot more tolerant of Native American nicknames - many of which are still in use - Chiefs, Indians, Braves, Redskins, etc.....

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>As a society we are much more sensitive today than in the past to "names". Very recently a small city just north of Dallas, Frisco, had the High School team name of "Coons". About a year or two ago they became the "Raccoons" due to the sensitivity of the name.......Frisco is also home of the Roughriders minor league AA baseball team. I love to go to those games....

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Frank Wakefield</b><p>Dave,<br /><br />While I do think that 'society' has become a little to thin skinned...<br /><br />I do think that if JJ Clark was on the card, that is what should be on the slab label. Bust him out!!! Then there's no offensive slab label.<br /><br />Frank.

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Bob</b><p>In this PC world of ours I am surprised we still refer to "Fat" Freddie Fitzsimmons and "Tubby" Spencer <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Dave Snyder</b><p>Instead of Rube, we have A-Rod <br /><br />Instead of Jiggs, we have Bubba<br /><br />instead of Moose, we have The Big Unit<br /><br />About the only good name that keeps getting recycled every now and again is "Pudge"

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Darren</b><p>In the early 80's we had a mookie and a shooty, those alone is saying something.

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Jeremy</b><p>while watching a Mets/Reds game on t.v. I noticed that, at one point, when the Reds were in the field, Mookie Wilson was coaching first, Pokey Reese was playing second, Gookie Dawkins was at short, & Cookie Rojas was coaching third. So you had Mookie, Pokey, Gookie, & Cookie all together.

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>Steve Dawson</b><p>That's a good one Jeremy!!<br /><br />I just hope Mookie, Gookie, Cooky and Pokey never went to their bookie for some nookie!<br /><br /><br />My favorite though, was the Reds' outfield in 1998<br /><br />Dmitri Young<br />Mike Frank<br />Chris Stynes<br /><br /><br />Young Frank & Stynes <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br /><br /><br />Steve

Early Names
 

Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>Among other politically incorrect names would be "Chief" Bender and Meyers; and "Dummy" Hoy and Taylor. The latter is particularly odious, as it was assumed that if you could not speak you lacked intelligence. <br /><br />Of course, we currently have a football team called the Redskins, and a baseball team called the Indians, so we still have a long way to go.