With a grandson named Gavin, I wondered why Clifford Cravath was referred to as Gavvy, thinking it might be based on the name Gavin, but alas
Cravath received his nickname while playing with the Los Angeles Angels in the Pacific Coast League. He hit a drive which killed a sea gull in flight.
Spanish fans took up the chant, 'gaviota! (sea gull), gaviota!' The nickname 'Gavvy' was created and it stuck.
Gavvy might also qualify for the Heavy Hitters thread as he became the first mayor of Escondido after baseball and then a Justice of the Peace in Laguna Beach for many years.
Other
unusual nickname stories might be interesting to Board members.
Let's exclude any nicknames created by Chris Berman.
