The nickname Heinie was actually given to ballplayers of German descent. Short for Heinrich according to a few web searches.
As far as Heinie Berger, I'm friends with his grandson. I knew him for a few years and while attending a card show, I stopped at his table to say hello. He asked me if I had bought anything, so I pulled out my purchases. While thumbing through the stack he said "Hey theres my Grandfather!" He had never mentioned before that his grandfather was a ballplayer.
Jantz
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