Early Names

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

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"?

On a side note, will baseball ever have another era where we find the following names all playing at once?

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

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

"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.

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

Thanks Dan,

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).

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

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.

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

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.....

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Posted By: leon

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....

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Dave,

While I do think that 'society' has become a little to thin skinned...

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.

Frank.

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Posted By: Bob

In this PC world of ours I am surprised we still refer to "Fat" Freddie Fitzsimmons and "Tubby" Spencer

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Posted By: Dave Snyder

Instead of Rube, we have A-Rod

Instead of Jiggs, we have Bubba

instead of Moose, we have The Big Unit

About the only good name that keeps getting recycled every now and again is "Pudge"

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Posted By: Darren

In the early 80's we had a mookie and a shooty, those alone is saying something.

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Posted By: Jeremy

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.

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Posted By: Steve Dawson

That's a good one Jeremy!!

I just hope Mookie, Gookie, Cooky and Pokey never went to their bookie for some nookie!


My favorite though, was the Reds' outfield in 1998

Dmitri Young
Mike Frank
Chris Stynes


Young Frank & Stynes



Steve

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Posted By: barrysloate

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.

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.