Greatest athletes without a nickname

[WillowGrove]

Originally Posted by Huysmans

I wonder, who was the first baseball player EVER to be given a sobriquet?

Good question. I chose to look up an early name, Jim Mutrie, and according to Wikki he had a nickname circa 1880...

Mutrie, nicknamed "Smilin' Jeems" and "Truthful Jim", was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and grew up playing cricket, first playing baseball at age 16. He played in the minor leagues from 1877 to 1879.[1] In 1880 he moved from New England to New York, where he obtained financial backing from August Belmont and John B. Day to start the independent New York Metropolitans. At the end of the 1882 season, Day and Mutrie accepted offers from both the American Association and the National League to enter a New York team; they met their double commitment by entering the Mets in the American Association, and acquiring most of the players from the Troy Trojans to form the New York Gothams for the National League.

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by WillowGrove

Good question. I chose to look up an early name, Jim Mutrie, and according to Wikki he had a nickname circa 1880...

Mutrie, nicknamed "Smilin' Jeems" and "Truthful Jim", was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and grew up playing cricket, first playing baseball at age 16. He played in the minor leagues from 1877 to 1879.[1] In 1880 he moved from New England to New York, where he obtained financial backing from August Belmont and John B. Day to start the independent New York Metropolitans. At the end of the 1882 season, Day and Mutrie accepted offers from both the American Association and the National League to enter a New York team; they met their double commitment by entering the Mets in the American Association, and acquiring most of the players from the Troy Trojans to form the New York Gothams for the National League.

Great information Peter.
I've always loved the surviving Troy tickets in the hobby.
What an important genesis item for the Gothams.

[gonzo]

Bob Ferguson was playing professionally by the early 1870s. His nickname “Death to Flying Things” is at least in the discussion for greatest nickname in baseball history.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Bob Ferguson was playing professionally by the early 1870s. His nickname “Death to Flying Things” is at least in the discussion for greatest nickname in baseball history.

For me, as many amazing nicknames as there are, for baseball The Yankee Clipper is at the top of the list.

[NiceDocter]

Don't know if this is a nickname or a tribal name but I had heard him referred to in the past as "Chief Brightpath"......