20 Great Baseball Nicknames

Throughout the history of sports, there have been hundreds of athletes who have chosen to go by – or at least have allowed themselves to be called by – a variety of quirky, kooky, and downright hilarious nicknames. In my opinion, the game of baseball has seen some of the best nicknames. Some nicknames are a play on the person's actual name, while others are a reference to some physical attribute they may have. Still others are directly (or indirectly) related to the player's skills (or lack thereof) as an athlete. Regardless of the reason, here are 20 of the best baseball nicknames throughout the game's history. Feel free to comment with your own favorite baseball nicknames that I might have missed...


1)  Catfish Hunter  (born James Augustus Hunter)

2)  The Big Unit  (aka Randy Johnson)

3)  Coco Crisp  (born Covelli Loyce Crisp)

4)  Dummy Hoy  (born William Ellsworth Hoy)

5)  Goose Gossage  (born Richard Michael Gossage)

6)  Kung Fu Panda  (aka Pablo Sandoval)

7)  Losing Pitcher  (aka Hugh Mulcahy)

8)  Oil Can Boyd  (born Dennis Ray Boyd)

9)  Preacher Roe  (born Elwin Charles Roe)

10)  Shoeless Joe Jackson  (born Joseph Jefferson Jackson)

11)  Three-Finger Brown  (born Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown)

12)  Whitey Ford  (born Edward Charles Ford)

13)  Blackie Schwamb  (born Ralph Richard Schwamb)

14)  Heinie Manush  (born Henry Emmett Manush)

15)  Dazzy Vance  (born Charles Arthur Vance)

16)  Dizzy Dean  (born Jay Hanna Dean)

17)  Charlie Hustle  (aka Pete Rose)

18)  Pee Wee Reese  (born Harold Peter Henry Reese)

19)  Flash Gordon  (born Thomas Gordon)

20)  Babe Ruth  (born George Herman Ruth)

Things I Find Fascinating: More Than You Ever Needed To Know About Millard Fillmore

The 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore, was not much to write home about. In fact, Fillmore is consistently ranked in the Top 10 of Worst Presidents Ever – although he was, hands down, the 13th best ever at the time of his presidency.

Hi, I'm Millard Fillmore. I was President from 1850 to 1853.
Don't remember me? Don't worry. Nobody does. Oh, well...

That being said, I won't bore you with the boring parts of Fillmore's life or his presidency – that would take way too long. Instead, I'll offer a few interesting, perhaps humorous tidbits about the only U.S. President with double "l"'s in both his first and last name. Here goes...



1)  Fillmore is partly responsible for the preponderance of Japanese automobiles on the road today.  

I should probably explain, huh? During his presidency, Millard – you don't mind if I call him Millard, do you? – sent Commodore Matthew Perry...

...No, not that Matthew Perry! This Matthew Perry...

Anyway, Millard sent Perry to Japan to open that small island nation up to Western trade. And trade they did! And trade they do! And the rest is history.



2)  California's very existence as a state is Fillmore's fault.

Sick of all the nonsense that comes out of Hollywood these days? Maybe you have a personal agenda against San Franciscans? You think San Diego isn't classy enough? Blame Fillmore. As part of the Compromise of 1850, which Fillmore signed into law shortly after his inheriting the presidency (Zachary Taylor had to die for Millard to get the job!), California was admitted into the Union as the 31st state.



3)  The "George Jefferson" of chief executives, Fillmore was the first non-wealthy (code words: "distinctly middle class") man to ascend to the U.S. presidency.

Fillmore was not born into money, nor did he marry into wealth, nor did he achieve enough success personally to ever become extraordinarily wealthy. Millard was the first President with this type of "resumé," but he was certainly not the last. Many later Presidents would be able to tell their own "movin' on up to the East Side" success stories.



4)  Fillmore was anti-everything during his political career...except anti-slavery.

Millard's first gig in politics was as a member of the New York State Assembly. He had run and won as a member of the Anti-Masonic Party. Elected Vice President as a Whig (Whigs were anti-Andrew Jackson, anti-Democratic, and anti-tyranny), Fillmore ran for President again (a few years after his term had expired) as a member of the American Party, which was an affiliate of the Know-Nothing Movement. The Know-Nothings were anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. In regards to slavery, Fillmore stated, "God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil... and we must endure it and give it such protection as is guaranteed by the Constitution."

So WE must endure it, must WE, Mr. Fillmore? Well, you certainly look white to me, so I don't think you had to endure ANYTHING! But I digress...


5)  Fillmore's son Powers was quite possibly a closeted homosexual.

A close friend of future President Grover Cleveland, Millard Powers Fillmore (the President's son) was described by Cleveland as being "odd...in many ways." Which means nothing, of course. Speculation, however, derives from the fact that Powers never married and never had children (both uncommon at the time), and that his (Powers') will specifically ordered his personal correspondences – including those with his father, Millard – to be destroyed upon his death. And they were – so we'll never know for sure. Not that it really matters anyway.



6)  Our fatally-flawed National Banking System is also partially Fillmore's fault.

While serving as the New York state comptroller, Fillmore revised New York's banking system, making it a model for the future National Banking System. Nice work, Millard!



7)  When Fillmore took office after the death of Zachary Taylor, the entire cabinet offered their resignations.

The thing is, Taylor and Fillmore, though elected together, were diametrically opposed in their views about slavery. Taylor was vehemently anti-slavery and refused to sign the Compromise of 1850. Then Taylor just up and died, and Fillmore said something like, "Sure, guys, whatever you want," and – poof! – it was law. The cabinet members saw that coming a mile away and wanted no part of it.

The cabinet members that Fillmore appointed to replace Taylor's people were a motley crew of historical coincidences. Fillmore's first Secretary of State, Daniel Webster...

...a seriously creepy-looking dude, was the cousin of the guy who originally wrote Webster's Dictionary.

The guy who succeeded Webster as Secretary of State, Edward Everett...

...was an accomplished orator who, in 1863, was invited to be the keynote speaker at the National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Then-President Abraham Lincoln was also slated to speak at the memorial. Everett spoke for over two hours, while Lincoln spoke for only two minutes. Remarkably, schoolchildren today still memorize the words that Lincoln spoke that day. Everett remains simply "that other guy."

Fillmore's first Secretary of the Navy was Billy Graham...

No! Not that Billy Graham! (He's old, but he's not that old!) This Billy Graham...

Millard's second Secretary of the Navy was John Kennedy...

No, not that John Kennedy! (Will you please stop jumping to conclusions?) This John Kennedy...

8)  Millard's last words were soup-related.

Suffering from the aftereffects of a stroke, the 74-year-old Fillmore reportedly said to his caregiver, "The nourishment is palatable," then promptly collapsed into his bowl of soup and expired. (I'm embellishing that last part, but both the quote and the reason for him saying it are true.)



9)  Fillmore's tombstone is pink.

For some strange reason, Millard Fillmore's family decided to mark his burial site with a large pink obelisk. Not very masculine if you ask me, but it is what it is. Rest in peace, Millard.

Life Lessons Learned From Famous Turtles

1)  Rely on your wits, instead of simply on your natural abilities, and you'll go much farther in life.

2)  In every life, a little nonsense must be present. Don't take yourself too seriously.

3)  It feels good to be on top of the world, but pride goes before a fall. (Sometimes literally.)

4)  You have to have a nose for news. Otherwise, your lack of knack may make you just a nuisance.

5)  You can never be too careful. Be prepared at all times for anything, including atomic warfare.

6)  You're safer from random acts of destruction in the suburbs than in the city. Evacuate while you still can!

7)  Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That's why it's called "the present."

8)  Crime does not pay. Be sure that justice will prevail and you will be punished.

9)  Sometimes you just don't care, and that's okay.

10)  You just never know who might become the best friend you've ever had.

Things I Find Fascinating: 12 Awesome Words That Start With "Z"

1)  Ziggurats:  These massive, pyramid-like structures were built in ancient Mesopotamia, a region in the Middle East that today includes Iran and Iraq. The Great Ziggurat of Ur (near Nasiriyah, Iraq) was restored in recent years, and is pictured below.

2)  Zabaione:  This popular Italian dessert, also called a zabajone or zabaglione, is made from egg yolks, sugar, a sweet wine (usually Marsala), and sometimes whole eggs. These ingredients combine to form a very light custard, which has been whipped to incorporate a large amount of air. Traditionally, zabaione is served with fresh figs, but in most Italian restaurants in the U.S. it's served with strawberries, blueberries, or peaches.

3)  Zombiism:  Pretty much what it sounds like, zombiism encompasses the beliefs and practices of the cult of the zombi (or zombie). Deriving from voodoo beliefs, zombi refers to the supernatural power that may enter into and reanimate a dead body.

4)  Zwieback:  This is a type of crisp, sweetened bread that's made with eggs and baked twice. The bread is sliced before it is baked the second time, which produces crisp, brittle slices that closely resemble melba toast. Zwieback has been commonly used to feed teething children, and as the first solid food given to patients with an upset stomach. The German word "zwieback" literally translates to "twice-baked."

5)  Zyzzyva:  The zyzzyva is a kind of tropical American weevil often found in association with palm trees. This yellowish-red weevil is a snouted beetle, and is no longer in size than an ant. The zyzzyva was named by Irishman Thomas Lincoln Casey, Jr., most likely as a practical joke to place it prominently at the end of most guides and manuals. The word "zyzzyva" also holds the distinction of being the last word listed in many English-language dictionaries.

6)  Zarzuela:  This Spanish lyric-dramatic genre alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. There are two main forms of zarzuela: Baroque zarzuela (the earliest style) and Romantic zarzuela (which can be divided into two sub-genres – género grande and género chico). Don't ask me the difference between the two (or the difference between the two sub-genres), because I don't know. I just like the word "zarzuela." A playbill for Dona Francisquita, apparently a popular zarzuela, is pictured below.

7)  Zeppola:  A zeppola, also known as a St. Joseph's Day cake, or a sfinge, is a popular pastry in Roman, Neopolitan, and peninsular Italian cuisine. A lightweight doughnut or fritter is topped with powdered sugar and filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream, or a butter-and-honey mixture. The zeppola's consistency ranges from light and puffy to bread or pasta-like. I'd eat that.

8)  Zloty:  The zloty is the standard monetary unit of Poland, and is divded into 100 groszy (whatever that means). The word "zloty" translates as "golden." If Poland's anything like it is here, the zloty is probably not worth its weight in gold. A 1,000-zloty note is pictured below.

9)  Zugzwang:  The word zugzwang (which is German for "compulsion to move") is a situation found usually in chess but also in other games, where one player is put at a disadvantage because they have to make a move when they would prefer to pass and make no move. The fact that the player must make a move means that their position will be significantly weaker than the hypothetical one in which it was their opponent's turn to move. All of that is a long way of saying this: A zugzwang is a "Catch 22" for game-players. Here's a visual aid for those of you who understand chess on more than a basic level (because I don't).

10)  Zaftig:  The word "zaftig" is a slang adjective used to describe someone (usually a woman) who has a pleasantly plump figure, or is full-bodied and/or well-proportioned. In today's the-more-anorexic-the-better culture, zaftig women are seemingly few and far between. They're there – it's just that nobody pays them any attention, unless it's to criticize their figures. British singer Adele (pictured below) is unapologetically zaftig and has gained quite a popular following, but she's an exception to the "rule."

11)  Zoysiagrass:  Also known as simply zoysia, zoysiagrass is a genus of creeping grasses native to Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Australasia. Often found in coastal areas or grasslands, zoysiagrass is widely used for lawns in temperate climates, as well as on golf courses to create fairways and teeing areas. Zoysiagrass is known to stop erosion on slopes, is excellent at repelling weeds throughout the year, resists disease, and holds up well under traffic.

12)  Zebroid:  Okay, are you ready for this one? A zebroid is the offspring of any cross between a zebra and any other equine – essentially, it's a zebra hybrid. In most cases, the sire is a zebra stallion. Offspring of a donkey sire and a zebra dam – called a zebra hinny, or a donkra – do exist, but are rare. A zorse is the offspring of a male zebra and a female horse. This cross is also called a zebrula, zebrule, zebra mule, or golden zebra. The rarer reverse pairing is sometimes called a horbra, hebra, zebrinny, or zebret. A zony is the offspring of a zebra stallion and a medium-sized pony mare. Zebras have also been crossed with smaller pony breeds such as the Shetland, resulting in so-called Zetlands. A zonkey is a cross between a zebra and a donkey – however, "zonkey" is not the technically correct name for such a cross. The most commonly accepted terms are zebonkey (or zebronkey), zebrass, zedonk (or zeedonk), and zebadonk. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up! Pictured below is a beautiful baby zebrass.

Kudos to Wikipedia.org for having all this great information ready for me to gleefully steal, thereby shortening my research time. Hats off to scrabblefinder.com for its great list of words starting with "Z" which inspired this post in the first place. Finally, thank you, Internet, for all the pictures I shamelessly borrowed for today's post.