Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

I wanted to start a thread where we can share some colorful stories about the characters we manage in this game, specifically those known throughtout their career by a moniker other than their given name; "Babe" Ruth or "Turkey" Stearnes for example. How did they acquire their unusual nickanme? There's got to be some great ones out there.

Willie Edward "Puddin' Head" Jones (Born August 16, 1925 Dillon SC– Died October 18, 1983 Cincinnati OH), was a third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (1947–1959), Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds. He had fast hands, and possessed great range with a cannon of an arm. Before Mike Schmidt, Jones was considered the best third baseman in Phillies history. Pie Traynor was once asked how he himself compared to Puddin’ Head, Traynor replied: “He’s better than I was.”

“Oh, Puddin’ Head Jones was fat and funny
Dumber than sticks and stones.
Now that is just why the kids all called him,
Wooden head, puddin’ head Jones.”

Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees sang these words in 1933. Legend has it that Willie Edward Jones’s nickname came from the song. Jones was a typical Southern boy with a drawl as slow as molasses. His feet always seemed to hurt.

Wilmer David "Vinegar Bend" Mizell (August 13, 1930 Leakesville MS – February 21, 1999 Kerrville TX) was a left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. He was also elected to the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina, and served three terms as a Republican from 1969 to 1975.

The small community of Vinegar Bend, Alabama, provided his unusual nickname. Although he was born in neighboring Leakesville, Mississippi, and graduated from high school there in 1949, the little town of fewer than 200 people on the other side of the state line offered a better moniker. He routinely received his mail in the Washington County, Alabama, town his nickname made famous. The town of Vinegar Bend got its name when a train passing through the area careened off the tracks and spilled its load of vinegar there.

Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd (born October 6, 1959) was a right-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1982–89), Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers. His unique and memorable nickname came from his beer-drinking days in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, where beer was referred to as "oil". An Associated Press story at the end of August explained his nickname, dating it back to high-school days when he would drink beer with his friends: “They called it ‘oil’ then, and Boyd sure could put away a few cans.”

While 'Bobo' Newsom isn't such an amazing nickname, his very unusual personality and crazy career are one of a kind. He was a very good pitcher for a few years and decent for a long time. Looking at his career stats showing just how often he changed teams and reading his wikipedia page shows a few of his quirks. That he died of cirrhosis of the liver seems to imply at least a drinking problem.

Other sources tell more of his story like https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bobo-newsom/

His play in 1940 as the ace of the Tigers and losing pitcher in game 7 of the WS against the Reds has some curious serendipity with his father dying during the WS after seeing Bobo pitch and win game 2. The Reds, that year, had a highly regarded backup catcher to Ernie Lombardi, Willard Hershberger, who committed suicide in August ~12 years after his father had committed suicide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_Hershberger
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/willard-hershberger/

While 'Bobo' Newsom isn't such an amazing nickname, his very unusual personality and crazy career are one of a kind. He was a very good pitcher for a few years and decent for a long time. Looking at his career stats showing just how often he changed teams and reading his wikipedia page shows a few of his quirks. That he died of cirrhosis of the liver seems to imply at least a drinking problem.

Newsom was one of those players actually had more than one nickname. Was also called Buck at some point in his career. Vernon Gomez had at least three. There was of course Lefty but he was also called Goofy and "The Gay Castilian" (when gay meant light hearted and carefree) for his free spirited personality. Adrian Anson was known Cap but also as Pop. I know there are others with more than one nickname but these are the ones that came to mind immediately.

How could I forget George Herman Ruth as having more than one nickname. He was, of course, Babe, The Bambino, and the Sultan of Swat. News paper writers came up with very contrived ones like The Maharajah of Mash, and The Caliph of Clout but he was such a towering figure in American culture at the time so I get it.

By the way supertyphoon thanks for starting this thread. This is going to be a lot of fun.

There were also some names that were moderately or very offensive based on ones looks, ethnicity, or a disability. It seems that many Native American players were called Chief which may or may not be offensive now but were certainly stereotypical. I know they were different times. But it seems prior to the 1920s every deaf player had to be called Dummy. Luther Taylor, and William Hoy had the longest careers but there were several others. Thank goodness this practice has been dropped a long time ago so Curtis Pride is just Cutis Pride an outfielder and pinch hitter. I don't know if Mordecai Brown liked being called "Three Finger" but it could be insensitive even then. Less offensive based on looks might be Specs Toporcer, or Piano Legs Hickman.
I've often wondered about Whitey Ford. If I'm not mistaken he had red hair. So why was he called Whitey.

Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5, 1951 Colorado Sprongs CO) was a right-handed relief pitcher (1972–1994), and pitched for nine different team. The nickname "Goose" came about when a friend did not like his previous nickname "Goss", and noted he looked like a goose when he extended his neck to read the signs given by the catcher when he was pitching.

Leon Allen "Goose" Goslin (October 16, 1900 Salem NJ - May 15, 1971 Bridgeton NJ) was a left fielder for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers, from 1921 to 1938. Goslin's difficulty in judging fly balls contributed to his nickname "Goose." Opposing players said Goslin resembled a bird flapping its wings when he ran after a ball with his arms waving.

===

(I had always assumed that the two Gooses were given that nickname because it was easier for teammates than calling out to them by their last name, apparently not true)

Jim Mudcat Grant,
The Indians held their minor-league camp in Daytona Beach and offered Grant a tryout. It was here that his moniker was bestowed upon him. “A guy named Leroy Bartow Irby saw me, decided I was from Mississippi and called me ‘Mudcat,’” recalled Grant. “I didn’t know him very well, and I didn’t pay attention to what he called me. The old Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing was the coach in charge of making the minor-league assignments. He read off names and the fields where the players were to report. The first day I heard him say ‘Mudcat Grant, field number two.’ I thought there was another Grant in camp, that I would be the last one standing there. I wouldn’t hear my name so I would just float around the different diamonds.”3

Grant straightened out the name confusion, but he would forever be known as Mudcat, a nickname that he came to embrace