10 Best Baseball Nicknames

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Baseball is known for its storied traditions. From the start of the game with the first pitch, to the food and the seventh inning stretch, baseball and its experiences have been based on tradition for a long time. One of baseball’s best traditions is the nicknames that players get. They vary in usage and notoriety, to the point that some nicknames are more popular than the players actual name. And those who do receive iconic nicknames are more easily etched into the history books. If you want to make sure a player has made it, and will be remembered by fans, then check their nickname. Check in with us at Zone Report in the future so you can help us decide who makes the cut for our upcoming lists.

The Bash Brothers

Mark McGuire and Jose Canseco

Two of baseball’s most notorious hitters were anointed the Bash Brothers in their time in Oakland. The duo of Canseco and McGuire won back to back AL Rookie of the Year awards for the Athletics, and would go on to impact the world as much as they did the game. The Bash Brothers were icons, exciting every town that they went to. Rather than the traditional high fives and ass pats that accompany home runs most of the time, they would embrace in a very 1990’s style of bashing their forearms together in an “X” formation. McGuire and Canseco have some controversy as they didn’t reach the heights they did naturally, but the impact on baseball and sports is still felt today. They were the best at making baseball fun.

The Big Unit

Randy Johnson

After an erratic start to his career, Randy Johnson quickly became one of baseball’s best pitchers. He earned his way onto ten All Star teams and started in four of them. Despite the big workload that is put on any batter in the box against Johnson, his nickname more over arose from his own stature. Johnson measured at 6’ 10”, an unreal size for an MLB player. Johnson was one of the best pitchers in baseball for a very long time, as a big guy with a big impact.

The Secretary of Defense

Garry Maddox

Maddox has one of the most interesting stories in all of baseball. He chose to leave baseball to serve in the Army in 1968. He would then return two years later, after having served in Vietnam. Upon his return, Maddox would start his career with San Francisco before heading over to Philadelphia, where he would win eight straight Golden Glove awards. He was a ballhawk, with great vision who was able to intercept an unreal number of hits. Maddox’s insane abilities initiated one of baseball’s greatest quotes, “Two thirds of the earth are covered by water, the other one-third is Garry Maddox”.

Sandman

Mariano Rivera

Rivera spent most of his career as a relief pitcher for the Yankees, giving him a greater public spotlight than some small market relief pitchers. It also put more pressure on Rivera when he was already playing one of the most difficult and stressful positions in all of sports. Still, every baseball fan felt confident in Rivera as they heard him coming onto the field with Metallica ushering him out of the bullpen with “Enter Sandman”. It’s easy to see that Rivera deserves the praise he gets, earning 13 All Star appearances and being a big part of five World Series wins. Rivera was in charge of putting teams to bed night in and night out, and no one did it better than the Sandman.

The Captain

Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter. One of the most productive and consistent players of the last 30 years of baseball, he spent every year as an iron man and playoff riser for the Yankees. Due to his ability to somehow play even better in the playoffs than he did in the regular season, he was often known as “Captain Clutch”. Then, in 2003, he was named as the 11th ever captain of the team earning him the simplified nickname of just “The Captain”. Jeter is a prime example of how quality play will always earn you acclaim and admiration.

Shoeless Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson emerged from a wildly different era of America than the one that we live in today. At six years old he was trying to help his family make money by working in a textile mill. His first professional salary was $75 a year. He was an interesting character on top of a great baseball player. He set a multitude of rookie records when he appeared in the MLB, and would be a part of one of baseball’s greatest scandals, which is saying something considering how many the sport has seen. His nickname “Shoeless” comes from another interesting moment in Jackson’s career. His feet were covered in blisters from the cleats he was wearing and before an at bat, he elected to take them off all together. Jackson has become iconic in baseball not just for his play, but also his story.

Charlie Hustle

Pete Rose

Pete Rose is talked about a lot to this day as a player, for better or worse. He is a Cincinnati legend and one of the most impressive players to ever be in the Queen City. But he is not in the Hall of Fame for betting on games while being a player and manager. His removal from the ineligible is always a topic of discussion among fans. He earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle” in spring training when he sprinted to first base on a walk. Rose was affectionate to the name and it stuck.

Big Papi

David Ortiz

David Ortiz could hit. It was his main claim to fame, especially after he joined the Red Sox in 2003. He averaged over 40 home runs a season during his time in Boston and became a legend after his World Series MVP in 2013. And even further bolstering his career was the 3 total World Series titles won during his time in Boston. Aside from being a winner, Ortiz was a great locker room member. He had a habit of calling teammates whose name he couldn’t remember “Papi”. Thus leading him to be the “Big Papi”. It seems that there is nothing to not love about Ortiz and his career.

Yogi Berra

Lawrence Berra

When more people know your nickname than your real name, you know you have an all time great one. Berra is one of the all time most winning players in history with a record 10 World Series wins in his career. He is widely considered the greatest catcher in the history of the sport. His plate coverage was legendary and he opened up strike zones in a way that is rarely seen. Berra got the nickname “Yogi” after seeing a movie that featured information on yoga. A friend pointed out that he looked like the people practicing yoga, called yogis. It also feels worth pointing out that neither him, or the cartoon bear of a similar name have any relation to each other.

The Great Bambino/The Sultan of Swat

Babe Ruth

A player so iconic, he is known by more nicknames than almost any other athlete. George Ruth, or as he was more commonly referred to, Babe, is arguably the single most iconic baseball player of all time. Whether it be his on the field accolades, homages in movies and TV, or even just hearing his name when people talk about baseball, almost everyone has seen or heard of Ruth. His nickname of Babe came from how young he was when he debuted in the major leagues. His other iconic nicknames were anointed by sports writers at the time who would document the greatness unfolding before them.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Baseball Nicknames

What’s a nickname for a baseball player?

Baseball players can be called a lot of different nicknames. Very often players will be addressed by the league that they play in, so if someone is in the major leagues, they are called a big leaguer or major leaguer.

Who has the longest name in MLB History?

A fun trivia fact is the Reds player Christian Encarnacion-Strand has the longest full name in MLB history.

How do baseball players get nicknames?

Players can get nicknames in a multitude of ways. Sometimes they come from life outside of the sport, whether it be childhood or friends giving it to players. They are also often given out to players by announcers and writers who document the games.

Do players like having nicknames?

While not every player likes every nickname they get. Most of the time, if the nickname sticks, the player enjoys it or at least is indifferent to the name.