OT: College & Professional Athletes Nicknames

[boontonbomber]

Peanuts Lowery, probably, Boonton, correct?

A few I came up with while perusing the thread to this point - sorry if some might be repeats:

Cheetah currently could be Tyreek Hill, or, for golfers, a nickname given DJ back a few years ago. Of course, for football fans, Tom Brady has also been called Cheetah for other reasons.

Spud Chandler and Spud Webb

Apologies, Meyers7, Tom Terrific was, as someone else mentioned, originally Tom Seaver.

Smokey Burgess

Biff Pocoroba

The Brown Bomber

Teddy Ballgame and The Splendid Splinter was also known as The Kid... back before most of us were around.

The Iron Horse... Lou Gehrig

Dizzy Dean

The Say Hey Kid... Willie Mays

Stormin' Norman Cash

The Human Vacuum Cleaner... Brooks Robinson

The Blade... Mark Belanger

Finally, for the moment, one every UConn sports fan should know: The Poughkeepsie Popper!

This is fabulous stuff. Great lists by Huskee11, Meyers7 and others. I'm humbled to be surrounded here by so many knowledgeable sports fans. Keep 'em coming. Thanks, Carnac!

Yes, and Lowery had a good mlb career. Lifetime .273 hitter, and one of the best pinch hitters ever.

 

[boontonbomber]

Dean "The Dream" Meminger, Marquette & NY Knicks.

Whoa,remember Meminger , not that nickname. I'm thinking of another hoopster,from Nigeria.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

The Major in my post above, was Ralph Houk, Yankee & Red Sox Manager!

 

[Ozimoto]

Didn't see "Too Tall" yet.

 

[boontonbomber]

Any old NY Mets fans here?
“And over at 3rd, the Glider, ____________”.

One of the best nicknames , surely recognized by any Mets fan - "Le Grande Orange"

 

[Golden Husky]

For me, the most beautifully appropriate nickname in sports belongs to Mary T. Meagher: Madam Butterfly.

Meagher won three Olympic Gold Medals and held the 100 and 200 butterfly records for 18 and 19 years, respectively.

 

[Golden Husky]

A nickname truly is impressive when it's used exclusively in place of an athlete's given name. In that regard, the most enduring nickname of all time belongs to George Herman Ruth.

 

[Forego]

I apologize if these were mentioned previously:

Big Bird
Scooter
The Penguin
Marvelous ((insert name here)

 

[Carnac]

Reading Rifle and Skoonj Carl Furillo
Shotgun: George Shuba
The Penguin: Ron Cey
Duke: Edwin Snider
Oisk: Carl Erskine
Campy + the Round Man: Roy Campanella
The Arkansas Hummingbird: Lane Warnake
Big Newk: Don Newcomb
Big D: DonDrysdale
Dollar Bill: Bill Bradley
Peanuts: Harry Lowrey
Whitey: Carrol Lockman+Ed Ford
Red: Albert Schoendienst
The Thumper: Ted Williams
Jolting Joe: Joe Dimaggio
Pee Wee: Harold Reese
Junior: Jim Gilliam

Looking at all of these former players takes me back to the good old days. I was a big baseball fan back then, and I saw a number of these guys play. I never saw Red Schoeienst play. I remember him as a Cardinals base coach in the early 60’s. The Cardinals were my favorite non-Dodger team.

 

[Carnac]

I apologize if these were mentioned previously:

Big Bird
Scooter

I’m guessing on both of these.......Randy Johnson and Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto.

 

[Stymie]

Football wide receiver- “Bambi”?

 

[Monte]

Looking at all of these former players takes me back to the good old days. I was a big baseball fan back then, and I saw a number of these guys play. I never saw Red Schoeienst play. I remember him as a Cardinals base coach in the early 60’s. The Cardinals were my favorite non-Dodger team.

Yeah, back in those days, almost every player had a nickname.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

the tuna.
captain hook.
the truth.
shaq foo.
flash.
LT.
cardiac kemba's other nickname was ez pass.
round mound of rebound, aka, sir charles.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

to my knowledge and understanding, a lot of nba'ers these days are called 'no check,' like an east european play on names.
'don't hand him no check, he's got alligator arms...'
alligator arms, too.

 

[Viet Vet]

Whoa,remember Meminger , not that nickname. I'm thinking of another hoopster,from Nigeria.

That would be Hakeem Olajuwon.

 

[boontonbomber]

That would be Hakeem Olajuwon.

Yes, Hakeem "the Dream ", though he was a nightmare for opponents.

 

[boontonbomber]

Looking at all of these former players takes me back to the good old days. I was a big baseball fan back then, and I saw a number of these guys play. I never saw Red Schoeienst play. I remember him as a Cardinals base coach in the early 60’s. The Cardinals were my favorite non-Dodger team.

So, a Dodger fan? Then you might know who "Happy" was.

 

[Stymie]

60’s-70’s Hoops:
The Big “O” Oscar Robertson
“Nate the Skate” Nate Thurmond
“Bells” Walt Bellamy
“Earl the Pearl” Earl Monroe

Boxing
“The Greatest”——all you need to know

 

[Carnac]

So, a Dodger fan? Then you might know who "Happy" was.

Yes, but the “happy” I know of was a Laker, Harold “happy” Hairston who was a member of their ‘71-’72 championsip team. Hairston passed in 2001.

On second thought, I do recall a happy on the Dodgers. It took a moment to kick in. You’re refering to pitcher Burt Hooton. He wore uniform number 46. I remember him well. He was with the Dodgers from 1975-1984.

He broke into the majors with the Cubs in 1971 and pitched a no-hitter for them in his fourth game that year. He finished with the Texas Rangers in 1985. That was 37 years ago. I haven’t had a thought about Hooton during that time. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[Forego]

I’m guessing on both of these.......Randy Johnson and Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto.

Correct on Phil Rizzuto being Scooter. I can still hear Red Barber calling him that while they were in the broadcast booth. You may have been led astray by my reference to Big Bird. It was actually just “Bird”. I was recalling a Sports Illustrated cover where the player with his long curly blonde hair posed with the Sesame Street character.

 

[Carnac]

to my knowledge and understanding, a lot of nba'ers these days are called 'no check,' like an east european play on names.
'don't hand him no check, he's got alligator arms...'
alligator arms, too.

Some NFL receivers were accused of having “alligator arms” when running a crossing route over the middle in the “old days” before the recent rules changes that now protect defenseless players in compromising positions.

 

[Carnac]

Correct on Phil Rizzuto being Scooter. I can still hear Red Barber calling him that while they were in the broadcast booth. You may have been led astray by my reference to Big Bird. It was actually just “Bird”. I was recalling a Sports Illustrated cover where the player with his long curly blonde hair posed with the Sesame Street character.

Yeah, I missed that edition.

 

[boontonbomber]

Yes, but the “happy” I know of was a Laker, Harold “happy” Hairston who was a member of their ‘71-’72 championsip team. Hairston passed in 2001.

On second thought, I do recall a happy on the Dodgers. It took a moment to kick in. You’re refering to pitcher Burt Hooton. He wore uniform number 46. I remember him well. He was with the Dodgers from 1975-1984.

He broke into the majors with the Cubs in 1971 and pitched a no-hitter for them in his fourth game that year. He finished with the Texas Rangers in 1985. That was 37 years ago. I haven’t had a thought about Hooton during that time. Out of sight, out of mind.

Well, maybe before your time The Dodgers had a pregame show in the '50's called Happy Felton's Knothole Gang. I did not know that Hooton was called Happy. Now I do.

 

[boontonbomber]

Harry "The Cat", for you really old timers. Surprised not to see "The Flying Dutchman", though maybe I missed it. Or "The BigTrain". All baseball guys.

 

[Carnac]

Not before my time. I’ve heard of Happy’s knohole gang. I believe this program was produced in the NY area before the Dodgers moved west in 1958. If that is the case, there is no way I could have accessed this program in New York from where I was in Southern California.

There was no MLB teams west of St. Louis before the Dodgers and Giants moved west in 1958. The best we could hope for was the nationally televised game of the week on Saturdays. All we had in the early 50’s were the Rams. The Lakers didn’t relocate here (the LA Sports Arena) from Minneapolis until 1960.