OT-All Current and Former Baseball Fans

[donalddoowop]

For those who are interested, name the players who had the following nicknames:

The Whip Dizzy
Double No Hit The Kitten
The Man The Bambino
Whitey (There are more than one with this name)
Dusty Cool Papa
The Duke Pee Wee
Say Hey Kid Yogi
Scooter Granny
Puddin' Head Boog
The Cat Red
Satchel

I am sure there are more but that is enough. Golden Hearts and Golden Golden hearts should know these.

 

[Alydar]

 

[Carnac]

For those who are interested, name the players who had the following nicknames:

The Whip Dizzy
Double No Hit The Kitten
The Man The Bambino
Whitey (There are more than one with this name)
Dusty Cool Papa
The Duke Pee Wee
Say Hey Kid Yogi
Scooter Granny
Puddin' Head Boog
The Cat Red
Satchel

I am sure there are more but that is enough. Golden Hearts and Golden Golden hearts should know these.

The whip= Mark Belanger (Orioles)
The man= Stan Musial (St. Louis Cards)
Whitey = Ford & Herzog (Yankees/Mgr St. Louis Cards)
The Duke= Edwin Snyder (Dodgers)
Say Hey Kid= Willie Mays (My favorite ALL TIME BB player)
Scooter= Phil Rizzuto
The Cat = Jim Kaat (aka Kitty)
Satchel= Leroy Robert Paige
Dizzy= Jay Hanna Dean
The Bambino= George Herman Ruth (aka the Babe)
Cool Papa= James Thomas Bell
Yogi= Lawrence Peter Berra
Boog= John Wesley Powel
Red= Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst
Dusty= Johnnie B. Baker Jr.
Pee Wee= Harold Peter Henry Reese (Dodgers)

Unknown -
Double no hit
Granny

 

[Huskee11]

I have some agreement with Carnac, some differences:

Ewell Blackwell (the “Whip”)
Dizzy Dean
Johnny Vander Meer (two no hitters in a row, “Double No-Hit”)
Harvey Haddix was the “Kitten”, not to be confused with Jim “Kitty” Kaat or Johnny “Big Cat” Mize or Harry “the Cat” Brecheen
Stan “the Man” Musial
Babe Ruth “the Bambino”
Whitey Ford (or Whitey Herzog)
Dusty Rhodes (or Dusty Baker)
“Cool Papa” Bell
Duke Snider
Pee Wee Reese
Willie Mays the “Say Hey Kid”
Yogi Berra
Phil Rizzuto the “Scooter”
Granny Hamner
Willie Jones “Puddin Head”
Boog Powell
Felix Mantilla “the Cat”
Red Schoendienst, or Red Ruffing
Satchel Paige

 

[Carnac]

I have some agreement with Carnac, some differences:

Ewell Blackwell (the “Whip”)
Dizzy Dean
Johnny Vander Meer (two no hitters in a row, “Double No-Hit”)
Harvey Haddix was the “Kitten”, not to be confused with Jim “Kitty” Kaat or Johnny “Big Cat” Mize or Harry “the Cat” Brecheen
Stan “the Man” Musial
Babe Ruth “the Bambino”
Whitey Ford (or Whitey Herzog)
Dusty Rhodes (or Dusty Baker)
“Cool Papa” Bell
Duke Snider
Pee Wee Reese
Willie Mays the “Say Hey Kid”
Yogi Berra
Phil Rizzuto the “Scooter”
Granny Hamner
Willie Jones “Puddin Head”
Boog Powell
Felix Mantilla “the Cat”
Red Schoendienst, or Red Ruffing
Satchel Paige

I remember Harvey Haddix with the Pirates. Haddix is most notable for pitching 12 perfect innings in a game against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26, 1959; the Pirates lost the game in the 13th inning.
Major League record= Most consecutive batters retired in one game (36) achieved on May 26, 1959.
I could have put a cup on either corner of the plate and hit it. — Harvey Haddix

Never heard of Granny Hammer. Johnny Vander Meer I've heard of. I know who he was. I was not aware of that being his moniker. He set a record in 1938 that has stood since, and will NEVER be broken. Back to back no hitters in consecutive starts.

Mark Belanger was the Blade. Mark Henry Belanger, nicknamed "The Blade," was an American professional baseball player and coach.

Double no hit, the whip and Granny are the only two I did not know.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Double No Hit is Johnny Vanderbilt Meer. Two consecutive no hitters for the Reds.

 

[bantamlaker]

 

[donalddoowop]

View attachment 90833

I had every one of those cards.

 

[Carnac]

I have some agreement with Carnac, some differences:

Ewell Blackwell (the “Whip”)
Dizzy Dean
Johnny Vander Meer (two no hitters in a row, “Double No-Hit”)
Harvey Haddix was the “Kitten”, not to be confused with Jim “Kitty” Kaat or Johnny “Big Cat” Mize or Harry “the Cat” Brecheen
Stan “the Man” Musial
Babe Ruth “the Bambino”
Whitey Ford (or Whitey Herzog)
Dusty Rhodes (or Dusty Baker)
“Cool Papa” Bell
Duke Snider
Pee Wee Reese
Willie Mays the “Say Hey Kid”
Yogi Berra
Phil Rizzuto the “Scooter”
Granny Hamner
Willie Jones “Puddin Head”
Boog Powell
Felix Mantilla “the Cat”
Red Schoendienst, or Red Ruffing
Satchel Paige

Some of the ones I missed either played BEFORE I became a baseball fan, or they played in the AMERICAN league. I was a national league fan because that's where the Dodgers were. I had no interest in American League teams or players. MLB was not covered nationally by the news media like it is today. Several magazines and national newspapers, but that's it. When the Dodgers first came to LA in 1958, there was no 2-hour pre-game show leading up to the game. It was a 20-minute pre-game show and a 20-minute post-game show. That was it. There was no "sports-talk" radio back then either. I looked up "Dusty Rhodes". He was a professioanl restler.

 

[Carnac]

View attachment 90833

I saw (in person) ALL of the ones that were nation league players play. Some in the LA Coliseum in the late 50s, some in Dodger Stadium in the early to mid-60s.

 

[Huskee11]

There was no "sports-talk" radio back then either. I looked up "Dusty Rhodes". He was a professioanl restler.

I definitely recall the wrestler with that name but there was also an outfielder for the New York Giants in the 1950’s named Dusty Rhodes. His best season by far was 1954 and he also starred in the World Series that year, when the Giants swept the Indians. Batted .667 with two home runs and seven RBI in only six at bats in the World Series.

 

[Huskee11]

View attachment 90833

Topps,1959. 5 cents for a pack of five, I think, including bubble gum

I collected them from 1958-1961.

 

[BobbyJ]

Some of the ones I missed either played BEFORE I became a baseball fan, or they played in the AMERICAN league. I was a national league fan because that's where the Dodgers were. I had no interest in American League teams or players. MLB was not covered nationally by the news media like it is today. Several magazines and national newspapers, but that's it. When the Dodgers first came to LA in 1958, there was no 2-hour pre-game show leading up to the game. It was a 20-minute pre-game show and a 20-minute post-game show. That was it. There was no "sports-talk" radio back then either. I looked up "Dusty Rhodes". He was a professioanl restler.

Dusty Rhodes (outfielder) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[donalddoowop]

I have some agreement with Carnac, some differences:

Ewell Blackwell (the “Whip”)
Dizzy Dean
Johnny Vander Meer (two no hitters in a row, “Double No-Hit”)
Harvey Haddix was the “Kitten”, not to be confused with Jim “Kitty” Kaat or Johnny “Big Cat” Mize or Harry “the Cat” Brecheen
Stan “the Man” Musial
Babe Ruth “the Bambino”
Whitey Ford (or Whitey Herzog)
Dusty Rhodes (or Dusty Baker)
“Cool Papa” Bell
Duke Snider
Pee Wee Reese
Willie Mays the “Say Hey Kid”
Yogi Berra
Phil Rizzuto the “Scooter”
Granny Hamner
Willie Jones “Puddin Head”
Boog Powell
Felix Mantilla “the Cat”
Red Schoendienst, or Red Ruffing
Satchel Paige

The Cat was Harry "The Cat" Brecheen. You had them all. You just put Harry Brecheen in the wrong place.

 

[Huskee11]

The Cat was Harry "The Cat" Brecheen. You had them all. You just put Harry Brecheen in the wrong place.

I did mention Felix Mantilla as well, who played mostly with Boston in the sixties. "El Gato". I saw him get tossed from a game at Fenway for giving an ump the choke sign. Bad influence on us kids. Hit 30 homers one year.

Felix Millan also qualifies, infielder for Braves and Mets in the sixties and seventies.

If you are an athlete and your name is Felix, you are probably going to be nicknamed "the Cat" unless you are really slow. Similarly, "Sweet Lou", "Action Jackson", "Jake the Snake", etc.

 

[Carnac]

I definitely recall the wrestler with that name but there was also an outfielder for the New York Giants in the 1950’s named Dusty Rhodes. His best season by far was 1954 and he also starred in the World Series that year, when the Giants swept the Indians. Batted .667 with two home runs and seven RBI in only six at bats in the World Series.

I'm not for a moment suggesting you were in error. I'm not a wrestling fan. I don't follow Hockey or soccer either. Those sports were not on any of our local TV stations. The local news media did not give them any "air time." The Dodgers, Lakers USC, and UCLA sports teams got all of the press coverage in the LA area. Again, I didn't start following MLB until 1958, and then only teams and players in the national league.

I loosely followed the Los Angels Angeles beginning in 1961, their inaugural year. I even went to one of their games in old Wrigley Field that year. That place was a dump! The next year, they moved into Chavez Revine (Dodger Stadium) with the Dodgers. A situation that the stadium works loved. They worked every day all season. When one team left town for a road trip, the other came home to begin a home stand. The Angels moved into their current home, Anaheim Studium in 1966.

 

[hookshot]

I remember Harvey Haddix with the Pirates. Haddix is most notable for pitching 12 perfect innings in a game against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26, 1959; the Pirates lost the game in the 13th inning.
Major League record= Most consecutive batters retired in one game (36) achieved on May 26, 1959.
I could have put a cup on either corner of the plate and hit it. — Harvey Haddix

Never heard of Granny Hammer. Johnny Vander Meer I've heard of. I know who he was. I was not aware of that being his moniker. He set a record in 1938 that has stood since, and will NEVER be broken. Back to back no hitters in consecutive starts.

Mark Belanger was the Blade. Mark Henry Belanger, nicknamed "The Blade," was an American professional baseball player and coach.

Double no hit, the whip and Granny are the only two I did not know.

There was no Granny Hammer. There was a Granny Hamner who shared an infield with Puddin Head Jones, Mike Goliat (who ?) , and Eddie Waitkus. Full disclosure: Mike Goliat was my neighbor

 

[Huskee11]

There was no Granny Hammer. There was a Granny Hamner who shared an infield with Puddin Head Jones, Mike Goliat (who ?) , and Eddie Waitkus. Full disclosure: Mike Goliat was my neighbor

Speaking of nicknames, they were the “Whiz Kids”!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I knew most of them. Not the Granny, or whip or anything to do with Cats and Kittens.

Van der Meer was one of the subjects of a kids series I read years ago, so I knew him absolutely.

A return question:

Not so much the players, but what team came to mind as I remembered "The Big Cat", "Country" and "The Fordham Flash"? A team full of nicknames, including some mentioned.

 

[Carnac]

Speaking of nicknames, they were the “Whiz Kids”!

The difference in sports journalism today is that we don't have the "creative thinking" newspaper journalist that was prevalent in the late 30s and throughout the 40s and 50s. They were the ones that gave some of those players their monikers.

Earvin Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Everett High School when he recorded a triple-double of 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists. After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, gave him the moniker despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, that the name was sacrilegious. A name that continues to identify him today. When you hear the name..."Magic", you know who the speaker is referring to. The same can be said about the name..."The Doctor." (Julius Erving).

 

[Carnac]

For those who are interested, name the players who had the following nicknames:

The Whip Dizzy
Double No Hit The Kitten
The Man The Bambino
Whitey (There are more than one with this name)
Dusty Cool Papa
The Duke Pee Wee
Say Hey Kid Yogi
Scooter Granny
Puddin' Head Boog
The Cat Red
Satchel

I am sure there are more but that is enough. Golden Hearts and Golden Golden hearts should know these.

Great post Don. Cool Papa Bell was often referred to as "the fastest man in baseball." I'm sure you're familiar with the running joke about Bell......It was said that Cool Papa Bell was so fast that he could turn out the light and be in bed before the room got dark. I sure would have liked to see him play in person.

 

[donalddoowop]

I knew most of them. Not the Granny, or whip or anything to do with Cats and Kittens.

Van der Meer was one of the subjects of a kids series I read years ago, so I knew him absolutely.

A return question:

Not so much the players, but what team came to mind as I remembered "The Big Cat", "Country" and "The Fordham Flash"? A team full of nicknames, including some mentioned.

The St. Louis Cardinals. "Country" was Enos Slaughter and "The Fordham Flash" was I believe Frankie Frisch.

Speaking of nicknames, they were the “Whiz Kids”!

Thay was the team that started me liking the Phillies. Robin Roberts was my favorite player.

 

[Ozimoto]

Carnac, one small correction. Mark Belanger from the Orioles was "The Blade", not "The Whip."

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The St. Louis Cardinals. "Country" was Enos Slaughter and "The Fordham Flash" was I believe Frankie Frisch.

Thay was the team that started me liking the Phillies. Robin Roberts was my favorite player.

I heard a lot about the Whiz Kids, while I was an AL / Yankees fan, some of my family was for the Mets and their announcer was Ralph Kiner for many years.

Yeah, the Cardinals, another team I read about in a kid's baseball series growing up. Talked about t)he Gashouse Gang, Dizzy Dean, Daffy Dean, Pepper Martin ("The Wild Horse of the Osage") and Ducky Medwick. I'm sure other teams had notable nicknames, in fact I'm sure they all did, but this was fascinating reading for me growing up.

The other interesting tidbit was both Slaughter and Johnny Mize (the was "the Big Cat") also played, to various degrees, for the Yankees.

Lots of lore.

 

[Bald Husky]

All those names bring back a lot of memories. I'm sure I had all those great cards, but in the late fiftys I lost most of them playing "Topsys or Against the wall". I never thought of collecting them in their original condition. BTW, my favorite player was Roberto Clemente, Mr. aches and pains. Curious, where did everyone see their first MLB game, and when? For me, I believe it was 1963, saw the Mets play the Cubs at the Polo grounds. Mets lost 5-1, with Ernie Banks homering for the Cubies.