BY PATRICK “PACKY” MADER
Staff Writer
The national pastime has had colorful and ordinary nicknames. Here is the heritage of the nicknames of five baseball players from the past …
SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY•SMOKY
1966 • TOPPS
Forrest Harrill “Smoky” Burgess was a portly (to be kind) nine-time All-Star catcher who hit wicked line drives for a .295 career batting average. He hailed from the Smoky Mountain region, but he may have obtained the nickname because he didn’t exactly “smoke” around the basepaths. He was the receiver of Pirate pitcher Harvey Haddix’s splendid 12 perfect innings performance in 1959.
RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY•RUSTY
1970 • Topps
Unlike Russell “Rusty” Kuntz who got his nickname as a derivate of his first name, Daniel Joseph “Rusty” Staub was dubbed with his nickname at birth because of his orange-red hair. In a tribute to Montreal fans in French-speaking Quebec, the left-handed batter with 2,716 hits was called “le Grand Orange.”
BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ•BIZ
1990 Eclipse
Hall of Famer James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey was a premier catcher in the Negro Leagues famous for giving batters “the business” with nonstop chatter and razzing.
RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP•RIP
1960 • Topps
Eldon John “Rip” Repulski patrolled center field for the St. Louis Cardinals between Hall-of-Famers Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter in the mid-1950s. The 1956 All-Star from Minnesota was known for “ripping the ball” in the minor leagues. Later in his career, Rip was traded for the following player with a nickname who became more famous as a manager …
SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY•SPARKY
1981 • Donruss
… That player was George Lee “Sparky” Anderson who would manage the Reds and Tigers to 2,194 wins over a 26-year career. Not surprisingly, Sparky, who played a single season as a second baseman for the Phillies, got his nickname due to his fiery spirit.
TO SEE RELATED ARTICLES:
“NICKNAMES … A Big (and Fun) Part of Baseball” Click Link Here
“NICKNAMES … Overshadow Real Names” Click Link Here
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Patrick “Packy” Mader has written several books, including two large volumes on Minnesotans who were in the Olympic Games or competed in world competitions. To view hundreds of articles on Minnesota athletes, be sure to visit Packy’s website: MNAthletes.com. (Click Link Here)
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