All-Star Nicknames

Welcome to the special All-Star Edition of Hardball Mysteries. To celebrate this year’s All-Star game (as if 15 innings wasn’t enough), we’re going to investigate some of the more clever nicknames for a few of this year’s All-Star selections. Because nicknames are fun names.

Lance Berkman – "The Big Puma" – I always find it satisfying to know that a major league baseball player doesn’t take himself too seriously. That’s why when I heard that Lance Berkman gave himself the nickname “The Big Puma,” he immediately earned my respect. Berkman, who stands 6’1 and weighs in at more than 220 pounds, is certainly not the most graceful player on the field. In fact, in an ESPN the Magazine interview with Dan Patrick, Berkman explained how his mother thought he looked like Elvis, and when Patrick asked whether he resembled the “fat one or the skinny one,” Berkman responded, “the fat one.” That led to his nickname being “Fat Elvis” for two years.

After eating a Twinkie that a Cubs fan threw at him during a game in 2006, Lance thought it was time for a change. No longer would he be viewed as the older, chubbier version of Elvis clubbing home runs and snatching low grounders to first base in between bites of a fried banana and peanut butter sandwich. In a 2006 radio interview, Berkman stated that he was unhappy with the “Fat Elvis” nickname because he was a sleek, graceful athlete. “I’m more like a puma, so I’m not sure why people call me ‘Fat Elvis,” Berkman said. Laughter erupted from the radio show hosts, and he was consequently re-named “The Big Puma.”

David Ortiz -- Big Papi -- At this point, more people probably know David Ortiz as “Big Papi” than by his own name. In fact, he could probably just do what rappers do and drop his birth name altogether. Ortiz was born in the Dominican Republic, where it is common for males to use the term “papi” the way they use the words “dude” or “buddy” in the United States. (Although I don’t recommend walking around the office calling other guys “papi.” People gave me strange stares.) When he first arrived in Boston in 2003 after being released by the Minnesota Twins, Ortiz had trouble remembering people’s names and just called his teammates by the generic term “papi.” Eventually, his teammates began calling him papi, which of course led to “Big Papi,” because quite frankly, David Ortiz is… big.

Derek Jeter -- Mr. November -- Thirty years from now when MLB is producing another video montage of Hall of Fame players and honoring them in another sappy ceremony, Derek Jeter will be the most revered player from the current generation of players. He doesn’t have the gaudy statistics of Alex Rodriguez or strike fear in opposing pitchers like Barry Bonds, but he has racked up a number of memorable postseason moments, including one that led to his nickname, “Mr. November.”

Baseball’s regular season ends in September. That means that the playoffs take place in October. Reggie Jackson, a Hall of Fame outfielder, was dubbed “Mr. October” because of his outstanding performance in postseason play, particularly the 1977 World Series in which he belted five home runs in six games.

Flash forward to the 2001 World Series, which was delayed because of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and carried over into the month of November. Shortly after midnight on October 31 during Game Four of the World Series, Jeter knocks a game-winning home run off Diamondbacks reliever Byung-Hyun Kim, and a fan in the stands hold up a sign that reads “Mr. November.” Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay uses the term for Jeter, and the nickname sticks, despite the fact that he only batted 3-for-12 in November games that season.

Albert Pujols -- El Hombre – St. Louis Cardinals fans love Stan Musial. In fact, he’s arguably the most beloved player in Cardinals history. He even has his own statue outside Busch Stadium.

During his playing days, Musial earned the nickname “Stan the Man,” and he’s still known that way today. That’s why when Albert Pujols arrived in the major leagues in 2001 and proceeded to win every baseball award possible while leading his team to two World Series, it was hard to describe him as anything but “the Man.” Since that title was already taken by Musial, St. Louis reporter Bernie Miklasz dubbed him “El Hombre,” which means “the Man” in Spanish. “El Hombre” adds to the long list of nicknames for Pujols which include “Phat Albert,” “Prince Albert,” “The Machine,” and “Winnie the Pujols.”

Kevin Youkilis -- Greek God of Walks -- In Michael Lewis’s landmark book about Oakland’s stat-crazy GM Billy Beane, Moneyball, Youkilis is referred to as “Euclis: The Greek God of Walks.” Youkilis was the perfect example of a “moneyball” player who posts a high on-base percentage by way of collecting a large number of bases-on-balls (walks). Combine his ability to work pitch counts to the extreme with the fact that his last name sounds like it comes from The Iliad, and you’ve got yourself a nickname. But Red Sox manager Terry Francona begged to differ in a 2004 Boston Globe article: “I’ve seen Youkilis in the shower,” Francona said. “I wouldn’t call him the Greek God of anything.”