Baseball Nicknames

I'm continuing to have a great time reading the history of the New York Yankees, Pinstripe Empire. Even though it's all based on true events, the characters are more entertaining than anything you'll find in fiction. I especially like all the nicknames that baseball players have. Every sport has interesting names for some colorful athletes, but the National Pastime seems to have an over-abundance of them.

From the early days of the Babe or the Iron Horse through modern times with the Sandman, nicknames reflect the personality and the special qualities of the guys they describe.  Part of baseball's charm is the seemingly never-ending flow of memorable figures -- heroes and villains -- whose nicknames add even more character to the characters they identify -- Scooter, the Rocket, Joltin' Joe.

Sometimes it's just a play on the player's name -- A-Rod or Goose Gossage. Other times, it's sheer poetry, such as my favorite, Louisiana Lightning.

I never get tired of hearing nicknames like Donnie Baseball or Captain Clutch. Is there any sport that's greater?