Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-27
MECHANICS FOR BALL CLUBS
Big Teams seldom Called After the
Cities They Represent.

1t Is an odd fact that the base ball teams
representing leading cities in the United
States are seldom called by their proper
names. When fans are talking base ball
they rarely refer to John McGraw's great
team as the New York Nationals, but af-
fe~ctonately cling to the time honored
name. Giants" This Is the case prac-
tically all over the country and the reasons
for it is interesting. With two ball
teams In a major league city it is easier
to distinguish between them by using nick
names than lacking on the name of the
league which each represents. Hence we
have the Giants representing the
metropolis in the National league and the
~"Highlanders" or Yankees doing the
same in the American league.
In the old days, say twenty years ago,
the same practice prevailed but not ex-
actly for the same reason, as two clubs
in a single city, barring Philadelphia,
could not live. The New Yorks were first
nicknamed the Giants" in those days
because the players were all big men.
Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe, Roger Common,
Bill Brown, George Gore, Ed Crane, Jim
O'Rourke and Mike Herman were six
footers and powerfully built. The Brook
lyns were called the 'Bridegrooms' be-
cause a majority of them had just been
married. The Chicagos, under Anson,
were known as the White Stockings" for
the reason that they wore hose of that
color, and the st. Louis Browns under
the leadership of Comiskey were SINH
larly named. So were the old Cincinnati
Reds, while all the Boston teams were
known popularity as the "Beaneaters."
The Clevelands. with Pat Tebeau al
the helm. were dubbed The Spiders" as
some of the players were slightly built
and had thin legs. The old Detroit cham
pions were always called THE VOL
verines'' and the Pittsburg team bore thu
name of Smoky Citys' and Pirates
from time immemdrial. The Washing
tons were hailed everywhere as ''The
Senator's" while in Quaketown the
Phillies and the Athletics were the same
old rivals. The Indianapolis team was
nicknamed the Hoosiers and the old Met
ropolitans Of the American association
were known Familiarity as the Nets. The
Louisvilles were the Colonies and in 1881
there was such a team as the st. Louis
Maroons In the d%efunct Union association
engineered by H.. v. Lucas.
Nowadays we hear OF the Boston Red
sox Of the American league and the
S0eND 10fNt @AN@ 49, NA~A NRaNN
owner. George B. Dewey. The Brooklyns
are staggering under the name Trolley
Dodgers and In Chicago we have the
Cubs and the White sox. The Clevelands
have been nicknamed the Maps because
the great Lajoie is their leader, while the
Detroits are known all over the land as
The Tigers. In st. Louis the Brown and
the Cardinals are rivals for patronage
The Washingtons have shaken the sena.
tors for the Nationals. but the Cincinnati'
and Pittsburgs still stick to the Reds ant
the Pirates. That is the case with tn,
Phillies and the Athletics In Philadelphia
too.
Some of the other nicknames are the
Baltimore orioles. The Jersey City skeeters
the Newark Sailors. the Providence Clan
Diggers. the Flour Citys Of Rochester, tn,
Buffalo Bisons, the Montreal Royals. thu
Milwaukee Brewers, the ST. Paul Angels
the Kansas City Blues. the New orleanI
Pelicans and others too numerous to men
uon.