Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-04
HOW BASE BALL TEAMS
WERE GIVEN MECHANICS
Old Time Fan Passes Examination on Their
Origin-Who Put the Titles
on Different Clubs.

NEW YORK, September 3.-Every foi-
lower OF professional base ball knows the
nicknames of the big league teams. put IL
takes the old-tirne fan to pass an exam
nation on their origin.
The Pittsburg team. commonly caieo
the Pirates got that name as result OF
the KIDNAPPING OF Louis Bierbauer, star
second baseman, from the Philadeiphia
Athletics away back in 1888 or ISIS. AL
that time there was a working agreement
between the National League and the old
American Association by which no ciup
IN either organization was permitted 10
reserve more than fifteen players at tne
close Of a season. The owners or the
Athletics. In the American Association.
desired TO keep sixteen OF their men. Dut
The only way open was to leave one name
or the list and take a chance on no
other club picking up the player.
Accordingly. the Athletic management
FaiIed 10 name Bierbauer in its revised isl.
hoping the omission would be overiookeu
and that Bierbauer would De slsneo ovoI
as a new player. But ITleiiu u ~
ptttsburg club noticed that Blerpauer ,
name was missing from the Ath.etc isl,
and as Louis was a much-sought player
al that time the friend quietly tod HOY
ace Phillips, manager or the flltsDurs
club Phillips set 70 work al ohCe, 49,.
fearing that the omission OF Bferbauer
name from the published list OF reserved
player.s was merely an error, ne Wene
FIRST 10 Washington TO get ofnclai iiiloi
nation from Nick Young, president OF the
.ryations showed that the failure OF Bier
hauer's name to appear was not pup
Iisher's error, but the owners OF the Atm
letics had really failed to reserve inc
player ,. 60
6eaI with any club he desired, and Philips
proceeded to Erie. Pa, where Louis
spent the winter months at ms hoine.
His trip was successful Bierpauer We
willing TO listen. tempting olIeI e.
brought with him the players signed
contract for the following season Inc
whole procedure was perfectly regular
under the rules. and Bierbauer played III
Pittsburg for many years, but the man
nar Of his capture caused no end OF tax
In the base ball world, and one Phllaoei-
mia writer referred TO the affalr as an
act of piracy on the base ball seas. Inc
Pittsburgs were promptly nicknafneu liIe
pirates" and the title has stuck ever
since.
The New York Nationals were dubbed
the Giants by the late p. Jay Donohue' IN
the summer of 1885, when that team was
making such hard fight against the
Chicago team for the championship. IL
was their deeds, and not their stature
as many rooters think. that was respon-
sible for the name. The New York Amer
lean League team was named the hish-
landers by James r.. Price wnen the
johnson organization entered New York
in 1ans The president of the cluD at
that time was Joseph Gordon, and the
grounds were on high land. In Scollahu
there is a regiment called the GoT
Highlanders. and the combination OF cor
don and the high land on which the team
played suggested the name after the
Scotch regiment. -,
The name Quakers. applied to the Phil
adelphia National League team was
natural because Philadelphia is known as
the Quaker City. The name Is thought TO
have been first used in 1859, when Pnlla-
delphia was represented In two organiza-
tions the old American Association and
the National League. The Athletics were
IN the former league and team known
tust as Philadelphia was in the latter TO
iistfn guish between the two newspapers
called the National team the "Quakers,
and IL is still used.
One Of the first ball teams ever or
ganized in this country was the Atm
ietfcs of Philadelphia 1t was assem-
bied in 1854 and had a place in the ma
tionai organization of base ball play
ers. the first base ball league in the
country The name has been passed
down through all the years. and when
the American League expanded and
placed a. team In Philadelphia the
newspapers with the tacit consent OF
the club owners. called Connie Mack 9
team the Athletics. because II was a
time honored name
Comiskey adopted the name White
Stockings for his team when the ne
1900. l. r. Sanborn and Carl Green.
Chicago sporting writer's, were Jointly
responsible for the shortening OF the
name to White Sox. They could not
make the longer one fit into the head
lines Of the papers and agreed to try
the shorter one. with the result that
IL caught on and made a hit. The
name Cubs was also OF newspaper orl-
gin, given at the time Frank Selee took
the management of the Chicago Ma
tional team during the base ball war
and filled in its ranks. left vacant by
the American League raids. with
youngsters. mostly of the average
stature or smaller. George Rice. then
sporting writer was the first TO spring
the name and II was taken up general
ly In a short time.
Another old name is the one by
which the Cincinnati National League
team is known. the Reds. The uniform
OF the Queen City team was designed
BY George b. Ellard Of that city in
1857. 1t consisted Of short white fan
mel trousers. white shirt and long
red stockings This was the first time
In the history OF base ball that the
players wore short trousers. and the
bright-colored stockings were a novel
ty. Therefore the team was called the
Red Stockings by Mr. Ellard but 1t
was. afterward abbreviated to the Reds.
Cleveland's team has had, perhaps.
more ntcknames than any other team in
either big league. Cleveland's American
League team was first called the Blues
because of the color of the travelling suits
worn by the members. This name has
never been used in Cleveland. The team
was also called the Maps in honor OF
former Manager Lajoie, whose first name
Is Napoleon This was shortened TO Nap.
and the team was called the Maps. Since
Deacon McCiuire has been manager the
team has been called the Ncife McGuires.
Whether this name will stick time only
can tell, but the chances are that when
another season rolls around some other
base hall writer will tack another name
on them. In the old days Cleveland had
q team known the Spiders.
Hughey Jennings Detroit American
League team, which won the pennant
three, times running, was named the
Tigers by Philip j. Reid city editor of a