Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-18
Few Fans Know How Teams Got
Their Nichnames.
ONCE STOLE A MAN
PittsburE was Dubbed Pirates for
kidnsping Bierbauer New
Works Became Giants
Through BiG work.

Athletics away back In 1888 and 1889. At
that time there was a working agreement
between the National league and the old
American association, by which no club in
either organization was permitted to re-
serve more than fifteen players at the
close OF season. The owners OF the
Athletics. in the American association. de-
sired to keep sixteen OF their men. but as
the only way open was TO leave one name
Off the list and take a chance on no other
club picking up the player.
Accordingly the Athletic management
failed 10 rame Bierbauer in it's revise list,
hoping the omission would be overlooked
and that Bierbauer would be signed over as
a new player. But friend Of the Pitts
burg club noticed that Bierbauer's name
was missing from the Athletic list, and az
Louis was a much-sousht player at that
time the friend quietly told Horace Phillips,
manager Of the Pittsburg club. Phillips
set to work at once, but, fearing that the
omission Of Bierbauer's name from the
published list OF reserved players wac
merely an error, he went first to Washing
ton to get official information from Nick
Young, president Of the National league.
The official list OF reservations showed
that the failure OF Bierbauer's name to
appear was not a publishers error, but
the owners OF the Athletics had really
failed to reserve the player.
How Man was stolen.
This made Blerbsuer free agent to deal
with any club he desired, and Phillips pro-
ceeded TO Erie. Pa, where Louis spent the
winter months az his home His trip was
successful Bierbauer was willing to listen.
a tempting offer was made and when Phil
lips returned no brought with him the
players signed contract for the following
season The whole procedure was per-
fectly regular, under the rules, and Bier
bauer played in Pittsburg for many years.
but the manner OF his capture caused no
end OF talk in the base ball world and one
Philadelphia writer referred to the affair
as IAN act Of piracy on the base ball seas"
The Pittsburgs were promptly nIcEnanled
the Pirates" and the title has stuck ever
since.
The New York Nationals were dubbed
the Giants by the late ]. Jay Donhue In
the summer Of 1895, when that team was
making such hard fight abainst the Chi
caso team for the championship. 1t was
their deeds. not their stature, as many
rooters think, that was responsible for the
name. The New York American league
team was named the Highlanders by James
r. Price. when the johnson organization
entered New York in 1908 The president
OF the. club at that time was Joseph Cor
don and the grounds were on high land
In Scotland there is a regiment called the
Gordon Hishlanders, and the combination
OF. Gordon and the high land on which the
team played suggested the name after the
Scotch regiment
! The name Quakers. applied to the Phila-
delphia National league team, was natural
i>ecause Philadelphia is known as the
Quaker City The name Is thought to have
been first used in 1883, when Philadelphia
was represented in two organizations. the
old American association and the National
league. The Athletics were in the former
league and team known just as Phila-
deiphia was in the latter. 10 distinguish
between the two the newspapers called the
National league team the "ouakers." and IL
is still used.
Athletics Was First Team.
One Of the first baF teams ever organ
iEed in this country was the Athletics of
Phiadelphia- II was assembled in 1864, and
had a place in the National Organization OF
Base Bali Players, 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
papers with the tacit consent of the club
owners. called Connie Mack's team the
Athletics, because II was a time-honored
name.
1 Comiskey adopted the name White stock.
ings for his team when the American
league invaded Chicago In 1900. l. e. San
born and Carl Green, Chicago sporting
writer's. were Jointly responsible for the
shortening OF the name 20 White Sox They
could not make the longer one fit into the
headlines or 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 origin at thu
time Frank Seles took the management
OF the Chicago National team during tn,
base ball war and filled in its ranks lef
vacant by the American league raids with
youngsters. mostly of the average statur,
or smaller. George Rice, then sportini
writer. was the first TO spring the name
and il was taken up generally in shor
time.
Another old name Is the one by which tn,
Cincinnati National league team Is known
the Reds. The first uniform Of the Queer
! City team was designed by George b. Ei
lard OF that city In 1867. 1t consisted o
short white flannel trousers, white shirt
and long red stockings. This was the frs
! time in the history Of base BAH that IN,
I players wore short trousers. and the brigh
colored stockings were a novelty. There
. fore the team was called the Red Stocking
: by Mr. Ellard, but IL was afterwards alb
breviated 90 the Reds
Cleveland HaA Macy Names.
! Cleveland's team has had perhaps NOR
nicknames than any other team in eithe
5 big league. Cleveland's American leagu,
team was first called the Blue. because o
q the color OF the travelling suits worn b,
the members. This name has never beef
used In Cleveland. The team was ais,
; called the Maps in honor OF former Man
) ager Laioie. whose first name is Napoleon
t. This was shortened to Nap. and the team
wac called the Maps. Since Deacon Nc
4 CURE has been manager the team has beel
4 called the hollie McGuires. Whether thi
! name viii stick time only can tell. but In
I chances are that when another season roll
around some other base ball writer wi
J tack smother name on them. In the oil
DAYS Cleveland had team known as tn
Spiders.
Z Hushey Jennings Detroit American
5 League team. which won the pennant tire
Z times running was named the Tigers b
3 Philip ]. Reid. city editor OF a Detroit news
: paper The reasons were-they were IN
= first team 20 wear striped stockings. ha
achieved a reputation as fighters. and tn
D other names By which they were know
!, petroits and Wolverines. did not fit We
q Ia Q newspaper headline. In the last thr'
a fha faart has frfafufN Itt..l ~. A.. 4