The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-02
MECHANICS OF
| BALL PLAYERS
Abbreviation Leads to New Cog
nomens for Stars Of Game

As a rule the name by which base
BAH player is known to the box score
has belonged To him from the day of
his birth but the handles prefxed to
the surnames of diamond experts often
bear not the slightest relationship to
the ones by which they were christ
ened.
Nearly every body knows that the
famed manager of the present worlds
champions was labeled Cornelius Me
Giicuddy until he broke into base
ball and that his tag was shortened to
Connie Mack by players and writer's in
sheer desperation at the thought of
using SO much breath and space every
time he was spoken of or written of.
Then there was Ossic Schreck the
former Athletic catcher whose fun
name was Schreckengost and the
White SOX have II backstop whose
complete title is something like
montreyille. the veteran shortstop,
was known by the first two syllables
Of his name.
In such cases the desire for breVity
was the sole cause for the changed no
mcncaturc The Cubs have catcher
in Dick Cottcr who started his profess
siona career as Garter" because he
was DESTROYS of retaining his amateur
status in Manhattan College while
playing summer baseball. He appears
on the official records of the National
Commission as Garter"
Then There's Eddie Collins.
A similar case is that of Eddie Col
Inns of the worlds champions, who
broke into baseball as Sullivan, and
Went TO the Mackmen under that name.
\ more unusual case is that of War
hop the Yankee pitcher. He is gem
une Cclt by the name of Fleming, but
he posed as an Indian while pitching
with the Nebraska Indians some years
ago. and took the name under which
he gained his reputation to help sus-
tain the illusion. sam Strang's ri lit
name was Nicklen. but on account of
parental objections to professional
baseball, he used his middle name for
Identification purposes on the diamond
only in exceptional cases like those
already named do ball players adopt
stage names. No one would accuse
Amos Strunk, for instance, of having
assumed that label unless it was fast
cncd on him by circumstances Over
which he had no control.
When Ten Million broke in the bis
circuit last winter for a spring tryout
every body tictisht that was a phoncy
but it was the genuine brand in his
case.
When it comes to nicknames, how
ever there are scores of men in tl'
game today who lave come to "
known to every rooter by sometime
which is nowhere near their rea
names.
What Is Wasncr's Real Name?
How many fans can tell offhan
what Honus Wagner signs at the bot
tom Of his contract? He has bee
known as Honus or Hans so long tina
every one else has forgotten.
Jake is long way from Garland. b.
which Jake Stahl was christencd. Lei
ned. the pitcher who has been addr
To the Cub staff. always is Lefty. bu
MS initials are \. T.. He acquired tn
nickname because he pitches that way
ana there are others equally easy +
trace, like Jack Spratt.
some names multiply themselves in
"ehnitey as the game grows. No on
Knows how many Rubes and Cys ther
are in organized baseball. If there
any Young in the game who is n
Jailed Cy, he is far down in the busF
cS And of all the Rubes in the dia
mends history only one did not aC
quirc it because he was not city broH
ihe exception is Rube Oldrng, who's
real name t. Reuben.