Even More Great Baseball Nicknames Quiz

Answer: Cool Papa

James Thomas Bell (1903-1991) was so fast that Satchel Paige joked that he could turn the lightswitch off in his bedroom and be in bed before it got dark. Another oft-told legend in the Negro Leagues where Bell played (1922-1946), was that he was once hit rounding first base by a ball that he had hit. Back in reality, Bell's speed was good enough to stretch singles for most hitters into doubles, and allowed him to score from second base on sacrifice flies. Along with blinding speed and a high batting average, Bell's coaches remarked his calm composure in pressure situations. One in particular commented that Bell was "one cool papa".

Answer: Kung Fu Panda

Sandoval was a two-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion (all with the San Francisco Giants) during his career that stretched from 2008 to 2021. At 5-foot-8 and 270 lbs, Sandoval was a power hitter but also was a strong contact hitter during his career.

In Game 1 of the 2012 World Series he became just the fourth player in history to hit three home runs in a championship game. A young Sandoval was given the nickname "Kung Fu Panda" by veteran teammates Rich Aurilia and Barry Zito. In Sandoval's prime, fans would often wear Panda heads at Giants game.

Answer: Coco

Crisp can thank his sister for his nickname, who said he reminded her of one of the characters on a Cocoa Krispies cereal box. After Crisp told his minor league teammates that story, the nickname stuck so much that Crisp would later have his name legally changed. Crisp was a lead-off hitter with speed and contact.

He was part of the 2007 World Series winning Boston Red Sox. Crisp had over 1500 hits during his career, and stole over 300 bases. His MLB career spanned 15 years: 2002 to 2016.

Answer: Thor

Syndegaard's "Thor" nickname was assigned in 2013, shortly after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the New York Mets. At the time, Syndegaard posted a workout video to Twitter where he was dressed as the Marvel superhero Thor while still a top prospect in the Mets system.

He became a fan favourite when he debuted with the Mets in 2015, and started Game 3 of the World Series in his rookie year.

Answer: Oil Can

Boyd got his nickname at the age of 7 when a family friend caught him drinking moonshine out of an oil can in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi. The Boyd family produced many professional ball players through the 20th century across the Negro and Major Leagues. Dennis was drafted by the Red Sox in 1980 and made his MLB debut two seasons later.

He was a talented pitcher but off-the-field troubles plagued him. After he felt he was snubbed from the 1986 All-Star game, Boyd quit the team and was suspended for three weeks.

In his autobiography he would later admit to heavy cocaine and marijuana usage throughout much of his major league career.

Answer: Goose

Goose Gossage was one of baseball's original intimidating closers, a powerful pitcher in a time when a closer pitched well more than just the ninth inning. He started his MLB career with the White Sox in 1972 and retired in 1994 with the Seattle Mariners.

His nickname came from White Sox teammate Tom Bradley who said his neck resembled a goose's when he craned it toward home plate. Gossage was a nine-time all-star and a three-time league leader in saves, but perhaps best known for his fu manchu mustache that he claims he initially only started sporting in 1981 to annoy Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

In 2008, Gossage became one of the first Hall of Famers to pitch primarily as a reliever.

Answer: Godzilla

Hideki Matsui earned the nickname "Godzilla" in Japan for his monstrous power at the plate, and it followed him to the MLB when he joined the Yankees in 2003. Matsui spent the first 10 seasons of his pro career in Japan, where he played in 9 all-star games and won 3 Japan Series championships with Yomiuri.

He delivered on the biggest stage in North America too, winning the 2009 World Series MVP after a six-RBI performance in Game 6. Matsui was immensely popular in Japanese baseball, a parade was held for him in Tokyo after he had turned down what would be a record contract to stay in Japan in the fall of 2002 and opt to move to New York instead.

He retired in 2012playing for Tampa Bay Rays.

Answer: Bird

Mark Fidrych, or "The Bird," burst onto the scene in 1976 with the Detroit Tigers, charming fans with his quirky antics and brilliant pitching. His nickname came from a resemblance to Sesame Street's Big Bird, but it stuck because of his animated personality-talking to the ball, grooming the mound, and high-fiving teammates mid-game. Fidrych's rookie season was magical, with sold-out stadiums and national buzz (how many second year players appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine?), though multiple injuries sadly cut his career short. Fidrych only appeared in 58 career games, all with Detroit (he retired in 1980).

Answer: Old Hoss

Charles Radbourn, known as "Old Hoss," was a 19th-century ironman who pitched with legendary stamina, winning a mind-boggling 60 games and pitching 678 innings in 1884. His nickname captured both his durability and grizzled demeanor-he was the type of player who once reportedly played with a dislocated finger reset by himself. Radbourn started his pro playing days as a right fielder before becoming a primary pitcher.

He is considered one of the pioneers of the curveball, and it was that deception that kept hitters guessing and made him such a feared opponent.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.

Answer: Bringer of Rain

Josh Donaldson, called the "Bringer of Rain," got his nickname from the TV show "Spartacus", where the line is shouted by a victorious gladiator-fitting for Donaldson's power-hitting style. He brought thunder to every lineup he joined, most memorably with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he won the 2015 AL MVP and helped end their 22-year playoff drought. Fans loved his fiery attitude (opponents not so much) and elite glove at third base, along with his signature mullet. Donaldson made a cameo appearance on the History Channel series "Vikings" in 2016 after he had noted publicly it was his favorite TV show.