Greatest Nicknames in Baseball History [2] Quiz

Answer: Al Hrabosky

Hrabosky got his nickname from his unusual last name, as well as his demeanor on the mound. In-between pitches he would turn his back to home plate, rub the ball, take a deep breath and slam the ball into his glove. When back on the mound he would stare into homeplate in an attempt to intimidate the batter.

Answer: Steve Balboni

Balboni played for five teams over an 11-year career, most notably for the Kansas City Royals where he won a World Series championship in 1985. He earned his nickname for his home run power. His name could of also meant bye-bye your out, as Balboni would strikeout once every 3.6 at bats in his career. His HR ratio was one HR every 17.2, so you can decided for yourself.

Answer: Aurelio Lopez

While playing for the Detroit Tigers, Lopez got his nickname for his over-powering fastball which could reach 93 MPH. Lopez was one of three players that played in the Major Leagues with the first name of Aurelio, oddly all three were killed in auto accidents.

Answer: Mike Hargrove

Hargrove would play 12 seasons with the Rangers, Padres, and Indians, and was voted one of the top 100 players in Indians history. Hargrove would go onto manage the Indians to five consecutive AL Central Division titles in 1995-99. It was during his playing career that earned him his nickname, as after every pitch Hargrove would step out of the box and go into his routine.

This routine consisted of, in order, a helmet adjustment, adjusting of his batting glove, pulling both shirt sleeves, and wiping each hand on his pants.

This was done every pitch and sometimes the routine was gone through twice per pitch.

Answer: Phil Garner

This nickname was given to Garner for his gritty play on the field over a 15-year career with the A's, Pirates, Astros, Dodgers, and Giants. Garner was a three time All-Star ('76, '80, '81) and a World Series Champion in Pittsburgh in 1979.

Answer: Dennis Boyd

Boyd would have a 10 year career in the Major Leagues, eight of those years for the Boston Red Sox. This nickname was given to him in his younger, beer-drinking days in Meridian, Mississippi where beer is sometimes called "oil". In 2005 Boyd came out of retirement to pitch for the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League.

In 2009, at age 50, Boyd announced he was attempting a comeback to the Major Leagues.

Answer: Ron Cey

Tommy Lasorda gave Cey his nickname due to his running style while managing him in the Minor Leagues.

Answer: Ron Guidry

Guidry won the Cy Young award in 1978 pitching for the Yankees. He posted a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. This performance is considered by many to be one of the top 10 seasons in baseball history. That year he was the winning pitcher, for the Yankees in the one game playoff versus the Red Sox to decide the AL East championship, a game that forever thrust Bucky Dent into Yankee fame and Red Sox infamy.

Answer: Frank Viola

Frankie V. was given his name by a sports writer who declared that every time Viola pitched there was "Sweet Music" inside the Metrodome. Viola would go on to win the Cy Young Award pitching for the Twins in 1988.

Answer: Bob Feller

Born in Van Meter, Iowa in 1918 Feller would make his Major League debut for the Cleveland Indians at age 17. October 2, 1938 Feller set a modern Major League record of 18 strikeouts versus the Detroit Tigers (since broken). Feller would go on to pitch three no-hitters and a record sharing 12 one-hitters during his 18 year career in Cleveland.

In 1962, Robert William Andrew Feller was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.