We use them all the time: Ells, Youk, Petey, Okey, Pap, 'Tek, V-Mart, Schill, Wake. The list goes on and on. Most seem to be a variation or shortening of the player's last name. Here is one for you.
I loved the nicknames from days past:
Jim "Catfish" Hunter
Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd
John "Blue Moon" Odom
Jim "Mudcat" Grant
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson
Walter "Big Train" Johnson
Dick "Dr. Strange Glove" Stuart
Carlton "Pudge" Fisk
They had such unique rings to them.
The NE Patriots have a running back named BenJarvis Ellis-Green. When asked by reporters, one Patriot remarked that the team called him simply "law firm". Quite witty.
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The evolution of the nickname is quite interesting. These days, it seems like only Pudge Rodriquez has a nickname that is not derived from his given name. Maybe there are others... Oh, don't forget Big Baby. This would make an interesting article, especially if a cross section of athletes were asked about nicknames.
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