In the now classic baseball movie “Bull Durham,” Ebby Calvin LaLoosh (played by Tim Robbins) says to his coach, “You think I need a nickname? I think I need a nickname. The great ones all have nicknames like ‘Oil Can’ or ‘Catfish.'”

“Bull Durham” came out in 1988, when such nicknames were fairly common. For the most part, sports nicknames, at least the creative ones, have disappeared, and it’s unfortunate. It didn’t add to the game play, but it added to the allure, giving players something that made them instantly recognizable even to casual fans.