Favorite nicknames

One of the best headlines came when Rollins bit Danny Ainge

Tree bites man

 

When Deion Sanders first rose to prominence he was called Neon Deion
Sanders let it be known he didn’t like that and it was discarded forever when Chris Berman got ahold of Prime Time

 

The Babe

 

"Helicopter" Goings
"The Goat" Manigault
"Fly" Williams
"Blue Moon" Odom
"Catfish" Hunter
"Mudcat" Grant
The Mailman
The Glove

 

Forgot my favorite of all-time

Hitman Hearns

along with ...

Pistol Pete
The Truth -- Paul Pierce variety
Mean Joe Greene
Sweetness

 

Larry Walker was also known as "Dirtbag."

 

What’s the origin story there?

 

From the SI story:

Now everything he does seems so instinctive, so natural, it's
hard to believe he wasn't born on the diamond. Walt Weiss, the
Colorado teammate who hung Dirtbag on him ("It could have been
worse," says Weiss, now retired), was surprised to learn that
Walker hadn't been playing the game since he was five. "That
ability to make split-second decisions on the fly the way Larry
does," he says, "that's what's amazing."

That a guy who went to school in Chapel Hill calls someone else "dirtbag"? That's rich.

 

I thought it might have involved a Montreal television personality...

 

“Louisiana Lightning””Gator” I would be thrilled to have these nicknames. Very cool. Ron Guidry

 

“Big Daddy” Don Garlits.

 

“Sudden” Sam McDowell