List of baseball team nicknames

Contents 1 Arizona Diamondbacks 2 Atlanta Braves 3 Baltimore Orioles 4 Boston Red Sox 5 Chicago Cubs 6 Chicago White Sox 7 Cincinnati Reds 8 Cleveland Indians 9 Colorado Rockies 10 Detroit Tigers 11 Florida Marlins 12 Houston Astros 13 Kansas City Royals 14 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 15 Los Angeles Dodgers 16 Milwaukee Brewers 17 Minnesota Twins 18 New York Mets 19 New York Yankees 20 Oakland Athletics 21 Philadelphia Phillies 22 Pittsburgh Pirates 23 St. Louis Cardinals 24 San Diego Padres 25 San Francisco Giants 26 Seattle Mariners 27 Tampa Bay Rays 28 Texas Rangers 29 Toronto Blue Jays 30 Washington Nationals 31 See also 32 Notes 33 External links

Arizona Diamondbacks

• The D-backs - Short version of "Diamondbacks".
• The Snakes - Reference to diamondback rattlesnakes.
• The Rattlesnakes - Long version of above.
• D-bags - Reference to douching.

Atlanta Braves

• The Bravos - Variation of "Braves".
• America's Team ^[1]
• The Barves - Another variation of "Braves".
• Braves Nation - Avid followers found primarily throughout the Southeast.

Baltimore Orioles

• The O's - Short version of "Orioles". Fans usually loudly shout the "Oh" at the beginning of the seventh line of the National Anthem in unison.
• The Birds - Reference to orioles, which are birds.
• The Orange Birds - Reference to male orioles, which are orange birds.

Boston Red Sox

• The Sox - Short version of "Red Sox".
• The Sawx - In imitation of the Boston accent.
• The BoSox^[2] - Combination of "Boston" and "Sox". Coined by media to distinguish from the Chicago White Sox, or "ChiSox".
• The Crimson Hose - A variation of "Red Sox".
• The Olde Towne Team ^[3]
• The Red Sux - Used by detractors, mainly Yankees and Angels fans.
• The Sucks - Same as above.
• Dead Sox - Same as above.
• Red Cocks - Same as above.
• The Joke Sox - As with "The Red Sux" above.
• The Carmines - A type of red pigment, the nickname is used often by former Red Sox player and current White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson.
• Red Sox Nation - Avid followers.
• The Nation - Short version of "Red Sox Nation".

Chicago Cubs

• The Cubbies^[4] - Familiar version of "Cubs".
• The Loveable Losers^[5] - Reference to team's ability to maintain a loyal fan base despite decades of failure to win the pennant.
• The Northsiders^[6] - To differentiate from the South Side residing White Sox. (Also used: The Northside Nine)
• The Scrubs or Scrubbies - Used by detractors, mainly White Sox and Cardinals Fans.
• The Flubs or Flubbies - Same reason as Scrubs.
• The Chubs or Chubbies - Same reason as Flubs.
• The Baby Bears - A variation of Cubs.
• The Boys of Zimmer - Refers to the NL East division-winning 1989 team managed by Don Zimmer.
• Completely Useless By September - False acronym for CUBS, refers to how some Cubs teams in a pennant race (most notably 1969, 2001, and 2004) have faultered by the last month of the season.

Chicago White Sox

• The Sox - Short version of "White Sox".
• The ChiSox^[7] - Combination of "Chicago" and "Sox". Coined by media to distinguish from the Boston Red Sox, or "BoSox".
• The Southsiders - To differentiate from the North Side residing Cubs.
• The Pale Hose^[8] - Variation of "White Sox".
• The Hitless Wonders - Refers to the 1906 team that won the AL pennant and World Series despite a .230 team batting average.
• The Black Sox^[9] - Reference to the infamous 1919 team, which fixed the World Series and is popularly known as the "Black Sox".
• The Go-Go Sox - Refers to the 1959 AL championship team.
• The South Side Hitmen - Refers to the high-slugging 1977 team.
• The White Sux - Used by detractors, mainly Cub fans.

Cincinnati Reds

• The Redlegs^[10] - Temporary team name to differentiate from Communists during the Red Scare, who were also referred to as "Reds".
• The Big Red Machine^[11] - Reference to the 1970s teams that won six divisional titles, four pennants and two World Series titles.

Cleveland Indians

• The Tribe - Tribes are social structures among American Indians.
• Chief Wahoo's Tribe^[12] - Reference to the team's logo, an Indian called "Chief Wahoo".
• The Wahoos^[13] - Same as above.
• The Jndjans - Used to make fun of the way the I's look like J's on their home jerseys.
• The Fighting Braves of the Cuyahoga - A nickname made famous from the movie 'Major League'.

Colorado Rockies

• The Rocks - Short version of "Rockies".
• The Rox - Imitation of the names of the Red Sox and White Sox.
• The Blake Street Bombers - Reference to the street Coors Field is on.
• The Blake Street Bullies - Same as above.
• Todd and the Toddlers - Reference to when Todd Helton was a veteran player surrounded by a team full of rookies and young players after the team management decided to focus their efforts on getting new players by bringing them up through their own farm system.
• The Pebbles - Term used by NL West teams.

Detroit Tigers

• The Motor City Kitties - Reference to Detroit, the "Motor City", and tigers, which are felines.
• The Tabbies - Playful feline variation.
• The Tiggs - Short version of "Tigers".
• The Bengals - Reference to Bengal Tigers, a species of tiger.
• The/Los Tigres - Playful Spanish variation, often used with English definite article "The" instead of the Spanish "Los".
• The Bless You Boys - Reference to the World Series championship team of 1984 and teams from surrounding years.
• The Pussies - Vulgar nickname used by detractors such as White Sox and Twins fans.

Florida Marlins

• The Fish^[14] - Reference to marlins, which are fish.
• The Fins - Reference to the fins of a marlin. Also a nickname of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, who share a facility with the Marlins.
• The Boys In Teal - Reference to the team's long-time primary color.

Houston Astros

• The 'Stros - Short version of "Astros".
• The Stars - In reference to the team logo.
• The Red Stars - Long version of above.
• The Lastros^[15] - Used by detractors.
• The Disastros - Used by detractors.
• The Fatros - Used by detractors. It's a term that makes fun of the people in Houston and their ranking as America's "Fattest City".

Kansas City Royals

• The Boys in Blue - Reference to one of the team's colors. Not commonly used, except in marketing.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

• The Halos - Reference to the halo of an angel (the halo is featured on the large "A" outside the stadium and was once a prominent part of the team logo).
• The Wings - Reference to the wings of an angel.
• The Seraphs - A type of angel.
• Los Angelitos - Name in Spanish. Reference to the large Hispanic population of Los Angeles.
• The Angles
• The Gaylos - Used by detractors, mostly Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees fans.
• The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County of California of the Pacific Time Zone of the United States of North America of the Northern Hemisphere of Earth of the Solar System of the Milky Way Galaxy of the Universe - A play on the team's long name; used mainly by Dodgers and Athletics fans.

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Bleeding Dodger Blue - Avid fans.
• Dem Bums - From the Brooklyn years. Reference from the team's problems during the era getting a world championship.
• The Boys of Summer^[16] - From the Brooklyn years - Reference to baseball being the only major team sport played during the summer. As with "Dem Bums", usage of this nickname for the Dodgers has faded with time; "Boys of Summer" is now often used to refer to baseball players in general.
• The Blue Crew - Reference to one of the team's colors.
• Los Doyers - Name in Spanish. Reference to the large Hispanic population of Los Angeles.
• The Azul
• The Lords of Flatbush - A nickname of the Dodgers when they were in Brooklyn.
• Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles - Play on the name referring to the crosstown rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, also noting that the Dodgers actually play in Los Angeles instead of just the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.
• The Dogturds - Play on name, used by detractors, especially Giants and Angels fans.

Milwaukee Brewers

• The True Blue Brew Crew - A name consisting of a short version of "Brewers" and words that rhyme with it.
• The Brew Crew^[17] - Short version of above.
• The Crew - Short version of above.
• The Beermakers^[18] - Play on official name.
• The Alcoholics - A type of beverages made by the brewing company.
• The Drinkers - Fans who are drinking alcoholic beverages during the Brewers home games.
• The Brew-Hahs - An ESPN invention (as in "brouhaha").
• Harvey's Wallbangers - Refers to the AL pennant-winning 1982 team managed by Harvey Kuenn.
• The Home of a Prince - Refers to the Brewers young slugger Prince Fielder.
• The Traders - Refers to how they trade away all of their good players.
• The Young'ens - This refers to how they are a team of the future.

Minnesota Twins

• Piranhas - Reference to their aggressive "small ball" style of play, coined by rival Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén.
• The Twinkies - Familiar version of "Twins". Also a popular snack cake.
• The Twinks - Used by detractors.
• The Twinkers - Same as above.

New York Mets

• The Amazin' Mets
• The Amazin's - Short version of the above.
• The Metropolitans - Reference to the 19th century New York baseball club. Source of the "Mets" name.
• The Kings of Queens - Reference to the team's home, the New York City burough of Queens.
• The Loveable Losers - From the 1960s. Reference to the teams mediocrity in its early years.
• The Miracle Mets - From 1969, the year when the Mets went from losing club to world champions.
• Pondscum - Used by detractors, mainly by Cardinals fans in 1987.
• The Mutts - A derogatory nickname used principally by fans of the Philadelphia Phillies.
• The New York Mess - A derogatory nickname used by the New York media during poor seasons.
• The Bad Guys - A reference to the 1986 Mets, who were known for their high level of performance, hard living lifestyles, and their conflicts with each other and other teams on and off the field. Jeff Pearlman wrote a book about this team titled "The Bad Guys Won".
• Los Mets - Reference to the large number of Hispanic players compiled by Omar Minaya.
• My Entire Team Sucks - A METS acronym, used by many Phillies and Yankees fans.

New York Yankees

• The Bronx Bombers - Reference to the team's home, the New York City borough of the Bronx, along with their propensity for hitting "bombs" (home runs).
• The Bombers - Short version of above.
• The Yanks - Short version of "Yankees".
• The Pinstripers - Reference to the team's pinstriped uniforms.
• The New Yorkers - Reference to New York City, and the publication "The New Yorker".
• Murderers' Row - Reference to the championship Yankee teams of the late 1920s, and the first six hitters in the 1927 lineup in particular.
• The Winners - Reference to the team finishing every season with a winning record since 1993 and won five World Series titles.
• The Damn Yankees - Reference to the play and movie by the same name.
• The Evil Empire - Used by detractors. Reference to Galactic Empire of Star Wars and the famous indictment of communism by Ronald Reagan. Coined as a term for the Yankees by Red Sox executive Larry Lucchino after the Yankees got rights to deal with José Contreras. The term has been embraced by many Yankees fans.
• The Bronx Zoo - Used by detractors. Reference to the team and the Bronx's turbulent times in the late 70's, and also the name of a book written by former Yankees pitcher Sparky Lyle about the team's 1978 season. Still used sometimes to describe the organization and stadium. The term has been embraced by many Yankees fans.
• The Stankees - Used by detractors, particularly Mets and Red Sox fans.
• The Skankees - See "Stankees".
• The Spank-mes - See "Stankees".
• The Yank-mes - See "Stankees".
• The Bankees - Reference to the team's high revenues and payroll.

Oakland Athletics

• The A's^[7] - Short version of "Athletics". Emphasized by Charles O. Finley during his ownership of the team during the 60's and 70's.
• The Swingin' A's - Refers to the early '70s championship teams.
• The White Elephants - Reference to their mascot, which is itself a defiant reference to a comment made by Hall of Fame manager John McGraw, calling the team a "white elephant".
• The Elephants - Short version of above.
• Assletics - A derogative name used by rival fans, mostly Giants and Angels fans.
• The Oakland Triple-A's (AAAs) - In reference to Triple-A Minor League Baseball, used by some to highlight their lack of competitive skill or poor play during rough years.

Philadelphia Phillies

• The Cardiac Kids - A 1950s nickname.
• The Phils - Short version of "Phillies".
• The Phightin' Phils - Reference to their hard-nosed style of play.
• The Phightin's - Short version of above. (Most Phillies fans will add "Ph" instead of an "F" for most anything associated with the Phillies).
• The Pillies - Reference to an amphetamine scandal in the early 1980s.
• The Whiz Kids - Name for the 1950 NL Championship team. Reference to their youth.
• The Wheeze Kids - Name for the 1983 NL Championship team. Reference to their lack of youth.
• The Broad Street Bellies - Name for the 1993 NL Championship team. Reference to their lack of physical fitness, and the nickname of the NHL's nearby Philadelphia Flyers, the "Broad Street Bullies".
• Macho Row -Reference to 1993 NL Championship team.
• The Phags - Used by detractors.
• The Phaggots - Long version of above.
• The Philthies - Same as above.
• The Sillies - Used by detractors.

Pittsburgh Pirates

• The Family - Name adopted during the 1979 World Series Championship season. Derived from the Sister Sledge song, We Are Family, which had become the team's theme song.
• The Succos - Derogatory reference to the team, given their lack of a winning season since 1993.
• The Succaneers - Long version of above.
• The Losers - Same as above.
• The Bucs - Most frequently used nickname, shortened from "buccaneer" a synonym for "pirates".
• The Buccaneers - Long version of above.

St. Louis Cardinals

• The Cards - Short version of "Cardinals".
• The Redbirds - Reference to the cardinal, which is a red bird.
• The Birds - Reference to the cardinal, which is a bird.
• The Birds on the Bat - Reference to the longtime logo on the front of the uniform jersey.
• The Gashouse Gang - Name for the 1934 World Championship team. Reference to their shabby appearance and rough tactics.
• The Runnin' Redbirds - Name for the 1980s Cardinals. Reference to their speed and small-ball tactics.
• El Birdos - Nickname given to the 1967 World Series Champion Cardinals team by Orlando Cepeda. Reference to the small Hispanic population of St. Louis, as 'El' would suggest singularity in Spanish and 'Birdos' would mean "Birds."
• The MV3 - Name of the middle of the Cardinals line up in 2004 with Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds.
• Gods Team - Name given to the Cardinals by the Pope.
• The Rally Birds - Reference to the Cardinals being the top underdog team in 2011 after they're down 10½ games in NL Wild Card on August 25 and won the Wild Card and their 11th World Series title via couple of great late rallies in Game 6.
• The Rally Cards - Same as above.

San Diego Padres

• The Pads - Short version of "Padres". Pronounced "Pods", and also spelled that way.
• The Friars - Reference to "padre" meaning father in Spanish, as in a priest.
• The Fathers - Reference to "padre" meaning father in Spanish.
• The Dads - Same as above.
• Friar Faithful - Spin on Friar and the 1998 Padres' "Keep the Faith" campaign to drum up local support for the National League pennant-winning team.
• The Pesky Padres - Nickname given in San Francisco Giants official program for their game in San Francisco on July 7, 2011. Refers to the Padres' recent success against the Giants despite generally finishing behind them in the NL West standings, especially their 12-6 record against San Francisco in 2010; the Giants were forced to win a regular-season tie-breaking game to enter the playoffs where they would eventually win the World Series.

San Francisco Giants

• The Jints (rhymes with "pints", not "mints") - Short version of "Giants".
• The G-Men - Reference to nickname for a government agent. Also used for the American football team with whom the baseball club used to share a name and a home stadium, the New York Giants.
• Los Gigantes - Spanish for Giants. Used on the team's uniform on Cinco de Mayo of 2007.
• The Gyros
• The Orange and Black - Reference to the team's colors.
• The Orange Nation - Same as above.
• The Orange Giants - Same as two lines above.
• The Gnats - Used by dettractors, especially Dodgers and Athletics fans.
• The Gay Area Giants - A phrase used by detractors because San Francisco is associated as a "Gay" city
• The Bay Bombers - Geographic nickname, alluding to San Francisco, which is situated by the SF Bay.
• The Bays - Short version of above.

Seattle Mariners

• The M's - Reference to the first letter in "Mariners".

Tampa Bay Rays

• The Rays - A popular shortened version of the original "Devil Rays" nickname which became the current nickname (that now suggests "rays" of Florida sunshine as well as the fish).
• The D-Rays - A shortened version of the team's original nickname, the "Devil Rays". Some media outlets have stated that they will continue to use the now obsolete moniker.^[19]
• The Sun Rays - A TV channel in Florida where Rays games are airing.
• The Devil Dogs - Fan-friendly nickname.^[20]
• The Raymonds - In reference to the team's mascot.
• The Tampa Bay Gays - Used by detractors.

Texas Rangers

• The Lone Stars - Reference to Texas's nickname, the "Lone Star State". This team nickname has been rarely used in recent years.
• The Dangers - Reference to the Rangers' batting order, which historically has featured all nine players with above-average batting skills and several legitimate home run hitters.
• The Lamers - Used by detractors, mainly Astros fans.
• The Strangers - Used when the team is playing poorly (which is, for long-suffering fans, most years).
• The Power Rangers - Used when describing the team's ability to hit for power.

Toronto Blue Jays

• The Jays - Short version of "Blue Jays".
• The Blue Birds - Another name due to their mascot being a Blue Jay.
• The Blue Hyays - The popular Spanish pronunciation of the Blue Jays.
• The Blue Gays - Used by detractors such as Yankees and Red Sox fans.
• The Blow Gays - Used by detractors such as Yankees and Red Sox fans.
• The BJs - Also used by detractors such as Yankees and Red Sox fans.

Washington Nationals

• The Nats^[21] - Short version of "Nationals".
• The Natsy Nats - Refers to the team playing terribly since moving to Washington in 2005.
• The Natinals [sic] - A reference to a misprint on the uniforms of Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn during the 2009 season. "Nationals" was spelled across their jerseys without the 'o'.
• The Gnats - Used by detractors, reference to annoying flies.

See also

• Nicknames: Sports clubs and their nicknames

Notes

Unless other sourcing is indicated, all nicknames for individual baseball players cited in this article have been verified by inclusion in one of the following authoritative sources:

• Baseball-Reference
• Baseball Almanac
• IMDB

External links

• Gmelch, George, "What's in a Baseball Nickname", NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture Volume 14, Number 2, Spring 2006, pp. 129–132. [1]
• Baseball Nicknames: A Dictionary of Origins and Meanings, by James K. Skipper, McFarland & Company, 1992, ISBN 0-89950-684-4
• Official Major League Baseball history of American League nicknames
• Official Major League Baseball history of National League nicknames
• Chris Berman bestowed nicknames (or Bermanisms): [2]