http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/628 Recent articles about Frank Thomas en-us In honor of recently nicknamed Lance Berkman as the "Big Puma," we have put together a list of the greatest baseball nicknames of all-time! 10. "The Big Hurt" Frank Thomas -- Nicknamed "The Big Hurt" in 1992 by broadcaster Ken Harrelson, Thomas has been a fearful presence in the batter's box for two decades. With over 500 homeruns and two MVP awards, Thomas is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. 9. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson -- Legend has it that Jackson bought a new pair of spikes for a game in South Carolina in 1908. After a few innings, the spikes were causing blisters on his feet, so he took them off and played the rest of the game barefoot. Although he never played another game without spikes, the name stook forever. 8. "Charlie Hustle" Pete Rose -- The only nickname fitting the man who huslted his way to 4,256 hits. Rose was known for running down to first base after a walk. He never took a play off, and will always be known for his hard slide against Ray Fosse in the All-Star Game in 1971 that ended the catcher's career. 7. "Pudge" Carlton Fisk & Ivan Rodriguez -- This nickname was so good, it was used twice. Known for his durability, Fisk was a Hall of Fame catcher whose career lasted 24 seasons. Fisk also hit the famous "waving" home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. The 2nd coming of "Pudge" was Rodriguez, who certainly lived up to his potential. A 13-time Gold Glove winner and 14-time All-Star, Rodriguez will be calling Cooperstown home once he retires. 6. "The Wizard of Oz" Ozzie Smith -- The perfect nickname for the shortstop who always magicly seemed to come up with the ball. With a record 16 gold gloves and a fantastic flip to start each game, The Wizard personified the acrobatic style of play by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1980's. 5. Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra -- Yogi got his "nickname" from Bobby Hofman, a childhood friend. While watching a movie about an Indian snake charmer, Bobby noted that Yogi had a striking resemblance to the hindu man, saying "That yogi walks like Lawdie ( Larry) Berra," and the name stuck. Joe Garagiola tells a funny story about Yogi giving Carmen an anniversary card signed 'Yogi Berra.' She asked him if he thought he had to sign his last name so she wouldn't think it came from some other Yogi." 4. "The Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays -- Known for his gregarious nature, Mays would usually welcome a newcomer with his traditional "Say Hey." Yet, this "Kid" would go on to smash 660 Home Runs and appear in a record 24 All-Star Games. Today, Mays is arguably the greatest living ballplayer. 3. George Herman "Babe" Ruth -- The Babyfaced Ruth elevated the game of baseball to a national pastime. Prolific with the bat, Ruth batted a career .342 and slugged 714 home runs. Ruth's accomplishments were so incredible that the term "Ruthian" was created to describe his feats and those of future ballplayers. 2. "Mr. October" Reggie Jackson -- Nobody embodies the "clutch" player more than Reggie Jackson. With 3 home runs in game 6 of the 1977 World Series, Jackson dominated the L.A. Dodgers and led the Yankees to their first championship since 1962. 1. "The Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig -- A fitting nickname for the man who played in a then-record 2,130 consecutive games. Besides the incredible streak, Gehrig was also a model of class and dignity--a perfect foil to the playful Babe Ruth. Yet, Gehrig was no mediocre player. To this day, he still holds the record for career Grand Slams (24) and most RBI's in the American League in one season (184). Honorable Mention: "El Guapo" Rich Garces, "The Chairman of the Board" Whitey Ford, Lenny "Nails" Dykstra, "Donnie Baseball" Don Mattingly, Mordechai "Three-Finger" Brown, Jim "Catfish" Hunter, "Splendid Splinter" Ted Williams, Stan "The Man" Musial, "Big Papi" David Ortiz, "Oil Can" Boyd, Larry "Chipper" Jones, "El Caballo" Carlos Lee, "The Pig Puma" Lance Berkman, "The Crime Dog" Fred McGriff, "Mr. May" Dave Winfield, "The Mayor" Sean Casey, "Dr. K" Dwight Gooden, Edwin "Duke" Snider, "The Big Unit" Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan "Express", "The Rocket" Roger Clemens, "Stanky the Yankee" Andy Stankiewicz, Sal "The Barber" Maglie, "The Mad Hungarian" Al Hrabosky. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:34:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285815 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285815 The classic Windy City debate, which franchise is better? Not just this year, but of all time? Whatifsports tries to settle the debate by simulating a 7-game series of all-time greats 1,000 times. Ernie Banks, Sosa, Sandberg, Maddux, Mordecai Brown, Sutter against Shoeless Joe, Big Hurt, Robin Ventura, Eddie Collins, Fisk...and other players who had great years in Chicago. Who wins??? Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:52:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283034 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283034 The 2014 Hall of Fame class could be the greatest ever. We're just keeping it real. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:58:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281960 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281960 With baseball season rapidly approaching the midway point, Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon has decided it's time to examine some early fantasy All-Stars. He continues this mini-series with a look at fantasy designated hitters and rookies, who, as you may have guessed, are led by the Rangers' Milton Bradley. Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:54:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279785 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279785 To date, the Fantasy Baseball Hall of Fame has focused mainly on the truly elite superstars of the fantasy era - the five tool kings. But we all know great fantasy teams all have superior specialized batters. Here is a look at the best Run Producers, Power Guys, and Table Setters of the Fantasy Era. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:54:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274150 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274150 Injury Report 6-1-08 Hank Blalock Blalock's latest injury(wrist) required surgery and he'll be out 2-4 weeks. David Ortiz Ortiz is out of the lineup with a wrist strain. He's currently day-to-day. Matt Holliday Holliday is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday and return from the DL on June 10. Eric Byrnes Byrnes is on the DL with micro tears in both hamstrings and he'll probably be out at least another 2 weeks. Ryan Zimmerman Zimmerman is out of the lineup with a shoulder problem. He'll likely receive an MRI early in the week. Brad Hawpe If rehab goes well, Hawpe will return from the DL late this week. Frank Thomas An MRI revealed quad inflammation and the A's have placed The Big Hurt on the DL. Travis Hafner Hafner's shoulder injury has landed him on the DL. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:54:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273303 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273303 The Fantasy Baseball Hall of Fame that is. Razzball.com has the commentary on the six best first basemen in fantasy history. King Albert leads the way and Mattingly gets the call. Who else represents the most prolific fantasy position of all time? Thu, 29 May 2008 19:32:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272261 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272261 One goes on and the other goes off. We break down the Thomas on/ Chavez off news and explain what this means for their fantasy values and what to expect going forward. Thu, 29 May 2008 16:22:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272195 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272195 Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon runs down several baseball Bulls and several baseball Bears in the latest edition of Stock Market. Shawn Chacon? Oh yea, he's definitely a bull. Melky Cabrera? Ehhhh ... not so much. Thu, 29 May 2008 05:19:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272016 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272016 Frank Thomas seems to be enjoying his return to the Oakland A's after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this season. The 'Big Hurt' has seen an increase in all of his offensive numbers since leaving the province of Ontario. Wed, 28 May 2008 09:48:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271695 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271695 As we look at the Hottest and Nottest players this week, we also turn our focus backwards, to the studs and stinkers of yesteryear, for a very special "Do You Remember..." edition of Hot or Not. Tue, 27 May 2008 09:04:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271338 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271338 The best and worst fantasy hitters for the week 8. Mon, 26 May 2008 11:00:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271027 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271027 As we gather with family and friends on Memorial Day weekend, we must remember that nearly a third of the Major League Baseball season has passed us, and for those of you whose fantasy teams are faltering, there is still hope, but it is likely time to make some changes. One successful method that could get you back in the running for your league title is the "buy low" strategy, in which you nab up or trade for underperforming players. Using split-statistics, in which the players statistics are divided up into each individual month or Pre/Post All-Star Break, here are a few players who might not appear to be overly appealing now, but as the weather heats up, these players seem to follow. Mon, 26 May 2008 10:11:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271015 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271015 If you play in a league that starts two catchers, you probably are constantly scouring the waiver wires for a solid number two option. It took a trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for AccuScore fantasy expert Tim Williams to decide that the second catcher really doesn't matter. This week's waiver wire wonders gives you better options who will do more for your team than guys like Yadier Molina. Sat, 24 May 2008 00:25:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270503 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270503 A look at the top fantasy performers in fantasy baseball from Monday, May 19th. Headlined by Jon Lester's no-hitter. Tue, 20 May 2008 08:31:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/268917 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/268917