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Who is the real ‘Big Country’, Josh Hamilton or Bryant Reeves

By Kyle Franzoni

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Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has a new nickname, one which was famously used by former NBA player Bryant Reeves.

Former Oklahoma State and Vancouver Grizzlies center Bryant Reeves was an imposing figure on the basketball court, built more like a offensive lineman than an NBA center, but at the end of the day, his impression on the game was limited. At the end of the day, his biggest contribution to the game was his nickname, “Big Country”.

Not that nickname may not be his any longer.

According to Gerry Fraley of The Dallas News, Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder has taken to calling new teammate Josh Hamilton “Big Country”, and the nickname is catching on. The media, teammates, and fans are all beginning to cling to the new moniker.

While Hamilton may be trying to carve out a new identity now that he’s free of the Los Angeles Angels and back at home in Texas, there remain some things that are sacred, like a man’s nickname, and if Hamilton and his teammates really feel he should be the new “Big Country”, then he’s going to need to earn it.

So if these two “Big Country” candidates went head-to-head, how would they stack up?

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Bryant Reeves – The Original

Bryant Reeves was a physical specimen out of Oklahoma State University, where he scored 2367, grabbed 1157 rebounds, and blocked 194 shots in four years for the Cowboys. It was while in college that Reeves acquired the nickname “Big Coutnry”, when Cowboys teammate Byron Maxwell dubbing him with the moniker after the center took his first plane flight across the country. The “aw, schucks” demeanor of the player stuck out and the nickname stuck to Reeves.

With the current state of the NBA built around the big man, the Vancouver Grizzlies made Bryant their first ever selection in the NBA Draft (6th overall) in 1995, and he made them look smart in the first few years with the team.

From 1995 through 1997, Bryant Reeves averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game as the team’s starting center. That initial performance led the Grizzlies to extend the 7-footer to a six-year, $61 million extension prior to the 1997-98 season, a move that looked smart at the time. Reeves responded by averaging 16.3 points, 7.9 boards, and 1.1 blocks under the first year of the deal.

Unfortunately, things took a sharp turn in 1998-99, when the big-bodied center suffered through back and weight issues, and was limited to just 25 games, averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He would return to strength each of the next two seasons, combining for 144 games over the next two seasons, but his production was never the same, with Reeves being held to just 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per night. He retired from the game permanently following the 2000-01 season.

Josh Hamilton – The Redemption

While there is no known origin as to why the Rangers are calling Hamilton “Big Country”, one can derive from Fraley’s piece that it was simply bestowed upon him by Prince Fielder after seeing the shape that Hamilton was in when he joined his latest team.

Now on his second tour with the Rangers, Hamilton is doing everything to put his days in Anaheim behind him, hitting .273 with a pair of home runs and five RBI for the surging Rangers. While it is still early to declare he is back to MVP form, the early results for the Rangers are encouraging, especially in light of the fact that the rival Angels are essentially paying him to play for Texas.

Battles with drug addiction and relapses have derailed what was a promising career for Josh Hamilton, but he seemingly finds a way to pull himself up by the bootstraps and re-emerge on the baseball landscape again. In nine seasons, split between the Cincinnati Reds, Rangers, and Angels, Hamilton is a career .292/.352/.520 hitter with an American League MVP, five All-Star selections, and three Silver Slugger Awards under his belt.

The Verdict

While you have to applaud Josh Hamilton for making the most of yet another comeback attempt, the nickname “Big Country” just isn’t as applicable in this case. Hamilton has had an assortment of nicknames over the years, including “The Hammer” or “The Hambino”, which more closely tie in to him last name. Meanwhile, Bryant Reeves only featured one nickname, and it was as appropriate a nickname you could assign a continent of a man like Reeves.

With that said, I’m sorry Josh Hamilton, but there is only one “Big Country” out there, and Bryant Reeves is his name.

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