27 best MLB nicknames of all-time
4. “Sultan of Swat” / “The Great Bambino”/ George Herman “Babe” Ruth
Perhaps no player in MLB history has more nicknames George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr., and deservedly so.
Ruth was arguably the greatest athlete of all-time, and a truly iconic figure that introduced baseball to the art of the long-ball. His career accomplishments are the material of legends. So are his nicknames.
He has been referred to as “The Colossus of Clout”, “The Behemoth of Bust” and “The King of Crash”, among others. His greatest namesakes, however, were the two most prominent: “The Sultan of Swat” and “The Great Bambino”.
The latter became engrained in the minds of Boston Red Sox fans for nearly a century.
Ruth began his career in Boston, where he would win three World Series titles. He emerged as a rare breed of athlete that could take over any game both on the mound and at the plate.
In 1919, however, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee made the controversial decision to sell Ruth to the New York Yankees for a record $100,000. The Yankees would win four World Series championships, led by their new star player. The team had Ruth focus exclusively on his hitting, a move that paid off tremendously. He would finish his career with 715 home runs, an MLB record that stood for more than 40 years.
Ruth still holds the career record for slugging percentage (.690) and wins above replacement, in addition to ranking in the top-10 in virtually every major hitting category.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox would not win another World Series title for 85 years following the sale, giving birth to the “Curse of the Bambino.”
Next: 3. Shoeless Joe