Let's dive into the illustrious past and illustrative future of MLB nicknames

Thanks to Players Weekend, the role of the nickname has been rightfully elevated to a place of wonder and glory in the world of baseball. It's only fitting for players to wear nicknames on the back of their shirts this weekend because, after all, the baseball nickname is almost as old as the game itself.
But while there are plenty of marvelous names we'll see on the back of shirts this weekend -- ranging from David Freese's exclamation that he is a human being with his "Davehuman" shirt, to Kyle Seager's identity being a reflection of his brother -- it's also a good time to celebrate the wonderfully odd and descriptive nicknames of days past. 

Back in the 1870s, Alphonse Martin was called "Slow Ball Phonie," for the use of his slow curve. A few years later, there was the explosively hyperbolic "Freshest Man on Earth," as Arlie Latham was called for his pranks and nightlife excursions. (How that would fit on the back of the shirt is another matter, though.)

The names we'll see this weekend are wonderful, and we only hope that players continue in the grand baseball traditions of accurate depiction and self promotion. Giancarlo Stanton, who may end up hitting more home runs this summer than entire teams, deserves to be known as "The Most Powerful Man in the Universe."
And sure, maybe Brian Dozier does go by "Doz" -- hence being the name on his shirt -- but given his penchant for pulling the ball and the fact that it's a pun, wouldn't "The Pulldozer" work better?
And, honestly, for anyone that came through elementary school, how could Hunter Renfroe be anything other than "Where the Renfroe Grows"?

Check out the video at the top of the post for the full list and remember: A nickname is only as strong as the willingness of thousands, if not millions, of people to use it. Let's keep the baseball nickname train rolling for another 150 years.