PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils are off today so it is time to continue the countdown of the Phils 25 most memorable player knicknames No.s 10 - 6.

10. "Big Ed" aka OF Ed Delahanty.
The Phils first star player and Baseball's first great power hitter, is arguably the Phils all-time greatest hitter. In fact from 1888 to 1903 he was arguably the best hitter in baseball, batting .400 or better 3 times, slamming 10 or more homers in the dead-ball era, 3 times, Topping 120 RBIs 4 times, and racking up 200 or more hits 3 times. His .410 batting average in 1899 is the still the highest single season mark in Phils history. He was the first Philto hit 4 homers in a game in which the Phils took the loss of course. He was also just the 2nd Phil to be inducted into the hall of fame(Grover Cleveland Alexander was the first) So why isn't he remembered more by the Phils as an all-time great. Is it just because he played so long ago? Perhaps, but the real reason is the mystery behind his sudden death in 1903, a death that robbed him of the ability to put up lasting career numbers. No one really knows what happened on that cold night in Niagara Falls NY, after a drunk Delahanty was kicked off the train crossing the bridge over the falls. At some point Delahanty decided to traverse the bridge on foot, and either plummeted to his death in a druken stupor or threw himself off the bridge in a fit of suicidal rage. Ethier way he was never seen again and his body was found the next day, cutting short a great baseball career. Oh and Ed's nickname came from the fact that at 6-1 170 LBs he was a godzilla of a man in his day. With 101 homers in the deadball era he must have been Godzilla.


9. "Puddin Head" aka 3B Willie Jones.
When your teammates don't think too highly of your mental acumen, puddin head is what they call you, as in mush for brains. You get the idea. With 27 errors in 1949, 25 in 1950 and at least 10 or more in 10 consecutive seasons from 1949-1958 it's no wonder Jones inherited the knickname for the mentally challenged. Still, he was a pretty good hitter, particularly as the 3B for the whiz kids in 1950. That he year he batted .267 with 25 HRs 88 RBIs, 28 doubles, 163 hits, and 100 runs scored, just good enough for his first all-star game appearance. He had one more good season in 1951, with 22 HRs and 81 RBIs and another all-star game appearance. From them on he toiled in mediocrity for the rest of his career, before chronically sore feet and all those mental mistakes forced him to retire in 1961. Despite the foot pain and the mental challenges, Jones still managed to amass an impressive 190 HRs, 812 RBIs, and 1502 Hits in his career, all near the top of the Phils all-time lists. Plus Puddin Head is just too priceless a nickname to leave off this list.


8. "The Flyin Hawaiian" aka CF Shane Victorino.
Yeah he's Hawaiian but that's not where this nickname comes from. Suffice it to say this guy can flat out fly. Whether it's around the bases or chasing down a fly ball in the outfield, Victorino's speed never fails to impress. Since 2007 only Jimmy Rollins has more stolen bases for the Phils than Victorino's 96 and no one has fewer errors since 2007 then Victorino's 6. He simply tracks down every ball that comes his way and his arm is 2nd to none. At just 5-9 and 160 lbs Victorino is not big in stature by any means, but he has the heart of the champion and you can't measure that. Time and time again it was Victorino who saved his team in 2008. There was the perfect throw off 1 hop to gun down Gregor Blanco at the plate and preserve a win in Atlanta. There was the grand slam off C.C Sabathia in game 2 of the NLDS. There was the leaping 1 handed catch to preserve victory against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS. There was the game tying 2 run homer in game 4 of the NLCS. Finally, there was the go ahead single early in game 5 of the world series. You name it Shane did it for the Phils last season. For that he'll never be forgotten.

7."Mr.September" aka 1B Ryan Howard.
Sometimes one month brings out the best in a player year after year. For Reggie Jackson it was October. For Derek Jeter it was ,for a fleeting moment, November. For Ryan Howard it is unequivocally September. If it's the thick of the playoff race in September and the Phils need a hit, Howard is usually the guy to get it. For his career in September Howard is averaging 11 homers, 26 RBIs, and 26 hits, all impressive numbers for anybody after a long grueling season. Starting in 2005 Howard has simply been the man for the Phils in September. That year compiled 11 homers and 27 RBIs in september. In 2006 he racked up 9 homers and 21 RBIs and went on to win the NL MVP award. In 2007 he smashed 11 homers and knocked in 26 runs. Finally last season Howard took it to a new level with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. It's no wonder that after all those years and all those heroics that his teammates couldn't resist giving Howard the nickname Mr. September. He's earned it.

6."The Bull" aka LF Greg Luzinski.
A key member of the 1980 world champions, Luzinksi is probably responsible for more titanic blasts than any other player in Phils history, even Howard. Like a Bull he put a charge into every ball he hit and the outcome was often a monstrous homerun. 5 times in his career with the Phils he hit 20 homers or more and 3 times with the Phils he knocked in 100 runs or more. Unfortunately with all the power there came a lot of strikeouts as well. In fact Luzinski is still top 5 on the Phils all-time homerun and strikeout lists with 223 and 1098 respectively. The greatest weakness for Luzinski though was always his defense. He didn't have the speed nor the wherewithall to track down most balls, nor the arm strength to throw most runners out. This cost him more than once during big moments and led the Phillies to surprisingly ship him out of town following the 1980 season. In fact many fans were devastated the Phils let him go, proof that sometimes hitting a lot of homers is enough to win the fan base. Say what you want about the defense and the strikeouts, but more than anything else Luzinski will be remembered for the brute strength he so often exhibited and the parabolic blasts he often put on display. No Bull.

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