OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 15: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Seattle Mariners bats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the third inning at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 15, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 21: Second baseman Dee Gordon #9 of the Seattle Mariners turns a double play forcing out Tony Kemp #18 of the Houston Astros at second base on a ball hit by Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros during the fifth inning of a game at Safeco Field on August 21, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /
Seattle Mariners nicknames #6-10
“Z” (C Mike Zunino)—“Z” isn’t bad. It’s short. It’s simple. It has a “z” in it. There’s a lot to like about the minimalism of “Z.” It’s not fancy or complicated. It doesn’t require much depth of thought. You don’t need to contemplate the complexity of “Z” as a nickname. You know where it came from and you know why it’s there. That being said, if you’re a Mariner fan who has watched Mike Zunino bat all year long, you have to wonder why he didn’t just go with “K.”
“Hubba Hubba” (RP Nick Vincent)—“Hubba Hubba” sounds like something the kids in The Sandlot would say about Wendy Peffercorn.
“Varis” (2B/CF Dee Gordon)— Dee Gordon is the son of Tom “Flash” Gordon and has at times been called “Flash Gordon Jr.,” which is also his Twitter handle (@FlashGJr). For this year’s Players Weekend, he’s using the nickname “Varis.” This one is simple. “Varis” is a variation of Dee Gordon’s real first name, which is Devaris. In the history of MLB, there have been nine players who went by the name Dee, but only two of them were actually named Dee. The others were Dermal, Edward, Wilson, DC, Damon, Leo and Devaris.
“Frenchy” (SP Wade LeBlanc)— Translated from French to English, “LeBlanc” means simply “The White.” When he faces the Diamondbacks on Saturday, it will be Wade The White, or “Frenchy,” squaring off against Robby Ray, who is going with “Bob.” Former major leaguer Randy Ready is the man to be credited for Wade LeBlanc’s nickname. Ready started calling LeBlanc “Frenchy” when the left-handed pitcher was in Low-A.
“Buzzy” (RP Dan Altavilla)—When you’re a kid and your favorite movie is Toy Story, you get the nickname “Buzzy” or “Buzz.” Altavilla has painted cleats with Buzz Lightyear and Woody to go with his nickname.
