The Buster Factor

Our Fightin' Phils are one game away from elimination in the playoffs and I know why.

Last night, the Giants' Buster Posey went 4 for 5 and pretty much defeated our boys single-handed. Clearly, the Phillies with a lineup featuring guys named Chase, Shane, Ryan, and Brad cannot stand up to a rough-and-tumble guy named Buster. The Phillies' Chase, Shane, Ryan, and Brad sounds like the starting line-up for a prep school chess team (without the odd Vladimir that the top-notch chess teams have.) When it comes to real sport, give me a line-up like the Giants with Buster, Jose, Pablo, and Edgar. Those are names to strike fear into opponent's hearts.

Buster is, of course, a nickname. Young Mr Posey's real first name is Gerald. A name like Gerald Posey may cut it in the corporate boardroom, but not at Citizens Bank Park. Imagine the catcalls from Phillies fans. "Gerald! Ger-r-r-ald!" Imagine the chants when he comes to bat. "Ring around the rosie. A pocketful of Posey." Gerald Posey could never get four hits and push the Phillies to the brink of elimination, but Buster Posey can.

The coolest name ever for an athlete was Bronko Nagurski. Without seeing him (and he played football way before it was televised), you just knew that he would as soon run you over as look at you. You were defeated before you even went on the field. It may be too late to save this season, but the Phillies need to re-name their players - "Bronko" Utley, "Butch" Victorino, "Iron Mike" Howard, etc. If nothing else, it will neutralize the Buster Factor.

By the way, athlete's nicknames need not be limited by the macho factor. The best nickname I ever heard was Rodney "Cool Breeze" Scott who played for the Expos many years ago. Rodney wasn't much of a ballplayer, but with a name like that, you know that he was never intimidated.