Around The Horn

There was the sad news today out of Downers Grove, Illinois that three time All Star hurler Johnny Sain passed away. He had paired with Warren Spahn to create one of the top one-two pitching punches in baseball history

A poem in The Boston Post in 1948 by sports editor Gerald Hern led to the famous phrase about the Braves’ two terrific pitchers and had commentary in it about the rest of the staff:

“First we’ll use Spahn, then we’ll use Sain, Then an off day, followed by rain. Back will come Spahn, followed by Sain, And followed, we hope, by two days of rain.”.

A four-time 20-game winner, later a top reliever, John Franklin Sain was a successful pitching coach for the Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota, Detroit and Atlanta.

The battle cry of the 1948 Boston Braves “SPAHN AND SAIN AND PRAY FOR RAIN” is one of the more famous language gems in a sports that has had many. For your edification and reading pleasure, some more follow:

“Danish Viking” - George Pipgras, for his size and roots.

“Daddy Longlegs” - Dave Winfield, for his size and long legs.

“Death Valley” - The old deep centerfield in Yankee Stadium - a home run here was a mighty poke.

“Dial-a-Deal - Gabe Paul earned this one for his telephone trading habits.

“Donnie Baseball” - Don Mattingly was the only player in any sport to have a nickname with the actual name of his or her sport in it. Some say it was coined by Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay; others say it came from Kirby Puckett. Kay takes the credit; Mattingly gives the credit to Puckett.

“Ellie” - Affectionate abbreviation of Elston Howard’s first name.

“Father of the Emory Ball” - Rookie right-hander Russ Ford posted a 26-6 record with 8 shutouts, 1910.

“Fireman” - The first to have this nick-name was Johnny Murphy, the first great relief pitcher who put out fires. Joe Page picked up this nick-name for his top relief work later on.

“Five O’clock Lightning” - At five o’clock the blowing of a whistle at a factory near Yankee Stadium signaled the end of the work day in the 1930s and also what the Yankees were doing to the opposition on the field.

“Flash” - Joe Gordon earned this nick-name because of his fast, slick fielding and hot line drives.

“Four hour manager” - Bucky Harris, who put his time in at the game and was finished.

“Fordham Johnny” - For the college Johnny Murphy attended.

“Friday Night Massacre” - April 26, 1974, Yankees Fritz Peterson, Steve Kline, Fred Beene, Tom Buskey, and half the pitching staff were traded to Cleveland for Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow, and Cecil Upshaw.

“Gator” - Ron Guidry, who came from Louisiana alligator country.

“Gay Caballero” - Lefty Gomez, for his Mexican roots and fun loving ways.

“Gay Reliever” - Joe Page, for his night owl activity.

“Gehrigville” - Bleachers in right-center at Yankee Stadium.

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Harvey Frommer is now in his 32nd consecutive year of writing sports books. He is the author of 38 sports books, including the classics: “New York City Baseball,” “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball,” “Rickey and Robinson,” “A Yankee Century,” and Red Sox Vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry” (with Frederic J. Frommer).

He is now at work on the definitive book on the 1927 Yankees to be published in 2007.

Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.

FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in excess of 950,000 and remains on Internet search engines for indefinitely. . .