Former Cleveland Indians great named to best nicknames list

A recent FanSided article named the best nicknames in MLB history and included a former Cleveland Indians great on the list.

Cleveland Indians fans of all ages have seen players with great nicknames come and go throughout the years.

But one former member of the franchise has one of the most iconic nicknames of all time, according to a recent article on FanSided.

Mike Hargrove was ranked as the No. 29 overall nickname of all time, or rather his moniker “The Human Rain Delay” got him on the list.

From the article:

"Well, Hargrove was an insanely intricate routine he would do before every pitch when he was at the plate. Hargrove would adjust his helmet, make sure his batting glove was all nice and tight on his thumb, mess with his sleeves, wipe his pant legs and then get ready for the pitch maybe. Sometimes Hargrove would need to repeat the pitch-ly rituals for a second time if he got all flustered and what not."

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Hargrove may have been the sole reason for pace of play issues in the past, back at a time when superstition ruled and baseball’s unwritten rules allowed for a player to move at a painfully slow pace at the plate.

But since Hargrove played and managed for the Indians, his behavior was seen as fun and just a part of his game. The same cannot be said for fans of opposing teams who watched The Human Rain Delay in action.

The entire list of nicknames is a fun one to read through for any baseball fan, as it does show just how many players in the past had some iconic nicknames.

Next: Indians No. 7 in power rankings

Unfortunately, that trend isn’t as prevalent as it used to be. But fans can still look back fondly on simpler times when nicknames ruled and Hargrove began his at-bats with a routine for the ages.