Huggins’ Sluggers (New York Yankees nickname)
Baseball manager Miller Huggins (1878-1929) managed the St. Louis Cardinals (1913-1917) and the New York Yankees (1918-1929). Both teams were sometimes nicknamed “Huggins’(s) sluggers” or “Hug’s sluggers.”
“The youngster had held Huggins’ sluggers (St. Louis Cardinals—ed.) to four hits and no runs in his six full innings of twirling” was printed in the New St. Louis Star (St. Louis, MO) on July 17, 1914. “George McQuillan, who was selected by Clarke to stop the cards in the second fray, was treated very roughly by Huggins’ sluggers” was printed in the Pittsburgh (PA) Gazette Times on May 20, 1915. “Cardinals, in Second Place, Playing to Tail-End Crowds. War Distractions, Cool Weather and Cautiousness of Sport Writers in Dispensing Enthusiasm Are Charged With Causing the Lack of Interest in Huggins’ Sluggers” was printed in the St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch on April 26, 1917.
“Thos. Jefferson Clay Brooks has deserted the Yankee’s training camp. T. S. J. B. was used for chasing balls hit by Huggins’ sluggers (New York Yankees—ed.), but when they kept a continual bombardment over the fence it was too much for him and he resigned” was printed in The Daily Gate City (Keokuk, IA) on April 6, 1918. “Huggins’s sluggers will get an early opportunity to display their batting prowess” was printed in The Sun (New York, NY) on April 15, 1918. “YANKEES ENJOY BIG DAY AT EXPENSE OF TIGERS, SCORE, 11-6. Huggins’ Sluggers Hammer Dauss Hard” was printed in the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat on June 15, 1918. “Old Outdrop Beats Huggins’s Sluggers” was printed in the New York (NY) Tribune on June 21, 1918.
“Hug’s Sluggers Smash Cooper 6-4 in Second” (St. Louis Cardinals—ed.) was printed in the St. Louis (MO) Daily Globe-Democrat on June 30, 1915. “The justly celebrated ‘murderers’ row’ of the Yankees did a bit of batting against Rogers and Thompson of the Athletics at a game at the Polo Grounds June 23, when Hug’s sluggers collected a total of five home runs” (New York Yankees—ed.) was printed in the Binghamton (NY) Press on August 7, 1919. “Schacht Fools Hug’s Sluggers” was printed in the New York (NY) Tribune on May 7, 1920.
The New York Yankees were also called “Hug’s Men” or “Hugmen,” again after Miller Huggins. Other New York Yankees nicknames include “Ruppert(‘s) Rifles” or “Ruppert(‘s) Riflemen” (after owner Jacob Ruppert), and the still-used “Bronx Bombers.”
Wikipedia: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other is the National League (NL)‘s New York Mets. The team was founded in 1903 when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the current team of the same name) after it ceased operations and used them to establish the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were officially renamed the New York Yankees in 1913.
Wikipedia: Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins (March 27, 1878 – September 25, 1929) was an American professional baseball player and manager. Huggins played second base for the Cincinnati Reds (1904–1909) and St. Louis Cardinals (1910–1916). He managed the Cardinals (1913–1917) and New York Yankees (1918–1929), including the Murderers’ Row teams of the 1920s that won six American League (AL) pennants and three World Series championships. (...) He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964.
Newspapers.com
17 July 1914, New St. Louis Star (St. Louis, MO), “‘Cactus’ Cravath Breaks Up Cardinal Game,” pg. 9, col. 6:
The youngster had held Huggins’ sluggers to four hits and no runs in his six full innings of twirling.
Newspapers.com
30 May 1915, Pittsburgh (PA) Gazette Times, “Buccos tie First Game; Cards Win Second” by Charles J. Doyle, third sec., pg. 2, col. 1:
George McQuillan, who was selected by Clarke to stop the cards in the second fray, was treated very roughly by Huggins’ sluggers.
Newspapers.com
30 June 1915, St. Louis (MO) Daily Globe-Democrat, pg. 6, col. 1:
Hug’s Sluggers Smash Cooper 6-4 in Second
BY J. B. SHERIDAN.
Newspapers.com
26 April 1917, St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, pg. 23, col. 1:
Cardinals, in Second Place,
Playing to Tail-End Crowds
War Distractions, Cool Weather and Cautiousness of Sport Writ-
ers in Dispensing Enthusiasm Are Charged With Causing
the Lack of Interest in Huggins’ Sluggers.
By W. J. O’Connor.
Newspapers.com
6 April 1918, The Daily Gate City (Keokuk, IA), “Sportettes,” pg. 8, col. 4:
Thos. Jefferson Clay Brooks has deserted the Yankee’s training camp. T. S. J. B. was used for chasing balls hit by Huggins’ sluggers, but when they kept a continual bombardment over the fence it was too much for him and he resigned.
Newspapers.com
15 April 1918, The Sun (New York, NY), “American League Wins Another Title” by Frederick G. Lieb, pg. 13, col. 1:
Huggins’s sluggers will get an early opportunity to display their batting prowess, as they will be turned loosed on Walter Johnson.
Newspapers.com
15 June 1918, St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, pg. 6, col. 4:
YANKEES ENJOY BIG
DAY AT EXPENSE OF
TIGERS, SCORE, 11-6
Huggins’ Sluggers Hammer
Dauss Hard, Pipp Getting
Four Hits, Peckinpaugh
Stars in Field.
21 June 1918, New York (NY) Tribune, pg. 14, col. 2:
Old Outdrop Beats
Huggins’s Sluggers
Antiquated Curve Used by Hackensack Harry Harper
Proves Effective at Polo Grounds When Backed
Up by Senators’ Sensational Fielding
By Charles A. Taylor
18 May 1919, New York (NY) Times, “Yankee Sluggers Smother Indians,” pg. 21, col. 3:
CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 17.—Miller Huggins’s sluggers awoke today from the hitting lethargy that had been affecting the club, pounded three Cleveland pitchers for a total of twelve hits, netting sixteen bases, and scored an easy victory over the Indians, 8 to 3.
Newspapers.com
17 July 1919, St. Louis (MO) Star, pg. 14, col. 7:
Shocker Displays
Best Form of Year
in Blanking Yanks
Only One Runner Gets Past First When Brownie Slab Star
Holds Huggins’ Sluggers to Four Hits— Sothoron
Will Try for Ninth Triumph Today.
By HARRY F. PIERCE.
Newspapers.com
7 August 1919, Binghamton (NY) Press, “‘Jim’ Corbett’s Daily Column” by James J. Corbett, pg. 13, col. 2:
The justly celebrated “murderers’ row” of the Yankees did a bit of batting against Rogers and Thompson of the Athletics at a game at the Polo Grounds June 23, when Hug’s sluggers collected a total of five home runs.
Newspapers.com
7 May 1920, New York (NY) Tribune, pg. 16, col. 7:
Schacht Fools
Hug’s Sluggers;
Shawkey Wild
20 May 1920, New York (NY) Times, pg. 14, col. 1:
COVELESKIE IS TOO MUCH FOR YANKEES
Cleveland’s Pitching Ace Holds
Huggins’s Sluggers Helpless
and Blanks New York.
FINAL SCORE IS 5 TO 0
Google Books
Baseball Team Names:
A Worldwide Dictionary, 1869-2011
By Richard Worth
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.
2013
Pg. 350:
New York (Mgr. Miller Huggins) Hug Men, (Team owner Jacob) Rupert’s Rifles, Huggin’s Sluggers YANKEES (Yanks)