Was I the only one who never knew that Delino DeShields went by the nickname "Bop"? I don't remember ever hearing it during his career. But it was a name from Delino's childhood in East Seaford, Delaware. I can't seem to track down any more information about the significance of the moniker. Does anyone else have a clue?
You don't know because even Delino isn't sure!
ReplyDeleteDeShields: "It's from the neighborhood, man. I don't think it means anything in particular. Nobody calls me Delino except my grandma. Even my teachers called me, `Bop.'"
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-07-19/sports/0107190290_1_delino-deshields-fred-mcgriff-stay-at-home
I remember reading that that was his nickname on the back of one of his old Dodgers or Expos cards and wondering why he didn't go by it. My best guesses now are the same as they were then: A) "Delino DeShields" sounds too cool and alliterative to mess with, and B) "Bop" was too close to "Bip" and baseball already had one of those at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys! It's truly society's loss that we never had "Bop" cards to go along with the "Bip"s.
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