Nig was the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of some American athletes of the late 19th and early 20th century. Before the integration of baseball, a number of baseball players were known by the nickname, often adjudged to be a reference to someone's dark complexion. The nickname is a short form of the ethnic slur

nigger In the English language, the word ''nigger'' is an ethnic slur used against black people, especially African Americans. Starting in the late 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been progressively replaced by the euphemism , notably in cases ...

. Notable athletes with the nickname include: * Vincent Borleske (1887–1957), American minor league baseball player, college football player and coach *

Nig Clarke Jay Justin "Nig" Clarke (December 15, 1882 – June 15, 1949) was a Canadian professional baseball player. A catcher, Clarke played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Naps, St. Louis Browns, Phil ...

(1882–1949), Canadian-born baseball player in the United States *

George Cuppy George Joseph "Nig" Cuppy (July 3, 1869 – July 27, 1922) was an American professional baseball pitcher. In his 10-year major league career, he played mostly for the Cleveland Spiders, compiling a win–loss record of 163–98. Biography Cuppy ...

(1869–1922), American baseball pitcher *

Nig Fuller Charles F. Fuller (born Charles F. Furrer; March 30, 1878 – March 1, 1937), was an American professional baseball player from 1900 to 1908. He played for the major league Brooklyn Superbas as a catcher in three games during the 1902 season. Ful ...

(1878–1937), American baseball player *

Johnny Grabowski John Patrick Grabowski (January 7, 1900 – May 23, 1946) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball for 12 years from 1922 to 1933, including seven years as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox (192 ...

(1900–1946), American baseball player *

Nig Lipscomb Gerard "Nig" Lipscomb (February 24, 1911 – February 27, 1978) was an American professional baseball infielder during 1933–1947. He played in 36 games for the St. Louis Browns of Major League Baseball in 1937, primarily as a second baseman. Lip ...

(1911–1978), American baseball player *

Charlie Niebergall Charles Arthur Niebergall (May 23, 1899 – August 29, 1982) was an American professional baseball catcher and scout. He appeared in 54 major league games over three seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals. Listed at and , he threw and batted right- ...

(1899–1982), American baseball player *

Nig Perrine John Grover "Nig" Perrine (January 14, 1885 – August 13, 1948) was an American professional baseball infielder. Perrine started his professional baseball career in 1902, at the age of 17. In 1906, he batted .308 in the American Association ...

(1885–1948), American baseball player * E. M. Waller (1904–1988), American football player and coach

See also