PHILADELPHIA -- Quick, what are the best nicknames in Phillies history?

The bet here is that almost everybody’s list is different because everybody has different memories and criteria. Should a top nickname be one that includes a player’s actual name (i.e. J-Roll)? Should it be unique? Steve Carlton is famously known as Lefty, but there were 20 other Phillies nicknamed Lefty and countless others on other teams. In fact, according to Baseball Reference, the Phillies had 17 different players nicknamed Lefty over 25 seasons from 1923-48. They had three players use the nickname in 1937 (Bobby Burke, Leon Pettit and Howie Gorman) and again in 1940 (Lefty Smoll, Paul Masterson and Lefty Hoerst).

Guess those Phillies quit trying to come up with good nicknames while they lost 100 games every year.

My only criteria for top nicknames: you must immediately know the player when you hear it.

Here is my top 10:

1. Whitey
Richie Ashburn also had Putt-Putt as a nickname because he ran like he had a motor in his pants. (Ted Williams gave him that one.) But when people mention Ashburn in Philadelphia, they call him Whitey. Harry the K sure did.

2. Chooch
We cannot get into the story about Carlos Ruiz’s nickname because this is a family website, but it is one of the best nicknames for one of the most beloved Phillies in the last 50 years.

3. Bull
Built like a bull, Greg Luzinski powered the Phillies’ lineup in the 1970s. He smokes a solid rib, too.

4. The Flyin’ Hawaiian
If you’re going to be a legend in your home state, like Shane Victorino, there is no better state than Hawaii. And there might be no better island than Maui. Mama’s Fish House and Paia Fish Market anyone?

5. Wild Thing
Mitch Williams had some wild times in Philly, good and bad.

6. Sarge
Nobody had more style (and still has more style) than Gary Matthews.

7. The Secretary of Defense
A worthy nickname for Garry Maddox, who won seven consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1976-82.

8. Dutch
John Kruk called him Bubba, but almost everybody else called Darren Daulton Dutch.

9. Puddin’ Head
Willie Jones was the Phillies’ third baseman for the 1950 Whiz Kids, but his nickname wasn’t a shot at his appearance. It came from the 1930s song “Puddin’ Head Jones.”

10. Big Piece
Charlie Manuel called Ryan Howard the Big Piece because of his presence and importance to the middle of the Phillies’ lineup. It stuck. Manuel later nicknamed José Contreras Big Truck because he showed up to Spring Training driving a … drumroll … big truck. Still, it worked.

Crash (Dick Allen), Pat the Bat (Pat Burrell), Lefty, The Dude (Lenny Dykstra), Flash (Tom Gordon), Hollywood (Cole Hamels), Doc (Roy Halladay), Lights Out (Brad Lidge), Shake ‘N Bake (Bake McBride), J-Roll (Jimmy Rollins), Charlie Hustle (Pete Rose), Skates (Lonnie Smith), The Man (Chase Utley) and Vanimal (Vance Worley) were other good ones from the past 50 years. But nicknames before that seem to be crazier, more random and oftentimes more brutal. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, nothing was off limits. Consider Togie “Horse Face” Pittinger (1905-07) and Bill “Wagon Tongue” Keister (1903). Pearce “What’s the Use?” Chiles (1899-1900) mocked hitters after they popped up to him, yelling, “What’s the use?” so reporters started calling him that.

Then there is Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy, who led the big leagues in losses in 1938 and 1940 before he spent the next 4 1/2 years in the military. Mulcahy was the first big leaguer drafted into the military during World War II, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He earned a Bronze Star in the South Pacific, but he never lost the nickname, even though he deserved better. The Phillies were just terrible during his time (1935-40, 1945-47). Everybody on those teams could have had “Losing” attached to their names.

Grover Cleveland “Old Pete” Alexander (1911-17, 1930) got his nickname following a hunting trip with a teammate. His face covered in dirt, his buddy called him “Alkali Pete.” It morphed into Old Pete. Ralph “Putsy” Caballero (1944-45, 1947-52) got his nickname simply because everybody who grew up in New Orleans in the 1930s had one. Clifford “Cactus" or "Gavvy” Cravath (1912-20) got Cactus because of his Western roots and prickly personality, according to SABR.org. He got Gavvy because he killed a seagull in flight and gaviota is the word for seagull in Spanish. "Boom-Boom" Beck (1939-43) got his nickname because he angrily fired a ball off the right-field wall when he got pulled from a game and it made that sound.

Then there is “Brewery” Jack Taylor, who liked to drink; Kid “Tabasco Kid” Elberfeld, who had a bad temper; and Hub “Shucks” Pruett, who never swore.

The list goes on.