One of the most outstanding sports passages of the past year was that of Meadowlark Lemon. During the last half of the 20th century, Lemon became synonymous with the Harlem Globetrotters, arguably the most entertaining sports franchises in the world.

Much of Lemon’s legacy stems from his charm, as children and adults alike loved his on-court antics. One of her notable skills was her mid-court hook shot, which she hit with astonishing frequency.

Part of his legacy, however, will always be his nickname. When he was born on April 25, 1932, his given name was George Meadow Lemon. For almost the rest of his life, until his death on December 27, 2015, he was known as Meadowlark.

While bird nicknames aren’t that rare, “Meadowlark” was certainly unique. Few basketball players have been tagged with the nickname of a bird, though it seems many of them are close to flying.

Bird nicknames are much more common in baseball, where one could form a list of players who were associated with types of birds.

First base: Chick Gindel

Gandil, one of the notorious members of the Black Sox, received a lifetime ban for his role in fixing the 1919 World Series against Cincinnati.

Second baseman: Doug Rader, “Red Rooster”

The former Houston All-Star played mostly hot corner before becoming a major league manager.

Shortstop: Rick Burleson, “Rooster”

The popular broadcaster spent his career with the Red Sox, where he helped the team win bi-division championships and a pennant.

Third Base: Ron Cey, “Penguin”

Earning the monitor due to his unusual gait, the Los Angeles All-Star helped lead the Dodgers to multiple pennants and the 1981 World Series championship.

Left field: Ken Harrelson, “Hawk”

A prolific hitter turned entertaining author and broadcaster, Hawkeroo even served as General Manager of the White Sox for a time.

Center field: Andre Dawson, “The Falcon”

The most valuable player in the National League as a Chicago Cub, the talented slugger was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the first player to represent the Montreal Expos.

Right field: Warren Cromartie, “Cro”

A teammate of Dawson’s in the Montreal outfield, the talented hitter became famous for an entertaining book about his time as a baseball player in Japan.

Catcher: Claude Jayhawk Owens

After a high-profile high school career in Cincinnati, the Colorado backup turned out a four-year major league career.

Starting pitcher: Mark Fydrich, “The Bird”

Probably the most famous bird of all time, Detroit’s entertaining Cy Young Award winner had too brief a career.

Relief pitcher: Rich Gossage, “Goose”

The Yankees closer will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of late-inning pitching dominance.