Harper calls Baker 'Rusty' following name gaffe

Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker may have to implement name tags during spring training.

The 66-year-old was hired in November to help stabilize an underachieving club, but things got off to a rocky start last week after Baker accidentally called reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper "Royce."

Harper had some fun with his skipper, though, apparently giving Baker a nickname of his own as retribution.

"I'm not good at first names," Baker told 106.7 The Fan on Tuesday. "In baseball, everybody calls each other by their last name, basically. You don't see a guy's first name on the back of his jersey. And in the military - I was in the Marines for six years - you address everybody by their last name. So I'm not good at first names. I call my nephews the wrong names sometimes. I know the guy's name. I don't know why I called him 'Royce.'

"Most of us have nicknames, plus I call some of them 'Junior,' I call some of them 'Dude.' They know who I'm talking to. And so Bryce, he called me 'Rusty.' So it's no big deal. My wife goes, 'Why don't you just call him Harp?' I'm like, 'Baby, I don't know if he likes to go by Harp or not. You can't just call a guy some name.'"

It's a good thing Royce and Rusty have the next month to get acquainted before the regular season opens.