Dubbed Rabbit due to his height (or lack thereof at 5'5), he was an impish guy, great fielder, but a big practical joker. My father-in-law told a great story. A kid from his hometown of Syracuse (Tipperary Hill area) had a brief pro career with the Boston Braves. The Braves were playing the Cardinals, and Maranville was playing short. The kid gets up and gets on, and he gets to 2nd base. Maranville says, Hey, kid, how are things on Tipperary Hill? He looked over his right shoulder, and Maranville was gone, standing on 2nd base with the ball. When the kid got to the dugout, the manager asked him what happened. He asked me about Tipperary Hill. The manager said, you make one more mistake like that, and you'll be back on Tipperary Hill. Maranville played 23 seasons, a record broken by Pete Rose.

One of the great drinking men of baseball, the Rabbit was asked after he retired whether there was much drinking in baseball. Not since I quit the game, he replied.