Players Weekend, yall

[A Boy Named Seo]

Even though it sounds like gross dudes drenched in Axe body spray heading to Vegas for a few raunchy days, it's actually a planned MLB weekend (Aug 25-27) where players get to express themselves through their dress, including individualized patches, bright colored accessories, and wearing nicknames on the back of the jerseys.

Jeff Passan:

Major League Baseball will relax its uniform rules for a weekend later this season, allowing players to put nicknames on the back of their jerseys, wear fluorescent-colored shoes and personalize a patch paying tribute to someone instrumental in their development, according to a memo obtained by Yahoo Sports.

1) How do you feel about seeing 'La Potencia' or whatever on the back of a jersey?
2) Do you think they will allow "@" symbols for player's social networking handles?
3) Does this remind you of the XFL?
4) Does the patch thing seem like a weird 'uniform' way to allow individual expression?
5) Why not lift restrictions on eye black messages?
6) Is this whole thing hella stupid or cool?

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'm going with 6a) hella stupid.
And hella scary because experiments sometime turn into things. Stupid things.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I remember the Atlanta Braves once wore nicknames on the back of their uniforms. I don't recall all of the details, but Ted Turner had Andy Messersmith (I think) take the nickname "CHANNEL" so that his uniform said "CHANNEL 17". This was back when TBS was a local Atlanta station, and MLB cracked down on this because it was, essentially, an advertisement (for the station) on the uniform.

[Edgy MD]

Now, you know it's up to you whether or not you want to just do the bare minimum. Or... well, like Brian, for example, has thirty seven pieces of flair, okay. And a terrific smile.

[Benjamin Grimm]

UniWatch recalls the 1976 Braves and nicknames on their uniforms:

NickNOBs and Snow Jobs: A Closer Look at the ’76 Braves

[A Boy Named Seo]

I'm sure there will be a couple nicknames that get unveiled and will surprise people. And I hope there's a guy you don't expect to be flamboyant - like Duda or Plawecki or something - that just goes nuts and has neon pink cleats and looks outrageous. And would love to see a Jennifer Aniston patch on Wilmer's uni. Dumb, I guess, overall, but not without potential for some goodness to sneak in.

[Ceetar]

Fun. exciting. can't wait. This is good stuff AND one of the things they should be doing to market to a younger generation.

Like, damn, if I was a Cardinals fan I'd already be placing an order for a FINAL BOSS jersey. If i'm a cardinals camera man I'm already figuring out the best way to get a video game esque shot of Oh on the mound, looming.

[Edgy MD]

I see it presented as an initiative to loosen up and let players be fun, marketable, celebrated personalities, which will all be paste over the opening of a new window for logo creep.

And yeah, a HYEWJ opportunity for new jersey $ale$.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, yes, of course, that's what this is really all about. In addition to selling CONFORTO 30 jerseys, they'll also be able to sell COMFY 30 jerseys. (Just guessing at the nickname there.)

This only bothers/interests me as much as the Mercury Mets thing did, which is not at all. The thought of seeing Jerry Blevins with "HARPO" on his back, a Vivian Vance patch on his sleeve, and raspberry-and-yellow shoes might be exciting to me if I was eight years old, but I just see it as harmless silliness.

[Guest themetfairy]

Let's make one thing perfectly clear - the Players Weekend jerseys will be silly, but the Mercury Mets unis were epically fugly. I still wince whenever I think of them.

[A Boy Named Seo]

I'm a million percent certain this will morph into a $$ opportunity for MLB down the road, but for this inaugural thing it's supposed to be all for charity.

The jerseys from the weekend will be sold by MLB, which will donate the proceeds to the Youth Development Foundation, an initiative on which the league and MLBPA work together.

[DocTee]

And didn't Giants shortstop Johnnie LeMaster once wear "BOO" on his jersey, since "that's what fans say when they see me..."

[Benjamin Grimm]

And there have been players who have worn their first names on their jerseys, like our beloved Ichiro Suzuki, as well as Vida Blue. (I don't know if Blue wore VIDA on his jersey when he was in Oakland, but I remember that from when he was with the Giants.)

[Frayed Knot]

Then there was the guy who (for several teams anyway) wore his birthday on the back of his uniform.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayca01.shtml

[bmfc1]

Mets pitchers should be identified by their most recent ailment or operation.

[Benjamin Grimm]

How pathetic will it be if Matt Harvey's jersey says "ADRIANA"?

[Ceetar]

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Benjamin Grimm wrote: How pathetic will it be if Matt Harvey's jersey says "ADRIANA"?

he probably isn't getting one.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

#BlackLivesMatter would look great on a jersey.

[Guest d'Kong76]

#unisnotbillboards

[A Boy Named Seo]

I wonder if MLB will allow #'s and @'s. I would hope and guess not. Nicks do not equal social media handles.

[Ceetar]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: I wonder if MLB will allow #'s and @'s. I would hope and guess not. Nicks do not equal social media handles.

Or they do, but they're so ubiquitous you don't need the symbols.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wonder if they're required to participate. If I was a big league player, I'd skip the nickname and I'd wear my regular shoes. I might do something silly with the uniform patch, however. Maybe I'd include a picture of Fay Wray.

[Ceetar]

I'm sure the Yankees will beg out and continue believing all their fans were born in 1892.

[seawolf17]

Ceetar wrote: I'm sure the Yankees will beg out and continue believing all their fans were born in 1892.

This, definitely.

This whole idea seems silly to me, but whatever.

[MFS62]

Ceetar wrote: I'm sure the Yankees will beg out and continue believing all their fans were born in 1892.

No, they'll all proudly display the name "Jeter" on their backs.

Later

[Edgy MD]

[fimg=650:1dqo5a57]http://m.mlb.com/assets/images/4/4/4/247292444/cuts/1280x720/cut.jpg[/fimg:1dqo5a57]

Interesting that Reyes' nickname is the Spanish for "Molasses." It may connote sweetness where he comes from, but in 'Murica, it connotes excruciating slowness.

No idea what "CATIRE" is meant to mean.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I thought it meant that cats get angry at Wilmer Flores, but I looked it up. It's Spanish for "blonde".

[Benjamin Grimm]

That image makes me realize that I don't know uniform numbers the way I used to. I don't know who BROWN BEAR, MONCHO and GOOPY are.

Why is Steven Matz known as RENO?

And Jacob deGrom seems to have the most boring nickname ever.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't tend to get too exorcised over these uniform variations, but this whole idea comes off looking very amateurish and silly.
Put another way, I suspect this is something that's not exactly going to looked back on fondly (or that anyone is going to admit to approving) once it's in the review mirror.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I thought it meant that cats get angry at Wilmer Flores, but I looked it up. It's Spanish for "blonde".

'blondie' i think. at least, according to the MLB article. His parents nickname for him as he's the 4th Wilmer Flores in the family and was a little blond as a kid.