If you see some unfamiliar names in the Rockies lineup August 25, don’t be alarmed.
Major League Baseball will be celebrating its first annual Players Weekend August 25 through August 27. Your favorite Rockies will be going by some common, and not so common, nicknames.
Some of the nicknames, such as “Chuck Nazty” make sense. After all, that is Charlie Balckmon’s twitter handle (@Chuck_Nazty). Others might leave you scratching your head.
Rockies First Baseman, Mark Reynolds, will be going by “Sheriff”. Not to be confused with the former Broncos Quarterback, Peyton Manning. And, if you didn’t know that “El YOLO” was Gerardo Parra, you may not be the only one.
MLB and MLBPA announce the creation of Players Weekend, set to take place Aug. 25-27: https://t.co/tjqXALPWcf pic.twitter.com/Qc9cswOkte
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) August 9, 2017
Major League Baseball wants to emphasize a players’ individualism and style they bring to the game, literally. Players across the league will be allowed to wear their own nickname on their jersey as well as their own “freshest” styles, as long as it doesn’t violate rules to prevent safety hazards.
These items will extend to batting gloves, uniquely colored and designed spikes, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher’s masks and bats.
Each player will also wear a special patch on his sleeve for the event. The patch will show the progression of a child evolving into a major leaguer. Players will fill in the name of a person who helped them advance their career.
According to Major League Baseball, game-worn jerseys from the weekend will be auctioned off to support the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation.
