Los Angeles Angel players will have such nicknames as Kiiiiid, The Machine and Bedrock on the backs of their jerseys Friday through Sunday when they face the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium.
From Friday through Sunday, Major League Baseball will hold its inaugural “Players Weekend,” which it describes as “a player-focused event that will include the players wearing colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs inspired by youth league uniforms.”
The Angels will wear a Navy blue jersey, with red neck and sleeves, white piping on the neck and end of each sleeve. The player numbers will be in red and nicknames in white. The Angels will wear their traditional home red cap. Players also will have the opportunity to have a nickname placed on the back of their jerseys and wear and use uniquely colored and designed spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher’s masks and bats.
Outfielder Mike Trout will have Kiiiiid on the back of his jersey, first baseman Albert Pujols The Machine and relief pitcher Cam Bedrosian, the nickname of his father Steve, a relief pitcher with four major league teams from 1981-95.
Other nicknames include Koleman (outfielder Kole Calhoun) and Tricky (pitcher Ricky Nolasco).
Players will also wear specially designed socks. They will have the option of wearing T-shirts highlighting a charity or cause of their choice during pregame workouts and postgame interviews.
The right sleeve of each player’s jersey will feature a patch with a blank space for him to write the name of a person or organization that was instrumental to his development.
The patch features a new logo that shows a progression of five players increasing in size to demonstrate the process of a player’s path from Little League and youth leagues to Major League Baseball.
Game-worn, Players Weekend jerseys will be auctioned at MLB.com/auctions with all net proceeds donated to the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint effort established in July 2015 by MLB and the MLBPA with an initial commitment of $30 million focused on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and Canada.
“Players are increasingly interested in finding unique ways to connect with their fans by allowing them to see more of their personalities and interests,” said Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark.
“The collective desire to express their diverse interests and backgrounds is what motivated players to advocate for the creation of Players Weekend. This will be an exciting and unique opportunity for the players to literally wear their passions on their sleeves, and equipment, too, as they embrace this chance to let their true identities shine.”
–City News Service