This weekend noticed the return of Main League Baseball’s Gamers’ Weekend initiative, a well-liked theme weekend the place gamers are allowed to specific their individuality and bend a number of the conventional guidelines of baseball gear. Whereas this 12 months’s Gamers’ Weekend would not characteristic customized names on jerseys as has been seen prior to now, many gamers within the league have been in a position to bust out customized bats and cleats for 2 of three theme days to this point.
The primary day of Gamers’ Weekend on Friday featured a “Enjoyable” theme, celebrating the gamers’ personalities, friendships and off-field pursuits. Saturday was for “Causes” with a give attention to charitable and neighborhood initiatives, and Sunday will probably be an “Appreciation” day celebrating those that helped gamers turn out to be who they’re as we speak. In a brand new wrinkle for Gamers’ Weekend, gamers are additionally carrying group hats with their very own numbers on the aspect of them.
Via two days of Gamers’ Weekend to this point, right here is an summary of a number of the highlights of the weekend and what gamers across the league have dropped at the sector.
Probably the most widespread customized bat designs of Gamers’ Weekend are pencil and crayon designs, which this 12 months are being utilized by Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays and Harrison Bader of the New York Mets.
Whereas Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers wasn’t in a position to put his nickname “Skoob” on his jersey the best way gamers have been in a position to in previous Gamers’ Weekend, he was in a position to give a direct nod to his nickname with customized Scooby Doo-themed cleats.
One other member of the Tigers, Shelby Miller, is carrying cleats in honor of his son Kyler in an effort to elevate consciousness for STXBP1 Dysfunction, a uncommon developmental and epilepsy dysfunction brought on by mutations of the STXBP1 gene. Kyler, 4, has been identified with the dysfunction.
One more Tiger, Colt Keith, seems to be like he simply bought off the Battlebus: His cleats are primarily based off the favored online game Fortnite.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is sporting a pair of cleats that includes his canine, Decoy.
Ryan O’Hearn of the Baltimore Orioles is carrying inexperienced cleats with four-leaf clovers in commemoration of his Irish heritage.
Maikel Garcia of the Kansas Metropolis Royals is carrying cleats paying tribute to 2 of his sports activities heroes, Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant and former Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura. Ventura, a member of the Royals’ 2015 World Sequence-winning group, was killed in a automotive accident in 2017.
The Pressure is definitely with San Diego Padres All-Star Jackson Merrill. Not solely is he utilizing a Star Wars-themed lightsaber bat, however his bat even glows at nighttime.