WASHINGTON -- To some, baseball is stodgy and old-fashioned. Bat flips and caps tilted to the side and even prematurely untucked jerseys have ruffled feathers over the years. Major League Baseball takes care of policing the rest -- shoe colors, bat designs, sleeve lengths -- with a set of strict uniform rules.
This weekend, however, as part of what baseball is calling its inaugural Players Weekend, the rigid conformity of the sport is being thrown out for three days, at least when it comes to what to wear.
The most noticeable changes will appear on the players themselves: colorful jerseys that include a nickname of each player's choosing, instead of a surname, on the back, and an arm patch bearing the name of a person or an organization that influenced a player's life. The nicknames revealed over the past few weeks have included the witty (the jersey for Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager reads, "Corey's Brother," in honor of his younger brother, an All-Star shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers), the silly (New York Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud chose "Lil D") and the heartfelt (Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is memorializing a deceased friend).
But an underlying part of this weekend's initiative has resonated with players even more: the relaxing of those unforgiving uniform rules. Players can wear uniquely designed (read: brightly colored) cleats and batting gloves and use specially designed bats or other gear.
"I love it," said Dominic Smith, 22, a Mets rookie first baseman. "You get to be creative. We're all our own person, so it'll be a fun weekend to see what people are wearing, what cleats they have on, and the bats."
He added: "At the end of the day, we're playing a kid's game. It's a great feeling to get that little kid out of you for a weekend and really remember that this is a kid's game and not just a business."
Other than designated games like those on Mother's Day (which has been awash in pink in recent years) or the Fourth of July (when a red-white-and-blue motif prevails), players have to follow a precise and lengthy uniform code. It mandates that 51 percent of cleats' surface be in the team's designated primary shoe color and compatible with the team's design and color scheme and that bats have a natural finish or a dark-colored stain like brown or black.
The array of colors expected on players' feet and in their hands this weekend, then, may be blinding to traditionalists. Players were "interested in finding unique ways to connect with their fans by allowing them to see more of their personalities and interests," Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said in announcing the creation of the event, which was a joint effort between Major League Baseball and the union.
As a result, Mets reliever Josh Smoker, who grew up racing cars in Georgia, will wear cleats with a Richard Petty theme. New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia will pay homage to his roots and his musical taste with black-and-red cleats that feature the faces of Mac Dre and E-40, two rappers who, like him, are from the Bay Area. Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant will honor a charity, and the Yankees' Todd Frazier will offer a nod to his New Jersey roots with a picture of Frank Sinatra and other Garden State iconography on his shoes. Frazier's Yankees teammate, reliever Dellin Betances, showed off cleats in the colors of the Statue of Liberty, pale green and gold, before Friday's game.
One reason this weekend has been embraced by many players -- not to mention eager manufacturers -- is that baseball has fallen behind in player promotion and self-expression. Last year, Boston Red Sox starter David Price said he had received warnings for wearing spruced-up cleats. He argued that baseball could attract the younger fans it desperately seeks if players were allowed to show more personality in their equipment.
"In the age of social media, personality is so often stifled," said Mike Carozza, who founded the website WhatProsWear.com five years ago as a hobby, to keep track of what equipment baseball's best players use. Carozza said 75 percent of his website's readers were 13 to 34 years old.
"A lot of these leagues are awakening to the idea that kids love this stuff," he said. "And they so badly need these kids. Price is absolutely right. Why shouldn't he be able to show his personality?"
But there is still a force, perhaps a residual effect of baseball's long-standing culture of conformity, that has made some players reluctant to change.
Diamondbacks reliever Andrew Chafin said he planned to wear the same black cleats he had used all season, saying he does not care much for self-expression through his equipment.
"I like the old-school style of approaching things," he said. "You put your uniform on, do your job, and come back and do it the next day. All the showboating stuff, I don't like it or care for it myself."
Sports on 08/26/2017