MLB is trying a bunch of things to attract the youth to the best sport around, and Player’s Weekend is another one of those things.
I like the whole idea of the Player’s Weekend that MLB will showcase over the next three days. Nicknames on jerseys are a little hokey by and large, but there are some like “Corey’s Brother” or “PTBNL” that have stood out since the nicknames were announced. Many of the other names that will appear on the backs of jerseys this weekend are simple or guessable nicknames, or simply just calls to action like “All Rise.” These are all meant to be fun, and they bring some levity to a sport that some consider to be too serious.
The bright colors of the jerseys and cleats will certainly attract some extra eyeballs to the sport this weekend, but will this three-day stretch have staying power when the rules kick back in on Monday?
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I like that baseball is trying something wacky and a bit off-the-wall while allowing the players to express themselves how they see fit and that they’ll be auctioning off jerseys with the proceeds going to the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation. Players will be wearing shirts during pre-game workouts and post-game interviews that don a charity of their choice. Again, I like the coupling of allowing the players to have a little room outside the typical uniform rules, but turning that into an effort to support local communities. It’s an extremely nice touch.
The one part that I’m hesitant on is how the finished product will look. It’s one thing to plan a big event, but it’s the execution that will ensure we have another similar weekend next year.
This weekend has the potential to be a win for everyone involved. Baseball gets exposure and extra jersey and merchandise sales, players like Josh Phegley of the Oakland Athletics, or the aforementioned “PTBNL” is known by a few more national fans because of his creative nickname selection, the fans get to see some of the players be themselves and charities are getting a little cut of the action as well.
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I’m holding out hope that this will be one flawless weekend that will be the start of a renewed interest in baseball from newcomers to the sport and those that have drifted away over the years. One thing is for certain no matter how this weekend turns out: It will be talked about for years to come–just hopefully not in the same vein as the White Sox shorts from August 8, 1976.