With Players Weekend this weekend, what are the best nicknames the Toronto Blue Jays players will wear on their back?
This Friday kicks off the second annual Players Weekend, a three-day stretch where Major League Baseball lets players swag out on the field by letting them put cool nicknames on funky-colored jerseys and wear whatever flashy equipment they could only dream of using any other time in the season. The Toronto Blue Jays host the contending Philadelphia Phillies for the weekend.
After a successful inaugural Players Weekend last year, it seems to have only gotten bigger. Apparel companies are taking the initiative to provide players with decked-out gear, such as the nickname-inspired bats Louisville Slugger provided for their sponsored athletes:
Every player gets to don a nickname on the back of their jersey (except for the boring players who couldn’t think of a nickname. Half of the nicknames are just word-play on a guy’s last name, it’s really not that hard. You’re better than that, Wil Myers).
The Toronto Blue Jays variations of nicknames are consistent with the rest of the league; few don creative non-name based monikers, usually just slightly altering one’s last name to make it sound somewhat catchy. As a result, I’ve taken the initiative to list the five best nicknames adorned by Blue Jays players. And no, Josh Donaldson‘s “Bringer of Rain” did not make it on the list. It really isn’t a good nickname especially since he gave it to himself.
Without further ado, check out the most creative nicknames you’ll see on the back of the home team’s jerseys at the Rogers Centre as the Philadelphia Phillies come to town for a 3-game interleague series, hoping to keep pace with the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, while the Jays intend to give the Braves some breathing room.