When MLB announced a couple weeks ago that this would be "Players' Weekend" and that every team was going to wear special jerseys with player-chosen nicknames on the back, I was a little skeptical of the idea. Then they revealed the technicolor designs for the jerseys and I became even more skeptical. And now that I'm seeing them in action, they're even worse than I imagined.
Where do I start with how terrible these jerseys are? How about the colors? Remember that Michigan-Syracuse game in the Final Four a couple years ago where you had to adjust the brightness on your TV? They're kinda like that. Then throw in the fact that they're pullovers and the hats, which are equally as bright, and it's like you're watching a beer league softball game in the 70s or early 80s.
Then there's the nicknames. I'll admit, some of them are clever (Kyle Seager's is "Corey's Brother"), but a vast majority of them don't make any sense to even the most die-hard fan. Sure, you've got plenty of guys who went with some shortened form of their name or added a "-y" or put something they're commonly known as (I'm sure if David Ortiz was still playing, his would've said "Big Papi"). You even had the guys who decided to just put their last name.
But for all of those, you also have a bunch of vanity projects. The ones that just leave you scratching your head like "Huh?" And, it might just be me, but when the broadcaster needs to explain it, you kinda missed the point. It's like the guy who has to explain why his joke his funny when no one laughs.
Of course, you're probably not surprised to hear that I don't like seeing the Yankees in jerseys with their names on them. That's definitely a part of it, but I wouldn't be a fan either way. Because the bright colors and gimmicky nicknames are simply too much. The Yankees actually have one of the more sedated ones (which was probably a condition of them agreeing to participate) and some look like the team's regular third jersey. But, by and large, the Players' Weekend jerseys are so ostentatious they're giving the games a Spring Training feel.
And let's not kid ourselves. MLB can say whatever they want about why they're doing this, but the underlying reason is money. This gives them an excuse to sell these things for $200 apiece (probably more if you want to get your own stupid nickname on one). That's just the jerseys, which says nothing about the $36 for the ugly hats that accompany them.
People will pay it. We all know that. Just like they gobble up All-Star jerseys and hats (for the record, no problem with All-Star jerseys, although I don't think they should wear different hats, which are usually pretty bad, for the All-Star Game itself). Which is why, I'm sure, this will likely become an annual tradition, probably with a whole new design for the jerseys and hats each year.
So, now, in addition to the "everybody wears 42" jerseys on April 15; the camouflage jerseys on Memorial Day; the red, white and blue jerseys on the Fourth of July; and the corresponding hats that go with them, we're going to have "Players' Weekend" jerseys added to each team's arsenal. Not to mention the teams that have a ridiculous number of selections just among their regular uniforms. What's next? Opening Day jerseys? Labor Day jerseys (it's the only baseball holiday left)?
They've even amended the MLB logo on the sleeves this weekend. Instead of just the batter, they have him growing up through the years, all the way from Little League. The obvious tie-in is to the Little League World Series, which ends this weekend and is the reason this weekend was chosen.
That's the one element of "Players' Weekend" that I would like to see made permanent. The Little League Classic. We got a sneak peek of the Cardinals' and Pirates' jerseys last week when they played in that amazing event in Williamsport for the 16 Little League World Series teams and their families. That game was cool enough, but the best part of the whole thing was actually seeing the Pirates and Cardinals attending the Little League World Series games during the day and wearing the hats of the different Little League teams. They loved it as much as the kids did. You could see it on their faces.
Unfortunately, the only permanent things that are going to come out of this are "Players' Weekend" and the stupid jerseys. I really wish that was the other way around. Because MLB hit a home run with the Little League Classic. And that event deserves another go-round. Much more than the nickname jerseys. Which are going to get old pretty quick.
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