Major League Baseball held Players Weekend for the first time since 2019, from Aug. 16 to Aug. 18. Players Weekend first started in 2017 to allow players during the regular season to express themselves, with an added opportunity to thank the people who got them to where they are.
Day One: Day of Fun
On Friday, players got to show off their drip, ranging from personalized bats, cleats, helmets and chest protectors. Some players showed off their favorite cartoon characters, while others honored their heritage, home state and much more.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s bat featured Pablo Sanchez from the Backyard Baseball game.
Courtesy of Hustle Sports.
Aaron Judge paid homage to his high school, Linden High School, and his college, California State University, Fresno. He had a set of cleats and bats for both on different days.
Courtesy of Lucia Footwear Co.
Michael Toglia honored his Italian heritage with a bat in the colors of the Italian flag. It also had the country’s shape painted on it.
Courtesy of the Colorado Rockies.
Logan O’Hoppe wore a very special chest protector during his games. He visited Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach, where children patients had the chance to draw on his gear. When O’Hoppe was younger, he heard of a player that went to a hospital and got the kids to sign his cleats. After that, his mother said she hoped that Logan had the chance to do something similar one day.
Courtesy of Major League Baseball.
Day Two: For a Cause
On Saturday, players honored and brought attention to a foundation or charity that is close to their heart.
Reese Olson supported the American Cancer Society’s Real Men Wear Pink Campaign. He sported cleats with the phrase "Strike Out Cancer" on the sides with his mother Kelly's name across the back. Olson did this in honor of his mom who had cancer when he was younger, and others in his family who have also been affected by cancer.
Courtesy of the Detroit Tigers.
Paul Skenes has supported the Gary Sinise Foundation this year. The foundation helps and gives back to veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. Skenes said, “...we have to repay it in some way… we can never repay their sacrifices fully” (Newsmax). For every strikeout Skenes throws, he donates $100 to the foundation throughout the season.
Courtesy of Paul Skenes.
Day Three: Appreciation and Little League Classic
On Sunday, players showed appreciation to the people who helped get them where they are today.
Taj Bradley showed love and appreciation to his family. For Bradley, watching movies with his family was a big part of his childhood, where he was able to learn life lessons. He said the movies were “an escape from reality.”
The Milwaukee Brewers posted a video of Freddy Peralta. Originally from Moca, Dominican Republic, he talked about his upbringing and his journey to the majors. He said it is one of the best feelings when he gets to be home, especially with his family. If Peralta could, he would tell his younger self, “... keep following your dreams, cause if you keep working hard, you can get anything that you want…give some love to the people around you.”
To end Players Weekend, Sunday night was the Little League Classic where the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers went head to head. The Tigers won the game, 3-2. Before the game, the little league kids got to not only meet the players, but hang out with them, get autographs, and some even got to ride on the same bus as them.
Courtesy of the New York Yankees/Courtesy of the Detroit Tigers.
During the game, some players were mic’d up. Fans got to hear from players like Juan Soto and Matt Vierling. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is currently injured, wanted to get in on the fun of the game. He joined the broadcasters and answered some questions. He then went into the crowd to sit with the little leaguers. Chisholm had the fans start a Bleacher Creatures’ roll call just like they do at Yankee Stadium.
Throughout the game, the broadcast would put up clips from players of both teams saying some of their favorite things like food, music, apps and more. There were also some pictures shown of the players when they were little!
Courtesy of the New York Yankees.
Edited by Brittany Snow
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