MLB Will Celebrate the “Players Weekend” in August

MLB is easing up on the tradition and letting their players have some fun this year. In something new negotiated by the player’s union, MLB players will be allowed to express themselves during a special weekend that has been called “Players Weekend”. It will take place from August 25th-27th. Players can use a nickname on the back of their jerseys, wear different colored items such as cleats, gloves, wristbands, etc., and more to express their individuality. Of course, there are restrictions on what they can wear (mostly stuff that won’t interfere with a game). Here are some of those guidelines:

Players will have the option to wear a jersey with a nickname – though they are limited to just one, according to the memo, and “inappropriate or offensive” nicknames will be banned.

The items with minimal color restrictions include spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves and catcher’s masks. The colors, according to the memo, must avoid interfering with the game and an umpire’s ability to make a call. White gloves, wristbands and sleeves are prohibited.

Each jersey will feature a patch with space for a player to personalize it by “writing the name of an individual or organization that was instrumental to his development,” according to the memo.

The jerseys from the weekend will be sold by MLB, which will donate the proceeds to the Youth Development Foundation, an initiative on which the league and MLBPA work together.

It’s a nice little event that MLB is putting together. It gives the players a chance to be creative, allows MLB to look less restrictive, and help out a charity at the same time.

Unfortunately, the Brewers will not be playing at home during this weekend. It is set for a weekend when the Brewers are playing the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Despite that, it’s likely that many of the Brewers players will take advantage of this weekend. What would you like to see happen? Are there any nicknames you want on the back of jerseys? Should the catchers put designs on their masks similar to hockey goalies? Does Ryan Braun need to sneak a deputy badge somewhere into his gear? Let us know what you want to see in the comments.