See the Blue Jays Players' Weekend nicknames

See the Blue Jays Players' Weekend nicknames

August 9th, 2018

For the second consecutive year, Major Leaguers will put their personalities and passions on the field when Players' Weekend takes center stage during all games from Friday, Aug. 24, through Sunday, Aug. 26.
Here are the nicknames the Blue Jays will wear on their backs while sporting colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs inspired by youth-league uniforms:

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Danny Barnes: "BARNZY"

Barnes will use a variation of his last name but jokes he wishes he had thought to use former teammate 's last name instead.
: "JOE THE GREAT"
"I would say that I am somewhat of a 'Seinfeld' aficionado," Biagini said. "And in 'Seinfeld' is featured an episode where Jerry demands to be called 'Jerry the Great,' I think it's the one where Elaine is dating the maestro and he prefers to be called that. So first of all, 'Joe the Great' because it is a given, second of all, because I appreciate the greatest show ever made and I wanted to honor it in such a way that only I and probably everyone else could."

: "BORUCKI"
: "CLIP"
: "PAPITO"
"I never had a nickname when I was younger," Diaz said through an interpreter. "I call my son 'Papito,' so for me this weekend is like a family week, and I want this name to mean something to me, so I put 'Papito' because that's how I call my son."
Josh Donaldson: "BRINGER OF RAIN"

Donaldson has said that his nickname was lifted from the TV show "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," in which the gladiator Spartacus defeats a daunting foe in the arena and rain falls on a nation in drought immediately after. Donaldson liked the story and swiped the nickname for his Twitter handle.
: "DRU"
: "ESTRATOSPHERE"

"I think fans have said it before and somehow it got back to me," Estrada said. "I kind of liked the way it sounded, so I said I'm going to try it this year."
: "JAIMITO"
Sam Gaviglio: "GAVIGLIO"
: "100 MILES GILES"

Giles' name comes from his high-velocity fastball that he uses over 50 percent of the time.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: "YUNITO"
The name comes from his older brother, Yuli Gurriel, and means "little brother" or "little Yuni."
: "GRANDYMAN"
: "GRICH"
: "OCA"
: "LUKEY BARRELS"

"It was given to me by [Kevin] Pillar earlier in Spring Training," Maile said. "He told me that we lost 'Joey Bats,' but we gained Lukey Barrels. ... So I went ahead and took it, but some of the guys took it a little bit more seriously than I thought they would, so it just kind of stuck."

: "LE MUSCLE"

The Blue Jays' French-Canadian catcher is known for his power and endurance behind the plate, hence the name "Russell Le Muscle."
: "MONINA"
"In Cuba, it's like 'friend,'" Morales said through an interpreter. "I've always been called that by everybody, and everybody calls me that, too."
Jake Petricka: "PETEY"
: "KP"

Pillar's usual "Superman" nickname was unavailable due to it being trademarked, so Pillar went with a variation of his name. Last year, he wore Superman cleats for Players' Weekend, which could be a possibility for this year.
: "SANCHIZE"

Sanchez's nickname is a play on his last name, but it is also a reflection of his importance to the organization. He earned the nickname during his rise to prominence in the Blue Jays' 2015 run to the American League Championship Series.
: "EL NITO"
: "MOAKEY"

Some call Smoak "Smoaky," but he says his Latino teammates call him "Moakey," and that's the variation he chose.
: "TUTU"
The name comes from a friend who couldn't pronounce Yangervis, instead he just called him "tutu."
: "HDMH"

Stroman has switched from "Stro Show" to "HDMH," his personal motto standing for "Height Doesn't Measure Heart."
: "TEP"
: "D-TRAV"
: "TULO"
: "RICHI"