The Padres get festive in Miami this weekend, where they will celebrate Major League Baseball's inaugural Players Weekend.
The event, which takes place Friday through Sunday, allows players to show their individual flair and allows fans to get to know them better. All clubs will wear non-traditional alternate uniforms, with the Padres sporting blue jerseys with yellow sleeves and numbers. Players will wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys and a patch to recognize a person or persons who aided their career.
• Padres' Players Weekend gear available at MLBShop.com
Here's a breakdown of the Padres nicknames and patches. (Both were optional, and some players will simply wear their own last name on their jersey.)
Carlos Asuaje: "Asuaje"
Tribute patch: Dad -- Joel Asuaje was Carlos' "first coach, teacher, role model." It was a no-brainer for Carlos to use his patch to recognize his father.
Buddy Baumann: "George"
Baumann flipped the Players Weekend script a bit. He spends his whole life living by the nickname "Buddy." Instead, he'll don "George," the name on his birth certificate, on the back of his Players Weekend jersey.
Tribute patch: Dad -- Baumann recalled his father getting off work, coming home and heading straight to the backyard to play ball. Baumann also credits his dad for his work ethic. "He was always a tireless worker, and now, he's obviously been my biggest supporter," Baumann said. "He motivated me, and he drove me."
Jabari Blash: "Big Daddy"
Given his size, "Big Daddy" just seemed to fit Blash's 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame. Blash doesn't go by the nickname regularly, but he picked it mostly because he felt his teammates and fans would enjoy seeing it across the back of his jersey.
Tribute patch: Darren Canton -- Canton was the founder of "Future Stars," a youth baseball organization in Blash's native St. Thomas. "He revived baseball and that culture back home, and he's the reason that I'm still playing baseball," Blash said.
Carter Capps: "Capps"
 Jhoulys Chacin: "Makina"
When he pitched in Colorado, Chacin's teammates began referring to him as "Chacin the Machine." "Makina," phonetic spelling for the Spanish equivalent, "maquina," stuck.
Tribute patch: Abuela Maria -- With both of Chacin's parents working, his grandmother, Maria, went everywhere with him -- "in baseball and in life," Chacin said. Maria passed away in 2013, and Chacin briefly left his team to return to his family. He returned in Miami and pitched seven innings of two-run ball in a win over the Marlins, a win he dedicated to Abuela Maria.
Dusty Coleman: "D-Man"
Coleman's father's softball buddies began calling him "D-Man" when he was about 5 years old. The nickname stuck throughout Little League and into the Majors. Coleman, who is best known for his defensive prowess at shortstop, has certainly lived up to it.
Tribute patch: Family -- Coleman, a 30-year-old rookie, credits his family for sticking with him during his nine seasons in the Minor Leagues. In particular, he points to his 2010 campaign, which he missed because of injury. His wife and family provided constant encouragement to keep working toward his big league dream.
Allen Cordoba: "Coso"
A family friend went by the name Coso, and he was extremely influential in Cordoba's baseball career. The two were practically inseparable, so Cordoba began going by the name "Coso Jr."
Tribute patch: Alishka -- Cordoba's tribute patch is for Alishka, which will be the name for his first daughter.
Brad Hand: "Brotato"
Hand often uses "bro" as a prefix for other nicknames to refer to his teammates. "Brotato" is one of his favorites.
Tribute patch: Dad -- Hand's father was his coach throughout Little League, and Hand fondly remembers the time they spent together, with his father throwing batting practice in their native Minnesota.
Austin Hedges: "Hedgey"
Few in the Padres clubhouse call Hedges directly by his first or last name, instead preferring to simply add a "Y." Whether it's spelled "Hedgey" or "Hedgy" depends who you ask.
Tribute patch: Pat Bulger -- Bulger, one of Hedges' first youth baseball coaches, lost his battle with cancer when Hedges was 12 years old. Hedges maintains that he still feels Bulger's impact today.
Dinelson Lamet: "El Flaco"
One of Lamet's childhood friends gave him the nickname "El Flaco." Lamet was skinny as a child, and the word skinny literally translates to "flaco."
Tribute patch: Dios, Mi Madre, Francis, Aldo, Kerbin, Urena, Genaro -- Lamet took the opportunity to tribute a number of his family members and the people who helped him hone his skills while he was growing up in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Manuel Margot: "Yoandry"
There isn't much behind Margot's nickname -- other than it's a family name he's been called for years. That family nickname seeped into the Padres' clubhouse and into Players Weekend.
Tribute patch: Diamond Manuel -- Margot's tribute patch is dedicated to his son, Diamond, who was born last month. Margot followed Diamond's birth by winning National League Player of the Week honors the following week, prompting several Padres to reference his "dad strength."
Phil Maton: "Maton"
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Maton was quick to thank his parents for their "unwavering" support. "Bad games, good games, they were always there," Maton said.
William Myers: "Myers"
Tribute patch: Parents -- Myers' parents have been there for him every step of the way, including his first big league callup on Fathers Day 2013 -- a particularly special moment for the family.
Luis Perdomo: "Perdomo"
Tribute patch: Dad and Mom -- Perdomo credits his parents for keeping him grounded and focused on baseball as he grew up in Santo Domingo
Jose Pirela: "Aguila Negra"
Pirela is something of a Winter Ball star playing for Aguilas del Zulia in Venezuela. The team's announcer has taken to calling him "Aguila Negra," which translates to "Black Eagle."
Tribute patch: Eglee Machado -- Eglee Machado is Pirela's mother, whom he says has meant "everything" to his baseball career.
Clayton Richard: "Richard"
Tribute patch: Casey and Taylor -- Casey and Taylor are Richard's sisters, and he's quick to note, "They've been as much a part of my baseball career as anybody." After a rough game, Richard said, no one was quicker to lift his spirits than Casey and Taylor.
Hector Sanchez: "Sanchez"
Tribute patch: Familia -- Sanchez was quick to thank his parents for everything they meant to him as a young ballplayer. Now, he says, his wife and son "are everything, my motivation every day to do what I do, to be successful."
Cory Spangenberg: "Spangy"
In the Padres clubhouse, few use the moniker "Cory." Instead, since his 2014 callup, Spangenberg has been known almost exclusively as "Spangy."
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Spangenberg credits his parents for pushing him to become the ballplayer he is today, particularly noting the time and sacrifice they put into his youth baseball travels.
Yangervis Solarte: "Pituki"
Solarte goes by a number of different nicknames. But "Pituki" is one of his favorites. It's also the name used by the young Latin players in the clubhouse when they refer to him. Solarte prefers "El Famosa Pituki" or, if he's in charge of the music, "DJ Pituki."
• Pituki leads the way as Players Weekend nears
Craig Stammen: "Trig"
Growing up in Ohio, Stammen developed the nickname "Trigger," given to him by one of his friend's fathers. Over the years, it was shortened to "Trig."
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Stammen was extremely eager to tribute his parents, given the significant commitment time-wise and financially to his youth baseball experience. "They let me play every sport I wanted to play, paid for all the gas, paid for all the teams, so I'm very appreciative of how they raised me," Stammen said.
Matthew Szczur: "Szczur"
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad, Brother -- Some of Szczur's fondest childhood memories are playing catch in the backyard with his family. He called it "an honor" to be able to represent them with his tribute patch.
Luis Torrens: "Churro"
In the Torrens family "Churro" is a nickname passed down three generations. Luis' grandfather used it for Luis' father. Then his father used it to refer to Luis as a child.
Tribute patch: Dad and Mom -- Torrens recognized his father, the original "Churro," along with his mother, for the influence they had on his career as a young ballplayer.
Jose Torres: "Torres"
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Torres said his parents have influenced his career "in every way." His dad, in particular, served as something of a personal trainer in his development and still helps him during the offseason.
Travis Wood: "Woody"
Long ago, Wood was given a "Y" at the end of his name -- as ballplayers often do. It quickly stuck.
Tribute patch: My family -- It was Wood's parents who taught him how to play baseball, when he was young. Now Wood has a family of his own. "They've pushed me to be better as a player and have always been by my side," he said.
Kirby Yates: "Kirbs"
As far back as he can remember, Yates' friends and family have shortened his first name to "Kirbs."
Tribute patch: Ohana -- A Hawaii native, Yates opted for the Hawaiian word for "family" on his tribute patch. "In Hawaii, that's one of the things you learn at a young age, that family is No. 1, regardless of anything else," Yates said.