Best Players' Weekend cleats: Big Papi, 'The Office,' Nipsey Hussle
The 2019 Players' Weekend has arrived, and with it comes all the glory of wild monikers, uniforms, and customized cleats.
The following shoes are just a few colorful examples of what major leaguers will be rocking.
Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts is going all-out in a tribute to David Ortiz after a shooting in June left the legendary slugger hospitalized for almost seven weeks:
Mookie's Big Papi #PlayersWeekend cleats are 🔥. pic.twitter.com/OqyiMvrnu2
— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2019
Catcher Christian Vazquez is showing off his spider senses.
#PlayersWeekend senses are tingling!
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 24, 2019
Bat & spikes property of Vazquez. 🕸 pic.twitter.com/f1n7RfIHXo
Betts and Vazquez's Boston teammate Michael Chavis is proving that just because "Game of Thrones" is over doesn't mean its cultural impact isn't felt among players:
Hooked up these @GameOfThrones custom @MizunoBsballNA cleats for @MichaelChavis11 to wear for #PlayersWeekend #GameOfThrones #icehorse #RedSox pic.twitter.com/qI4g5FBejb
— Mike Jordan (@mikejordan_art) August 23, 2019
New York Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman is also a fan of the show:
Hooked up these @newbalance cleats with a GOT theme for @MTauchman including portrait of his husky, Kota #yankees #PlayersWeekend #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/GguPyn286Z
— Mike Jordan (@mikejordan_art) August 22, 2019
Left-hander CC Sabathia is clearly a fan of another drama:
You did it again @MACHE275 !!! #peakyblinders to start @MLB #PlayersWeekend 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/49WEgY4PJ1
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) August 23, 2019
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. documented the moment he unveiled his kicks:
The moment when @ronaldacunajr24 saw his #PlayersWeekend cleats for the first time. pic.twitter.com/zLFUZUBI98
— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2019
Chicago Cubs left-hander Derek Holland, meanwhile, dedicates a pair of cleats to one of the most popular TV shows of all time and another to one of the most successful superhero films ever made:
Derek Holland’s #theoffice cleats for #PlayersWeekend pic.twitter.com/hxdoVg5Oa7
— Mike Jordan (@mikejordan_art) August 22, 2019
#darkknight themed @UABaseball customs for @Dutch_Oven45 for #playersweekend pic.twitter.com/VtdonVaPSR
— Mike Jordan (@mikejordan_art) August 23, 2019
Fellow Cubs player Kris Bryant channels the streets of Chicago for a great cause:
.@KrisBryant_23 partners with 3 Chicago street artists – AFROKILLA, ELLO, Blake Jones – for Players' Weekend gear. Each artist designed cleats and bat and both will be auctioned off with proceeds going to spinal cord research foundation #WingsForLife.
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) August 22, 2019
(📸: @redbull Media House) pic.twitter.com/aXEVmmSEjr
On the South Side, Chicago White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez reminds people he's still just 22, despite his massive frame:
@Lamantha21 is rocking these “big baby” themed custom @NB_Baseball cleats for #playersweekend pic.twitter.com/W08wNLvcJp
— Mike Jordan (@mikejordan_art) August 23, 2019
Minnesota Twins reliever Sergio Romo was thinking of his four kids when selecting his footwear.
@Twins reliever Sergio Romo’s spikes for #playersweekend. Four boys, four favorites of his kids. pic.twitter.com/tcCryF5XUT
— Pedro Gomez (@pedrogomezESPN) August 23, 2019
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge got some help from players in the Little League World Series for his design - all of them, in fact:
.@TheJudge44's Players' Weekend cleats are signed by every single player at this year's #LLWS! pic.twitter.com/qXD7Q7ehR2
— Play Ball (@PlayBall) August 22, 2019
Texas Rangers pitcher Shawn Kelly honors two of the most important things in his life - family and whiskey - with this sleek scheme:
Rocking these bad boys tonight for #PlayersWeekend @MLB all the important stuff in life in one photo, ain’t that right @JackDaniels_US #relieversarepeopletoo pic.twitter.com/BikrY7kVfT
— Shawn Kelley (@kelleytime27) August 23, 2019
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart pays tribute to an animated blockbuster with a design featuring plenty of visual pop:
“My name is Mater. Yeah, like tuh-mater, but without the ‘tuh.’”@Tucker_Barnhart crushed his #PlayersWeekend cleats. pic.twitter.com/oRmWOS3OtO
— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2019
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Tommy Pham shows some love for a slain rapper:
@adidasBaseball Nipsey Hussle tribute customs for @TphamLV #NipseyHussle pic.twitter.com/aAQXtDlE1L
— Mike Jordan (@mikejordan_art) August 23, 2019
Pham wasn't alone. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones also paid tribute to Nipsey Hussle:
All my life, been grindin’ all my life.@SimplyAJ10 pays tribute to the late @NipseyHussle.#PlayersWeekend pic.twitter.com/XtzAJiWJTj
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 23, 2019
Rays hurler Ryan Yarbrough brought big-time color:
#Rays Yarbrough with some custom cleats as well ... pic.twitter.com/5osHmnjmeW
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 23, 2019
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Trevor Williams has his eyes on the skies with these alien-themed cleats:
* @MeLlamoTrevor has RSVP'd to 'Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us' on September 20, 2019 * pic.twitter.com/ViVDiY0FCD
— Subscribe to Cut4 on YouTube!!!! (@Cut4) August 23, 2019
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dexter Fowler went very bright indeed.
Dex bringing the 🔥 #PlayersWeekend pic.twitter.com/ocJNuKlVwN
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 24, 2019
And finally, Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty is paying tribute to his friend Tyler Skaggs:
For Ty... pic.twitter.com/t8LmvAB1BR
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 23, 2019