Washington Nationals: Players Weekend jerseys a great idea

Later this month, Washington Nationals players will wear nicknames on the back of their jersey and it’s a great idea for the sport

Yesterday, it was announced by Major League Baseball that the Washington Nationals and the other teams are going to wear specialized jerseys August 25-27. It is all a part of the Player’s Weekend initiative where players can wear their nickname on the back of their jerseys for one weekend.

Some of the interesting nicknames that the Washington Nationals players have include Wilmer Difo (El Lindo), Bryce Harper (Big Kid), Anthony Rendon (Ant), and Doooo (Sean Doolittle) just to name a few. You can find some of the other names on the Nats website.

Largely, this promotion by Major League Baseball has been viewed as a negative since teams like the New York Yankees will have the players names on the back of the jersey for the first time. Yes, it is a big breakaway from tradition, but this is a good idea by the league.

The reason the nicknames are a good idea because it allows us more insight into the player. True, the era of social media has allowed fans more insight on their favorite players than ever before. With that being said, it’s good to see players show off their personality.

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Another part of this initiative that is interesting is the patch that will be worn on their sleeve. The players will be allowed to have the name of someone who has helped them reach their goal of playing in the major leagues. This allows the fans to get more of a story on how their favorite player got to where he is today.

For the Washington Nationals and the rest of the baseball, this idea is good because it connects with the younger fans. Baseball has been trying to reach a younger demographic in order to grow the game. Part of that plan is the Cardinals and Pirates will play a game in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on August 20 on ESPN.

Plus, this initiative could also help the Washington Nationals because they will get a little bit of primetime exposure that weekend. On Sunday, August 27, game 2 of the doubleheader against the Mets will be on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. So, the national audience will maybe get to hear why some of the nicknames were chosen.

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You can disagree on the design of the jersey or if it should be more of a one-day thing instead of a weekend. However, it’s a good thing that the players get to be creative and show some personality for one weekend out of the year.