Latest news with #PlayersWeekend
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
MLB Players' Weekend: The Best Customized Bats, Cleats, and Catchers' Masks
Iconic (or ironic) cartoons on bats? Customized catchers' masks? Cleats with a cause? It means one thing … MLB Players' Weekend is back! Big-league players are celebrating their interests and beloved causes on their gear to help showcase their off-field passions. From the funny to the poignant, here's how some of the game's top stars are leaning into the weekend. Check back as teams and players announce more. A great way for the AL's home-run leader to embrace his "Big Dumper" moniker. The Dodgers slugger gives a shout out to his three sons – Charlie, Brandon, and Maximus – with these customized bats. Nothing pesky or middling about Skubal's footwear. Gleyber Torres will also look good running the bases in those Thomas the Tank Engine Cleats. May the force be with this team as the Rangers' lineup will feature some great-looking bats. The Diamondbacks star has an image imprinted on the bat of him and his mom, who died in 2017, in this heartwarming homage. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
New York Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Christian Yelich wasn't sure if he should use his Bob Uecker bat. The Brewers are glad he did
CINCINNATI — Christian Yelich wasn't quite sure if he should use the special Bob Uecker bat that he got for last year's Players' Weekend in Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Yelich had season-ending back surgery before he could use the baby blue Louisville Slugger with a yellow handle a year ago. On the barrel was a design featuring a picture of the Hall of Fame announcer, his name, his home run call, his 'Juuuust a bit outside' line from the movie 'Major League,' a Brewers logo and: 'A True Milwaukee Legend.' Advertisement He'd been able to give one to Uecker last year and wasn't sure if it was right to use it following Uecker's passing this past offseason. He asked Brewers equipment manager Jason Shawger what he thought. 'Yeah, you have to,' Yelich recalled Shawger telling him. 'You have to do it at least once.' Leading off the second inning, Yelich hit his 24th home run of the season with the bat. By the time the night was done, he had collected three more hits, including a go-ahead home run and five RBIs as the Brewers erased a seven-run deficit to beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-8 and tie the franchise record with their 13th straight win. 'What can you say about Yelich?' Brewers manager Pat Murphy said afterward. Murphy, as is his wont, then said plenty about the 33-year-old former MVP. 'He told me on the bench, straight up, it was 8-1, he said, 'We're going to win this game,'' Murphy said. 'How do you make that statement? He looked at me and said, 'We're going to win this game.' And then … it happened.' As unbelievable as it sounds, it did. The Brewers, playing their first game in a stretch of 19 in 18 days, had All-Star rookie Jacob Misiorowski back on the mound for the first time this month after his time in the injured list with a left tibia contusion after being hit by a comebacker on June 28. Misiorowski gave up a run in the first and was helped by center fielder Steward Berroa, in his first game with the Brewers and just the 29th big-league game of his career, when Berroa threw out the Reds' Miguel Andujar at the plate to end the first. In the second, Misiorowski struck out the first batter he faced before hitting Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson and then walking the next three batters, forcing in a run and bringing Murphy out to the mound to end his night. Left-handed reliever DL Hall then came into the game and gave up a two-run double to Elly De La Cruz, followed by four straight singles. By the time the second inning was done, the Reds led 8-1. Advertisement That's when Yelich told not just Murphy, but everyone else within earshot that the team would win. 'You never want to go out there and give up a five spot,' Hall said after allowing all three inherited runners to score plus three more of his own. 'But as soon as I'm in the dugout, Yeli's letting me know, 'We're going to win this game. Don't worry, we're going to score runs. Just keep them right there.'' The Reds wouldn't have another baserunner after scoring their eighth run of the game, as six Brewers relievers, beginning with Hall, retired the final 23 Reds of the game. 'It's just like the guys believe and they're a great group and they play together, they don't get too down when things don't go their way,' Murphy said. 'It's the 'next man up' mentality. Nobody on the team knows the Berroa kid and he came and threw a guy out at the plate in the first inning and (Brandon) Lockridge got three hits.' Lockridge was acquired in the trade deadline deal that sent lefty Nestor Cortes to the San Diego Padres. His first game was on Aug. 1, the same day the Brewers put center fielder Jackson Chourio on the injured list. Lockridge had two hits in his first appearance. In his two weeks with the team, he has yet to experience a loss. So it was easy for him to believe Yelich's statement. 'From the little bit I've been here, the way every game has gone, for the most part, it feels like we're scoring double-digit runs every game,' Lockridge said. 'You just keep your head down and play our game.' Lockridge, batting ninth, came to the plate in the third inning, down by seven, with one out to face Reds starter Nick Martinez. Lockridge singled up the middle, turning the lineup over back to the top. After a Sal Frelick single and a popup by Joey Ortiz, catcher William Contreras beat out a double-play ball, keeping the inning alive. Advertisement That brought up Yelich. After the home run, Yelich said he thought about using a different bat. Again, he consulted Shawger. 'Alright, should we just be done with it?' Yelich said to Shawger. 'One and done? That's pretty cool.' 'Naw,' Shawger told him. 'You have to keep going.' Yelich swung at the first pitch he saw from Martinez and hit it off the handle of the bat, blooping into shallow left field, where it eluded a diving De La Cruz and went off the glove of third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, scoring two as Yelich hustled into second. When Yelich got to the dugout, Shawger was there to greet him, saying, 'Ueck would have liked that one better.' 'He was right,' Yelich said. We just kept using (the bat), and it ended up being part of a special night — which, obviously figures. When you're talking about (Uecker), you don't put anything out of the question.' The next batter, Andrew Vaughn, who was traded from the White Sox in June and called up from Triple-A Nashville last month when Rhys Hoskins went on the IL, homered, making it 8-4. The Brewers would add another run and go from trailing by seven runs to a much more manageable two runs just a half-inning later. 'With the way our team is, I knew we weren't going to get our doors blown off,' Yelich said. 'I knew we were going to find a way to get back into that thing. We've just got a room full of fighters, guys who don't care what the scoreboard says. We're down to play whenever, wherever and however.' Yelich came up again in the fourth after Reds second baseman Gavin Lux booted a sure inning-ending double-play ball and tied the game with a single down the third-base line. With one out in the sixth and the score still tied, Yelich came to the plate needing just a triple for his fourth career cycle, all against the Reds, and his third at Great American Ball Park. Instead, Yelich hit his 25th home run of the season, giving Milwaukee the lead. Christian Yelich used a bat honoring the late Bob Uecker in Friday's win over the Reds. He had 4 hits, 2 HR and 5 RBI. You can see 'Rawlings' and Manfred's signature where he hit his first homer. [image or embed] — C Trent Rosecrans (@ August 15, 2025 at 8:10 PM It was fitting that Uecker was part of this home run, the one that tied the 1987 team's franchise record for consecutive wins. It was during the 12th win of the first streak, on Easter Sunday, that Dale Sveum hit a walk-off home run — with the signature, 'Get up, get up and get out of here… Gone!' call by Uecker. Advertisement Even though Uecker died in January, the Brewers feel like he is still with them, especially Friday night. Murphy has pictures of Uecker in his office. He's still talked about with just about every emotion: sadness, reverence and above all else, laughter. Murphy said when the season began, he talked about loss. The loss of shortstop Willy Adames, who signed with the San Francisco Giants in free agency, and the loss of closer Devin Williams, who was traded to the New York Yankees in December. He even talked about the loss to the New York Mets in last year's Wild Card Series on Pete Alonso's home run. And finally, Murphy addressed the loss of Uecker, the Milwaukee native who signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and debuted with the team in 1962. After retiring from playing, he started calling Brewers games on the radio in 1971. He was given the nickname 'Mr. Baseball' by talk show host Johnny Carson. Uecker's fame transcended both Milwaukee and baseball, but nowhere was he more beloved than his home city. And as much as he was loved by the city, he was loved by everyone in the Brewers' organization even more. 'We just have to convince ourselves that he's with us. I think it's true,' Murphy said. 'Heroes will be remembered and legends never die. Somehow, it seems like he's watching over us. I said he's not going to miss a game. He definitely was here tonight. Yeli proved it.' After the game, Yelich showed off the bat, pointing at the scuffs on it. Near the barrel, the remnants of the Rawlings logo on the ball and commissioner Rob Manfred's signature were there from his first home run. Lower, near the handle, was the ink from the MLB logo transferred from the ball to the bat on his bloop double. Saturday, as the Brewers go for a franchise record 14th straight victory, he'll have to make the decision whether to use the bat one more time. 'I don't know. I'll talk to Shawger about it and see what we want to do,' Yelich said. 'TBD. I'll let you know tomorrow.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MLB Players' Weekend 2025: Dates, schedule, bats and everything to know about this 3-day event
MLB Players' Weekend has finally arrived. Starting Friday, the league will allow its players to celebrate themselves and their personalities by relaxing some of the rules surrounding team uniforms. Players can show off with impressive footwear and custom bats. The league originally started Players' Weekend in 2017. It ran the event for three straight seasons before putting it on a hiatus. The celebration returned during the 2024 MLB season, albeit with modified rules. The event is back in 2025 and will mimic the 2024 celebration. With things set to get underway Friday, here's everything you need to know about MLB Players' Weekend. What is MLB Players' Weekend? The event is supposed to be a celebration of the game's players. The league will put a bigger focus on player personalities and off-the-field activities as a way for them to better connect with fans. As part of that celebration, players are allowed to wear custom cleats, gloves and use custom bats during games. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] In previous seasons, MLB allowed players to wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys. When MLB brought Players' Weekend back in 2024, it no longer allowed nicknames to be worn on jerseys. That policy will remain in 2025, so don't expect to see any creative names on the back of your favorite player's uniform this season. When is MLB Players Weekend? Dates, schedule of events Players' Weekend will begin Friday and extend through Sunday. All 30 teams will take part in the festivities. The league is promoting three themes during 2025 Players' Weekend. Each day will feature its own theme, which will guide game and social-media coverage throughout the weekend. Friday's theme is off-field interests. Broadcasts and social-media accounts around the league are expected to promote what players do and enjoy away from the field. Saturday's theme will focus on causes. Which charitable causes do players support? How can fans get involved? The league will look to highlight those issues Saturday. The weekend will end with appreciation. Players will celebrate the people who helped them on their journey to the majors. It's fitting that appreciation is the theme on Sunday, as Players' Weekend will end with the Little League Classic. What is the Little League Classic? The Little League Classic is an annual game typically played at the end of Players' Weekend. It takes place at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, during the Little League World Series. Because of its timing and location, the contest is attended mostly by players, coaches and fans already at the Little League World Series. MLB has held the game every year since 2017, though the 2020 contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two teams that were supposed to take part in the Little League Classic in 2020 — the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles — instead played in the contest in 2022. The New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners will play in the Little League Classic in 2025. It will mark the second time the Mets have been chosen for the game. New York won the second Little League Classic, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-2 in 2018. MLB Players' Weekend bats Though games don't get underway until Friday, many custom bats have already leaked ahead of the weekend. Below, we'll highlight some of the best ones. Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte will pay homage to his mother with a bat featuring her picture. Marte was blown away after seeing the bat for the first time. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto opted to go with a full camo theme. He'll use a camo bat and wear camo gear behind the plate. Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader will pay homage to "Fortnite" with his custom bat. Cal Raleigh commemorated both his "Big Dumper" nickname and his home run hot streak with his bats, which read "Big butt, bigger bombs." (And he proved it, by hitting his 46th home run during Friday's matchup against the New York Mets.) Christian Yelich took a more heartfelt approach, honoring legendary Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker, who died in January, with his bat. Yelich hit two home runs of his own during the Brewers' comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds. Bryce Harper may have kicked off Players' Weekend a little too early, using a flame bat during Thursday's game. Though, Harper may opt to use a Philly cheesesteak bat over the weekend. He showed off that custom bat during the offseason, and could use that one instead. Other players, including Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly, Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. and New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez are expected to step up to the plate with food-themed bats this weekend.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jake McCarthy's RBI single with South Park bat
Jake McCarthy grounds an infield RBI single with his South Park inspired bat for Players' Weekend
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 46th homer, becomes 1st catcher with consecutive 100 RBI seasons in 25 years
Cal Raleigh let his bat say a lot on MLB Players' Weekend, carrying a stick that said "Big butt... bigger bombs" written on it. Then the All-Star catcher swung that bat and continued what's been a dream season for the Seattle Mariners' slugger. Raleigh hit his 46th home run of the season off the New York Mets' Sean Manaea, a two-run shot in the third inning that put Seattle on top, 4-3. Driving in two runs with the homer also gave Raleigh 100 RBI for the season. That matched his career-high, set last season, and also made Raleigh the first catcher since Mike Piazza in 1999 and 2000 with 100 RBI in consecutive seasons while playing at least 50% of his games behind the plate. (Piazza did it in five consecutive seasons from 1996-2000.) Raleigh is the first American League hitter to reach 100 RBI this season and only trails the Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber, who has 101 after his two-run homer on Friday versus the Washington Nationals. (Raleigh actually got to 100 RBI first before Schwarber overtook him.) However, it's Raleigh's home run total that media and fans will keep their eyes on through the final six weeks of the season. With homer No. 46, he leapfrogged Johnny Bench into second place for most home runs by a catcher in a single season. He's now two away from tying Salvador Perez's single-season record with 48 homers, set in 2021 with the Kansas City Royals. And if you don't know by now what the "big butt" on his Players' Weekend bat refers to, it's the reason for his nickname, "The Big Dumper." Former teammate Jarred Kelenic tagged him with that for his large backside and ability to hit clutch home runs. Raleigh is also moving up the all-time list for most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter. His 46th homer moved him ahead of Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones for the third-highest total in a season. Only Mickey Mantle — who hit 52 homers in 1956 and 54 in 1961 — is ahead of him now. Additionally, Raleigh tied Mantle by hitting 46 home runs in his team's first 123 games of the season, according to Sarah Langs. That will be one record Raleigh doesn't set this year. However, the Mariners have 39 games remaining on their schedule after Friday's 11-9 win over the Mets. He has plenty of opportunity to put himself atop the lists for most home runs by a catcher and by a switch-hitter in a single season. Would anyone dare to bet against him at this point? Oh, and Seattle is 1.5 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West and currently hold the league's No. 1 wild-card playoff spot. Raleigh is doing all of this in games that matter, his home runs making maximum impact for the Mariners' fortunes.
