DETROIT — Cutch. El Coffee. Cole Train. Stew. Super Nova.
Major League Baseball allowed players to choose the name on the back of their jerseys for the inaugural “players weekend” Aug. 25-27, and the Pirates had some fun — and frustration — with their selections. Wednesday, the league unveiled the colorful alternate uniforms, inspired by youth league uniforms and designed to highlight players’ personalities.
The Pirates will wear the new duds, which include a mostly black jersey with yellow and white trim alongside an all-yellow cap featuring an old-school buccaneer logo, for a road series in Cincinnati but also for the Little League Classic game Aug. 20 in Williamsport, Pa.
“I’m good with it,” said manager Clint Hurdle, who intends to stick with “Clint” on his uniform. “It’s all new. We’re blazing a trail. I love the initiative that commissioner [Rob] Manfred has implemented since he stepped into office. I’m very supportive of the initiative to reignite a generation of kids, our youth, into the game of baseball. This is another way to do it.”
While some nicknames seemed obvious choices — Cutch (Andrew McCutchen), J Hay (Josh Harrison), Stew (Chris Stewart), Cisco (Francisco Cervelli), Huddy (Daniel Hudson), J-Mo (Jameson Taillon), Fraz (Adam Frazier), JB (Josh Bell) — other players went with inside jokes.
David Freese decided on “Davehuman” because, well, Freese already is a nice nickname. A few years ago, Freese bought a boxer and named the pup Bob. His buddy, also named Bob, would watch Bob the dog while Freese was away. Then, Bob the human got a dog and named it Dave. When the four are together, one must be species-specific about Bobs and Daves.
“It’s funny to, like, five people,” Freese said, grinning.
Chad Kuhl wanted “Kuhl Whip” but that, as was the case with many players’ first choices, was scotched by the league, presumably for corporate and copyright reasons. Kuhl went instead with “Chet,” the nickname given to him by fellow starter Trevor Williams. Williams wanted to be “Ved,” a nod to the Pearl Jam lead man, but was turned down and settled for the initials “EV.”
Sean Rodriguez turned in his nickname last month while still with the Atlanta Braves, so he initially picked “Chi Chi” — a nickname often heard in the clubhouse; the roots trace back to the golfer Chi-Chi Rodriguez — and ended up with “Cheech.” Now in Pittsburgh, Rodriguez said, he wished he could switch to “Serpico” since that’s how Pirates fans know him.
George Kontos, another recent addition, will wear “Spartan” on his jersey. His ancestors hail from Sparta in ancient Greece, he said. Several years ago, shortly after the film “300” was released, Kontos was jogging next to Daniel McCutchen, the former Pirates pitcher. When they started to wear down, McCutchen yelled, “Spartans don’t get tired!” For Kontos, the Spartan name stuck.
Hurdle declined to disclose a childhood nickname which missed the cut. He did say he was eager to see the way Bowman Field in Williamsport looks after its recent renovations. Hurdle managed Class AA Williamsport, then a New York Mets affiliate, in 1991.
“It’ll be a cool weekend,” Hurdle said of the Little League Classic. “It’s still a real game. The game counts. The game matters. I think it’s nice to maybe peel back a couple different layers and add a couple layers. I’ll encourage our guys to go play the game as it’s meant to be played and have fun with the opportunity that [is] meant to be had fun with.”
Trainer’s table
Head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said prospect Austin Meadows, currently rehabbing from a hamstring injury at short-season Class A West Virginia, is “progressing nicely” and should return to Class AAA Indianapolis in the near future. General manager Neal Huntington indicated Sunday it was unlikely Meadows will be in line for a September promotion.
Tomczyk said he had in-depth conversations with the Braves medical staff before and after the Rodriguez trade was finalized last week. Rodriguez injured his left shoulder in a serious car accident in January and had rotator cuff surgery in February. His season debut was in July.
“It’s a testament to Sean himself to be playing right now,” Tomczyk said. “And compliments to the Atlanta Braves, Dr. [James] Andrews, that medical staff, that performance team for leading him, guiding him in the right direction and giving him an opportunity to play again. I’ve worked with and seen a lot of hitters and pitchers that have similar surgeries that are career-ending.”
Canada bound
Gregory Polanco missed the Pirates’ trip to Montreal in late March/early April because of a passport issue. Whatever the problem then, Polanco confirmed Wednesday he is cleared for travel for this trip. After their game Thursday, the Pirates will fly to Toronto for three games against the Blue Jays.
Stephen J. Nesbitt: snesbitt@post-gazette.com and Twitter @stephenjnesbitt.
First Published: August 9, 2017, 11:38 p.m.