Every Orioles' Players' Weekend nickname
Joe Trezza
For the third consecutive year, Major Leaguers will put their personalities and passions on the field when Players' Weekend takes center stage during all games from Friday, Aug. 23, through Sunday, Aug. 25.
Here are the nicknames the Orioles will wear on their backs while sporting sleek, non-traditional black and white uniforms during their three-game series against the Rays this weekend:
Hanser Alberto: "#FEMALTA" -- This is a blend of Alberto¡¯s own design, combining ¡°Fe,¡± the Spanish word for ¡°Faith¡± and ¡°Malta,¡± the name of a dark, sugary drink popular in Alberto¡¯s native Dominican Republic. He chose it instead of ¡°Radio¡±, the nickname bestowed on him in the Minors ¡°because I talk too much.¡±
Shawn Armstrong: "ARMIE"
Richard Bleier: "DICK"
Aaron Brooks: "BROOKSY"
Dylan Bundy: "DILLY"
Miguel Castro: "VILLA HERMOSA"
Alex Cobb: "SWAN"
Chris Davis: "CRUSH"
Tom Eshelman: "ESHELMAN"
Paul Fry: "PAPA FRITA" --Translation: ¡°French Fry.¡±
Mychal Givens: "TONY" -- Givens¡¯ middle name is ¡°Antonio.¡±
David Hess: "HESS (TRAIN EMOJI)"
Branden Kline: "BK"
Trey Mancini: "BOOMER" -- When Mancini was a kid in Florida, a family friend began calling him ¡°Boom Boom¡± after the famous boxer Ray ¡°Boom Boom¡± Mancini, from the 1980s. ¡°Boom Boom¡± became ¡°Boomer¡± when Mancini went to Notre Dame for college, so much so he said recently that ¡°I feel like there are some people who might not even know my real name. ¡° This is the second time Mancini has used the moniker for Players¡¯ Weekend.
Richie Martin: "RICH BOY" -- A video game aficionado growing up, Martin said he chose ¡°Rich Boy¡± because that was his gamer tag during his school years. It¡¯s a nod to Alabama rapper of the same name, a one-hit wonder known for his 2007 banger ¡°Throw Some D¡¯s.¡±
John Means: "MEANSY"
Renato Nunez: "REY (CROWN EMOJI)"
Jace Peterson: "PETEY"
Anthony Santander: "AGUA BLANCA" -- Santander was born on Margarita Island, off the Venezuelan coast, but grew up in and feels more connected to the mainland municipality Agua Blanca, which translates into ¡°White Water.¡± Santander said he will use the nickname to rep his hometown, where he returns every winter.
¡°People back home, when they see my bio, they always see Margarita,¡± Santander said, through team translator Ram¨®n Alarc¨®n. ¡°And they say, 'Hey, you grew up in Agua Blanca. What¡¯s going on?'¡±
Pedro Severino: "MERCURIO" -- Another Oriole using Players' Weekend to reference an important part of his childhood, Severino¡¯s nickname refers to a auburn birthmark on his neck that he was bullied for as a child. Now Severino uses it to honor his mother, who counseled him not to fight back, but move beyond the tormentors he had as a young man. Severino grew to use the moniker as motivation, and now sports it with pride.
Chance Sisco: "SISCO KID"
Dwight Smith Jr.: "DABLACK"
Mark Trumbo: "TRUM"
Jonathan Villar: "GABY" -- Before Villar was born, his parents were deciding between whether to name him ¡°Jonathan¡± or ¡°Gabriel.¡± His maternal grandparents knew their preference -- ¡°Gabriel,¡± shortened to ¡°Gaby.¡± That¡¯s what they continued to call him during childhood, even after his parents settled on ¡°Jonathan.¡± Villar said using ¡°Gaby¡± for Players¡¯ Weekend is meant to honor his grandparents.
Stevie Wilkerson: "BREEZE" -- You may be asking: ¡°Where is ¡®Dr. Poo Poo¡¯?¡¯ Where is ¡®Stevie Sliders¡¯?'¡± The truth is, when players jotted down their nickname preferences this spring, Wilkerson had no idea the direction this season would take for him. He could not have anticipated the notoriety he¡¯d earned on the mound, of all places, and the monikers his pitching would inspire. So he goes by ¡°Breeze,¡± essentially a tried-and-true classic from his college days.
Asher Wojciechowski: "WOJO"
Gabriel Ynoa: "GABY"