All of the Dodgers' Players' Weekend nicknames
ATLANTA -- 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.
During the games, players will wear specially designed monochromatic all-black and all-white uniforms created specifically for the weekend-long event. Instead of their last name, players can choose to have a nickname on the back of their jerseys. Here are the Dodgers’ nicknames:
• Every team’s Players’ Weekend nicknames
Pedro Báez: "LA MULA"
"The Mule" in Spanish, Baez said he got the nickname for his work ethic.
Matt Beaty: "BATERS TATERS"
Beaty said college teammates gave it to him.
Cody Bellinger: "BELLI"
Walker Buehler: "BUETANE"
Because he throws heat.
JT Chargois: "SHAG"
It’s the pronunciation of the first part of his last name.
David Freese: "DAVEHUMAN"
The explanation for this one comes courtesy of SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo. He has a dog named Bob. “BobDog” is named after Freese’s best friend Robbie, aka “BobHuman.” Bob Human then got a dog named Dave, aka “DaveDog.” And that’s why Freese is “DaveHuman.”
Yimi García: "VILLA TRINA"
His Dominican hometown.
Tony Gonsolin: "GOOOOSE"
Jedd Gyorko: "JERK-STORE"
Kiké Hernández: "KIKÉ"
Short for Enrique, and what Hernandez has been called his whole life.
Rich Hill: "FIELD OF GENES"
After last year’s sensational double entendre “Dick Mountain,” this year Hill has chosen to highlight his charitable foundation, which funds research in the fields of rare genetic and undiagnosed diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.
Kenley Jansen: "KENLEYFORNIA"
Jansen changed his nickname after a fan sent him a custom-made flag of California that instead read "Kenleyfornia."
Joe Kelly: "909"
The area code of Kelly’s native Riverside County, Calif.
Clayton Kershaw: "KERSH"
Adam Kolarek: "AK"
Kenta Maeda: "MAEKEN"
"Maeken" are his initials in Japanese, last name first.
Dustin May: "BIG RED"
He got the nickname from a Double-A teammate, who thought he might get a sponsorship deal from Mountain Dew for their “Code Red” series of soft drinks.
Russell Martin: "EL (MUSCLE EMOJI)"
Rhymes with Russell, and of course signifies strength.
Max Muncy: "FUNKY MUNCY"
Kristopher Negrón: "NEGRON JAMES"
A lot of the Latin guys when I was coming up thought it was funny and they started calling me ‘Negron James,’” said Negron. “Then Ryan Ludwick, when I was with Cincinnati, heard it and started calling me that nonstop in 2014.”
Joc Pederson: "(CROWN EMOJI)"
According to Pederson, the crown emoji represents his longtime nickname, “King.”
• Shop for Players’ Weekend gear
AJ Pollock: "POLLO"
According to Pollock, Latin teammates couldn’t pronounce his last name so they started calling him Pollo, and it stuck.
Hyun Jin Ryu: "류현진"
His name in Korean.
Casey Sadler: "SADS"
Corey Seager: "SEAGS"
Will Smith: "SMITTY"
Ross Stripling: "CHICKEN STRIP"
Stripling said the most creative nicknames might not have been politically correct, so he chose this one because they are a favorite dish of his.
Chris Taylor: "CT3"
Taylor chose the nickname given to him by fans because it's his initials plus his jersey number.
Justin Turner: "REDTURN2"
Turner combined the nickname "Red" with his number when he played second base for the New York Mets. It's also a phrase for middle infielders -- “Turn 2” -- and his social media handle.
Alex Verdugo: "DUGIE"
Tyler White: "WHITEY"