Explaining Reds Players Weekend nicknames

CINCINNATI -- Some different-looking Reds uniforms will be on display for the inaugural Players Weekend when Cincinnati hosts the Pirates at Great American Ball Park. More notably, there will be an array of names and nicknames on the backs of the team's jerseys, and tributes on the right sleeves.
Many of the names and patches have an interesting story behind them.
The Reds will wear digi-camo jerseys tonight in honor of Military Appreciation Day during batting practice and then Players Weekend uniforms during the game.
• Players Weekend FAQ
In addition to the uniforms, the Reds have tribute patches on their right sleeves where players will write the name of someone in their lives who has inspired them. The team also plans to show player nicknames with headshots on the videoboard, and will have the nicknames in parentheses on the lineups.
• Players Weekend: Nicknames of the game
Not every player will sport a nickname. Some that were recently called up, such as pitchers Luke Farrell and Alejandro Chacin, will be given jerseys with their last names. Here is a look at those Reds who will be using nicknames and the reasons behind it.
• Players Weekend gear available at MLBShop.com
Tim Adleman: "The Microwave"
Adleman isn't known for throwing hard but a couple of players commented to him that if something is good, that's heat.
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad
Homer Bailey: "Homer"
Bailey's given name is David but he has always gone by Homer after his great-grandfather.
Tribute patch: Diamond Warriors -- The name of the baseball team Bailey played for as a kid in Texas.
Tucker Barnhart: "Barney"
Tribute patch: Indiana Bulls -- Because the weekend is dedicated largely to kids, Barnhart chose the travel team he played for from ages 11-17. "Every summer I played, that's who I played for, in all parts of the country," Barnhart said. "They helped me get seen by colleges and pro scouts, and they really helped me get here."
Luis Castillo: "La Piedra"
Spanish for, "The rock." Teammates say the rookie is throwing really hard, or throwing rocks.
Tribute patch: Mi Dios, Mami y Papi -- Besides thanking God, Castillo wanted to credit his parents at home in Bani, Dominican Republic.
Zack Cozart: "Coach"
At 32 years old and with the club since 2011, Cozart is one of the longest-tenured Reds and his veteran status has been a beacon for younger players in the clubhouse.
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Cozart wanted to thank his father, David, and mother, Mary. Cozart's father was his coach from ages 8-12.
Adam Duvall: "Duvy"
Tribute patch: Mom, Dad, Michelle, Austin -- "They took me to all the games; paid all the fees for AAU ball. They helped out a lot," Duvall said.
Scooter Gennett: "Ryan"
Gennett's given name.
Tribute patch: Joe Guy -- Gennett's father has helped him with baseball for most of his life. "All of that work and sacrifice he made to allow me to be the best I can," Gennett said.
Billy Hamilton: "Bone"
Hamilton went with a shortened version of another one of his nicknames, "Ham-bone."
Tribute patch: Jim Ford -- Hamilton credits Ford for getting him into baseball as a little kid in Taylorsville, Miss. Ford's family eventually became a second family to Hamilton and they remain close.
Raisel Iglesias: "El Ciclon"
The Spanish word for hurricane, the nickname was given to Iglesias by his teammates for the way he disrupts hitters with his pitches.
Patrick Kivlehan: "Believe"
Kivlehan was a football player for Rutgers University and teammates with Eric LeGrand, who became paralyzed after making a tackle in a 2010 game. Now an inspiration for others with spinal cord injuries, LeGrand uses "believe" as a mantra. "We were in the same recruiting class and came in at the same time," Kivlehan said. "I was on the field with him when he got injured."
Tribute patch: West Nyack Little League -- The Little League where Kivlehan played in his New York City-area hometown as a kid.
Michael Lorenzen: "Zen Master"
Derivative of the final three letters of Lorenzen's last name.
Tribute patch: Mom, aka "Sarge" -- It's a nod to Lorenzen's mother, Cheryl, who got the nickname in their Anaheim, Calif., neighborhood. "She bossed everyone around on my block, in a good way," Lorenzen said. "She was the rule-maker."
Wandy Peralta: "La Grasa"
The Spanish term translates to "The Fat," but Peralta might be going more for "Phat," because he says the nickname means he has swagger.
Tribute patch: Mi Dios, Mami y Papi -- The left-handed reliever chose to thank God and his parents in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
José Peraza: "Miguel Angel"
Peraza said it was the name of a close friend in Venezuela who died of cancer about three weeks ago.
Tribute patch: Mama y Papa -- "They helped me a lot," Peraza said.
Bryan Price: "BP"
Price went the conventional route with his initials, but many in the clubhouse call him "Vanilla Price."
Tribute patch: Mill Valley Little League -- Price grew up in Mill Valley, Calif., and wanted to thank the coaches who helped him get started in baseball.
Sal Romano: "Big Sally"
Not much to explain. Romano's first name is Sal and listed at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, he's big.
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Romano thanked his parents back in Connecticut.
Scott Schebler: "Scheb"
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Growing up in Iowa, Schebler's parents split the duties to get him to his baseball games and his older sister to her softball games. "She ended up keeping score for all of our games," Schebler said of his mother, Deb. "The whole journey with them has been amazing. I obviously can't thank them enough."
Kevin Shackelford: "Shack"
It's simple and it's what everyone calls the right-handed pitcher, not to be confused with "Shaq."
Robert Stephenson: "Bob"
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- A thank you to his parents in Martinez, Calif.
Drew Storen: "Homage"
Storen said it's an homage to all of the players in the Major Leagues that came before him, but namely Andy Messersmith, a pioneer of the free-agent movement in the 1970s.
Tribute patch: Mom, Dad and Jay Lehr -- Lehr was Storen's pitching coach starting at age 8 in Indiana. "He's a quality figure in my life, on and off the field," Storen said.
Eugenio Suárez: "Nicolle"
Suarez and his wife are awaiting the arrival of their first daughter, who will be named Nicolle.
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad --"They are my everything, my support," Suarez said. "They did everything for me when I was young. They have to know how important they are in my life."
Stuart Turner: "Stu"
Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- A thank you to his parents back in Louisiana. He will miss this weekend's games on paternity leave as he becomes a new parent.
Joey Votto: "Tokki 2"
In 2013, Votto and then-teammate Shin-Soo Choo referred to each other as the Korean word for rabbit. Votto felt he was chasing Choo in trying to be a better hitter. Choo is going with Tokki 1 on his jersey for the Rangers. "He's the No. 1 tokki. I'm the No. 2 tokki. And numbers matter," Votto said. "I'm trying to keep up with Shin-Soo Choo, Tokki 1."
Tribute patch: My Dad -- Votto's father, Joseph, died in August 2008.
Asher Wojciechowski: "Wojo"
Wojciechowski is one of the longest last names in baseball and tough to fit on the back of a jersey. Wojo is an easy nickname to say, and spell.
Tribute patch: DAD
Jesse Winker: "Wink"