BALTIMORE -- The Rays had plenty of cartoon-themed gear inside their clubhouse on Friday afternoon. It is Players’ Weekend, after all, and Tampa Bay’s players took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate their passion for the things they loved growing up.
Yandy Díaz, a noted fan of “Tom and Jerry” cartoons, had one cleat featuring Tom and another dedicated to Jerry. Ryan Vilade showed off a handful of bats honoring his Texas roots, including one with a “King of the Hill” design. Chandler Simpson had a bat with the unmistakable blue sky, white clouds and yellow font of, naturally, “The Simpsons.”
But how many people can say a cartoon legend designed their Players’ Weekend cleats? Richie Palacios can.
Palacios’ cleats were dreamed up by Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson since the long-running animated program began airing as shorts during "The Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987.
“They did an amazing job,” Palacios said inside the visitors’ clubhouse at Camden Yards. “I don't even want to wear these things, but I'm going to wear them. I'm excited that I got to have something that's meaningful.”
To appreciate the personalized cleats, you must first understand the personal connection.
Palacios, 29, and Smith, 62, were connected by D-backs pitcher Drey Jameson, one of Palacios’ closest friends. The Rays’ second baseman joined Smith in January for an interview on her new “Guard the Yard” podcast, and the episode was released on Wednesday.
Palacios was blown away by Smith’s preparation for the interview and enjoyed the “awesome” conversation so much that the two became unlikely friends. They even met for dinner when the Rays were in Los Angeles earlier this season.
“He’s just every bit the shining light that he was when I first sat down with him,” Smith said in a follow-up video. “This is a guy who, when you meet him, you’re like, ‘Aw, dude, can I be friends with that guy?’”
And at the beginning of the season, Smith delivered a surprise to Palacios: a pair of cleats made by Anthony De Lucia, who has made Palacios’ custom gear for years from the Long Island-based Lucia Footwear Co.
Smith came up with the design, and De Lucia made it a reality. The final product is a perfect blend of Smith’s Simpsons legacy and Palacios’ personality.
One cleat features the words, “Rent is due every day,” a mantra Palacios heard from his uncle when he was in college and one he often repeats now.
The other includes three words: “Gratitude. Fortitude. Joy.” Smith asked Palacios on the podcast to describe himself to someone who knew nothing about him, but she explained in a note that those are the three words she would use to describe her new friend.
“It was nice,” Palacios said. “It was kind of emotional.”
The other side of each cleat features two different designs of Lisa Simpson, Smith’s character. One is of her flying through the air, which Smith said “really embodies her spirit so beautifully.” The other is an image of Lisa emerging as the “Lizard Queen” in season four, episode 13, titled “Selma’s Choice.”
Above those images are the words “I am … built different.” That’s a reference to “Built Different,” which is the brand of Palacios and his brother, Joshua, for their apparel and community initiatives.
On the back of one cleat is Palacios’ No. 1, in The Simpsons’ signature yellow. On the back of the other is a waterlogged baseball, a reference to a story Palacios told on the podcast about hitting soggy softballs with his Dominican trainer when he was a kid growing up in New York.
Palacios also has a Simpsons-themed bat that he intends to swing this weekend. It has his name on the barrel, and there’s a three-eyed ray (an apparent reference to Springfield’s famous three-eyed fish) closer to the handle. On the bottom of the knob is Palacios’ No. 1 next to, of course, a picture of Lisa Simpson.
“When I was a kid, we loved just showing out and expressing ourselves and wearing whatever things are meaningful to us,” Palacios said. “So to have a weekend where we're able to do that as an entire league, it's awesome.
“I hope they keep this tradition forever, because guys get to show things they loved when they grew up, foundations, donations, all that good stuff that we can do. I'm glad to be a part of it.”