Indians' nicknames for Players' Weekend

August 9th, 2018

For the second 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. 24, through Sunday, Aug. 26.
Here are the nicknames Indians' big leaguers will wear on their backs while sporting colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs inspired by youth-league uniforms:
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Indians
: "CHICKEN"
-- This dates back to the days when Frank Herrmann was in the Indians' bullpen. There was an inside joke between the relievers, with Herrmann calling Allen "Chicken Al." The first part of that nickname stuck and Allen is often referred to as "Chicken" by his teammates.
: "MR. 305"
-- The rapper Pitbull has a record label called "Mr. 305 Inc." in reference to Miami's area code. After defecting from Cuba when he was young, Alonso grew up in Miami and played baseball at the University of Miami.
: "BIG RIG"
-- Anderson was dubbed "Big Rig" by his teammates due to his imposing build. The pitcher -- currently sidelined due to Tommy John surgery -- has a horse called "Little Rig."
: "BAUER OUTAGE"
-- The Indians pitcher's Twitter handle is @BauerOutage, which is a play on words from "power outage." Bauer has lived up to that nickname this season with the lowest home-run rate in the Majors.
Shane Bieber: "NOT JUSTIN"
-- This one hardly needs an explanation. Thanks to his last name, the Indians rookie pitcher has lived through a lifetime of jokes and jabs related to the singer Justin Bieber.
: "JUNIOR"
-- Brantley's father, Mickey Brantley, played in the Majors with the Mariners from 1986-89. Mickey's full name is Michael Charles Brantley, and his son is Michael Charles Jr.
: "MELK MAN"
-- Cabrera has had the "Melk Man" nickname for years now, a play off his first name. When he makes a nice catch or comes through with a big hit, the "Melk Man" delivers.

: "COOKIE"
-- Carrasco's nickname dates back to 2011, when -- as the story goes -- former closer Chris Perez saw him eating cookies and began calling him "Cookie" from then on. The name stuck and is now what teammates call Carrasco in the clubhouse.
: "BIGLON"
-- Chisenhall's Twitter handle is @BigLon8.
: "CIM"
Mike Clevinger: "SUNSHINE"
-- With his long hair and colorful tattoos, Clevinger is a kind of free spirit. The pitcher loves to wear stylish cleats, which often honor his wife and two young daughters. Sunflowers are a prominent symbol used by Clevinger and the nickname "Sunshine" fits the theme.
: "RAJ"
: "RIVERA"
-- Encarnacion's Players' Weekend name honors his mother, Mireya Rivera.
: "GOMER"
-- It's simple, but it stems from manager Terry Francona, who often replaces "s" with "r" when talking about his players. Corey Kluber is "Klubes," for example. So, Gomes became "Gomer" when Francona took the helm in Cleveland.
: "LA PARITA"
: "GOODS"
: "LA PIÑATA"
-- This is in reference to Guyer's knack for getting hit by pitches. He led MLB in hit-by-pitches in 2015 and '16 and has been hit once every 17.8 plate appearances over the course of his big league career.
Brad Hand: "BROTEIN SHAKE"
: "DIRTBAG"
-- Kipnis has a reputation for getting his uniform dirty and has been known as "Dirtbag" for years in Cleveland.
: "KLUBER"
: "MR. SMILE"
-- Lindor has become known as one of the more energetic players in the game and the dynamic shortstop is usually playing with a smile on his face. He's even noted that he probably would've considered dentistry if he wasn't playing baseball. Lindor debuted the "Mr. Smile" nickname on Players' Weekend in 2017.
: "THE ASERE"
: "MILLER TIME"
: "BILLY"
Dan Otero: "OT"
-- Otero wasn't known as "OT" until he came to Cleveland, where Francona began using that nickname for the reliever.
: "OLLIE"
: "ENRIQUITO"
-- Ramirez has been known by many nicknames over the years. He was "Mini Me" when Juan Uribe was with the Tribe. Francona called him "George" at one point, referencing Ramirez's "George Jefferson" strut. The manager took to calling Ramirez "Rammer" for a while, too. On Twitter, the third baseman is Mr. Lapara. For his Players' Weekend moniker, though, Ramirez honored his father, Enrique, with "Enriquito," meaning Little Enrique. It was Ramirez's dad who pushed Jose to not let his short stature hinder him from pursuing the game he loved.
: "BEBO"
-- Perez was raised in Puerto Rico by his mother, Lilliam Martinez, who called him "Bebo" from a young age, because she thought he looked like a baby from magazine ads. The nickname stuck throughout Perez's life and his teammates call him that to this day.
: "RAMMER"
: "SALLY"
Josh Tomlin: "SCRUBS"