NEW YORK -- At Yankee Stadium on Sunday night, everything short of the pinstripes went pink.
The Yankees, along with the rest of Major League Baseball, went all out for Mother's Day, sporting pink cleats and pink batting gloves, put pink numbers and logos on their jerseys and used pink bats in the name of breast cancer awareness. During the 5-1 loss to the Red Sox, everyone on the Yankees was in on the occasion, and some went beyond the basic requirements.
Shortstop Didi Gregorius, for example, wore solid pink cleats so bright that it was said they could've lit up the ballpark on the off chance of a blackout. He joked after the game that he'll take that as a compliment.
Gregorius and many other Yankees donned their pink well before the game during pregame activities and even just lounging around in the clubhouse in the case of Dellin Betances. But some Yankees, like Chase Headley, didn't wear pink until game time.
In Headley's case, this wasn't a display of superstition or stubborn machismo; the Yankees only provided Headley with one pink shirt and he didn't want to mess it up before the game. But that doesn't mean Headley didn't have Mother's Day on his mind pregame.
"[Mother's Day] means something special," he said. "Obviously my mom, but also my wife. We have kids now. It's fun. It's a special day to spend the morning with them. It was kind of nice. I don't say it very often that I like playing the ESPN game on Sunday nights, but it was nice to be home and get to spend some time with them."
The third baseman said he and his wife celebrated over breakfast with the kids before he had to head off to work, but he hopes to get to treat the family to a proper lunch or dinner later in the week.
Headley wasn't the only player who had special Mother's Day plans. Second baseman Starlin Castro has a plan for his pink bats: He's giving one to his mother and another to his wife.
But the bats aren't going to be the only gift. Though Castro wouldn't indicate what specifically, he did say there's going to be some extra heart poured into the gift.
"I'm doing a dedication," he said. "I'm going to write them something nice."
Fans can also get their hands on some Mother's Day gear. Authentic game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats and other gear from Mother's Day games will be auctioned exclusively at MLB.com, with proceeds benefiting the fight against breast cancer. The complete Mother's Day collection -- which includes the special caps and jerseys being worn by players on Sunday -- is available at the MLB.com Shop.