Oakland Athletics catcher Josh Phegley is far from a household name. He may become one in a few weekends, however, without anyone even seeing his name. From August 25-27, the MLB will be celebrating "Players Weekend" for the first time. Much in the same vein as the NBA recently, the weekend will be an opportunity for players to put goofy nicknames on the back of their jerseys. Phegley may take the crown for funniest entry.
Phegley cracks hilarious joke
Wednesday brought the reveal of many of the "Players Weekend" nicknames. For the Athletics catcher, the choice looks like an odd scramble of letters: 'PTBNL.' It's not a common acronym, but it's enough of a clue to decipher what Phegley is trying to tell us he is: the 'Player to Be Named Later.' It's a role generally left to a throwaway player in a trade, one so meaningless that they aren't even determined in the moment.
Phegley was once that player. He was a third round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox back in 2009. After the 2014 season, however, he was dealt to the Athletics along with Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, and Rangel Ravelo in a trade that returned starter Jeff Samardzija and Michael Ynoa. Since then, he has developed into a serviceable backup catcher. "Players Weekend" is the perfect opportunity to get the last laugh on those who tried to relegate his position in the baseball sphere three years ago.
Other "Players Weekend" nicknames
Phegley should top any ranking of the best nickname for "Players Weekend," but the Oakland catcher isn't the only one with a clever mindset. Boston Red Sox ace is going with 'Stickman,' since he has an incredibly lanky frame.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Melky Cabrera went with the obvious choice: 'Melkman.' Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager should be a runner up for top marks since he went with 'Corey's Brother' - Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the more heralded of the two.
Over in the National League, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Seung Hwan Oh is going with Korean characters that translate to 'Sparky.' Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Eric Thames is also paying homage to his breakout time in South Korea.
Chicago Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. is could've pointed out his shared name with the former NASCAR driver, but instead decided to reach for some free burgers from 'Carl's Jr.' It's all silly, but at least "Players Weekend" will get people talking...laughing too, it seems.
