There’s only one weekend a season when Reds fans can tune in to a game and see nods to Taco Bell, “Wicked,” Lightning McQueen and so much more -- MLB Players’ Weekend!
Thanks to the Reds’ continued partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, for the second consecutive year patients at CCHMC painted cleats for Reds players to wear during all games played on Players’ Weekend, August 15-17. At the conclusion of the weekend, the cleats will be put up for bid in an online auction with all proceeds benefiting Cincinnati Children’s.
Last year’s idea for this project started with TJ Friedl, and with its success, it was no-brainer for the Reds outfielder to initiate it once more.
“Last year was so great with bringing that idea to fruition and then being able to auction the cleats off and raise money,” Friedl said. “Now to come back and do it this year, and I think we ended up getting more guys, it’s incredible. It means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to all the guys as well. And to get to come down here, meet the kids who make our cleats, get to hang out with them and see their artwork that they got to do, and then we get to wear it all weekend, it's going to be amazing.”
As Friedl alluded to, participation jumped from 19 in 2024 to 23 this year. With the large number of Reds players involved, it was a quick turnaround getting the cleats painted and presented in back-to-back days, but the young artists -- ranging from ages 3 to 17 -- were up for the task. Armed with their paintbrushes and imaginations when the shoes arrived to Cincinnati Children’s activity center on Thursday, it was their time to shine.
“I think a lot of people use art as therapy to express themselves,” said Morgan Deitschel, who works at the hospital both as a child life specialist and in Seacrest Studios, a closed-circuit TV and radio station inside Cincinnati Children’s through which patients are exposed to a unique and hands-on broadcasting experience.
“We have a team of child life specialists and other therapists who know their patients pretty well, so they were able to pinpoint people who use this as an outlet. But we also have kids who are just baseball fans who came and splattered some paint on some shoes and loved their experience as well.”
Once again this season, the Reds also teamed up with Devin Young and his local shoe customizing company, D’s Heat Customs, to get the cleats prepped so that they were ready to be used as a canvas.
“Last year, we kind of put everything together last second and didn't really know what to expect, but it turned out to be a pretty big hit and I know a lot of the guys really enjoyed them. Not only is this great for the kids, but it’s also cool to see the reaction on the players’ faces,” Young said. “And when they reached out this year, I was happy to do it again especially having a little more experience. So I’m excited to see what the kids come up with.”
What they came up with did not disappoint. With themes ranging from superheroes and TV/movie characters to food, cows and wrestling, these shoes had it all.
The children were supplied with information about the players ahead of time in case they needed inspiration for their artwork. They were also provided stencils to help bring their visions to life. While some chose to hone in on the players’ interests, others took full advantage of their creative freedom.
For 17-year-old Quinlyn Farmer, she was elated about the opportunity to lend her personal touch to a pair of cleats that would be worn by a Major Leaguer. Having played softball her whole life and possessing a passion for art, this project was the perfect fit.
What she didn’t initially realize was she would be painting Friedl’s shoes. When she arrived to the activity center, Quinlyn was hoping to find a pair of Air Jordans and gravitated to those immediately upon seeing them. It was only then that she found out they belonged to Friedl, the initiator of the whole event and, coincidentally, the man of the hour as he was celebrating his 30th birthday on Thursday.
But Quinlyn, who just took up painting in the past few months, was more than up for the challenge. She wound up giving Friedl the best birthday gift he could ask for: an incredibly detailed pair of cleats inspired by his guilty pleasure, Taco Bell.
“My favorite part is the fact that it was food and I love Taco Bell, so we have that in common,” she said. “I’m ecstatic to see my art out there on the field, it’s going to be amazing.”
When Friedl and teammate Spencer Steer arrived to the hospital on Friday to see all the cleats, the center fielder was blown away.
“Oh yes! These are awesome,” he said to Quinlyn. “These are amazing, thank you so much. I cannot wait to wear them.”
During Friday’s visit to Seacrest Studios, Steer and Friedl met some of the artists, played Jenga, posed for photos and signed autographs. It was a special start to a special weekend for everyone involved.
“The patients, families and the staff all get excited when they hear that the Reds are coming or if we're doing any kind of Reds events,” Deitschel said. “A lot of the things that we do around here are meet and greets or one-day events, but rarely do we get to show off what our patients make. So this is very unique. And now the kids can see their work on the TV or at the Reds game and see that some of their biggest idols are on the field wearing their work, and that makes them feel special.”
In addition to Friedl and Steer, participating players included Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Scott Barlow, Elly De La Cruz, Santiago Espinal, Jake Fraley, Ian Gibaut, Hunter Greene, Austin Hays, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, Nick Lodolo, Gavin Lux, Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain, Luis Mey, Sam Moll, Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan, Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino.
Cleats and additional items worn during Players’ Weekend will be available to bid on next week at reds.com/auction.
About MLB Players’ Weekend
MLB Players’ Weekend is all about celebrating players and what makes them one-of-one. Throughout the weekend, players will showcase their interests and stories through personalized bats and cleats -- giving fans a chance to learn more about who they are beyond the field