BALTIMORE – Richie Palacios, the Tampa Bay Rays second baseman, will take the field for Players’ Weekend in a pair of custom-designed cleats, just like hundreds of major leaguers who will celebrate causes and pay tribute to their passions on their bats and cleats.
Yet you could say his footwear came direct from the source.
Palacios’ Simpsons-inspired spikes feature Lisa Simpson soaring across the iconic blue sky and cumulus clouds that herald the beginning of another episode. Just one difference compared to the branded swag that will invade diamonds this weekend: Palacios’ Lisa Simpson cleats were inspired by … Lisa Simpson.
OK, so it was Yeardley Smith, the longtime voice of Lisa Simpson, who linked up with Palacios on her new sports-themed podcast
where he shared his passion for fashion and footwear.
“We were talking about fashion and how much I love crazy cleats and such,” says Palacios. “And she was like, ‘Cool, I’m going to do something nice for you.’ She didn’t tell me what.
“I showed up at (Tropicana Field) and there were handcrafted customized cleats done. She designed them in the lab. Reached out to my favorite person (Anthony De Lucia) that customizes cleats .
“They collabed and created these amazing cleats and was able to give them to me.”
A few twists of fates brought the 29-year-old second baseman and the iconic voice of the erudite elementary schooler together. Smith is based in Phoenix, and Palacios is close friends with Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Drey Jameson. This year, Smith decided to branch out from her longtime true crime podcast and start a sports-themed venture.
And so "Guard The Yard" was born, with early guests including Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Will Hernandez and various Olympians. Jameson, through mutual connections, linked Smith and Palacios, the Brooklyn-born ballplayer.
Smith found Palacios’ climb through the major leagues with his brother, Joshua, compelling.
The cleats evoke visions of resolve and appreciation, with “Gratitude, Fortitude, Joy” drawn on one cleat in the iconic Simpsons font and “Built Different,” the brand and non-profit the Palacios brothers founded, on the other.
Lucia Footwear made it all come together. And now Palacios believes he’ll be an even more avid Simpsons watcher going forward.
“I grew up watching it,” says Palacios of the show that was nearly 10 years into its almost four-decade run when he was born in 1997. “But I’m a bigger fan now that I actually know the voice of Lisa Simpson. She’s a really nice person. She did this for me, which she didn’t have to do.
“And we’re homies now.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Lisa Simpson designed Rays player Richie Palacios' Simpsons cleats for Players' Weekend
