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Melvin Upton changing his name back to B.J. Upton makes perfect sense (not that it matters)
Vaughn Ridley
Melvin Upton, the (low on base percentage) artist formerly known as B.J. Upton, has decided to change his name back to B.J. thanks to his wife. And people, please get your heads out of the gutters regarding the reason. Here's how the 34-year-old explained the decision.
"You know what, it's my wife, man, she said, 'Melvin' doesn't sound right on TV and she wants me to go back to B.J.," Upton said while appearing on MLB Network on Tuesday. "And everybody knows, happy wife, happy life. So we're official. It's cool."
Smart man.
That being said, it might not really matter. Sorry, B.J., but your days of being on TV appear numbered. Upton last appeared in a Major League Baseball game in 2016. Since he's been signed to two minor league contracts and cut before the season, and he's currently a free agent.
By the way, B.J. stands for "Bossman Junior." It's an homage to his dade whose nickname is Bossman and it sounds a lot cooler than Melvin. But he changed to going by his birth name four years ago, and, well, it didn't really help his career.
Upton was the 2nd overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft by the Tampa Rays, but never grew into a start like people predicted. His younger brother, Justin, hit 30 home runs for the Los Angeles Angels last season. He has never changed his name. Just saying. Anyway, if you're looking for an aging low OBP guy, B.J., not Melvin, is your man.