Fernando Tatis Jr. has 50 custom cleats planned this year, including odes to Gwynn, Curry and more

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. had Tony Gwynn with him when he rounded the bases after a dramatic, go-ahead home run against the Chicago Cubs last week.

The San Diego Padres star stutter-stepped into third base with his right cleat, designed with the look of the team's home white pinstriped jerseys from 1998, when Gwynn led the Padres to their most recent World Series.

Tatis’ left cleat was in the brown and yellow color scheme from the 1980s. Both cleats had “Mr. Padre” on the back to honor the late Hall of Famer.

Perhaps divine providence led Tatis to unveil those custom cleats on the 20th anniversary of the first Padres game at Petco Park, where a statue of Gwynn stands beyond the center field fence.

Or maybe it’s just the swagger and flair that sets Tatis apart from most other ballplayers.

“Definitely the shoes,” Tatis said after helping turn an 8-0 deficit into a 9-8 win. "The power came from above. Always grateful. Definitely a little bit inspired today. Just happy I was wearing those shoes today.”

He's hoping to pull more inspiration from the ground up this season. Tatis plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats in conjunction with his branding company, Xample, and Los Angeles-based Shoe Surgeon. The cleats will honor people, events and whatever strikes the 25-year-old Tatis’ fancy.

“It’s a crazy idea,” Tatis said. “We’re definitely having fun with them.”

Tatis previously had a shoe deal with Adidas, but the company ended that days after MLB suspended him for 80 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs in August 2022. Being a shoe free agent has allowed the dreadlocked Dominican to be creative and use different brands, although he favors Jordan 1 Mid cleats by Nike.

“I think that really made him more expressive in terms of really showing the world who he is,” Xample founder and CEO Nick Drbal said. “Never judge a book by its cover or else we’ll just write our own book.”

In 2019, MLB began allowing more colorful cleats. Tatis, along with Bryce Harper and a handful of others, have been at the vanguard of creativity.

Tatis unveiled his first custom pair during a two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea.

For the home opener, he honored late Padres owner Peter Seidler with cleats that included images of Seidler, who died Nov. 14 at age 63, and palm trees. Seidler stood by Tatis during the PED suspension and was at the star’s first game back. Tatis put Seidler’s quote, “I believe in him,” on the back of the cleats. Tatis plans to give them to Seidler’s family.

The next night, Tatis wore “ Tatis & Co. ” shoes in stylish Tiffany Blue to match the Padres’ colorful City Connect uniforms. He homered twice.

A pair called “Platino” honored his 2023 NL Platinum Glove Award and featured the silhouette of Tatis leaping to make a home run-robbing catch last season.

On Military Appreciation Day, he wore cleats made from the camouflage uniform Army veteran Mark Bartlett wore while deployed in Afghanistan and a uniform worn by Navy veteran Jared Kenney, including their name tags. That project came about after Tatis asked fans on Instagram what they’d like to see.

A longtime Padres fan, Bartlett, 41, said he was “speechless and emotional” when he found out at game time that Tatis was wearing the cleats. “I was celebrating Easter with my family and I had to go in the garage to let it out. Started bawling when I first set eyes on them.”

Raised in a military family, Bartlett applauded Tatis for supporting San Diego's military community. He said his father, a 24-year Navy veteran who died during the pandemic, “would be so proud to see his family name on one of his favorite player’s cleats.”

Tatis opened a series in San Francisco by wearing a pair of Stephen Curry’s Under Armour basketball shoes that had been modified into cleats. The Golden State Warriors superstar personalized them with his favorite Bible verse, “I can do all things.”

Curry said he and Tatis connected through a mutual friend.

“It’s kind of cool to see him wear it. One of one,” said Curry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP. “The love and respect from fellow athletes, guys that are — how old is he? — the fact that he felt a certain type of connection to me and my story knowing where he is and the profile he has now, I know his intention is good so that’s pretty dope that he wanted to rock them with pride.”

Tatis honored his father with cleats named “In The Blood” for the opener of a series at Dodger Stadium, where Tatis Sr. hit two grand slams in the same inning on April 23, 1999.

For Jackie Robinson Day, he wore “Never Let Them Know It” cleats with beautiful laser-etched images of Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier.

“Every one of them have a different type of value, but I feel they’re coming out really nice so far,” Tatis said.

“When you look good, you play good.”

Tatis and Drbal began dabbling with custom cleats last season and decided to go all out this year.

“He is the most swaggy player in baseball. His fashion is unmatched. He’s very different in that regard,” Drbal said. “I’ve never really met someone who takes such pride in the details in every part of his life, let alone his wardrobe. He’s 100% the right guy for this.

“It’s completely collaborative. It’s beautiful,” said Drbal, who also works with Ronald Acuna Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Oneil Cruz on their shoe designs.

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this story.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., right, hits a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, and home plate Ryan Additon watch during the seventh inning of a baseball game April 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. Tatis Jr. plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

FILE - San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) wears silver Nike cleats during a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, April 1, 2024, in San Diego. Tatis plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season in conjunction with his branding company, Xample, and Los Angeles-based Shoe Surgeon. The cleats will honor people, events and whatever strikes the 25-year-old Tatis' fancy. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. hirts a single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. wears cleats for Jackie Robinson Day during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, April 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. wears cleats for Jackie Robinson Day during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, April 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

FILE - San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr.'s cleats are seen as Tatis grounds out during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. Tatis Jr. plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

FILE - The cleats of San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. are shown during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Friday, April 5, 2024. Tatis plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season in conjunction with his branding company, Xample, and Los Angeles-based Shoe Surgeon. The cleats will honor people, events and whatever strikes the 25-year-old Tatis' fancy. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

FILE - San Diego Padres' outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) wears cleats in memory of former San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler during an Opening Day baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in San Diego. Tatis plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season in conjunction with his branding company, Xample, and Los Angeles-based Shoe Surgeon. The cleats will honor people, events and whatever strikes the 25-year-old Tatis' fancy. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

FILE - San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. wears cleats in honor of the U.S. military during the team's baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on March 31, 2024, in San Diego. Tatis Jr. plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season.(AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

FILE - San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) wears cleats commemorating the Padres's 1980's and 1990's teams during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, April 8, 2024, in San Diego. Tatis plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season in conjunction with his branding company, Xample, and Los Angeles-based Shoe Surgeon. The cleats will honor people, events and whatever strikes the 25-year-old Tatis' fancy. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Two Broadway shows celebrating the origins of sonic creativity — the musical “Hell’s Kitchen” fueled by Alicia Keys songs, and the play "Stereophonic" about a '70s rock band at the edge of stardom — each earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations Tuesday, a list that also saw a record number of women nominated for best director.

A total of 28 shows earned a Tony nod or more, with the musical “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film, earning 12 nominations; a starry revival of “Cabaret” starring Eddie Redmayne, nabbing nine; and "Appropriate," Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ searing play about a family reunion in Arkansas where everyone has competing motivations and grievances, grabbing eight.

Rachel McAdams, making her Broadway debut in “Mary Jane,” earned a best actress in a play nomination, while “Succession” star Jeremy Strong, got his first ever nomination, for a revival of “An Enemy of the People.” Jessica Lange in “Mother Play,” Sarah Paulson in “Appropriate” and Amy Ryan, who stepped in at the last minute for a revival of “Doubt,” also earned nominations in the best actress in a play category.

"The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons earned a supporting nod for “Mother Play,” and Daniel Radcliffe on his fifth Broadway show, a revival of Stephen Sondheim's “Merrily We Roll Along,” won his first nomination.

Redmayne in his second show on Broadway got a nod as best lead actor in a musical, as did Brian d’Arcy James for “Days of Wine and Roses,” Brody Grant in “The Outsiders,” Jonathan Groff in “Merrily We Roll Along” and 73-year-old Dorian Harewood in “The Notebook,” the adaptation of Nicholas Sparks romantic tearjerker. Harewood, in his first Broadway show in 46 years, landed his first Tony nomination.

Redmayne's “Cabaret” co-star Gayle Rankin earned a nomination for best actress in a musical, as did Eden Espinosa in “Lempicka,” Maleah Joi Moon in “Hell’s Kitchen,” Kelli O’Hara in “Days of Wine and Roses” and 71-year-old Maryann Plunkett, who plays the elderly wife at the heart of “The Notebook.”

Steve Carell in his Broadway debut in a poorly received revival of the classic play “Uncle Vanya” failed to secure a nod, but starry producers who earned Tony nods include Keys, Angelina Jolie (for “The Outsiders”) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (for “Suffs”).

The best new musical crown will be a battle between “Hell's Kitchen,” “The Outsiders,” the dance-heavy, dialogue-less stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 album “Illinois,” “Suffs,” based on the American suffragists of the early 20th century, and “Water for Elephants,” which combines Sara Green’s 2006 bestseller with circus elements.

The best new play Tony will pit “Stereophonic” against “Mother Play,” Paula Vogel’s play about a mother and her kids spanning 1964 to the 21st century; “Mary Jane,” Amy Herzog’s humanistic portrait of a divorced mother of a young boy with health issues; “Prayer for the French Republic,” Joshua Harmon’s sprawling family comedy-drama that deals with Zionism, religious fervency and antisemitism; and “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” Jocelyn Bioh’s comedy about the lives of West African women working at a salon.

The nominations marked a smashing of the Tony record for most women named in a single season. The 2022 Tony Awards had held the record for most female directing nominees, with four total across the two races — musical and play. Only 10 women have gone on to win a directing crown.

This year, three women were nominated for best play direction — Lila Neugebauer (“Appropriate”), Anne Kauffman (“Mary Jane”) and Whitney White (“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”) — while four were nominated in the musical category — Maria Friedman (“Merrily We Roll Along“), Leigh Silverman (“Suffs”) Jessica Stone (“Water for Elephants”) and Danya Taymor (“The Outsiders”).

A spring barrage of new shows — 14 shows opened in an 11-day span this year — is not unusual these days as producers hope their work will be fresh in the mind of voters ahead of the Tony Awards ceremony on June 16.

There were some firsts this season, including “Here Lies Love” with Broadway's first all-Filipino cast, which earned four nominations, including best original score for David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim. And seven openly autistic actors starred in “How to Dance in Ohio,” a first for Broadway but which got no Tony love.

Academy Award winner and Tony Award-nominee Ariana DeBose, who hosted both the 2023 and 2022 ceremonies, will be back this year and will produce and choreograph the opening number.

This year’s location — the David H. Koch Theater — is the home of New York City Ballet and in the same sprawling building complex as Lincoln Square Theater, which houses the Broadway venue Beaumont Theater.

Like last year, the three-hour main telecast will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. EDT/5 p.m.-8 p.m. PDT with a pre-show on Pluto TV, and some Tony Awards handed out there.

This season's Broadway numbers — about $1.4 billion in grosses and 11.1 million tickets — is running slightly less than the 2022-23 season, off about 4% in grosses and down 1% in tickets.

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

This image released by Polk & Co. shows Kecia Lewis, left, and Maleah Joi Moon during a performance of "Hell's Kitchen." (Marc J. Franklin/Polk & Co. via AP)

This image released by Polk & Co. shows Maleah Joi Moon, left, and Chris Lee during a performance of "Hell's Kitchen." (Marc J. Franklin/Polk & Co. via AP)

This image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown shows, from left, Alison Luff, Olive Ross-Kline and Adam Jacobs during a performance of "The Who's Tommy." (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman/Boneau/Bryan-Brown via AP)

This image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown shows Maryann Plunkett, left, and Dorian Harewood during a performance of "The Notebook." (Julieta Cervantes/Boneau/Bryan-Brown via AP)

This image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown shows Ryan Vasquez, right, and Joy Woods during a performance of "The Notebook." (Julieta Cervantes/Boneau/Bryan-Brown via AP)

FILE - The stage appears before the start of the 75th annual Tony Awards on June 12, 2022 in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)