Former Blue Jays, Current Mets Reliever Wants To Go by Hilarious Nickname

Call the former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher by his nickname.

Mar 10, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Richard Lovelady (68) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros in the third inning during spring training at TD Ballpark | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Richard Lovelady was in the headlines on Monday after he signed a Major League contract with the New York Mets.

But that's not the sole reason why his signing went viral.

Lovelady now wants to go by his nickname, "Dicky," a hilarious new name change that was in the official announcement made by the Mets.

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Like with everything, though, there's more to the story, and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com revealed those details in his latest piece.

First, Lovelady will still go by his official name in all formal communications.

"On a baseball card, I go by Richard Lovelady. On the scoreboard, Richard Lovelady," the pitcher said.

However, when at the ballpark or when fans run into him, he wants to go by his nickname.

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DiComo revealed that Lovelady's father is also called Richard, so he has always gone by a differentiating nickname, with some family members calling him by his middle name, Tyler.

What's prompting this change to Dicky isn't clear, but it's sure to give the fans something humorous if what was going around online is any indication about what's to come.

When it comes to his career, the left-hander is looking to get things back on track.

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He did not have a good stint with the Blue Jays, allowing four earned runs in his two appearances where he pitched just 1 1/3 innings at the beginning of the season in March. That prompted the team to designate him for assignment and outright him to Triple-A Buffalo when he cleared waivers, an assignment he turned down when he elected to become a free agent.

And after signing a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins but not getting into a Major League game before he was released, Lovelady is hoping he can become an impact arm for his newest team.

For more Blue Jays news, head over to Blue Jays On SI.