Recently retired MLB pitcher CC Sabathia is part of a newly released clothing line that pays tribute to former Black baseball players, and a portion of the proceeds from its sales will be directed to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Sabatahia collaborated with the Major League Baseball Players Association and apparel company Roots of Right to develop the line. The six-time All-Star and 2007 Cy Young Award winner announced the news Thursday morning on Twitter.
The portion of the revenue from the line designated for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) aspires to “preserve and celebrate the rich history of African American baseball and its significance in the social advancement of America at large,” according to a statement.
Roots of Fight highlighted in a tweet Thursday that the apparel line is in large part a way to honor the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues.
“It’s near and dear to my heart, that museum, so I wanted to do something to commemorate the 100th year of the Negro Leagues and something for the museum to bring awareness to it and drive people to Kansas City to go check it out,” Sabathia told CNBC.
Some of the revenue generated also will be directed to the estates of legendary Black players and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hoodies, long-sleeved baseball t-shirts, and jackets are part of the collection. Some of the available apparel features the name and likeness of Jackie Robinson, who broke MLB’s color barrier on April 15, 1947.
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