Brands Offer Special Product Tied to MLB All-Star Game
Baseball is taking center stage this week as the 92nd Midsummer Classic All-Star Game gets set to kick off on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. And there’s plenty of merch — both authorized and unauthorized — for sale to commemorate the occasion.
The festivities surrounding the event started over the weekend with an All-Star Futures Game on Saturday that showcased top Major League Baseball prospects as well as the fan-favorite celebrity softball game with everyone from Chloe Kim and Rob Lowe to Fear of God founder Jerry Lorenzo scheduled to participate. Tiffany was also involved, bringing a collection of the official awards and trophies it has created for MLB over the years, including the World Series Trophy, to L.A. for fans to see. But it wasn’t just silver trophies on display: the world’s largest baseball signed by Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays and others, was also on view in the run-up to the game.
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For those ready to sport their rally caps and logoed gear, the choices were numerous this year.
Nike, the league’s official partner, created a line of jerseys themed to the game. The Nike MLB All-Star Game Jersey is offered in dark gray for the American League and white for the National League and includes a club-specific chest graphic inspired by Hollywood award shows. On the left shoulder is a star patch celebrating the player’s selection to the game while a patch on the right sleeve pays homage to the host, the Dodgers. The jerseys retail for $159.99. In addition to the All-Star-specific jerseys, Nike debuted new, more street-worthy designs for seven clubs: Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals, as part of its MLB City Connect Series that is intended to bring a younger consumer into the game. And on the night of the game, Nike will release the Dunk Low Jackie Robinson edition, which is intended to honor the former player’s impact on the sport. Printed across the shoe is Robinson’s 1947 quote: “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me.…All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” The design is an aged version of Robinson’s original uniform and a 75-year anniversary emblem on the tongue recognizes the year when he broke baseball’s color barrier for the Dodgers.
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Fear of God once again teamed with New Era on a round of headwear inspired by the Negro Leagues. The brands have partnered several times in the past and introduced the popular Fear of God cap with a reworked Detroit Tigers logo, nodding to Lorenzo’s ties to the team — his father Jerry Manuel played for the Tigers. The Negro League caps, their second headwear drop this season, draw inspiration from the Kansas City Monarchs and the Homestead Grays, both of which appear in the Fear of God Seventh Collection that also draws inspiration from the Negro Leagues. The caps retail for $125.
Born x Raised also worked with New Era on an official All-Star Game collection of cobranded Los Angeles Dodgers apparel and caps as well as those tied to different teams, including the New York Yankees and Mets, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. The capsule ranges from $54 to $175. Bricks x Wood has partnered with New Era for a line of caps as well.
Wear by Erin Andrews dropped two limited-edition T-shirts for women focusing on Dodger Stadium, the L.A. sunset and the classic Dodger Blue in commemoration of the game. The shirts, which are available on Fanatics, the MLB shop and on site at a merchandise tent at the L.A. Convention Center, retail for $34.99 for a white version and $39.99 in black. Andrews, a sportscaster and personality, also works with the hockey, football and basketball leagues as well as select NCAA schools.
Reyn Spooner, the brand best known for its Hawaiian-themed “Olaha shirts,” has created a limited-edition cotton camp shirt that celebrates the city of Los Angeles and its history hosting the Midsummer Classic for the fourth time. The print on the shirt features the Dodgers’ Walk of Fame Star, the Hollywood sign, the downtown Los Angeles skyline, a view of Dodger Stadium, and the vintage All-Star Game logo from 1980, the last time the All-Star Game was held at Dodger Stadium. It retails for $99.50.
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