Recently retired New York Yankees relief pitcher CC Sabathia is bringing attention to players from baseball's Negro League in a new clothing line. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

CC Sabathia helps create clothing line honoring past Black ballplayers

Originally posted on Sportress of Blogitude
By Jason Rowan | Last updated 7/9/20

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.

In 1920, exactly 100 yrs ago, the National Negro League came to be. Today, I’m honored to pay tribute by releasing a custom capsule collection celebrating 100 yrs. All proceeds will benefit the NLB Museum. #TheyPlayedForUs, so I could. Available now: https://t.co/DJa7DWCLUR pic.twitter.com/HuTZIizSUR
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) July 9, 2020

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.

This one is personal!!! Help us celebrate and honor the legacy of African American baseball https://t.co/KyBk94d53R https://t.co/8i14tORPkU
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) July 9, 2020

“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.

This article first appeared on Sportress of Blogitude and was syndicated with permission.

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