(New York, NY) – Men’s clothing brand Leovici in collaboration with Seattle Mariners Shortstop, JP Crawford, has created its second capsule collection inspired by American icon Jackie Robinson and his legacy in baseball.
The collection includes Leovici’s signature tees alongside classic caps utilizing heritage-inspired herringbone fabrics and classic construction.
All pieces in the collection feature Jackie Robinson’s number, 42 and all proceeds of the collection will be donated BaseballGenerations Foundation.
A 501(c)3 non-profit that provides expert-level baseball instruction, mentorship, life skills, and youth development in a way that is accessible to South LA youth.
JP Crawford has felt the impact of Jackie Robinson’s legacy throughout his career in baseball. With this collection, honoring his legacy and celebrating the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking MLB’s color barrier, is what Leovici and Crawford set out to do.
“I have been deeply affected by Robinson’s courage and work ethic. He took on so much hate and hostility and was able to work through it and take care of business on the field. The character traits that he demonstrated are things that I try to implement into my personal and professional life” said Crawford.
When it came time to create the pieces offered in the collaboration, Leovici and JP worked closely to combine the brand’s beloved fabrics and fits with inspiration from Jackie Robinson along with incorporating his number, 42.
“We took a minimalistic approach in designing each of these silhouettes because we wanted to make the number 42 the sole focus of the entire project. The idea was to create luxurious basics featuring the number 42 that could be worn to any type of outing” says Crawford. “We developed a custom athletic fit for the 42 T-Shirt, tailored just the right amount in the arms and waistline.
Another way I wanted to honor the legacy of Jackie Robinson was to create classic wool baseball caps. We made these with modern trimmings, giving the classic wool ball cap a modern twist. We finished these caps off with bold 42 embroidery in white right on the center of the front panel.”
Crawford, a descendant of interracial parents started off by stating, “without him I probably wouldn’t have been born, he broke barriers that were larger than baseball.”
Later when talking about Robinson, Crawford also stated that he was deeply affected by Robinson’s courage. “I know I couldn’t do what he did. He got so much hate [thrown] towards him for no reason… to want to play baseball. That man changed the course of history… BY HIMSELF! He took on what so many people can’t even bear to take on a piece of.”
Leovici is a collective of athletes, designers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, but the thing that ties us together is our obsession with getting more – out of our minds, our bodies, and our lives.
These values are in the name itself. LEO meaning lion – meant to represent confidence, strength, and leadership. VICI is the Latin word for “I conquer.” Good
Together they represent power through confidence, and earned success in all pursuits. Leovici exists for the individual who relentlessly chases the next challenge, in search of that beautiful place of optimal challenge and ability, where we find our deepest sense of purpose. Leovici’s core purpose is to inspire an unbeatable spirit through Philanthropy, Sport, and Fashion.
There was a notable absence in the Chicago White Sox lineup on Wednesday and Thursday. Team spark plug, emotional leader, and perennial batting title-contender Tim Anderson has missed the last two games and Chicago has split those games. They were shut out by the Cardinals and defeated the hapless Orioles.
Anderson’s absence was notable as it came after a rare off day for the shortstop Wednesday. With one of the most consistent players on the White Sox missing consecutive games, people started asking questions.
White Sox injury updates:
Tony La Russa is optimistic Michael Kopech's hamstring ailment isn't serious, while Tim Anderson (thumb soreness/general soreness) and Adam Eaton (hamstring) are out of the lineup tonight https://t.co/rapuuflzohpic.twitter.com/EQmujVTwJs
Manager Tony La Russa attributed Anderson’s absence to the typical toll a baseball season takes on a player’s body.
“He’s got a couple of sore spots, so we’re going to get him un-sore. Should be temporary,” La Russa said. “Just general soreness, the way I see it.”
The White Sox later relayed a message from Anderson, who described a bit of thumb soreness in addition to the general soreness and said he expects to return to the lineup Friday. Anderson isn’t a big guy, but he plays with a lion’s heart and he sacrifices his body to enhance the potency of his team on both sides of the ball. Let’s hope he gets the rest he needs to be back on the attack real soon.
With the White Sox leading by just one game in the AL Central, the franchise needs their MVP back in the fold soon. They can withstand a few games with TA, but any extended absence will be damaging to their current standing.
Dee Strange-Gordon, the man known as “Lightning,” is ready to strike.
The speedy 33-year old could be an important veteran addition both on the field and the clubhouse for a team looking to make a run to the postseason.
It wasn’t that long ago when Strange-Gordon was terrorizing the basepaths as a second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins.
From 2014-17 he stole 212 bases and scored 341 runs in 530 games. He was a two-time All-Star, batting .304 and leading Major League Baseball in steals in three out of four seasons. Twice he produced more than 200 hits in a season and he took the National League batting crown in 2015.
Further demonstrating his well-rounded skill set, Strange-Gordon won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award as well.
His .309 average with the Marlins remains the second-highest in franchise history.
1. Miguel Cabrera.313 2. Dee Gordon .309 3. Hanley Ramirez.300 4. Kevin Millar.296 5. Juan Pierre.295 6. Cliff Floyd.294 7. Luis Castillo .293 8. Jeff Conine/Christian Yelich .290 10. Edgar Renteria/Gary Sheffield.288 pic.twitter.com/V6QTo1QbBg
And he was responsible for one of the truly moving moments in baseball history; homering for the Marlins in the first game following the passing of former Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez.
Sports matter.
On this date 2 years ago, Dee Gordon hit one powerful home run in the Marlins' first AB since the death of pitcher José Fernández.
But after moving from the NL to join the Seattle Mariners, Strange-Gordon was unable to match his peak production.
In three seasons in the Pacific Northwest, he had fewer stolen bases (55) combined than he had in his final season with the Marlins (60). In 2020 he posted career-lows in every major batting category, and after being released following the season, it looked like Strange-Gordon didn’t have a path back to the bigs.
Strange-Gordon was undeterred. He signed on with the Cincinnati Reds during Spring Training as a low-risk veteran option to compete at shortstop.
Even after a solid spring where he batted .281 with a .361 OBP and four swipes, he was passed over for a spot on the opening day roster for younger options.
When the Milwaukee Brewers came calling with a minor league deal a month ago, he didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity.
Assigned to the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville Sounds, Strange-Gordon worked out at second base, shortstop and in the outfield. With injuries mounting across the big leagues, that versatility makes him an attractive option.
The Dee Strange-Gordon of old began to re-emerge in the Music City. He slashed .333/.378/.500 with a .878 OPS in 45 plate appearances.
His speed hasn’t gone anywhere either. Even after that difficult 2020 season, he ranked in the 85th percentile in speed last season.
Unfortunately, the numbers game didn’t work in his favor. The Brewers added infielder Willy Adames from Tampa Bay and his glove, though his bat has been pretty quiet this year.
What are the options available to Dee Strange-Gordon at this point?
The New York Mets have been mentioned as a possible destination. As their injured list gets longer and longer, having someone who can fill in holes like a can of Flex Seal.
New York could use an influx of energy for their stagnant offense, with J.D. Davis, Pete Alonso, Kevin Pillar, and others expected to be out for a while.
Another possible spot could be in Oakland with the A’s. Though the A’s still sit 1.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros, they haven’t gotten much production at shortstop. Perhaps Strange-Gordon could hold it down if Elvis Andrus continues to struggle.
Expanding the radius to the rest of the bigs, there are 10 second baseman with at least 120 at bats batting under .250.
At the very least, Strange-Gordon can help manufacture runs either as a runner or at the plate, and provide range in the field.
His resume and his skill set should get him a landing spot soon enough. When he finds that place, expect Dee Strange-Gordon to hit the ground running.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ second baseman has been one of the hottest dudes at the plate during this month.
On Friday, he fell just a single short of hitting for the cycle. And with just a few days to go, Semien is closing in on leading all major league batters in hits for the entire month.
#MarcusSemien hits his 9th bomb of the season for the @BlueJays, who have won 15 of their last 22 games. What a pick up
The #MLBbro agreed to move his elite SS glove to second base for Bo Bichette and he's been the vet force that Toronto's need to hang tough in the #ALEasthttps://t.co/vnbum1LJRh
Not as rare as a no-hitter, but for a major league hitter, the cycle is one of the most impressive feats you can accomplish in the game. To get a cycle, a player needs to get hits in four different fashions: single, double, triple and home run. In the history of baseball, with more than 200,000 games played, there have been only 330 times where players have checked all four boxes on the list.
Against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, Semien got the hardest parts of the cycle done early when he recorded extra-base hits in each of his first three at-bats. The Toronto leadoff hitter got the game going with a double. In the second inning, he had one of the most exciting plays in baseball when he hit a triple. His final hit of the night came on a fifth-inning home run.
You would think after getting those out of the way it would be a breeze to get just one single in his next three at-bats, but that was not in the baseball Gods’ cards for him that night.
Semien is batting .366 this month and leads all hitters in hits with 32 and 16 extra-base hits. His 28 runs batted in and 11 home runs would qualify to lead all major league second basemen this year; showing that moving from one side of the diamond to the other has added no extra stress on his bat.
The star power at second base in the American League is a little less than what Semien saw at the shortstop position in previous seasons, so if he can stay hot, he could be on his way to the first All-Star appearance of his career.
He’ll have a chance to keep pounding out hits this month as his Blue Jays finish their series with the Rays Monday afternoon.
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