May 23--San Clemente-based Stance on Monday announced a deal with Major League Baseball that will make the SoCal hosiery brand the official on-field sock of MLB. It's the second long-term, high-profile deal the label has locked in with a professional sports league, following on the sock-clad heels of becoming the National Basketball Assn.'s official on-court sock starting with the 2015-2016 season.
According to the announcement, the brand's new Fusion Baseball sock will make its official debut on the field at the 2016 All-Star Game on July 12, with specific National and American League designs as well as a specific design for the participants in the Home Run Derby. From that point through the end of the 2016 season, MLB players will wear either a striped or a solid version of their team's sock, with additional on-field designs coming in time for the 2017 season.
Although Tampa, Fla.-based Majestic Athletic has been a longtime supplier of MLB's official on-field uniforms, and Buffalo, N.Y.'s, New Era Cap Co. is the provider of official headgear, Major League Baseball has not, until now, actually had an official on-field sock. Under the current arrangement, teams can get their socks from any number of providers (Twin City Knitting Company and Phiten are two of the best-known companies). Though the recently announced deal doesn't foreclose that option, it does restrict the use of team logos and the MLB logo to the new Stance socks.
This isn't the first time Stance and Major League Baseball have worked together; last year saw the debut of an MLB-licensed line of casual socks that served up team logos, images of legendary players and artwork of various baseball stadiums.
And just in case your yen for baseball-themed clothes involves real estate north of the kneecap, another California-based company has also gotten in on the game. San Francisco-based Levi Strauss recently rolled out its first MLB-licensed collection, a range of light outerwear pieces (think jean jackets, sweatshirts and club coats) emblazoned with embroidered team logo patches.
