Jun 23, 2009
Ripken Baseball cheating on Under Armour with Rawlings?
OK, maybe it’s not the soap opera-esque love triangle that headline may have you think. But when I got the news release that Rawlings and Ripken Baseball Inc. are teaming up to produce a new line of training aids, the first thought that ran through my head was, “Hey, wait — didn’t Ripken Baseball just sign a deal with Under Armour a couple months ago?”
The nonprofit, a marketing and sales company headed by Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., signed an outfitter deal with the Under Armour in April that includes being the official uniform provider for Ripken Baseball (including three minor league franchises) and title sponsorship for all 25 Ripken youth baseball tournaments.
This week, Ripken Baseball (also based in Baltimore), announced it is launching the Rawlings Five Tool Training line. The line will focus on developing the skills needed to become a “five tool” player including hitting for power, hitting for average, speed, fielding and throwing. I imagine the training line will be sold at the Ripken Store, which recently launched online and is a little sparse in products at the moment.
OK, I know Under Armour is more the shoes and apparel company than it is gear. And to boot, Cal Ripken used Rawlings equipment his entire career so it’s a natural fit. But one of the big kickers for Under Armour teaming up with Ripken was that it makes it more visible to youths, a market it is trying to expand in. If the kids I’m marketing to are all turning around and buying a competitor’s training equipment, I don’t know how pleased I’d be about that.
What do you think? Is this a close call? Or am I just being petty?
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If you haven’t read the agreement between Ripken Baseball and Under Armour, then you have no reason to even suggest that there’s something impermissible about the Rawlings deal.
First of all in the spirit of full disclosure, I am Cal Ripken’s publicist and I worked with Rawlings on this announcement. Liz, I have worked with you on a number of occasions in the past and this is the first time I have seen you not do your job.
You did such little research for this blog entry that it is shocking. There is no conflict whatsoever. The UA relationship does not crossover to the Rawlings relationship. They are separate in almost every way when it comes to product. They are both great brands who want to grow their brand in youth baseball so the partnership with Ripken Baseball makes perfect sense.
In addition, the 5 tool training line will be sold in retail stores and online so your little shot at the Ripken online store was unnecessary and unfair not to mention uninformed.
The one thing you should have done was pick up the phone and call me. You have done it many times in the past so there is no reason not to do it now. Very confusing and surprising.
John