RAWLINGS BASEBALL BLOG

Check out the new Rawlings Facebook page!

2010-06-01T09:25:00.002-05:00

We recently launched the all-new Rawlings facebook page! Become a fan and win cool prizes including the latest gear for your game, autographed baseballs, Rawlings tees and much more!

http://www.facebook.com/rawlings

Do you have the next big idea in baseball?

2010-05-06T14:02:00.014-05:00

Rawlings recently partnered with Edison Nation® (http://www.edisonnation.com/) to discover the next game-changing baseball and fast-pitch softball training product designed to help today's elite athletes.

Last year, Rawlings introduced the new 5-Tool Training Series in collaboration with Ripken Baseball in an effort to assist coaches and players with training and game preparation.

The Rawlings “Live Product Search” through Edison Nation calls on all players, coaches and fans of the game to submit their product ideas that will innovate the game even further.

Edison Nation, an open innovation platform, accepts, filters and processes the submissions of independent inventors looking to introduce their ideas to partnering retailers and manufacturers. The expert product review team analyzes thousands of ideas each month.

Edison Nation is free to join. The Rawlings Live Product Search ends on
June 7, 2010. For further details on the search and how to submit, visit: www.edisonnation.com/rawlings.

Behind the Scenes at a Rawlings Video Shoot!

2010-04-07T08:47:00.005-05:00

This week, the Rawlings team filmed a brand new video featuring some of the most amazing young athletes we've ever seen! We can't say too much yet, but we know you'll love the finished piece! Here's some pictures from the set.

The Power of Rawlings Exogrid

2010-03-31T09:09:00.003-05:00

Check out the latest video our team created to showcase the all-new Rawlings 5150 Exogrid bat! Raw Power!

Rawlings at Spring Training 2010!

2010-03-19T09:12:00.006-05:00

The Rawlings team just returned from Spring Training in Arizona. Our group visited 6 teams: the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, LA Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Whitesox, and Seattle Mariners. While there, we interviewed key members of the Rawlings Advisory Staff including reigning Cy Young Winner Tim Lincecum, Torii Hunter, Geovany Soto, Jake Peavy, Cliff Lee, Edwin Jackson, Justin Upton and many more! We'll be featuring new images and video of these players on Rawlings.com in the coming weeks! Until then, check out these behind-the-scenes photos!

Virginia Cavaliers #1 in Baseball America's Top 25 Rankings for first time ever!

2010-02-26T15:16:00.002-06:00

The Virginia Cavaliers, a Rawlings Advisory Staff program, recently was ranked as #1 in Baseball America's Top 25 Poll. This marks the first time the program has occupied the #1 slot. They swing the new Rawlings 5150 Exogrid bat exclusively. Congrats to Coach O'Connor and the Cavaliers!

Have you started training for the season??

2010-01-13T16:33:00.003-06:00

So spring is upon us and that means more baseball to be played! We're sure you all have been working out in preparation for the season and now Rawlings is able to help you along the way with the new Ripken Baseball 5 Tool Training Line! We teamed up with Ripken Baseball to develop training equipment focused on improving the "5 tools" of baseball performance. Whether you need to work on fielding, throwing, hitting for average, hitting for power, or running speed, you will find products focused on developing your targeted area, allowing you to make the most of your time while you train. Check out the line on Rawlings.com and be sure to let us know what you think! Do any of you have any training tips to share? What do you do to ensure you are ready for the season?

Team Rawlings' Members Win 2009 MVP Titles!

2009-11-24T16:31:00.004-06:00

Congrats are in order for Rawlings Advisory Staff Members Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols for being named as the 2009 MVP's of the American and National League, respectively.

Mauer led the votes for the AL, receiving 27 out of 28 first place votes. In 2009, Mauer was the AL leader in on-base percentage (.444), slugging percentage (.587), and led the league in batting average. In addition to his MVP title, Mauer also won the 2009 Rawlings Gold Glove at the catcher's position in the AL.

This marks the 3rd MVP title for Pujols who in 2009 led the league in slugging percentage (.658) and on-base-percentage-plus-slugging (1.101). Pujols also led the NL with 124 runs scored -- the fourth time in his nine-year career that he's led the league in that statistic (STLTODAY.COM). With those kind of stats, it's no surprise that the Baseball Writers Association of America unanimously selected Pujols as the NL winner.

Congrats to both Albert and Joe! We're proud to have them on our Advisory Staff!

2009 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winners Announced

2009-11-10T14:37:00.006-06:00

Rawlings Sporting Goods recently announced the 2009 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winners for the American and National Leagues.

“Since it’s creation in 1957, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award® has been bestowed on some of the greatest defensive players the game has ever seen and this year is no exception,” said Mike Thompson, Rawlings Senior Vice-President, Sports Marketing. “Defense is a cornerstone of the Rawlings brand and we’re proud to recognize defensive excellence at baseball’s highest level. Congratulations to the 2009 recipients.”

This year, three of the nine American League players selected are first time award winners including Mark Buehrle (AL P), Evan Longoria (AL 3B), and Adam Jones (AL OF). Additionally, Adam Wainwright (NL P), Ryan Zimmerman (NL 3B), Michael Bourn (NL OF), and Matt Kemp (NL OF) of the National League each took home their first awards.

Rawlings, The No.1 brand in baseball gloves, established the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 1957 as the greatest measure of fielding excellence. The award is presented annually to 18 players – one for each position – in both the American and National Leagues. Winners are selected by Major League coaches and managers prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Managers and coaches may not vote for players from their own club and only vote for players in their own league.

The complete American League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup includes:

P: MARK BUEHRLE, WHITE SOX(1)
C: JOE MAUER, TWINS (2)
1ST: MARK TEIXEIRA, YANKEES (3)
2ND: PLACIDO POLANCO, TIGERS (2)
3RD: EVAN LONGORIA, RAYS (1)
SS: DEREK JETER, YANKEES (4)
OF: ADAM JONES, ORIOLES (1)
OF: ICHIRO SUZUKI, MARINERS (9)
OF: TORII HUNTER, ANGELS (9)

The complete National League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup includes:

P: ADAM WAINWRIGHT, CARDINALS (1)
C: YADIER MOLINA, CARDINALS (2)
1ST: ADRIAN GONZALEZ, PADRES (2)
2ND: ORLANDO HUDSON, DODGERS (4)
3RD: RYAN ZIMMERMAN, NATIONALS (1)
SS: JIMMY ROLLINS, PHILLIES (3)
OF: SHANE VICTORINO, PHILLIES (2)
OF: MICHAEL BOURN, ASTROS (1)
OF: MATT KEMP, DODGERS (1)

About the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® is a Registered Service Mark owned by Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. The award is correctly identified as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The name should not be shortened, abbreviated or otherwise misused. Proper identification of this service mark using the registration symbol and the Rawlings name is important to protect the integrity of the program and perpetuate this worthy tradition.

About Rawlings
Rawlings is a leading marketer and manufacturer of baseball equipment and other sporting goods in the United States. Rawlings is the Official Baseball and Helmet of Major League Baseball® and official ball of the NCAA® baseball championships. Rawlings is also the glove of choice of more pro athletes than any other brand including Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, and Torii Hunter. For more information, please visit www.rawlings.com.

2009-10-28T10:35:00.002-05:00

It's an exciting time for baseball fans as the 2009 World Series approaches. Rawlings is proud to be a part of it as the Official Baseball and Helmet of Major League Baseball and the World Series. In honor of this special event, Rawlings is offering Official 2009 World-Series game-day baseballs. Be sure to check them out at your favorite authorized Rawlings dealer or retailer.

Team Rawlings' Chris Carpenter Named NL Comeback Player of the Year!

2009-10-05T15:35:00.002-05:00

Chris Carpenter, standout pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and key member of the Rawlings Advisory Staff, was recently named the National League's "Comeback Player of the Year". Carpenter has had an exceptional 2009 season following his elbow surgery that took place in 07 and sidelined him thru mid 08. Rawlings congratulates Chris for his tremendous accomplishment and is hopeful that he'll also take the 09 NL Cy Young Award!!!

Rawlings Rising Star Profile

2009-08-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

Jason Gentile, a standout shortstop from Connecticut and avid Rawlings fan, was recently profiled on the "Real Athletes Blog". Check out the article by clicking on the link below. Congrats to Jason and best of luck to him during his upcoming season!

http://www.accessathletes.com/blog/blogdisplay.cfm?blogid=361

Rawlings S100 Helmet in the News!

2009-08-14T08:05:00.008-05:00

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the new Rawlings S100 Helmet that protects up to speeds of 100 mph. Some say safety is the most important feature whereas some think that style matters most. Here's some articles and video clips that showcase the new helmet. What do you think of the new S100??? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/sports/baseball/13helmet.html?hp

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4439059&categoryid=2378529

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/sports/baseball/02mets.html?_r=1&ref=sports

New Cannon to be used to Develop Next Generation of Rawlings Equipment

2009-07-30T14:38:00.013-05:00

Next week, a new testing cannon will make its way to the St. Louis Headquarters of Rawlings Sporting Goods. The new Universal Testing Cannon, designed and built by the innovative crew at Rawlings' sister company K2 Sports, will be housed at the Rawlings Tech Center facility alongside other high tech equipment used to build prototypes and test the latest sporting goods equipment. Rawlings will use the cannon to test a wide variety of products including bats, balls, helmets, protective equipment, and gloves. The products will be mounted inside a “ball impact chamber” that will propel a baseball or softball at 40 mph to 250 mph, every 5-6 seconds. The cannon will play a critical role in helping our development group better understand the durability of bat barrels, tapers, and handles. Additionally, the cannon will determine the life span of baseballs, softballs, helmets, protective gear, and gloves. The result? A new and improved line of Rawlings equipment!

Ray Rice coming to Football America Superstore in Maryland!

2009-07-17T08:48:00.013-05:00

Signing a Success!

Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens signed autographs for fans last Thursday in Baltimore. Check him out in the backfield with Willis McGahee this season, and also check him out in this highlight video--he's a beast!

Event Info:

Here's your chance to meet Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens! He'll be appearing at Football America on Thurs. July 23rd at 11:30 am. Get there early!

Get to Know Albert Pujols of Team Rawlings

2009-07-14T13:33:00.002-05:00

With the All-Star Game in St. Louis this year, it seemed guaranteed for Albert Pujols to earn another spot on the roster, but could anyone expect the support he received? Pujols received 5,397,374 votes—the most votes out of any player this year and the second most in the history of major-league voting. Making his eighth All-Star game appearance in nine pro seasons, Pujols has definitely established himself as one of the most dominant players in the game today and is on his way to another MVP season. In fact, Pujols is the greatest current player in baseball according to a 2009 Sporting News poll of baseball personalities including former Cy Young winners, Hall of Famers, and league MVPs. Do you know the last time Pujols received a top honor from Sporting News? In 2008—when he was named Player of the Year and also the NL MVP.

If you don’t buy into the poll, Pujols’ stats throughout his career are difficult to argue with. From his entry into the league in 2001, Pujols has reigned amongst the top 16 in the National League in batting average, hits, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, on-base plus slugging (OPS), and runs during every season! In Pujols’ 2008 MVP season, he finished in the top four in homers, rbis, runs, and slugging percentage. As of July 9^th, Pujols led the National League in homers, rbis, runs, and slugging percentage while 3^rd in batting average and 10^th in hits. See another pattern? Even if Pujols doesn’t earn MVP honors this year, odds are that he will finish in the top ten (as he has every season) or second (as he did in 2002, 2003, and 2006).

Aside from top honors, Pujols has a lot of other hardware to display including a 2006 Rawlings Gold Glove at first base, four Silver Slugger Awards (2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008), the 2003 NL Hank Aaron Award, the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year Award, and a 2006 World Series championship. Not bad eh? Pujols has the opportunity to add a Home Run Derby championship this year as he competes as one of the four NL selections.

Has Pujols always been this dominant? Yes, since playing high school ball in Missouri Pujols has displayed an offensive prowess and an ability to play any position on the field. Pujols earned all-state honors twice at Fort Osage High School and then played a season at Maple Woods Community College, where he hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in his first game! However, most scouts failed to pick up on Albert’s potential and he fell to the 13^th round of the 1999 draft before the Cardinals drafted him with the 402^nd overall pick.

Off the field, Albert and his wife, Deidre, started the Pujols Family Foundation in efforts to combat Down syndrome and poverty in the Dominican Republic. Both issues hit close to home with Albert as his daughter Isabella was born with Down syndrome and he grew up in the Dominican Republic before immigrating to the United States. Albert and his family abide by the Pujols Family Foundation mission statement, which reads “To live and share our commitment to faith, family and others”.

Baseball's Struggle for Cinema Success

2009-06-27T15:26:00.000-05:00

Brad Pitt and Stephen Soderbergh were supposed to team up for "Moneyball," a story based on the Michael Lewis bestseller about the way Billy Beane revolutionized the way stats were used to scout and develop promising talent. However, Sony Pictures shut down the project days before filming began because a revised script from Soderbergh took the film in an unwanted direction. Pitt was cast to play the roll of Beane while former major leaguers like David Justice and Darryl Strawberry were set to play themselves.

Here's a comment from Sony's Amy Pascal from the LA Times:
"Soderbergh wouldn't talk to me about all this, but it seems clear that he became obsessed with authenticity, replacing many of Zaillian's inspired scripted set-pieces with actual interviews with the real people who were involved in the events. The Soderbergh aesthetic, according to one source close to the film, was simple: If it didn't happen in real life, it wasn't going to be in the movie. That might make for an intriguing art film, but it clearly was no longer a film that any studio would spend $58 million to make, especially with baseball films having virtually no appeal outside of the U.S."

Pascal brings up a good point about the lack of appeal outside the U.S., but it is disappointing to see that studios are so set on finding huge box office hits that they are giving up on somewhat smaller films with better stories behind them. Now the movie is in limbo and waiting on another studio to jump onboard. UPDATE: Check out the ESPN article published 7/28 about Billy Beane and Moneyball.

Is baseball really that unappealing? Maybe Sony should remember the baseball movies that have become staples in American cinema... and maybe Sony should go with Kevin Costner based on his past success as an onscreen ball player.

Top 12 baseball movies ever made? Be the judge and rank them in the comments...

Rawlings ® and St. Louis Cardinals™ Team up with Local Retailers to Give Back during All-Star Week

2009-06-18T10:28:00.005-05:00

Rawlings Sporting Goods®, the number one baseball brand worldwide, has partnered with the St. Louis Cardinals™ and sporting goods retailers Sports Authority and Johnny Mac’s on a baseball equipment drive to take place through All-Star week.

The equipment drive will benefit the Redbird Rookies, a baseball league sponsored by Cardinals Care, which provides equipment for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play. Donation bins will be placed in nine Sports Authority stores and six area Johnny Mac locations beginning June 16th. Those who make a donation of gently used baseball equipment will receive a 10% off coupon towards their next Rawlings purchase. The collection will conclude on July 17th, 2009.

“Rawlings firmly believes that everyone should be able to participate in America’s pastime and we’re proud to lend a helping hand to players in need,” said Robert Parish, President and General Manager of Rawlings. “We’re confident that the best fans in baseball here in St. Louis will rally together to make this program a tremendous success.”

“With the All-Star Game here in St. Louis this year, we have an exciting opportunity to show all of baseball just what kind of people make up this great city of ours,” said Tony La Russa, Manager, St. Louis Cardinals. “We are looking forward to uniting as a community to give back to those less fortunate as we prepare to host and participate in one of the most anticipated events in St. Louis baseball history.”

Rawlings is asking that any donated equipment be in useable condition. Examples of possible donated items include bats (wood and aluminum/composite), gloves, batting gloves, catcher’s chest protectors, leg guards, helmets, and baseballs. Items may be any brand; however, the 10% discount will be good towards Rawlings products only.

Rawlings is the official baseball and helmet of Major League Baseball® and the 2009 MLB® All-Star Game.

All-Stars Among Us

2009-06-18T10:23:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to vote for your favorite All-Star Among Us! Visit peopleallstars.com -- and tune-in to FOX July 14th @ 8pm ET to see the winners!

Check out FanFest in St. Louis July 10-14!

2009-06-17T11:33:00.002-05:00

If you’re in St. Louis for the 2009 MLB® All-Star Game, then make sure to check out FanFest at the America’s Center during July 10-14! Attractions include batting cages for a home run derby or against virtual pitchers, a bullpen to test your pitching skills, trivia contests, memorabilia and collectibles, a tribute to St. Louis baseball, autograph sessions with Hall of Famers, and photo opps with either the World’s Largest Baseball (OMG!) or on your own personalized Topps baseball card!

Rawlings will also be at FanFest so make sure you stop by our table, too! As the official ball and helmet of Major® , Rawlings will have a range of commemorative baseballs and team helmets for sale. Also, we will demonstrate how to make a baseball—from the materials used to the final process of stitching it together. We will have our signature glove chairs on display, and a limited number are even available for purchase. The chairs are made from Heart of the Hide leather and make for the best seat in the house on game day!

You can find the complete list of attractions and other information about FanFest at MLB.com. Other events throughout the week include the All-Star Charity Concert featuring Sheryl Crow (July 11 at 8pm under the Arch) and the State Farm Home Run Derby (July 13 at Busch Stadium). Finally, President Obama will toss the ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star Game on July 14^th. If you couldn't get a ticket to the game, you can watch it live on Fox!

Tickets:

You can buy your tickets online and use coupon code “FANFEST1” to receive $5 off adult tickets or “FANFEST2” to receive $5 off child tickets.

Location:
America's Center
701 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
Dates & Hours:
Friday, July 10: 9:00AM-7:00PM
Saturday, July 11: 9:00AM-8:00PM
Sunday, July 12: 9:00AM-8:00PM
Monday, July 13: 9:00AM-8:00PM
Tuesday, July 14: 9:00AM-6:00PM

Get to Know Kevin Youkilis of Team Rawlings

2009-06-17T09:51:00.001-05:00

Kevin Youkilis has been known around the baseball world well before becoming the Boston Red Sox’s first basemen. In fact, he first gained national recognition for his performance at the University of Cincinnati and with the Boston Red Sox’s minor league affiliates. At Cinci, he set school records for home runs, slugging percentage, on base percentage, and walks on his way to earning All-American honors during two seasons (1999 and 2001). After being drafted in the 8^th round by the Boston Red Sox, Youkilis continued to display an uncanny ability to reach base while playing with minor league clubs from 2001-2004. Further respect came to Youkilis in Michael Lewis's best-selling book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (Rumors were swirling of a movie adaptation staring Brad Pitt until the studio pulled the plug), where former Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane penned him as "Euclis, the Greek God of Walks".

In 2004, Youkilis hit the big leagues with Boston playing third base and homered in his second major league at bat. With an established offensive presence, Youkilis also demonstrated his ability to play the field with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at first base in 2007, which earned him his first Rawlings Gold Glove and helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series title. In 2008, Youkilis cracked the AL top ten in slugging percentage (3^rd), sacrifice flies (3^rd), RBIs (4^th), extra base hits (4^th), and OPS (4^th), hit by pitch (5^th); batting average (6^th), on-base percentage (6^th), doubles (7^th), total bases (8^th), and at-bats per home run (10^th). These swatting skills earned him the starting first base position on the All-Star roster, the Hank Aaron Award for best offensive player of the year, and third place in the AL MVP voting.

Did we mention that he is also quite the humanitarian? (Ladies, at ease, he is already married) Youkilis started his own charity in 2007 called Hits for Kids, which works other charitable organizations in the New England and Cincinnati areas to increase awareness and support for childrens’ health. When you didn’t think the man could do any more, Youkilis launched his own wine, SauvignYoouuk Blanc, with the proceeds benefitting Hits for Kids. With the All-Star game quickly approaching, Youkilis is fighting a tight battle with Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees for the first base starter spot. You can support Youkilis with your MLB All-Star vote or include him as a write in candidate for People Magazine’s All Stars Among Us because the guy might as well be the man of the year!

Rawlings Gives Back during All-Star Week!

2009-06-10T10:35:00.005-05:00

St. Louis is privileged to be the host city for the 2009 MLB® All Star Game. As the host city, our work must start now, and we’ve called on our employees for their support and involvement.

Given the economic climate that we've all been living through, MLB has decided to make this year's All Star Week about giving back. In turn, MLB, Rawlings and a few of our retail partners have agreed to partner on a number of community service campaigns prior to and during All Star Week.

Following the directive of our Guiding Principles, we want all employees to be community minded. That said, our employees will be volunteering for the following projects:

Boys and Girls Club Renovation Project

What: Renovation of a multi-purpose room at the Adams Park Center in St. Louis

Redbird Rookies Field Cleanup

What: Refurbishment of baseball field used by the Redbird Rookies in St. Louis

*Read more about the Redbird rookies at: http://mlb.mlb.com/stl/community/redbird_rookies.jsp

We’ll share some pictures from each of the events soon!!!!

Virginia Cavaliers advance to the College World Series for the first time ever!

2009-06-08T13:17:00.007-05:00

We're proud to announce that the University of Virginia Cavaliers, a Rawlings Collegiate Advisory Staff Program, will make their first appearance at the College Baseball World Series! Fresh off their 5-1 victory over Ole Miss at the Super Regionals on June 7th, the Cavs are headed to Omaha to face off against LSU. With a school record of 48 wins in a season, it looks like the Cavs are ready to fight till the end! Congrats to the Cavs for making it this far and best of luck in Omaha!

New Rawlings Youtube Channel Launches!

2009-05-07T08:15:00.002-05:00

Rawlings has just launched it's very own youtube channel! Visit http://www.youtube.com/rawlings1887 to watch new product demonstrations, interviews with top pro athletes, tips from college baseball coaches, and much more!!! Check it out and let us know what you think! Watch for more videos to be added this spring. You can also access the new Rawlings Youtube Channel by going to Rawlings.com then clicking on the "Fun Extras" section. Hope you like it!

Virginia Generals Win Big!

2009-05-04T14:36:00.004-05:00

The Virginia Generals, one of the Rawlings Advisory Staff Youth Teams, had one heck of a weekend at the Southern Classic NIT Greensboro Tournament! The team went 5-0 in the tournament and qualified for the USSSA World Series. Additionally, they earned a paid berth to the "Tournament of Champions" event. The Generals are ranked as the #1 USSSA 10U team in the nation and currently are 35-1. Congrats to the Virginia Generals and good luck this season from your friends at Rawlings!

New Rawlings 5150 Bats have Arrived!

2009-04-10T10:37:00.001-05:00

So just how well do you know your swing?? We at Rawlings know that all swings are not created equal. That’s why we’ve developed our new bats to fit every type of player: whether you swing for power or speed or prefer more control. Our engineers have been hard at work developing the latest Rawlings bats, the 5150 Series, so that players can maximize their performance on the field where it matters most. Top collegiate programs like Tulane, Georgia Tech, Kent State and the University of Virginia have all been convinced and our proud to swing the new 5150 bats! You can learn all about the new 5150 Series and see a video of the new bats in action at http://www.5150.rawlings.com/.

Rawlings Spotlight: Geovanny Soto

2009-03-30T10:07:00.002-05:00

Geovanny Soto of the Chicago Cubs has emerged as one of the top young catchers in the game today. Fresh off his stint catching for his home country of Puerto Rico in the second World Baseball Classic, Soto has been hard at work prepping for the 09 season, hoping to top last year’s performance. 2008 was a breakout year for Soto; he was named the MLB National League’s Rookie of the Year and was the first-ever rookie catcher selected to start on the National League All-Star team. He’s certainly paid his dues, having played in the Cubs minor league system for the past four years leading up to his 08 season. While playing in the minor leagues during 2007, he was named the Pacific Coast League’s MVP with a .353 batting average, 26 homeruns, and 109 RBI’s. In the majors, Soto has continued to contribute with his bat. He finished last season with a respectable .285 batting average, 23 home runs, and 86 RBI’s. With stellar defensive skills and his offensive ability, Soto is definitely the total package! We wish him luck in 09.

Geovanny Soto sports a black Pro Preferred Catcher’s Mitt with a Pro Mesh Back and he also wears a Rawlings Pro Style Chest Protector and Leg Guards from the new 950Z line launching this spring.

*statistical info gathered from mlb.com

Rawlings selected as the Official Baseball and Helmet of World Baseball Classic®

2009-03-11T15:53:00.002-05:00

Rawlings has been named as the Official Baseball and Helmet for the second World Baseball Classic® beginning this month! The baseball will be used by all of the 16 participating teams, each representing a different nation or territory, whereas the batting helmet will be used by 12.

The Rawlings 2009 Official World Baseball Classic Baseballs are stamped with the WBC logo in metallic gold and are now available for purchase at your favorite authorized Rawlings dealer.

Rawlings at Spring Training 09!!!

2009-03-03T08:12:00.007-06:00

Our team just returned from Spring Training where we interviewed several members of Team Rawlings!! The videos will be posted this spring, but in the meantime, check out some of the pictures!!!

The New Gold Standard!

2009-02-26T18:07:00.003-06:00

So are you a collegiate or high school player that won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award this year? If so, we want to hear from you!

Tell us what it means to receive the highest symbol of defensive excellence! Do you like the new design of the award? What does it mean to you? Let the world know what it takes to become one of the "Finest in the Field"!

One Special Ball Player

2009-02-20T14:32:00.003-06:00

Rawlings recently had the pleasure of working with Josh Ruchotzke, who had several amputations as a result of a sudden infection. Read this story from the Peoria Journal Star about Josh's journey and his love of the game.

http://http://www.pjstar.com/archive/x1344337737/Catching-on-with-a-new-mitt

Will Chris Carpenter be ready to go this spring?

2009-02-12T13:05:00.003-06:00

St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher and member of Team Rawlings Chris Carpenter is a key figure in the Cardinals starting lineup. Still recovering from a nerve condition that resulted from his 2007 elbow ligament surgery, Carpenter has been showing steady improvement on the mound and will be testing his skills further at spring training.

Check out this article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for the latest details on Carpenter's health and outlook for 09. Rawlings wishes him the best of luck during the upcoming season!

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/63BD363F5AF4E78E8625755B000FB2D1?OpenDocument

Rawlings Spotlight: Grady Sizemore

2009-02-06T13:01:00.003-06:00

To say Grady Sizemore is a pure athlete is an understatement. The 27 year old centerfielder for the Cleveland Indians was a three sport athlete while in high school, excelling not only in baseball, but basketball and football as well. In fact, he holds the record for rushing yards and interceptions at his high school in Everett, Washington. After graduation, Sizemore was recruited to play football and baseball at the University of Washington but ultimately turned it down and entered the MLB Draft in 2000. He was signed by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the draft that year. Two years later, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians as part of a six player deal that also included Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips.

Since joining the Cleveland Indians, Sizemore’s performance has been nothing short of amazing. He’s led the league in both runs and doubles in 2006 and has been named to the MLB All-Star Team in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Sizemore has clearly established himself as an offensive force, but his defensive skills have caused many to take notice. He’s added two Rawlings Gold Glove Awards to his list of accomplishments, winning defensive honors in both 2007 and 2008. 2009 should be another standout year for the centerfielder, starting with the World Baseball Classic. Sizemore will be representing the United States at the event beginning in March. Rawlings is proud to have Grady Sizemore on our team and wishes him the best of luck during the 09 season!
Grady Sizemore sports a black 12 ½” Pro Preferred Model with a Modified Trap-Eze® Web. Customize Grady’s glove or create your very own at www.Rawlings.com/customglove!

Rawlings and Perfect Game

2009-01-22T16:50:00.002-06:00

Check out the videos that Perfect Game produced at the American Baseball Coaches Association's show this month! Listen to key members of the Rawlings team discuss the latest product to be released this spring.

http://baseballwebtv.com/Video.aspx?videoID=23811

http://baseballwebtv.com/Video.aspx?videoID=23814

http://baseballwebtv.com/Video.aspx?videoID=23818

Team Rawlings' Award-Winning Season

2008-12-03T09:55:00.008-06:00

Aside from the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, there were plenty of other awards to be won by the pros at the conclusion of the 08 season. We’re proud to have many of this year’s award winners on Team Rawlings!

Michael Young, Texas Rangers
Marvin Miller Man of the Year

There is no question Michael Young is an outstanding player. He has compiled a career .300 average while hitting .284 this year with 82 RBIs and 12 homeruns. As perennial All-Star (selected 5 times) and a Rawlings Gold Glove recipient this year, no one is questioning the greatness of Michael Young.

However, the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award does not just take into account a player’s statistics or playing ability. The recipient is selected by the fans and the players for outstanding leadership on and off the field. This is where Young has established greatness. His teammates know him as the clubhouse leader, but they also know him as an involved leader in the community. In fact, he is an ambassador for Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer and the Dallas Action Team Player, encouraging local high school students to get involved and volunteer in their communities.

Here at Rawlings, it is not just about hitting the big homerun; it is about paying it forward to those in need. Thank you, Michael Young; you are an inspiration to us all!

Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
National League MVP, Roberto Clemente Award

Here at Rawlings we don’t like to play favorites, but we ARE located in St. Louis and he IS Albert Pujols! This guy had another unbelievable season, finishing the year with a .357 average, 116 RBIs, 37 homeruns and just 56 Ks. He never once saw his average drop below .341 and managed a career high .462 on base percentage. There is no doubt Albert has had an unbelievable career, but he will even admit this may have been his best yet!
Pujols has never hit below .314 and has compiled at least 100 RBIs and 30 homeruns every season. Talk about consistency! With those statistics, there is no question this the second of many MVP awards Albert will receive. Get the record books ready!

Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
National League Rookie of the Year

Geovany Soto, after being called up and hitting .426 in the heat of the 2007 pennant race, did not cool off entering his true rookie season. Soto finished with veteran-like offensive numbers, batting .285 with 85 RBIs and 23 homers. In fact, he became the first rookie catcher to hit at least 30 doubles and 20 homeruns in a single season! He also finished second among catchers in slugging percentage (.504) behind only Brian McCann (Atlanta Braves). He capped off his spectacular rookie campaign with quality defense behind the dish. He threw out 27% of would-be base stealers and committed just 5 errors. There is no question Soto handled his pitching staff extremely well.

Although the Cubs sputtered in the playoffs, look for more of the same out the Rookie All-Star catcher. He will undoubtedly be a great backstop for years to come!

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
National League Cy Young

Tim Lincecum, listed at 5’ 11”, 160, is undersized, underweight and is simply too young to win a Cy Young. But the kid who can throw 100 mph did win! In fact, he accounted for 18 of the San Francisco Giant’s 72 wins this season.

After being drafted in 2006, Lincecum made it on the fast track to the Big Show. And now, in just his second season in the pros, Lincecum managed to lead the league in strikeouts (265), finish second in era (2.65) and wins (18) and third in innings pitched (227). His strikeout total is also a new Giant’s record for most strikeouts in a single season. We can’t wait to see what he does next year!

Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
American League Cy Young, American League Comeback Player of the Year

Cliff Lee dominated 2008. During a season in which the Cleveland Indians managed only a .500 record, Lee lost only 3 games. He led the American League with his 2.54 era and his spectacular 22-3 record. His single season winning percentage (.883) is good for 12th all-time!

The most impressive part of Cliff Lee’s season was the resilient manor in which he played. Lee, coming off an injury-plagued 2007 and a career high era, proved to his fans he was back! In fact, he finished the month of April a perfect 5-0 with a miniscule 0.96 era. But he wasn’t finished yet. After being named the starter in the All-Star game and striking out three in his appearance, Cliff setout for the second half. He soon became the first Indians pitcher to reach 20 wins since Gaylord Perry. Thanks to Lee, the Indians have now accounted for the past two Cy Young winners! Congrats Cliff!

Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox
Hank Aaron Award

The fans have spoken! As the recipient of the Hank Aaron Award, Kevin Youkilis is crowned the best offensive player in 2008 (AL). This is no real surprise to us! After all, he averaged an RBI every 4.7 at-bats (1st in AL). Clutch! In fact, Youkilis had at least 15 RBIs in every month of the season. The 29 year-old corner infielder set career highs with a .312 BA, 168 hits, and 43 doubles during the regular season. He also led the Sox with 115 RBIs and 29 jacks. There is no question, without Youkilis, the Red Sox would not have managed a playoff birth in ’08.

Although this award is purely offensive-based, it is important to note the manner in which he accomplished the award. Youkilis, in 2008, split time between 3rd and 1st while even filling in the OF. His versatility on the infield is almost unheard of, and combined with his offensive dominance, is nothing short of amazing. Congrats Kevin Youkilis and all Red Sox nation!

Brad Lidge, Phillies
NL Comeback Player of the Year, Delivery Man of the Year

Perfection. That is the easiest way to sum up Brad Lidge’s season. Lidge has been a good closer his entire career (with a few bumps along the way), but this year he re-established himself in a big way! Not only did he receive the Comeback Player of the Year award, he was also named the Deliver Man of the Year (handed out by the fans to the best relief pitcher in each league). And did he deserve it!

Let’s revisit Lidge’s season. With a 1.95 ERA, he converted all of his 41 saves opportunities. He also managed 92 Ks over just 69+ innings of work. Dominant! He continued his perfection in the playoffs, compiling 7 more saves and allowing only 1 run, helping lead his Phillies to World Series victory! Handing the ball to Lidge in 2008 was like ending the game an inning early!

J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
All-Star MVP

When David Ortiz was lost to injury, J.D. Drew was asked to step into the 3 hole and fill Big Papi’s shoes for the Red Sox. Drew responded with a spectacular first half to the season with average of .302, 55 RBIs and 17 homeruns. For his work, he was selected to the 2008 AL All-Star team, at which time Drew again shined. He led the team with a homer in the 7th to keep the AL hopes alive, managed to reach base 4 times in the night, and made a spectacular catch at the wall in late innings to help preserve the inevitable AL victory.

We are sure he has not forgotten his incredible run which included a brand new SUV, a reward handed out each year to the All-Star game MVP! Enjoy the ride, J.D.!

Pujols named NL MVP!!!

2008-11-17T13:35:00.003-06:00

Well, he's done it again! Team Rawlings 1st baseman Albert Pujols was recently named the Most Valuable Player in the National League. Although his team didn't make it to the post-season, Pujols's stats are still considered staggering! With a .357 batting average, a .462 on base percentage, and a .653 slugging percentage, it's hard to imagine what this guy can't do! Now with 2 MVP titles under his belt, Pujols's domination-era continues...Rawlings congratulates Albert on a phenomenal award-winning season!

Geovany Soto of Team Rawlings named 2008 NL Rookie of the Year!

2008-11-10T13:53:00.002-06:00

Today it was announced that Team Rawlings' catcher Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs was named the 2008 National League's Rookie of the Year.

Soto hails from Puerto Rico and has been playing in the Chicago Cubs minor league system since 2004. Thrust into the spotlight this year, his defensive (and offensive!) skills helped his club advance to postseason play and revived Chicago fans' hopes of seeing their beloved Cubs win the World Series for the first time in 100 years. Sadly, the Cubs didn't advance to the Series, but Soto proved his ability, nonetheless. He finished the season with a .995 fielding percentage and 66 runs. Not bad for a rookie, right?

Congrats to Geovany for a job well done!

2008 American League Rawlings Gold Glove Winners Announced

2008-11-06T15:30:00.003-06:00

And now for the winners in the American League!

Here's the complete AL lineup of Rawlings Gold Glove Winners (Rawlings players are highlighted in red):

P - MIKE MUSSINA - YANKEES
C - JOE MAUER - TWINS

1ST - CARLOS PENA - RAYS
2ND - DUSTIN PEDROIA - RED SOX
3RD - ADRIAN BELTRE - MARINERS
SS - MICHAEL YOUNG - RANGERS

OF - TORII HUNTER - ANGELS
OF - GRADY SIZEMORE - INDIANS

OF - ICHIRO SUZUKI - MARINERS

This year, 4 of the 9 American League players selected are first time award winners including Joe Mauer (AL C), Carlos Pena (AL 1B), Dustin Pedroia (AL 2B), and Michael Young (AL SS).

Congrats to all of the winners!!!

2008 National League Rawlings Gold Glove Winners Announced

2008-11-05T15:30:00.003-06:00

The votes are in!!!!

The complete National League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup includes (Rawlings players are highlighted in red):

P - GREG MADDUX - DODGERS
C - YADIER MOLINA - CARDINALS
1ST - ADRIAN GONZALEZ - PADRES

2ND - BRANDON PHILLIPS - REDS
3RD - DAVID WRIGHT - METS
SS - JIMMY ROLLINS - PHILLIES
OF - NATE MCLOUTH - PIRATE
OF - CARLOS BELTRAN - METS
OF - SHANE VICTORINO - PHILLIES

This year, five of the nine National League players selected are first time award winners including Yadier Molina (NL C), Adrian Gonzalez (NL 1B), Brandon Phillips (NL 2B), Nate McLouth (NL OF), and Shane Victorino (NL OF).

Pitcher Greg Maddux won his 18th award, extending his lead for the most Rawlings Gold Glove Awards won by a single player. Brooks Robinson (3B) and Jim Kaat (P) follow with 16 awards each.

So what do you think? We'd love to hear what you think of the this year's list!

Who's taking home the Gold?

2008-10-28T10:12:00.003-05:00

It’s just about that time to name the best defensive players in the game to the 2008 Rawlings Gold Glove Team! Contrary to popular belief, Rawlings does not choose the winners; they are selected by Major League coaches and managers prior to the conclusion of the regular season. Managers and coaches may not vote for players from their own club and only vote for players in their own league. Who will win at each position? Well, you can tune into ESPN News from 4-4:30 est on Nov. 5th (American League) and 6th (National League) to find out!

Albert the Great!

2008-10-22T12:50:00.003-05:00

St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman and Team Rawlings member Albert Pujols has just been recently named as the Sporting News' 2008 Player of the Year as well as the National League's Outstanding Player. Hopefully, Pujols' award season isn't over yet!!!!

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/10/pujols-again-wins-sporting-news-award/

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/10/pujols-named-nl-outstanding-player/

Rawlings in the Play-offs!

2008-10-09T15:02:00.001-05:00

The Major League Baseball playoffs are underway and Rawlings, once again, seems to be the brand of choice! Be sure to check out the following players who are sporting the patch!

LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Derek Lowe
Cory Wade
Danny Ardoin
Blake DeWitt
Rafael Furcal
James Loney

BOSTON RED SOX
Justin Masterson
Sean Casey
Alex Cora
Jed Lowrie
Kevin Youkilis
Coco Crisp
J.D. Drew
Jacoby Ellsbury
Mark Kotsay

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Clay Condrey
Chad Durbin
Scott Eyre
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
Eric Bruntlett
Greg Dobbs
Chase Utley
Geoff Jenkins
Matt Stairs
So Taguchi
Jayson Werth

TAMPA BAY RAYS
Chad Bradford
James Shields
Jason Bartlett
Rocco Baldelli
Carlos Pena
Carl Crawford
B.J. Upton
Ben Zobrist

Team Rawlings Spotlight: Jose Reyes

2008-09-25T08:38:00.001-05:00

Try to go to a New York Mets game and not get excited as Jose Reyes saunters up to the plate. Screaming fans, forceful opponents, and angry umps do not deter this young gun! At just 25 years old, Reyes is on track to be one of the best short stops the game has ever seen. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, one of baseball’s hotbeds of talent, Reyes made his Major League debut in June of 2003 for the New York Mets. During his six years with the team, he’s made quite the name for himself; he’s been selected to the All-Star team twice (2006-2007), has won a Silver Slugger Award (2006), led the NL in stolen bases (2005,2006,2007) and triples (2005,2006) and is the All-Time Mets Career Leader in both stolen bases and triples. Obviously, this guy can get it done. The question is does his team have enough gas to win the pennant?? The Mets are neck and neck with the Phillies in the NL East and could also be contenders for the Wildcard. It could be a heck of a last season at Shea Stadium, that’s for sure, and Jose Reyes will surely be leading the rally!

Jose Reyes wears an 11 ¼” black Pro Preferred glove with a Pro-I Web. Build your glove from Jose Reyes’s game-day pattern or customize your very own by going to the Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop at Rawlings.com/customglove. Also, be sure to check out videos of Jose talking about his game and his glove in the “Team Rawlings” section of Rawlings.com.

The New Gold Standard!

2008-09-09T16:56:00.002-05:00

We just launched a brand new website dedicated to the renowned Rawlings Gold Glove Award!!! On this site, you can find the latest players to win the award at the pro, collegiate and high school levels and compare statistics of previous winners! You can also learn the history and tradition of the award. Did you know that the first Rawlings Gold Glove Award was made out of gold leather that was used to make slippers?? Do you know who’s won the most Rawlings Gold Glove Awards in its 50 year history? Go to http://www.rawlingsgoldglove.com/ to learn more about the game’s greatest symbol of defensive excellence!

Team Rawlings Spotlight: Brandon Webb

2008-08-21T08:52:00.002-05:00

Pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Brandon Webb, recently made his second appearance at an All Star Game; this one being one of the most exciting in history! Fans lined the rows for the last All-Star game to take place at Yankee Stadium. No pressure, right? In a showdown that lasted 15 innings and nearly five hours, Webb was brought in to pitch the bottom of the 14th. With the score tied 3 to 3, Webb faced Carlos Guillen who was batting a solid .284 for the season. After Guillen lined out to shortstop, Webb threw fire and was able to strike out two big homerun hitters, Grady Sizemore and Evan Longoria, bringing the 14th inning to a close. Brad Lidge came in to relieve Webb in the 15th and gave up the winning run, shattering the hopes of the National League taking the title from the American League for the first time in 12 years.

Brandon Webb has played with the Arizona Diamondbacks since his 2003 Major League debut. With the season just half way over, he is on his way to having his best season yet. In 2008, Webb has already pitched a total of 177 innings in 26 games. Having 145 strike outs and only giving up 9 homeruns, Webb has a stunning record of 18 wins and 4 losses. It will be interesting to see if Webb can stay on track for the second half of the season. With one Cy Young Award under his belt already, we’re thinking that he’s going to do just fine.

Team Rawlings Spotlight: Chase Utley

2008-06-26T08:53:00.001-05:00

Philadelphia Phillies Second Baseman Chase Utley’s five years in the big leagues have been nothing short of remarkable (he hit a grand slam in his first Major League start!)His skills have earned him countless awards and honors; he’s led all MLB’s second basemen in several hitting records and has been named to the National League All-Star team two consecutive years. Many would argue that Utley and Rawlings Gold Glover Jimmy Rollins are the best middle infield combo in the game right now. It’s safe to say Utley doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

A California native, Utley really started making a name for himself while playing collegiate baseball at UCLA. While there, he held a .342 batting average and earned a 4th place spot on the school’s all-time home run list. Chase couldn’t get enough baseball so he played for the Cotuit Kettleers, an amateur team in the Cape Cod baseball league while at UCLA. Afterwards, he played for a number of Minor League ball clubs including the Batavia Muckdogs, the Clearwater Phillies, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons from 2001-2003. He then received that all-important call to the Majors on April 4th, 2003 and has been doing some heavy damage ever since!

Perhaps more impressive than Utley’s baseball stats is his work off the field. Chase and his wife Jen work closely with the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) among other organizations. Together, they’ve organized and participated in several events to raise money and awareness for the PSPCA including “Save a Pet at the Park” where fans could adopt an animal in need of a good home. Chase also donates his time and money to helping unprivileged youth; ensuring that they too can play the sport he loves.

Learn more about Team Rawlings pro Chase Utley at his website http://www.chaseutley.com/. You can customize Chase’s game day glove on the Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop at www.rawlings.com/customglove. And don’t forget to vote for Chase so that he can make his third appearance in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game!

Rawlings Engineers profiled on "Design Squad" TV show!

2008-06-23T09:08:00.002-05:00

Two of our very own Rawlings Engineers, Becky O'Hara and Curtis Cruz, were featured on PBS's "Design Squad" show! Hear about what they do on a daily basis and how they test our bats.

Check it out by visiting the link below....

http://pbskids.org/designsquad/profiles/cruz_ohara.html

Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop is here!!!

2008-05-28T11:21:00.003-05:00

It has arrived! Now you can completely customize your Rawlings glove from top to bottom. Go to the new Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop and either start from scratch or take a Pro Pattern (like Jeter's model) and change it up the way you like it! You can choose your own lace colors, web, patterns, etc. and add cool options like wristbands, flags, or your number or name. Once your finished, you can show it off on myspace or facebook or send it to all of your friends!

Try out the new Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop at http://rawlings.com/customglove and let us know what you think! What do you like? What would you change? Let us know...

Yadier Molina on quest for Rawlings Gold Glove

2008-05-20T13:47:00.001-05:00

Cardinals Catcher Yadier Molina may not have won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award YET, but he’s still proving himself as a force to be reckoned with behind the plate. Since 2005, Molina has led the Major Leagues in throwing percentage (47%) and pick-offs (18) and is on target to have a record 2008!

You could say that Molina has catching in his blood; his older brothers Bengie and Jose are both big league catchers but both will tell you that Yadier’s the best! Pretty surprising, considering he’s only been in the big leagues for four short years. Molina got his start with the Cardinals in 2004 as a backup to veteran catcher and four-time Rawlings Gold Glove Winner, Mike Matheny. Matheny served as a mentor to Yadier until he headed to the Giants. This move enabled Yadier to become the starting Catcher for the Red Birds and show his fans what he could really do! He’s been on fire ever since. Although he had to miss part of the 07 season with a wrist injury, he has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, he came to 08 Spring Training about 25 lbs. thinner and ready to win the Gold, the Rawlings Gold Glove that is. With the way he’s playing, it looks like it could finally happen this year. Watch your back, Russell Martin!

*statistical information gathered from mlb.com

Lucky Babe Ruth athlete meets Torii Hunter!!

2008-04-17T15:49:00.006-05:00

Recently, Rawlings and the Babe Ruth League held a contest in which a player could meet former Babe Ruth League athlete and Team Rawlings' member Torii Hunter! The lucky winner was Caden Lair from Lynden, Washington. Caden got to watch batting practice from the field and meet Torii the same night he received his Rawlings Gold Glove Award (check out the cool new design!). Congrats to Caden and all who entered!

Team Rawlings Spotlight: Joba Chamberlain

2008-03-26T08:43:00.001-05:00

Still somewhat new to the big leagues, Joba Chamberlain (pronounced “jah-buh”) is positioning himself to becoming the “next big thing” in baseball. Joba, age 22, made his debut August 7, 2007 for the New York Yankees and was quick to show off his mad pitching skills against the Toronto Blue Jays. In his 19 relief appearances for the Yankees in 2007, Joba posted a 0.38 ERA. Not bad for a rookie, right? Prior to the big leagues, Joba helped his college team, the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, to the College World Series in 05. For the record, they won…That same year, he won the “BIG 12 Newcomer Pitcher of the Year” Award and was a third-team All-American. Joba was sidelined for a good chunk of his 06 season due to tendonitis but was lucky enough to get drafted by the Yankees in the 2006 MLB Draft. He didn’t pitch that year in the minors, but tore it up playing in the winter league in Hawaii. He’s been hot ever since. It will be interesting to see how Joba fares in 08. He’ll start the season as a reliever but could possibly make the switch to starting pitcher as the season goes on. Only time will tell if he ends up as a starter, but one thing is for certain: Joba Chamberlain will be fun to watch in 08!

Joba chooses Rawlings as his glove of choice. He wears a black Pro Preferred model with a Two Piece Solid Web, Conventional Back, and a finger hood.
-Statistical info gathered from MLB.com

Team Rawlings heads to Spring Training!

2008-02-24T18:57:00.000-06:00

This has been one crazy off-season! We’ve seen players traded, surgeries performed, record breaking contracts signed, and a few steroid allegations. With teams reporting to Spring Training this month, the focus is going back to where it should be: the game itself.

The Mets are just one team that will be turning up the heat in 08. Now that two-time Cy Young winner and Team Rawlings member Johan Santana has made a new home with the team, fans are expecting nothing short of perfection this season. Once fully healthy, Pedro Martinez, another member of Team Rawlings and three-time Cy Young winner, and Santana will join forces to dominate the mound. We’ll just have to wait and see if their efforts are successful or if the Mets will have a repeat of last season.

In other Team Rawlings news, top slugger and Rawlings Gold Glover Albert Pujols is confident that his troublesome right elbow is nothing to be concerned about. Pujols has played through his pain since 2003 and has suffered at times, but he still managed to finish the 07 season with a .327 average and 32 home runs. His Team Rawlings and St. Louis Cardinals teammates Mark Mulder and Chris Carpenter hope to recover from their respective surgeries and get back on the mound to help the Redbirds make a run for it in 08.

We’ll be keeping an eye on these guys and the entire Team Rawlings as they get ready for the season at Spring Training.

Team Rawlings on the Move

2008-01-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

Certain members of Team Rawlings have had a busy off-season, that’s for sure! In addition to working out, they’ve been working on contract negotiations and getting familiar with their new teams! Specifically, this off-season we saw NY Mets standout catcher Paul Lo Duca head to the Washington Nationals. Known as a leader behind the plate, he also made a name for himself at the plate with a .318 batting average in 07. We also saw seven-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner Torii Hunter head to the west coast. Torii will be joining fellow Team Rawlings member Garret Anderson in the outfield with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It will be interesting to watch as Torii attempts to bring his solid defensive skills to the Angels as they make another run for it in 08. Speaking of Rawlings Gold Glovers, 1B Mark Teixeira made the switch not too long ago from the Rangers to the Braves. Mark has several ties to Atlanta. Besides playing college ball at Georgia Tech, his uncle Pete played in the Braves minor league system. Sounds like Teixeira has just about recovered from his December knee surgery, but only time will tell if he’s ready for the 08 season. We’ll have to wait and see. Only one more month until we see Team Rawlings hit Spring Training!

Torii heads to LA

2007-11-29T08:16:00.000-06:00

Who would have thought it? The Angels are bringing 7 time Rawlings Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter to man center in LA. That's big. For Hunter, he leaves a team where he was the heart and soul. Now he joins a team that boasts Vlad in the outfield and up and coming masher, Team Rawlings' own Howie Kendrick. I guess that means Gary Mathews Jr is shifting to left.

He's getting a nice bump in pay for moving west - $18M/year. Wow.

Will it pay off? It's a pretty thin market for free agent outfielders this winter and Torii covers ground like an outfield tarp. I think he'll make others better, serve as a great mentor for Kendrick and other young guns (Brandon Wood for one), and play with his heart.

He will be tough to replace in Minnesota. Pretty nice legacy of CF there (both in stats and heart) between Kirby Puckett and Torii.

It's shaping up to be a great offseason.

Peavy wins NL Cy Young

2007-11-16T13:25:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Team Rawlings' own Jake Peavy, who blew away batters this season en route to the National League Cy Young Award. Oh, by the way, he won this unanimously. I don't know about you, but to me it seems like we never see an athlete win an award unanimously any more. That means that, to a person, everyone agrees on who is the best at what they do.

As for Jake, here are his numbers:

Led the NL in wins at 19
Led the NL in ERA at 2.54
Led the NL in Strikeouts at 240
Led the NL in Strikeouts/9 Innings at 9.67

It's almost equally impressive that another Team Rawlings hurler, Brandon Webb, took 2nd on 31 of the 32 ballots. Webb (who won last year's Cy Young) finished 18-10 with a 3.01 ERA and 194 strikeouts - leading the league in complete games (4) and shutouts (3). Plus he tossed 42 straight scoreless innings at one point.

Congrats to both players!

Rawlings Gold Glove Teams Announced

2007-11-12T06:35:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again.

Last week, we at Rawlings announced this year's Rawlings Gold Glove winning teams. First, let's cut to the chase. Here are the winners:

American League
P Johan Santana
C Pudge Rodriguez
1B Kevin Youkilis
2B Placido Polanco
3B Adrian Beltre
SS Orlando Cabrera
OF Ichiro
OF Torii Hunter
OF Grady Sizemore

National League
P Greg Maddux
C Russell Martin
1B Derrek Lee
2B Orlando Hudson
3B David Wright
SS Jimmy Rollins
OF Andruw Jones
OF Aaron Rowand
OF Carlos Beltran
OF Jeff Francouer

First, I think it's important to go through the process of choosing the winners. We (Rawlings) distribute ballots to every MLB team. Every team gets the same number of ballots - one for the manager and one for each of their assistants. Coaches vote for one at each position, in their league. They cannot vote for their own players. The ballots are sent to MLB, who tallies the winners, and on to us, who announce the winners.

So, it's not an award chosen by Rawlings employees. (thankfully!) It is not a popularity contest. And, the awards are not statistical. They are about range and performance in the clutch. They aren't offensive awards. They are about as pure an award as you can get, and that's why they are so great to see.

As for this year's winners, wow. Greg Maddux has now won 17 Rawlings Gold Gloves. That is just crazy. (the most ever, by any player) I hope he becomes a coach some day because he plays his position better than anyone ever.

I liked seeing some new guys make the team this year as well - Grady Sizemore and Kevin Youkilis for two. I had hoped to see some guys who didn't crack the list make it as well -- Curtis Granderson in the AL OF, Troy Tulowitzki (and his cannon for an arm) at NL SS, and Ryan Zimmerman at NL 3B.

Maybe next season?

Back Blogging Again, Boston takes title

2007-11-12T06:28:00.000-06:00

It was quite a run.

The Rockies just ran out of gas, running into the Red Sox machine, and losing all 4 contests. Boston also swept their way to the title back in 2004, taking out St. Louis that season. Team Rawlings' own Garrett Atkins smoked a two-run bomb in the 8th, but it wasn't enough, as Boston held on for a 4-3 victory to sweep the series.

This was a great season by Colorado, sparked by Atkins and rookie Troy Tulowitzki. The team has reinvigorated baseball in Denver, and given us all a chance to see a fresh team in the postseason spotlight. The energy in the field was refreshing, it was like you were watching the energy in a youth baseball stadium - fans and athletes just having fun.

I can't wait to see next season!

Rawlings, High School Baseball, and the Big Screen

2007-10-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

Finally, we have a movie about High School baseball on the big screens! Last Friday, The Final Season launched nationwide. I'm originally from Iowa, so I had heard a little about this story: It is about a town (Norway, Iowa), that had a love for baseball more than, well anywhere I've ever heard of. (Yes, even more than Boston!) The town lived for High School Baseball. I'm guessing this was a lot like Texas is around high school football, or Indiana around high school basketball. Their coach, Jim Van Scoyoc, was a legend. He approached baseball the right way and led many teams to state titles. But this was more than state titles. It was kind of like the movie Hoosiers, where the small school plays the big schools. Norway had a population of 586! (wow) Baseball was all these kids had and they approached their game that way.

Anyways, the school was closed after the 1990 school year. They were given one last chance to play and this is their story. How many of us get one more chance to do something? One more day at work, one more day with your team, one more game to coach or play? How do you respond under that pressure? Do you get the most out of it? Do you have any regrets? Do you leave something on the field or court?

The movie itself is a great story, if you love baseball that is. The only thing I wish was that they would have focused the story more on the athletes, on the kids, and what they were going through and less on the town of Norway or the coaches. For me, that's what High School ball is about - it is all about those athletes, what they live for, how they grow and emerge as a better athlete.

Here's some great shots of Rawlings gear in the movie. And here's another link to their site.

Rockies Roll

2007-10-17T08:33:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a run the Rockies are on. They are the first team to sweep through the NL playoffs. That's a lot of momentum from a team that looked dead in August. And it shows just how quickly things can turn in this game. Are you kidding? They are on a 21-1 run the last two weeks of the season plus the first two playoff rounds. That is just sick.

And they define TEAM. I've always thought that wild card squads have an edge- they have been playing like each day could be their last since August. And it pays off.

I had some friends at the Rockies clinching game - check out these pics!

Grady Leads Indians past the Yanks

2007-10-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

The Yankees are gone again.

The catalyst for this beat-down? Grady Sizemore, Team Rawlings. He did it with his bat, like a true leader. Think about this. The Indians won the first two games then went back to NY. The Yankees took game 3 (thank you Johnny Damon). Now, the pressure was back on. Lose this one and you are back to Cleveland for a winner takes all matchup.

And, Grady? He leads off the game with a bomb. Momentum. It's all yours Grady. Grady is a great guy, and I can say he's very humble about his performances. He leads by example. (and by bashing a homer when his team needs it the most!) He's refreshing. He's what the game needs. And now he has to lead his Indians into Boston. To take down another legacy. It'll be fun to watch!

Stephen Drew = Clutch

2007-10-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

What can you say about Stephen Drew? The guy hit .266 in September, which was his highest average of the season. He's a great example of peaking at the right time. And who knows just how high his peak will rise.

I've been crazy impressed with Stephen as I watch the playoffs. He's batting a cool .500 (7-14) with 2 bombs and a steal. But Drew isn't just going off on offense. He's flashed leather, covering the gap up the middle - demoing that Rawlings leather for whoever wants to see it. He's showing composure and leadership that is admirable in anyone, especially a 24 year old playing alongside vets.

I'm anxious to see him keep this up!

Rockies keep rolling

2007-10-07T05:26:00.000-05:00

Who would have picked this one? (Obviously, not me) The Rockies are in the NLCS for the first time ever, after sweeping the Phillies. And the thing that shows how far that team has come is this: the Rockies won this with pitching and defense. What?

Yeah, it seems like we're all used to the Rockies losing 14-13 or some other score that seems more fitting for the Broncos. But they have rebuilt their squad and are ready to make a run for it all. Team Rawlings pitcher Brian Fuentes picked up the win, fanning two of the three batters he faced.

And another Rawlings guy, Garrett Atkins, keyed the game winning rally by hitting the first of three singles in the bottom of the 8th - the first of 3 two out singles - and scored that winning run. Isn't this great?

There's only one October!

2007-10-03T06:49:00.000-05:00

This is a crazy month. MLB playoffs. High School, College, and Pro Football in full form. And it's about time to start basketball. Don't you love it?

But this is the baseball blog, so let's get right to it. The playoffs. Three matchups kick off today:

Angels vs Red Sox
Rockies vs Phillies
Cubs vs D-Backs

and then tomorrow the Yankees match up against the Indians. (wow, what a matchup!)

It's going to be interesting. Here's my take:

Angels vs Red Sox. Lackey vs Beckett. You've got to love John Lackey (even you Sox fans!) He's the kind of player who gets better every year, leading the league in ERA this year at 3.01 - which is mighty impressive in the DH-league. I pick the Angels to win game one, but the Red Sox to win the series.

Yankees vs Indians. What a series. Alex Rodriguez confronts his nemesis, the post-season. He did lead MLB with 54 bombs and 156 RBI this year, but he has slumped under the NYC pressure in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Derek Jeter (the favorite Rawlings player of most in our offices) will be the It-Factor. He'll will his team to win this series.

I'm not a Yankee fan, but I'm picking the Yankees to make the World Series. (which is good news, cuz I am never right!)

NL: Rockies vs Phillies. Two teams that are on fire. Two teams that have been in their own versions of the playoffs. This is a game of young Rawlings stars. Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard versus Jeff Francis, Garrett Atkins, and Troy Tulowitzki. This is tough. The Rockies rode an emotional high to get here (that 13 inning craziness the other night). I think the pitching staff of the Phillies will lead them to the win.

D-Backs vs Cubs. This is tough. I think we'll see Brandon Webb lift his team on his right arm for two games. The question is will someone else on the D-Backs step up. I think that answer is, yes, they will. Stephen Drew might be that guy who will step up and lead.

My pick is the D-Backs. But I'll take the Phillies to go to the Series.

Something tells me I'll want to go "edit" this post later. But I won't. Let's have some fun!

How are we doing so far?

2007-09-27T09:46:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty new thing - blogging on Team Rawlings, and I'd love to see how you think we're doing. Click here to take a survey and let me know - what you like, don't like, and most importantly what you'd like to see more of.

Oh, and if you enter your email I'll enter you in a drawing to win an autographed Rawlings MLB baseball signed by Johnny Damon. Can't beat that for 5 minutes of your time, right?

Thank you for your help!

One more time, here is the link for our survey:

Andy

Don't you just love the pennant races!

2007-09-27T09:38:00.000-05:00

This is just crazy. With 4 days of games left, nothing is clinched in the National League. That's amazing for baseball, and it is making for an incredible weekend. I've been pulling for the Brewers for no other reason than I've been very impressed with the continued evolution of the Rawlings duo of Prince Fielder (50 home runs!) and Ryan Braun (now 33 bombs in 109 games). I love how those guys approach the game and the way they seem to keep loose and have fun. But it looks like the Cubs are destined to win this division, and I know they've had a crazy drought so that's good for their fans!

In the AL, things aren't so up in the air. But I think you have to love the way that Cleveland has built a strong squad. And Grady Sizemore (another Rawlings guy) is tearing it up. His fan base is out of this world - check out the MySpace page - he's got almost 1,000 fans in the group "Grady's Ladies". Grady has 24 bombs and 33 steals - and that kind of production in the leadoff role makes me remember Brady Anderson or Rickey Henderson - speed and power. Plus he's got a great glove. The AL Central itself is just nasty - with last year's AL Champs, the Twins, and the Sox. Plus the Royals are a young team that are improving very quickly.

Should make for a great weekend!

Coming Down the Stretch Run

2007-09-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

Being a sports nut, there's a question I like to see played out each year: When playoff time comes, which players step up and which players drift off into the background? Who is the leader? What are you made of?

Well, from the looks of things lately, I'd say Ryan Howard is made of a BUNCH of heart and soul. He mashed two homers yesterday (#s 39 and 40 on the year) and upped his RBI total to 120. Last year, he took a bunch of grief for being named MVP on a non-playoff team, but he's the juice in the engine driving the Phillies this time around. By the way, they are now 2 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East.

Meanwhile, a young Team Rawlings guy, Phil Hughes, is doing what he can to help the Yankees overcome what was once a HUGE deficit behind the Red Sox in the AL East. Hughes tossed 5 2/3 innings, giving up only 2 runs in leading his team to a victory over the Orioles, closing the gap to 3 1/2 games out. Not bad for a 21 year old rookie!

Who's going to step up next?

Rawlings Perfect Game High School All American Teams Revisited

2007-09-17T16:51:00.001-05:00

Hi

2007 was the first year that Perfect Game and Rawlings teamed up to name the Rawlings Pre-season High School All American Teams. First, Second and Third Rawlings All-American High School Baseball Team were announced along with 8 Rawlings All-Regional teams in early February 2007. (No, it wasn't a group of us determining the teams - we rely on the expertise of the Perfect Game USA Team to determine these teams!)

Whenever I see one of these lists, I wonder how accurate the list really is? How well does that group really know the high school game? Check out this link. I'll also include a sampling below, just in case you don't want to click. Perfect Game USA has done an outstanding job of helping us identify and recognize the best athletes in high schools across the country.

In fact, the list below shows those preseason teams, along with how they were selected (if at all) in the 2007 MLB Draft. Keep in mind that many of these players were not really considered first round picks last January! Lastly, of course, injuries and signability issues can affect when players get drafted (or don't get drafted).

All I know is I can't wait to see the 2008 Rawlings Perfect Game All American teams!

lings/Perfect Game High School Senior Preseason All America
Player	Pos		Wt	BT	High School	City	St	College	Draft
Blake Beavan	RHP	6-7	210	R R	Irving	Irving	TX	Oklahoma	1st rd
Neil Ramirez	RHP	6-3	190	R R	Kempsville	Virginia Beach	VA	Georgia Tech	1st rd
Tim Alderson	RHP	6-7	208	R R	Horizon	Phoenix	AZ	Oregon State	1st rd
Jarrod Parker	RHP	6-0	175	R R	Norwell	Bluffton	IN	Georgia Tech	1st rd
Joshua Smoker	LHP	6-3	190	L L	Calhoun	Sugar Valley	GA	Clemson	1st rd
Madison Bumgarner	LHP	6-5	220	R L	South Caldwell	Lenoir	NC	North Carolina	1st rd
Justin Jackson	INF	6-2	175	R R	T C Roberson	Asheville	NC	Arizona State	1st rd
Ryan Dent	INF	6-0	185	R R	Woodrow Wilson	Long Beach	CA	UCLA	1st rd
Josh Vitters	INF	6-3	190	R R	Cypress	Anaheim	CA	Arizona State	1st rd
Peter Kozma	INF	6-0	170	R R	Owasso	Owasso	OK	Wichita State	1st rd
Nick Noonan	INF	6-1	175	L R	Francis Parker	San Diego	CA	Clemson	1st rd
Jon Gilmore	INF	6-3	190	R R	City High	Iowa City	IA	Wichita State	1st rd
Matthew Dominguez	INF	6-2	180	R R	Chatsworth	Lake Balboa	CA	Cal State Fullerton	1st rd
Jason Heyward	OF 1B	6-4	220	L L	Henry County	McDonough	GA	UCLA	1st rd
Michael Burgess	OF	5-11	190	L L	Hillsborough	Tampa	FL	Arizona State	1st rd
Ben Revere	OF	5-9	155	L R	Lexington Catholic	Richmond	KY	Georgia	1st rd
Rick Porcello	RHP	6-5	195	R R	Seton Hall Prep	Chester	NJ	North Carolina	1st rd
Michael Main	RHP OF	6-2	180	R R	Deland	Deltona	FL	Florida State	1st rd
Scott Moviel	RHP	6-10	245	R R	St. Edward	Berea	OH	North Carolina State	2nd rd
Austin Romine	C	6-1	195	R R	El Toro	Lake Forest	CA	Arizona State	2nd rd
Danny Rams	C 1B	6-2	218	R R	Gulliver Prep	Miami	FL	Arizona State	2nd rd
Freddie Freeman	1B	6-5	210	L R	El Modena	Villa Park	CA	Cal State Fullerton	2nd rd
John Tolisano	INF	6-0	190	S R	Estero/Home schooled	Sanibel	FL	Florida	2nd rd
Hunter Morris	INF	6-4	200	L R	Grissom	Huntsville	AL	Auburn	2nd rd
Matt Harvey	RHP	6-4	195	R R	Fitch	Mystic	CT	North Carolina	3rd rd
Kyle Blair	RHP	6-4	200	R R	Los Gatos	Monte Sereno	CA	San Diego	5th rd
Will Middlebrooks	INF RHP	6-4	215	R R	Liberty-Eylau	Wake Village	TX	Texas A&M	5th rd
Jack McGeary	LHP	6-3	215	L L	Roxbury Latin	Newton	MA	Stanford	6th rd
Christian Colon	INF	5-11	175	S R	Canyon	Anaheim Hills	CA	Cal State Fullerton	10th rd
Julian Sampson	RHP	6-5	190	R R	Skyline	Sammamish	WA	Washington	12th rd
Tanner Robles	LHP	6-4	190	L L	Cottonwood	Murray	UT	Oregon State	12th rd
Kentrail Davis	OF	5-10	195	L R	Theodore	Theodore	AL	Tennessee	14th rd
Greg Peavey	RHP	6-2	185	R R	Hudson's Bay	Vancouver	WA	Oregon State	24th rd
Kevin Patterson	1B C	6-4	215	L R	Oak Mountain	Birmingham	AL	Auburn	24th rd
Yasmani Grandal	C	6-2	205	S R	Miami Springs	Hialeah	FL	Miami	27th rd
Evan Danieli	RHP	6-8	225	R R	Seton Hall Prep	East Hanover	NJ	Notre Dame	33rd rd
Iden Nazario	LHP 1B	6-0	190	L-L	Miami Southridge	Miami	FL	Miami	41st rd
Cameron Rupp	C	6-3	225	R R	Prestonwood	Plano	TX	Texas	42nd rd
Brett Krill	OF	6-4	210	R R	Aliso Niguel	Laguna Niguel	CA	UCLA	46th rd
Erik Goeddel	RHP	6-3	175	R R	Bellarmine College Prep	Hillsborough	CA	UCLA	Injured

Team Rawlings Hits Cooperstown Dreams Park

2007-09-14T17:24:00.000-05:00

Team Rawlings took a nice trip to Cooperstown Dreams Park a few weeks ago. I found this to be a great experience (I was there as well!) It is great, and there is no substitute for getting away from your desk and out in the field, interacting with the best young athletes in the world!

I found it particularly great to see how well our product teams worked with the young athletes out there. The best thing about our product teams is that they are incredibly passionate guys who are also not just willing but excited to get feedback from young athletes on the gear they are designing. The best thing about young athletes is that they are willing to tell you what they like (and what they don't like!) We'll be posting more on this soon, but for now, I thought I'd include a couple of links.

First, here is a link to a Flickr page of our bats in action up at the park. (Thanks, Chad for the photos!)

Second, the Cooperstown Dreams Park team does a GREAT job of creating a home run derby, known as the King of Swat competition, each week. We were lucky enough to get to see this live, and to watch the explosive power display using our Plasma Gold bat. Check out this video link from the Cooperstown Dreams Park site.

Or, check out the crowd reaction, on You Tube.

It was crazy, and even more crazy because this athlete was put under a lot of pressure. The Cooperstown team brought him out there in front of 2,000 fans and announced him as a great power hitter. Then they pitched to him, under the lights. Everyone was watching him, and for a 12 year old kid to display that level of composure and work under pressure was inspiring. I hope he keeps up his work ethic (and I hope he keeps using our bat!)

Granderson and A Rod have BIG days today

2007-09-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

Wow. The stats keep piling up for Alex Rodriguez. He clubbed two MORE homers today, giving him 52 for the year, 9 more than anyone else (Prince Fielder now has 43). He's homered in 5 straight games. He's up to 140 RBIs. I can't remember exact numbers, but I always had this feel that A Rod put up his numbers when games didn't matter. It seemed like his homers were bases empty, game already decided. But now, he's raking. In September, clutch time, he's hitting a cool .533 with 8 bombs, 15 RBI, and 2 steals for good measure.

Meanwhile, Curtis Granderson is having a heck of a year in Detroit. I had the pleasure of meeting this guy in Florida in the pre-season and I can tell you he is not only a STUD, but he also approaches the game like you'd want your son to approach it. He has "Have Fun" written under the brim of his cap. He laughs all the time.

He actually went out of his way to work with us on this, and is just the kind of guy you route for. And that's what makes me extra excited to see the news that he is the 2nd player EVER to go 20/20/20/20 (Home Runs, Steals, Doubles, Triples) The other two? Willie Mays in 1957 and Frank Schulte in 1911. By the way, he has 22 triples... and he is hitting .304, which is nice after hitting only .260 last year.

A Rod's Bashing Continues

2007-09-06T06:51:00.000-05:00

No, I didn't mean ARod bashing. I am referring to the power onslaught put on display this year by Alex Rodriguez. And it was on full display last night.

Here was a guy who was limping and only getting clearance to play at the last minute and then, a couple hours later, Boom. Boom. As in #s 47 and 48 on the season. When asked why he played, ARod said "There isn't much time left. This isn't April or May." Like him or hate him, one thing that is pretty evident to me about Rodriguez is this: He wants to win. A Rod is typically one of the first guys to the park each day. He works hard in season and out of the season. And it's showing up, in the pennant chase, this year.

For those scoring at home, ARod's 48 bombs place him 7 ahead of another Team Rawlings guy, Prince Fielder (41) and 11 above Ryan Howard (at 37, another Rawlings guy). His 134 RBI's (already) put him in a dominant slot as well, 14 above Magglio.

It is nice to see hard work pay off. And if we see more of this team-first attitude from him, look out.

Speed Kills

2007-09-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

That’s pretty much the phrase that jumps to my mind when I think of what Jose Reyes is doing at the top of the NY Mets lineup. He’s hitting nearly .300 (.292 as of last night’s game) with 74 stolen bases. 74. That puts him a crazy 21 steals ahead of his nearest competition, and there is still roughly a month of baseball left. To put that into context, I did a bit of research to see the top basestealers, by season:

2006 – Jose Reyes, 64
2005 – Chone Figgins, 62
2004 – Scott Podsednik, 70
2003 – Juan Pierre, 65
2002 – Luis Castillo, 48
2001 – Ichiro, 56
2000 – Luis Castillo, 62
1999 – Tony Womack, 72
1998 – Rickey Henderson, 66
1997 – Brian Hunter, 74
1996 – Kenny Lofton, 75
1995 – Quilvio Veras, 56
1994 – Kenny Lofton, 60
1993 – Kenny Lofton, 70
1992 – Marquis Grissom, 78
1991 – Marquis Grissom, 76
1990 – Vince Coleman, 77
1989 – Rickey Henderson, 77
1988 – Rickey Henderson, 93
1987 – Vince Coleman, 109 (are you kidding me?)

Wow. So, essentially if Reyes keeps up his pace, he will end this season with the most steals in 20 years. That’s impressive. And it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about the opposition knowing what you’re about to do and then you do it anyway. This makes me think of basketball and how EVERYONE knew the last shot was going to come off the hands of Jordan or Bird and they still got the ball and still hit the shot. There is no surprise factor with Jose. You know he’s going to run, then he does it anyway. Classic.

And, if that’s not enough of a reason to like him, he’s got his own chant. Take a look or listen here on YouTube. (You Met fans out there already know this and might even have a better version of this. I think it’s pretty cool.)

Rawlings Primo Featured in Fortune Magazine

2007-09-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Rawlings Primo Featured in Fortune Magazine

I have to say, I was pretty excited to see our Primo glove featured in Fortune Magazine this week. If you haven’t seen it, here is the link to the online version of the story. At $400, this isn’t a glove for just anyone. But, let me tell you this feels crazy soft. Like putting your hand inside a slab of butter, I would guess (not that I’ve tried it).

But it’s not the soft leather that makes me love this glove so much. It’s more the passion that I’ve seen our product team pour into making it the best glove in the world. My version of the story is that this leather comes from a small tannery over in Italy. Guys, you probably hear your wives or girlfriends rave about Italian leather purses or shoes, right? Well, this is totally the same. The thing about these tanneries is they aren’t like US businesses. They don’t care about quantity at all. They just want to make the best leather in the world. That’s it. It isn’t about money (although the quality of leather lets them say that, I’m sure), it isn’t about working all the time. It’s about pride, passion, and just amazing stuff.

Now this leather is a bit thin. In Europe, they don’t allow any growth hormones to be used in farming (unlike in the US, and they probably test more than pro baseball does). So the leather doesn’t stretch so much. It’s tighter, thinner, and allowed our product team to make a glove with two layers that work together (like a double-wall bat would) for a custom pocket formed at your position. This is really, really thought out.

\It’s also built on details. Like our Rawlings patch logo. Most gloves have a patch that is stitched onto the glove. The Primo is directly embroidered onto the glove. Everything is hand sewn. The welting is sewn together outside the glove, so you don’t feel it. No details are missed. It is all about comfort and performance in this one. And I’m telling you it is one sweet glove.

Now on to the other point in this Fortune article – that there isn’t a huge presence at the MLB level. The article mentions only Jake Peavy, Barry Zito, and Horacio Ramirez (I’d take them on my fantasy baseball team!) Check out this video of Peavy talking about his glove.

it’s on the hand of Zack Greinke as well. The greater point though is that our team makes now three great series of gloves used by the best athletes in the world – Primo, Pro Preferred, and Heart of the Hide. And gloves are really a personal, emotional preference. This just adds nicely to the mix.

Andy P-
Rawlings Brand Team