A day after hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer announced it was creating face shields for medical professionals, the MLB and its official retailer, Fanatics, are partnering to create masks and hospital gowns for doctors and nurses during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to MLB.com, Fanatics has halted production of Major League Baseball jerseys at its 360,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Easton, Pennsylvania, and are instead creating up to one million masks and gowns.
The initial masks are made with pinstripes from Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees jerseys.
Fanatics executive chairman Michael Rubin shared the backstory on Twitter.
(Thread):
Woke up in the middle of the night last week with idea of converting our @Fanatics factory in PA that makes official @MLB jerseys into a facility that makes much needed masks and gowns and then donating them to help fight this horrendous virus. pic.twitter.com/r6FAxUdlgH
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
This past weekend PA Governor @GovernorTomWolf and Attorney General @PAAttorneyGen each called me saying they desperately needed help getting masks and gowns to the frontline workers across PA.
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
Fast forward to today – @Fanatics and @MLB have halted production of all MLB jerseys and instead using that same fabric we make the jerseys with to make masks and gowns!! We have approx 100 associates working (extra distanced and in a very clean and safe environment of course) pic.twitter.com/E8ewI0REfn
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
Distribution of the masks and gowns have already begun in Pennsylvania and will soon reach New York, where coronavirus cases are overwhelming local hospitals and causing supply shortages.
“We hope this effort can play a part in coming together as a community to help us through this challenging situation,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “I’m proud that Major League Baseball can partner with Fanatics to help support the brave healthcare workers and emergency personnel who are on the front lines of helping patients with COVID-19. They are truly heroes.”
Headline photo courtesy of @MichaelGRubin
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