Shirtgate Update:
MLB Blinks, Succumbs to Nation Pressure, Pulls "Daddy" Shirts Offline
Tail Wags Dog Again as Sox Fans Threat to
Hit MLB in the Wallet Works Every Time
Major League Baseball has now yanked the "Daddy" shirt from the online store. After the barrage of phone calls and emails, we suspect they had a big powwow and decided to pull the crass shirts rather than add an additional anti-Yankees shirt to the Red Sox online store. Thanks to all the BDD readers who stepped it up as usual. Stay tuned for details as they develop.
Earlier today, Howard Smith, SVP for licensing and merchandising for MLB told a BDD source that the anti-Red Sox "daddy" shirts were "fair game... the fans want an attitudinal product, so we're giving it to them." After much spinning and BS, Howard had agreed to produce an anti-Yankees shirt that is equally insulting and sell it on MLB as well. Submit your catchy (and clean) suggestions for an anti-Yankees shirt here, then we'll have a poll to vote for the winner, and we'll get it over to MLB Properties to see if they resurrect this idea for an "official" attitude t-shirt.
The Mother of All MLB Insults
What's Next Bud, Official "1918" Shirts? We've Got to Deal with That Yankee Fraud Calling the Games, Now This? Can't Wait for All the "Curse" Crap from FOX (We Know It's in Production)
Lose the Stupid Shirts MLB. Now.
The Bud Stops Here. Call the Commissioner at 212-931-7800, or email
Howard Smith, SVP, MLB Properties Licensing and Merchandising at howard.smith@MLB.com
We've already been cc:'d on over 100 emails. Sorry we cannot post them all. But your voice has been heard.
"I saw the most recent update with the tasteless MLB endorsement of the "Who's Your Daddy" NYY T-shirt, and naturally, I got all pissed-off-like. So, instead of sitting on my ass and doing nothing, I sat on my ass and wrote an e-mail to MLB.com scolding them for tasteless product endorsement. This got me thinking (an often dangerous practice) that if you asked the collective bostondirtdogs.com visitors to send a similarly condescending e-mail to the MLB.com shops, it might create enough negative feedback for them to actually consider removing the 'WYD' shirts from the site. So, I was kinda sorta hoping that in one of the next updates, you could ask the fans to join me in expressing our disdain to the MLB.com shops in the hopes of dealing another blow to the Evil Empire, courtesy of RSN.
And, for reference's sake, here's the e-mail I sent:
'Let me say this: I have no problem with third-party sports clothing manufacturers making shirts supporting their respective hometown teams (even the tasteless "Yankees Suck" shirts can be tolerated), but to see MLB.com backing this kind of tripe is both shocking and offensive. I've seen the new "Who's Your Daddy" New York Yankees shirts posted in the MLB.com shop, and it's only the most recent example of MLB trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I don't care if there's a huge market for garbage like this; Major League Baseball is supposed to exhibit professionalism, not exploitation. If there should ever be a place to get an objective view on all things baseball, I would hope it would be MLB.com, but I suppose that is out of the question now. I should hope to see that in the future Major League Baseball will be more discriminating with its merchandise, but for now my money will elude the unscrupulous hands of the MLB.com shops.
Sincerely,
- A Passionate Fan/one lost customer'
And there you have it. Now, just a couple million more e-mails like this, and we may have something here.
Thanks for the time, and keep up the good work."
Steve Haynes"
---
"As I sit here wearing official MLB clothing, I must rethink my purchasing priorities in view of your endorsement and marketing of the 'Who's Your Daddy' apparel. It isn't enough for MLB to have outrageous ticket prices, onerous concessions, and labor relations that are the paradigm of mediocrity, now this affront to the paying customers of one of your 'storied' franchises.If private enterprise wishes to manufacture and market tasteless clothing choice (they do) so be it. It remains inappropriate for it to be sold under the sponsorship of MLB. Of course, MLB is famous for making poor choices.
Official boycott of MLB apparel starts here.
With minimal high regard,
Ron Sen
Melrose, MA"
---
"I am horrified. While on MLB.com, I happened to see the "Who's Your Daddy" Yankees shirt in your shop. What an appalling way to start a Monday morning. MLB is supposed to be the objective organization that is above teams bashing each other. How often is it that your own commissioner, Bud Selig, has said that the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry should be settled on the field? And yet you start selling a shirt that all but promotes that rivalry off the field. MLB might as well start marketing "Yankees Suck" and "Boston Sucks" t-shirts. I have no problem with any of those shirts existing -- even a "Who's Your Daddy" shirt. In fact, I expected it; it's free speech. What I did NOT expect was to see such shirts on MLB.com. I ask you, as a concerned fan, to remove this shirt from your shops or I promise that I, for one, will not be spending any money at such shops anymore."
Thanks for alerting the populice to this... it's an outrage and MLB deserves to be shamed into realizing it is.
David DiGiammarino"
Sox Considered Starting Pedro but They're Going to Let Schilling and His Bad Ankle Go in Game 1
Ace will tough it out and wear ankle brace and take Marcaine injections to make it through Game 1. Schill, who went down fast and grabbed his ankle after a pitch during a bullpen session before Friday's sweeper and was limping on the field during the onfield celebration, had a good workout yesterday and was proclaimed good to go. Gammons confirmed that Schilling will still have surgery to correct the problem after the Sox win the Series, something Curt said was possible months ago.
