Let's Do Better Releases "The Decline of Black Baseball" Collection

Let’s Do Better is spotlighting the shrinking number of Black players in the MLB with a “The Decline of Black Baseball” collection. Consisting of a special t-shirt and a re-release of the brand’s Juneteenth New York Yankees fitted cap, the offering both salutes great Black players from decades past and aims to shine a light on how few Black players are in the majors today: on Opening Day 2020, American-born Black players made up only 8.2 percent of MLB rosters, a low point in a steady decline that began in the late ’90s.

Printed on an ash gray Champion blank, the T-shirt graphic shows a lineup of some of the greatest Black players to ever take the diamond, ranging from more recent standouts like Ken Griffey Jr., Mookie Betts and Rickey Henderson to old-school icons like Willie Mays, Henry “Hank” Aaron and Satchel Paige. Each player appears on the tee as a character in ’90s sportswear fashion, and a “The East-West Game” graphic nods to the Negro League All-Star game, which was held from the ’30s to the ’60s.

The New York Yankees hat is done in collaboration with New Era, and embellishes the Bronx Bombers’ signature navy and white shades with an embroidered iteration of David Hammons‘ “African-American Flag.” This flag combines the USA’s stars and stripes with the colors of the Pan-African flag, and was also spotlighted by Tremaine Emory‘s Denim Tears x Converse Chuck 70.

Let’s Do Better’s “The Decline of Black Baseball” will release via the Let’s Do Better webstore and Packer Shoes on Friday, September 3 at 11 AM EDT. The MSRP for the tee is $60 USD, and the hat retails at $75 USD. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Bed-Stuy Sluggers Little League organization, an outfit that aims to teach a love of baseball, teamwork and good sportsmanship to Brooklyn youth.

Moving from Bed-Stuy to Los Angeles’ Silverlake neighborhood, check out the new Dickies x Brain Dead Fabrications workshop.