Seattle shop is top spot for Negro Leagues apparel
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A new logo commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first Negro Leagues World Series. Photo: Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Started as a mom-and-pop shop in 1988, Seattle-based Ebbets Field Flannels is one of the only places to get authentic paraphernalia for baseball's once-overlooked Negro Leagues.
Why it matters: The recent inclusion of stats from Negro League players has recast the records — greats like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb no longer hold some top spots — and awakened new interest in the teams that were excluded from the MLB during segregation.
- Negro League stars now populate top 10 lists, and more records may change as the MLB analyzes other numbers from seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948.
- Combined, the Negro Leagues produced 35 National Baseball Hall of Famers.
What they're saying: "I'm very proud we were the first company to introduce apparel from the Negro Leagues decades ago," said company founder Jerry Cohen, who added that he's pleased to see players now getting the credit they deserve.
- "It's better late than never," he told Axios.
Catch up quick: Cohen grew up listening to his father tell stories of players of another era and became fascinated with sports emblems and uniforms, per the company's story.
- Ebbets Field Flannels was born when people expressed interest in buying shirts he'd made for himself from authentic old wool flannel.
- The business focused on non-Major League history, such as the Negro Leagues, the pre-1958 Pacific Coast League and teams from Mexico, bringing relatively unknown baseball history to the public.
State of play: Though Cohen and his former wife, Lisa Cooper, quietly sold the majority interest in the business to holding company Ames Watson in 2021, both remain connected to the company, Seattle Met reported.
Fun facts: Ebbets uniforms have appeared in movies such as "42" and numerous TV shows, and on Major League diamonds when franchises host "turn back the clock" days and wear throwback uniforms.
- Celebrity patrons include Spike Lee, LeBron James and David Letterman, per the company.
- On closing day of the old Yankee Stadium, Ebbets handcrafted uniforms were worn by Yankee legends like Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford.
The bottom line: In an interview with KNKX last year, Cohen talked about being in New York City and seeing two people wearing Ebbets hats and one wearing a 1947 Yankees jacket.
- People who know the brand recognize each other, he said.
- "It's like a little bit of a secret society."