Rawlings (company)

Rawlings and Major League Baseball

Rawlings began providing the hometown St. Louis Cardinals with gloves in 1906.

Here is Paul Lo Duca, a Washington Nationals player, wearing a Rawlings catcher mitt.

In 1920, Bill Doak, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, suggested that a web be placed between the first finger and the thumb in order to create a pocket. This design soon became the standard for baseball gloves. Doak patented his design and sold it to Rawlings. His design became the precursor to modern gloves, and enabled Rawlings to become the preferred glove of professional players.^[5]

In 1955 Spalding bought Rawlings, and began using it to manufacture baseballs.

In 1957 the company introduced the Gold Glove award, which became the major award for baseball. It also sponsors the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) "Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year" award.

13 years after acquiring it, an anti-trust investigation forced Spalding to sell Rawlings again, but as it did so Spalding set up a contract that would have Rawlings manufacture baseballs to sell with the Spalding logo.

When this agreement ended in 1977, Rawlings began using its own logo, becoming the official supplier of the major leagues (producing separate balls for both the American and National Leagues from 1977 to 1999, and since 2000, a single ball for all of Major League Baseball), succeeding Spalding, which had been the supplier for a century. All the balls supplied to the major and minor leagues are manufactured in Costa Rica.^[6] Additional low-end versions are manufactured in China.^[7]

Many major leaguers have endorsed Rawlings equipment over the years. There are four main series for the gloves: the Gold Glove Series, the Heritage Pro Series, the Heart of the Hide Series, the Pro Preferred Series and the Gold Glove Collection Series.

In 2005 Rawlings corporate headquarters were moved from Fenton, Missouri, to Town and Country, Missouri.^[8]

It was announced on June 5, 2018 that Rawlings was sold from Newell Brands to the Los Angeles-based private equity firm, Seidler Equity Partners (SEP) (which owns LA Fitness), with MLB a co-investor in the $395 million deal. Rawlings employs 150 people in the St. Louis area, and 1,200 globally. The deal was completed on July 2, 2018.^[9] Rawlings previously made some custom baseball gloves at its plant in Washington, Missouri, but no longer makes any baseball gloves in the United States, with the factory still open.^[10]

Rawlings and NCAA baseball

Rawlings currently sponsors numerous collegiate baseball teams in the NCAA. The flagship team for Rawlings is the Virginia Cavaliers, winners of the 2015 College World Series.

Rawlings and American Legion Baseball

Rawlings sponsors the Rawlings Big Stick Award, which is presented to the American Legion Baseball "player who accumulated the most total bases."^[11]

Rawlings and National Football League

As of August 19, 2010, Rawlings signed a multi year deal with the National Football League for products such as tent canopies, grills, and chairs. This will also include non-exclusive tailgate products such as coolers, stadium seats, and footballs.^[12]