New Era Cap to be Exclusive Headwear Provider for 13 World Baseball Classic National Teams

BUFFALO, N.Y., March 2 /PRNewswire/ – New Era Cap Co., Inc., the leading headwear designer and manufacturer and Official On-Field Cap of Major League Baseball, has announced it will provide the exclusive on-field and locker room cap for 13 of the 16 participating countries in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090302/NY77342-a )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090302/NY77342-b )

The 2009 tournament will feature some of the most talented players from around the globe representing their native countries and territories to compete for the coveted World Baseball Classic Championship.

Now, baseball fans across the globe can proudly represent their countries with an authentic 2009 World Baseball Classic cap by New Era. Featured countries in the collection include: the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Kingdom of Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, Mexico and China.

“New Era is proud to partner with the World Baseball Classic to outfit the greatest baseball players in the world with the best headwear product in the industry,” said Todd Sokolowski, Director of New Era’s Fan Business Unit. “This is a great opportunity to further root our brand into international markets and provide fans with the quality of product they deserve.”

The 2009 New Era World Baseball Classic Collection is currently available at New Era Cap Flagship stores, the Rogers Centre in Toronto, cap retailers including Champs and Modell’s Sporting Goods as well as online at www.MLB.com and www.neweracap.com.

About New Era Cap

Founded in 1920, New Era Cap Company, Inc., the leading headwear manufacturer and creator of New Era Apparel, brings to market products that transcend time, culture, sport and fashion. Producing more than 35 million caps per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of the official on-field cap worn by every Major League Baseball team and their Minor League affiliates and maintaining agreements with other licensed entities. On the street, New Era is known as the Originator of the True Fitted for its signature cap style, the 59FIFTY. Some of the Company’s core markets include Action Sports, Children, Fan, Lifestyle, Women and Fashion/Street. The Company, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, and has operations in Canada, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong. New Era is a ‘Category A’ affiliate of the Fair Labor Association.

About the World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. In March 2006, 486 players (235 of them from MLB organizations) representing 16 teams from across the globe competed in the inaugural event. More than 740,000 fans from 48 states and 15 countries attended games and millions more watched on TV as Team Japan was crowned the first-ever World Baseball Classic Champion. The inaugural tournament was broadcast by 48 media outlets in 10 languages to 205 countries and territories around the world. Media members representing 25 different nations attended the 39 games in seven host venues across three countries/territories. The upcoming World Baseball Classic will be played from March 5 – 23 and will again feature 16 of the greatest baseball-playing nations in the world. The tournament will be held every four years thereafter, with plans in place to expand the participant field beginning in 2013.

    CONTACTS:

    Dana Marciniak, New Era Cap Co.
    (716) 604.9259
    dana.marciniak@neweracap.com

    Matthew McNichol, DKC
    (212) 981.5139
    matthew_mcnichol@dkcnews.com

SOURCE New Era Cap Co., Inc.