MLB stops shipments of Texas Rangers championship shirts with Dallas skyline
ARLINGTON, Texas - Major League Baseball apologized on Monday for a Texas Rangers championship t-shirt design that featured the Dallas skyline.
The official locker room shirt celebrating the 2015 AL West title had the Dallas skyline on it, upsetting Arlington politicians, members of the Rangers front office and some North Texans.
Team officials said MLB designed the shirts and they didn’t get to see them until Sunday afternoon when the Rangers won the division. The shirts quickly sold out across the area at various sporting goods stores.
On Monday afternoon, MLB said it would stop making the shirts with the Dallas skyline.
“When designing shirts for teams that advanced to the Postseason, we incorporated a skyline theme for clubs. We made a mistake in using this design for the Rangers,” said MLB spokesman Matt Bourne. “As a result we are not shipping any more skyline t-shirts to retailers and we are instead offering alternate Rangers Postseason shirts.”
Rangers’ fans packed Globe Life Park on Sunday to see the team take the American League West after two straight losses. More than 45,000 people turned out for Sunday’s game.
Many stayed to watch the celebration on the field and see the championship flag raised in the outfield.
“It was awesome, especially after the last two nights being so heartbreaking. So tonight was just awesome because we were close and really stressing out but then all of a sudden we blew it open so it was great,” said Clark Red.
The Rangers head to Toronto on Thursday to face the Blue Jays for the first two games of the ALDS. Game 3 will be on Sunday evening in Texas.