Fanatics has reached a "definitive agreement" to acquire VF's Licensed Sports Group (LSG), which has held exclusive MLB jersey rights since '05. News of the pending acquisition was announced just before the start of trading this morning on the NYSE. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 and is subject to standard closing conditions. Terms were not disclosed. Fanatics, MLB and Majestic will be holding an announcement event later today at the Majestic manufacturing facility in Easton, Pa., with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Fanatics Exec Chair Michael Rubin, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Majestic President Mike Pardini.

The move continues Fanatics' rollup of licensing rights, e-commerce operations, along with brick-and-mortar venue sales, and a push into a vertical arrangement, within which it controls much of the sports-licensing business from end to end. VF put LSG up for sale last year. With annual sales of around $500M, VF’s sports licensing unit that includes LSG has rights with all four major stick-and-ball leagues, along with NASCAR and many colleges. Majestic is easily Fanatics' largest acquisition to date, and will add to its significant domestic manufacturing capabilities. VF/Majestic employs around 600 people in its Easton, Pa., plant, which is largely responsible for MLB jersey production.

swishnicholson wrote:Ed Barkowitz's preview of the upcoming season in the the Inquirer pullout guide is generally fine. Contains one weird comment , though, on how Adrian Beltre is approaching 3000 hits, and that he's under consideration for the Hall of Fame despite the fact that "he had 200 hits in a season exactly once." Hit totals are silly standards anyway, but when a guy like Willie Mays only had 200 hits in a season once you would think even Barkowitz would take note.

Werthless wrote:

swishnicholson wrote:Ed Barkowitz's preview of the upcoming season in the the Inquirer pullout guide is generally fine. Contains one weird comment , though, on how Adrian Beltre is approaching 3000 hits, and that he's under consideration for the Hall of Fame despite the fact that "he had 200 hits in a season exactly once." Hit totals are silly standards anyway, but when a guy like Willie Mays only had 200 hits in a season once you would think even Barkowitz would take note.

He's a lock.

Question: does he steal a single base for the 7th consecutive year?

BigEd76 wrote:ol friend Jonathan Arauz suspended 50 games after testing positive for Methamphetamine

swishnicholson wrote:

Werthless wrote:

swishnicholson wrote:Ed Barkowitz's preview of the upcoming season in the the Inquirer pullout guide is generally fine. Contains one weird comment , though, on how Adrian Beltre is approaching 3000 hits, and that he's under consideration for the Hall of Fame despite the fact that "he had 200 hits in a season exactly once." Hit totals are silly standards anyway, but when a guy like Willie Mays only had 200 hits in a season once you would think even Barkowitz would take note.

He's a lock.

Question: does he steal a single base for the 7th consecutive year?

Barkowitz' other argument was that if Beltre makes it in, then Dick Allen 'better be next."

I'm okay with that, but I don't follow his logic.

Agree he should be a lock. OPS+ of 105 through age 30, 133 after. don't know if anyone else has managed this.

Maybe the only player in HOF history who doesn't let them put ANY cap on their head.

ReadingPhilly wrote:

Fanatics has reached a "definitive agreement" to acquire VF's Licensed Sports Group (LSG), which has held exclusive MLB jersey rights since '05. News of the pending acquisition was announced just before the start of trading this morning on the NYSE. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 and is subject to standard closing conditions. Terms were not disclosed. Fanatics, MLB and Majestic will be holding an announcement event later today at the Majestic manufacturing facility in Easton, Pa., with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Fanatics Exec Chair Michael Rubin, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Majestic President Mike Pardini.

The move continues Fanatics' rollup of licensing rights, e-commerce operations, along with brick-and-mortar venue sales, and a push into a vertical arrangement, within which it controls much of the sports-licensing business from end to end. VF put LSG up for sale last year. With annual sales of around $500M, VF’s sports licensing unit that includes LSG has rights with all four major stick-and-ball leagues, along with NASCAR and many colleges. Majestic is easily Fanatics' largest acquisition to date, and will add to its significant domestic manufacturing capabilities. VF/Majestic employs around 600 people in its Easton, Pa., plant, which is largely responsible for MLB jersey production.