Mariners Honor Negro Leagues With Special Uniform
J.P. Crawford of the Seattle Mariners presented a game‑worn Steelheads jersey to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a gesture that sparked a broader collaboration between the club and the historic franchise.
The Steelheads, a short‑lived Negro League team that played in Seattle in 1946, are remembered for a uniform that blends classic design with deep cultural resonance, and the Mariners have now adopted it as their official alternate fit for Sunday home games.
Starting this season the team will wear the historic jersey on select Sundays, making the Mariners the first Major League Baseball club to integrate a Negro League uniform into its regular rotation.
Alongside the on‑field tribute, the organization announced a $25,000 contribution to the museum’s Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center, underscoring a commitment to preserving the legacy of African‑American baseball pioneers.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, said the partnership fills him with pride and gratitude, noting that the Mariners’ decision to wear the Steelheads uniform regularly is unprecedented and deeply valued by the institution.
The move is being hailed as a meaningful tribute to the heritage of the game in Seattle, blending on‑field competition with a broader cultural acknowledgment that resonates with fans and historians alike.