If you're tuning into the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow this weekend in Charlotte, you'll see a few golfers donning a rather surprising icon: the MLB logo. No, it's not new, but it may be the first time you've noticed it!
Jhonattan Vegas wears it on the left side of his polo, and others have the logo elsewhere on their clothing. It sits in a place not uncommon for sponsors, but it seems like a strange thing to include on a shirt of an athlete for a completely different sport. So why is it there?
No, these aren't athletes who are former MLB players or anything like that. It's actually simply a sponsor/ambassador exchange for those athletes, even if a bit unconventional.
Agent Dave Parker had the idea as early as 2013 when he brought it to Major League Baseball. A GOLF.com article detailed the story years ago, and the arrangement then was that the player would get paid for the logo exposure, and he also might entertain some of MLB's biggest clients with a golf outing or two.
One other bonus? At least one player—Shawn Stefani, the first to sign the deal—got free baseball tickets to his hometown Houston Astros whenever he wanted. Peter Malnati later got a ticket hookup too, but with the Kansas City Royals. Vegas has been spotted at Astros games too, perhaps with a similar perk in exchange for his shirt real estate.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Are Jhonattan Vegas and Other PGA Championship Golfers Wearing the MLB Logo?.