Erik Bacharach

With Pearl Jam releasing its 12th studio album at midnight Thursday, MLB is working with the rock band on a cross-promotion campaign that will feature in-park, broadcast and social activations around the debut of “Dark Matter.”

The Mets on Friday unveiled their new Nike City Connect uniforms, which feature a dark gray base, black pinstripes and notes of purple throughout, a nod to the New York City Subway's 7 line, which stops at Citi Field. The launch represents Aramark's largest inventory for a single event in the company's history, said Katie Haas, Mets EVP/Ballpark Operations and Experience. Accordingly, Haas is optimistic about record-setting sales figures. “You don't necessarily have to be a Mets fan to embrace this design,” Haas said. “It's cool, it's fun, it's totally different from the orange and blue. Most of all, it has ‘NYC' across the chest. That translates to non-Mets fans, to non-baseball fans, so I think there's going to be a demand for this as it relates to the fashionable and streetwear aspect.”

has signed WM as its first-ever sustainability sponsor in a deal that includes the environmental solutions provider serving as the presenting sponsor of the league's Earth Day campaign.

MLB is bringing back its Players' Weekend on Aug. 16-18 to provide a platform to showcase players' interests, backstories and charitable causes. A different aspect of players' lives will be highlighted each day through in-stadium game presentation elements, broadcast enhancements with media partners and social media content.

Keener's run with Little League, which will conclude after 44 years with his planned retirement at the end of the year, has been dotted with those types of moments. In the process, the 66-year-old raised Little League's profile domestically and internationally.

Every corner of the youth baseball ecosystem is seeing substantial growth, from the rise of Perfect Game, to the acquisition of a controlling interest in Ripken Baseball by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, to the growth of 3Sstep Sports and the longevity of Little League. The $30 billion youth sports market, of which baseball — and, increasingly, softball — comprises a significant portion, has placed a premium on the quality and depth of experiences for the athletes and their families.

Keener’s run with Little League, which will conclude after 44 years with his planned retirement at the end of the year, has been dotted with many moments. In the process, the 66-year-old raised Little League’s profile domestically and internationally.

The McLendon Foundation will receive Sports Business Journal’s Celebration of Service Award at the Sports Business Awards ceremony on May 22.

Jonathan Hay started with the Red Sox in 2013 as a minimum-wage intern. When he did his taxes that year, the cash value of the ring he received for the team’s World Series title was more than he had earned in six months with the club.

Andrew Nacario has helped innovate MLB free agency presentations at CAA Sports, with Trea Turner’s case serving as the quintessential example. Nacario, CAA’s co-head of baseball with 16 years of experience at the agency, wrote the script for Turner’s free agency video in late 2022, which was narrated by actor Jon Hamm, another CAA client. The video, which preceded a $300 million contract offer from the Phillies that Turner signed, garnered more than a million views online.