By Latrice W.

Baseball has always had their ups and downs. In the 18th century there was just amateurs playing their own little game with improv equipment throughout the time. As the hype grew, it inspired professional clubs to be founded in 1860s. American newspapers started to call Baseball, the “National Pastime.” Then in the in 20th century there was the “Dead-ball Era” where baseball was a lot more violent and aggressive. Thanks to more strict rules and laws, it became safer by the end of the 1920′s.

Baseball players even went on a strike in 1994, but ended the strike in Spring of 1995. Today, baseball is still facing more ups and downs over who is taking what, or who’s time is up at their last strike at the sport. Baseball, one of many people’s favorite pastime, can be found all over the world. People all around the globe have a favorite team. Even those that do not follow the sport, can still find themselves in a baseball t-shirt, either because of the color, state, or even the design that catches ones eye upon looking for something that fits their persona and style. Just make sure that when you are wearing a baseball t-shirt, please know some history behind the team (in case someone should ask you).

Check out these cool baseball t-shirts!

By Coty Gonzales

Pennant Race is a T-Shirt brand based out of Beaverton, Oregon, that specializes in making T-Shirts that give credit to greatness but exploits the unforgivable in sports. Ryan  from Pennant Race was nice enough to sit and chat with me about his brand, and of course, sports!

CG: Tell us a little bit about what Pennant Race is all about.

PR: Pennant Race is all about making fun, sports-inspired apparel that we’re personally into. We’re huge sports fans and Pennant Race is our own take on anything and everything sports related. Our stuff is all about taking sports inspired concepts and looking at them in a different way. Every piece we put out has our own flavor added to it and our hope is that we’re giving our supporters something much more than the average run-of-the-mill sports apparel. Every tee has it’s own story behind it and we strive to give our customers a full fledged experience when they buy our pieces.

CG: What are Pennant Race ‘Web Gems’ and what makes them so unique?

PR: Web Gems are exclusive pieces that are only found on our website and nowhere else. These pieces can be anything from collaborations with other brands to exclusive colorways of pieces from our regular lines. Web Gems are also produced in smaller runs than the pieces in our regular collections. We plan on growing the Web Gems section of our site in the coming year, continuing to expand it to more than just tees.

CG:  How many people work behind the scenes at Pennant Race? Is it a one-man show or do you have a ton of Pennant Race employees helping you run things?

PR: The brand is run by myself and my partner Aaron. We grew up together here in Portland, I still reside here and Aaron currently lives in Brooklyn New York. We have countless others who have stepped in to help us with certain aspects of the brand but we’re the two founders who make it go on a day-to-day basis.

CG: Your Balco Bomber Pack tee obviously pokes fun at the huge steroid problem in Major League Baseball at the moment. Were you shocked when, just a few weeks ago, Alex Rodriquez admitted to using steroids?

PR: Haha, I actually wasn’t shocked at all. Considering the immense problem that steroids became in the game, I can’t really say that I would be totally surprised by anyone admitting to using them. It seems like, for a while, steroids almost became the norm in the game. Very sad but very true. Speaking of Alex Rodriquez – just a few days ago some interesting pictures surfaced of him (from Details Magazine), that show him, well, kissing himself. Can we expect a Pennant Race tee poking fun at A-Rod in the near future?

I can’t divulge too much right now, but we’ve had a few different A-Rod pieces in the works for a while and you will most likely see something released at some point. Maybe sooner than later!

CG: In your opinion, what have been 5 of the top blunders in sports history?

PR: Wow, that’s a really tough one. There have been so many great ones! A few of the obvious ones that come to mind off the top would be Bill Buckner’s botched ground ball and Chris Webber calling the time out that they didn’t have when he was at Michigan.

A few of my personal faves that are a little more under the radar are going to be coming out as tees, so we want to keep it a surprise for now!

CG:  What are some of your favorite sports to follow? Who are some of your favorite teams? How about your favorite athlete of all time (any sport)?

PR: My favorite sports to follow are Major League Baseball, NBA & College Hoops and College Football. My favorite teams are the Blazers, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oregon State Beavers (my Alma Mater). My favorite athletes of all-time are Cal Ripken Jr. and Clyde Drexler.

CG:  It’s March Madness! I’m sure that like the rest of America, Pennant Race has a March Madness pool of some sort going. Who is in your Final Four?

PR: Oh yeah man, definitely have a bracket going! You have to love March Madness! My final four are Syracuse, Memphis, Pitt and Louisville. I have Memphis beating Syracuse in the final.

The NBA Finals are in session. Who are you rooting for? Represent your favorite team this finals season with these NBA fan tees. How ’bout them Lakers? Gotta love the Lakers. The MVP of the league can definitely pull this one off. Check out some cool Lakers tees. Oh yeah, and that other team’s too.

Baseball. One of the most popular ball games in the nation (the 2nd most popular to be exact). Millions of fans show their pride by rooting for their favorite teams at games, buying tons of merchandise, and sporting the wide variety of baseball apparel on the market, including fitted caps, jerseys, and of course, baseball t-shirts.

If your love for baseball matches your love for t-shirts then you’re in luck. T-Shirt Magazine is paying homage to the great American sport. We scouted the coolest baseball t-shirts around. Next time your taken out to the ball game you’ll feel the satisfaction of wearing a cooler t-shirt than the next fan.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BASEBALL T-SHIRT?