At Gerrit Cole’s press conference, the Yankees’ $324 million man donned the pinstripes with the interlocking NY and, for the first time, a Nike swoosh on the right chest.
“I don’t hate it,” Cole said.
Traditionalists do, finding it sacrilege, but the reason the swoosh is now located on the front of the Yankees’ uniform is because of MLB wanting to appeal to younger consumers and, not for nothing, a 10-year deal that was valued at, according to sources, more than $1 billion among MLB, Nike and Fanatics.
“Demand is up significantly based on adding the swoosh to the uniform and is bringing in younger consumers to the sport and a marketing halo from Nike,” Michael Rubin, the founder and executive chairman of Fanatics, told The Post.