Mookie Betts Is Bringing His Gold Glove Standard Off The Field

Mookie Betts is stepping beyond the outfield, launching a new venture that combines skill and innovation in baseball gloves, as the Dodgers prepare for the critical second half of the season.

Mookie Betts has added a new line to his already crowded résumé: glove company founder.

This past week, Betts moved past the number of games he played with the Boston Red Sox, which means he has now spent more time as a Dodger than as a Red Sox. Across those two stops, he has collected six Gold Gloves. Now he’s putting that defensive background into a business of his own with LGND, a baseball glove company he says is “built around versatility, craftsmanship and player-first innovation.”

“Every detail matters when you’re on the field, and your glove is one of the most important tools you have,” Betts said in a statement. “I started this with the intention to build something that reflected the way I play the game, which is with passion, preparation and attention to detail.”

LGND currently offers two collections. The MOOK series draws from Betts’ time playing both infield and outfield, and the gloves include his personal game-worn colorways, a “50 Tri-Star” logo embroidered on the thumb, and his signature stamped in the palm. The MVRK series is aimed at players who handle multiple positions and comes with its own distinct styling.

“LGND is about giving young players a glove they can trust from the first time they put it on,” Betts said. “Whether you’re chasing a championship, working toward a college scholarship or just falling in love with baseball, I want these gloves to help young players perform at their best.”

Betts is not doing it alone. His partners in the venture are Cameron Lewis, Brandon McPhail and Andrew Montgomery, lifelong friends who competed with him in high school in the Nashville area.

For more on the gloves, including the cost, Steve Henson of the L.A. Times has additional details.

On the field, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic laid out a few of the biggest questions facing the Dodgers in the second half. The list starts with whether they’ll ever be at full strength this season, then moves to how the club handles Shohei Ohtani going forward, and finishes with the deadline, where the expectation is probably not much, but…

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