The mission of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is to keep history alive.  There are various ways to do that and when you go inside baseball’s treasure in Kansas City you see many of them-including in the gift store.

Common Union clothing is located in Carrollton, Texas and just like all great relationships and collaborations – their mission is exactly the same.

“About a year and a half ago we hired a new designer and his idea was to go back and do throwback baseball products that would include the Negro Leagues, Latin leagues and the old Federal League,” Vice President of Common Union Michael LaSane said. “We thought that was a great idea. This kind of stuff was in the market but it was over saturated and in many occasions didn’t use the original logos and was done illegally without license. We decided to do things a little differently. Yes we wanted to design clothing that people would buy and wear but we also wanted to continue and tell the oral story of these leagues. In the end, we wanted to be a part of what NLBM President Bob Kendrick and so many others were doing”

In order to do that – each piece has a baseball card attached to it telling the history of that particular club. Each card also has a QR stamp that when scanned by tablets or phones sends you directly to the Negro leagues Baseball Museum website.

“Our mission along with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is to produce a high quality product and to tell the fabulous stories associated with the teams and great players of the Negro Leagues,” LaSane continued.  “This isn’t just a licensing deal. Just like the museum, we have taken on the mission to educate people and continue to tell their story. These leagues, teams and players cannot be forgotten. It isn’t about the money for us. There is a more important calling here.”

Common Union apparrel can be purchased at over 350 retailers around the country as well as on-line where baseball fans from Australia to South Africa get their gear. Common Union also deals in NCAA and NFL clothing and hats.

“Aside from the Negro Leagues we have items from the Latin leagues and the old Federal League. People don’t remember the Chicago Whales,” LaSane, who played baseball himself and had a tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals said. “Wrigley Stadium was built for them way before the Cubs. It’s those kind of stories that are important to remember. People get things confused about baseball thinking it’s only about Major League Baseball. There are a lot of teams and players that didn’t have those opportunities. We are truly baseball fans-not just Major League Baseball fans.”

Common Union’s company motto is “Wear with Pride”. That kind of pride begins in the creation of their product to the education of people who purchase it.

“Our clothing reaches people from age 14-56,” LaSane commented. “There are a lot of 14-year olds out there in every community that has no idea there was a team from New York called the Black Yankees or that the Newark Eagles were a great franchise

You can’t talk about Negro Leagues history without also talking about America’s civil rights movement. The two go hand-in-hand.

“There is a social responsibility and I’m talking to the African-American and Latin communities,” the Vice President of Common Union said – emotion filling his voice.  “What we want to do is educate. Not open sores – because at the end of the day you have to move forward in order to progress. We want people to understand the sacrifices that were previously made for the rights and luxuries that they have today. Baseball is the one sport that is truly nostalgic and is all about history.”

This year through movies like “42” we celebrate the legacy and ground-breaking life of Jackie Robinson. Common Union is honoring this American hero in a way you would expect.

“This year we are doing a special Jackie Robinson package,” LaSane said. “With the help of the museum as well as Jackie Robinson’s widow Rachel, we’ve signed a three-year agreement to produce apparel commemorating his life. It’s a big deal for us to be able to commemorate Jackie Robinson as a Kansas City Monarch. We are the only people currently licensed to tell that story through apparel and are doing that with headwear, t-shirts, jerseys, a commemorative card and collector’s gift box.”

Robinson’s ethics and moral compass were not limited by his ethnicity.

“One of our new shirts is called “Jackie Nation”. We want to start a movement all about Jackie Robinson,” LaSane said from his office in Texas.  “We owe him a great debt of gratitude for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Within the movement we want people to understand the sacrifice. To take pride in Jackie Robinson’s accomplishments – to be Jackie strong and to promote baseball in the African-American community. We want to tell a sports story through fashion plus educate and encourage our youth.”

Common Union’s tribute to Robinson is just the beginning according to LaSane of a line of clothing honoring other great baseball players and human beings.

“There are other projects like the one we are doing with Jackie Robinson in the works. We are working hard to commemorate other great baseball stars like Roberto Clemente. We have hats and shirts from the Santurce Crabbers who he played for along with other greats like Orlando Cepeda in the winter leagues in Puerto Rico and hope to do a lot more. We would love to work with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to do the same type of things.”

No matter the project, player or team. No matter if it’s a snapback hat, jersey or jacket. One thing is for sure – you’ll love whatever you’re wearing and learn something while wearing it.

“We will always strive to honor the Negro Leagues for the true role it played in baseball history but also in civil rights. We will also always support in any way we can the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The reason that Rachel Robinson decided to partner with us on the Jackie Robinson project was because of our relationship with Bob Kendrick and the museum. A big part of the proceeds from the Robinson project will go directly to the Negro Leagues Museum. We are going to be partners for life.”

You can visit and shop Common Union on-line at www.common-union.com as well as on Facebook.

Dave Barr (@daveabarr)