Boathouse Sports, the Philadelphia-based manufacturer of custom team athletic apparel, launched a “Limited Edition Store” with Mike Napoli of the Texas Rangers to make his now famous American flag shorts available to the public.   All of the proceeds raised from the sale of the shorts, available now in both a men’s and women’s versions, will go directly to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Brady’s Bunch Lacrosse Program for pediatric cancer research.
 
Napoli, acquired by the Texas Rangers in August from the Boston Red Sox, wore the stars and bars shorts when he first arrived in Arlington, TX.  His new teammates took a liking to them almost immediately.   Napoli decided he wanted to give his new teammates a pair of the shorts that he loved so much.
 
“It was something that I just wanted to do for a great bunch of guys,” said Napoli.  “Now, right before the playoffs, I wanted to make them available to the fans.”
 
However, Napoli’s old shorts featured a “B” that captured his New England ties.  Clearly an update to the design was needed.  Napoli reached out to Boathouse Sports, the manufacturer of the American flag shorts, and worked with their designers to give them a Texas spin.  The new design incorporates an image of the state of Texas, the year 2015 and Rangers manager Jeff Banister’s mantra #NeverEverQuit.
 
“It’s always special to create a project that can truly make a difference,” added Brian Grieper of Paragon Sports International and Napoli’s agent for over 15 years.  “Mike has always recognized the opportunity and platform he has to give back and continues to enthusiastically embrace the role as a leader in the community.”
 
“We are very excited to partner with Mike and lend a hand in raising much needed funding for two very worthy charities,” said John Strotbeck, CEO of Boathouse Sports.  “It is the least we can do to help fight and some day eliminate a disease which has impacted the lives of so many Americans.”