An NYPD baseball team whose uniforms and gear were stolen at a tournament in Texas is getting free replacements from two sporting-goods outlets.
New York’s Finest Baseball Club — which was robbed of $15,000 in gloves, bats and uniforms — got an offer of the donations Sunday from both Rawlings and Modell’s.
“People are starting to reach out to us, and it feels good,” said the self-funded team’s manager, José Vasquez. “It lessens the blow a little bit. This is just less money that these guys are gonna have to take out of their pockets.”
The club, which plays against other police and fire departments around the country, lost its gear when its van was robbed in Dallas Friday, just before a championship game.
Rawlings salesman Jon Mauchan reached out to the team Sunday and offered $800 in bats, helmets and balls.
Meanwhile, a rep for Modell’s Sporting Goods said the company will work with Vasquez to see what it can do to help. “We wanted to help out as much as we could,” said the spokesman, Jason Karlowski.
Next week, the club is scheduled to start its regular season, which will include a tournament in San Diego, where its players were victorious the past two seasons.