Rawlings named as the Official Baseball, Helmet and Catcher's Gear of the 2017 World Baseball Classic

ST. LOUIS, March 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. a subsidiary of Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL), is proud to be a sponsor and supporter of the World Baseball Classic (WBC). Games for the WBC will start on March 6^th.

Rawlings products will be used on field throughout the WBC.  Rawlings was named "The Official Baseball, Batting Helmet and Catcher's gear of the World Baseball Classic."

"Rawlings is honored to have been chosen as the official sponsor for such a prestigious event in the baseball community," said Mike Thompson, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Rawlings. "Being able to support the World Baseball Classic and baseball on a worldwide stage further cements our 130 years of authenticity in the game."

The Rawlings advisory staff will be led by 2016 All-Stars, Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico), Manny Machado (Dominican Republic), Nolan Arenado (USA) and Xander Bogaerts (Kingdom of the Netherlands).

Nine of the 2016 Rawlings Gold Glove winners are playing in the WBC including, Buster Posey (USA), Adrian Beltre (Dominican Republic), Brandon Crawford (USA), Salvador Perez (Venezuela), and Starling Marte (Dominican Republic) in addition to Lindor and Arenado.

"When the rosters were released it was amazing to see how many Rawlings Advisory Staff Members were on WBC teams," said Thompson. "We wish them all the best of luck throughout the WBC."

Other notable players include Matt Carpenter (USA), Tyler Clippard (USA), Bartolo Colón (Dominican Republic), Alcides Escobar (Venezuela), Jeurys Familia (Dominican Republic), Freddie Freeman (Canada), Paul Goldschmidt (USA), Adrián González (Mexico), Carlos Gonzalez (Venezuela), Sonny Gray (USA), Eric Hosmer (USA), Kenley Jansen (Netherlands), Adam Jones (USA), Jason Marquis (Israel), Yadier Molina (Puerto Rico), Jose Reyes (Dominican Republic), Hector Santiago (Puerto Rico), Giancarlo Stanton (USA), and Edinson Volquez (Dominican Republic).

The 2013 defending World Baseball Classic Champions are the Dominican Republic.    

Rawlings is also the official baseball and batting helmet of Major League Baseball.

About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes of all skill levels. Rawlings' unparalleled quality and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Ball Supplier and Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®. For more information, please visit Rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

About Newell Brands
Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®, Parker®, Elmer's®, Coleman®, Jostens®, Marmot®, Rawlings®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert®, Waddington and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play. This press release and additional information about Newell Brands are available on the company's website, www.newellbrands.com.

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SOURCE Rawlings