Fans loved the Wawa gear that Bryce Harper wore on July 27. Evidently, Major League Baseball felt differently.
Harper donned both a Wawa headband and cleats inspired by the popular convenience stores in a game against the Cleveland Guardians:
Bryce Harper is wearing a custom Wawa headband and cleats tonight pic.twitter.com/F8gZMabTRC
But if you're wondering why Harper hasn't rocked the cleats or headband recently, he told Hannah Keyser of Front Office Sports that it's because MLB issued a fine the last time around.
"He’s also sported plenty of one-offs, including a holographic pair for the London series, and another themed for Philly’s iconic convenience store Wawa, with a matching headband. (He stopped wearing them because Major League Baseball fined him for improper advertising; 'Obviously I understand why,' he says, 'but also I think kids love it.')"
MLB probably could have looked the other way on this, but it's not surprising that they didn't considering it does amount to free advertising for Wawa.
There had been some thought that Wawa — given its connection to the area and matching color scheme — could be the uniform sponsor for the Phillies. Ultimately, that instead went to IBX, which in the grand scheme of things has proven to be non-offensive, even if most fans would prefer no jersey ads.
Keyser's full story is definitely worth your time. In it, Harper and other players discuss their customized gear, and Keyser delves into the industry that's been created around fulfilling the desires for said equipment. Harper also dropped hints about some potential Under Armour cleat collabs for next year, including Mister Softee.
