At American Patch, we love creating sports patches and have done everything from volleyball patches to soccer patches to tennis patches. We especially love seeing professional sports teams create their own memorial patches. Here are some notable memorial sports patches:
Tony Gwynn Patch
In June of this year, the San Diego Padres wore a patch to commemorate fellow Padres player Tony Gwynn, who played 20 seasons for the team (1982-2001) and won eight batting titles. Gwynn died on June 16th due to complications with cancer.
Johnny Pesky Patch
Johnny Pesky played baseball for three different teams, but was most associated with the Boston Red Sox. He went on to manage the Red Sox and passed away on August 13, 2012. To commemorate him, the team wore a patch with his number.
Roberto Clemente Patch
Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972) and established several records. Clemente died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 and the next year, the Pirates were the first team to ever create a jersey patch to honor an athlete.
Harry Kalas Patch
An American sportscaster, Harry Kalas became the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1971 to 2009. He called six no-hit games, six National League Championship Series, and three World Series. Kalas died from heart disease on April 13, 2009 and was honored by the Phillies later that month.
Art Modell Patch
Art Modell owned the Cleveland Browns (1961-1995) and the Baltimore Ravens (1996-2004). He was most associated with the Ravens and during his time with them, saw them win Super Bowl XXXV. He died on September 6, 2012 of natural causes and Ravens players wore a patch in his honor.
Gary Carter Patch
Gary Carter played 21 years of baseball for the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets. He was nicknamed “Kid” because of his youthful appearance and helped the Mets win the World Series in 1986. He died of brain cancer on February 16, 2012 and the Mets still honor him with a “Kid” patch.
Johnny “Red” Kerr & Norm Van Lier Patch
Johnny Kerr and Norm Van Lier were both NBA players – Kerr for the Syracuse Nationals and Van Lier for the Chicago Bulls. After their basketball careers, both men went on to become color analysts for the Bulls on radio and television. Both died on February 26, 2009, so the team created a dual memorial patch in remembrance.
John Wooden Patch
John Wooden was an American basketball player and coach to the UCLA Bruins. As head coach, he won 10 NCAA championships and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. Wooden died on June 4, 2010 and UCLA players fashioned a patch with his initials for their jerseys.
*Photos courtesy of:
thescore.com
garveyceyrusselllopes.blogspot.com
sportsfountainhead.blogspot.com
news.sportslogos.net
metsblog.com
patchesojerseyland.tumblr.com
