New Balance "has added" Mariners 2B Robinson Cano to an endorsement roster that "already includes" Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia and Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. New Balance GM/Sports Marketing Mark Cavanaugh said that Cano is a "huge get for the brand, and not only because ... American youths love his swagger and swing." Rovell noted Cano also "commands a lot of attention in Asia" after playing alongside Marlins RF Ichiro Suzuki with the Yankees in '12 and '13, and now playing for the Mariners. The New Balance deal will support his foundation by "outfitting students at Cano's RC22 Dream School in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic" (ESPN.com, 4/2). In Seattle, Stephen Cohen noted New Balance "released the first images of the custom 3000v2 baseball spike they designed for Cano, which features a Mariners color scheme, Cano’s number, personal logo and references to his family, including his grandfather Olividio, who died last month after a yearlong battle with lung cancer" (SEATTLEPI.com, 4/2).
