The Clemson baseball team announced a new partnership with Absolutely Ridiculous on Jan. 23, a brand that adds a little spice to the Tigers’ gear.
Founded in 2021 by the artist “X,” Absolutely Ridiculous has become known for bringing a fresh perspective to baseball, combining inspirations from art, fashion, luxury, music and pop culture to infuse confidence in players.
Absolutely Ridiculous offers unique fielding gloves, sliding mitts and headwear designed to help players express their individuality on the field. Head coach Erik Bakich has made clear his desire for Clemson baseball to remain traditional, but he’s now found a way to add a twist of fun to that.
“When we look at potential partnerships, we look for partners that aim to grow the sport and boldly do things differently,” Absolutely Ridiculous’ founder, X, said.
“Coach Bakich and the Clemson Baseball program are exactly that,” he added. “Their willingness to break the mold and listen to their players’ desires opens up a world of creativity and self-expression in baseball that nobody has seen before at this level.”
Shortstop Andrew Ciufo’s glove will showcase the initials of his late grandparents, an Italian flag and the quote “Nobody cares” from the movie “A Bronx Tale.”
“EB is trying to do things a college team has never done before,” Ciufo stated. “It allows individual players’ personalities to shine.”
A player known for his bold self-expression and pizazz is Yankees star Jazz Chisholm Jr., who took the field with Bakich to announce the partnership.
Chisholm, also sponsored by Absolutely Ridiculous, showed his admiration for Clemson, describing it as a family to him. The infielder also has a family member who Bakich had coached earlier in his career.
“I have an older cousin that he’s coached his whole life, and he calls him dad. My older cousin calls Coach, Dad,” Chisholm said. “That was a surprise to me. I told Coach this last night, anyone that my family member said is a family member to them, that means we’re all family in this. It’s amazing, Coach, I ain’t gonna lie. I’m a Tiger for life. I’m an alumni now. It’s like a mini New York to me!”
Chisholm made an appearance at the Clemson men’s basketball game the night before, where the Tigers defeated Syracuse, 86-72.
Chisholm also shared that his favorite color is purple, making it easy for him to rock Clemson’s gear even while playing with the Yankees this season.
Absolutely Ridiculous became one of the youngest brands to be featured in “MLB: The Show,” with several of its gloves and other items showcased in the 2023 edition of the video game. The original concept behind Absolutely Ridiculous was a glove designed to look like a melting ice cream cone, which sold out online in seconds.
Chisholm recalled that during the week he was out of his deal with Rawlings, X messaged him about designing a glove.
“He just hit me with that question, I was like, ‘Bro, I’m eating ice cream right now,’” Chisholm recalls. “He’s like, ‘We could put that on a glove.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean, like we can have an ice cream glove?’ And he was like, ‘Yes, we can do that.’”
“He sent me over a sample, and I loved it, it was like love at first sight with the glove,” he added.
A new era of Clemson baseball is unfolding. An era where fun is emphasized and players are free to express their true selves while playing the game they love — while hopefully winning a national championship as well.
