Stitches do more than hold a baseball together.
The Pride Ball
In June 2025, with DEI rollbacks dominating national news, the Seattle Mariners kicked off Pride Month with a campaign that showed that baseball is for everyone. The PRIDE BALL was a one-of-a-kind artifact created to symbolize the way baseball brings communities together and broke out beyond the Pacific Northwest to spread its message to LGBTQ+ fans across Major League Baseball.
Journey
To spread the message to baseball fans beyond Seattle, the Mariners spearheaded a first-of-its-kind collaboration with MLB teams across the country. It traveled more than 8,500 miles to be used in Pride Night first pitches with the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Impact
During Pride Month, the Pride Ball video amassed over 800,000 organic views, resulting in 2.3MM impressions and 248% engagement compared to the Mariners’ 2025 average. The Pride Ball itself traveled more than 8500 miles and was seen in person by over 137,000 fans across six major league ballparks.
After its Pride Month journey was complete, it was requested to join the permanent collection at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and carry on its legacy for years to come.
Conversation
The Pride Ball was a personal passion project that took me two years to bring to life. One of the most rewarding results was the overwhelmingly positive response on social.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I know what it’s like to see a brand or organization you love make a public statement in support of equality. I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to do that with the Mariners.
Recognition: The Pride Ball campaign received a 2026 NW Emmy Award for best Public Service Announcement and was shortlisted for a Sports Clio.
Credits:
Concept, Creative Direction, Script, hand-coloring of thread: myself
Cinematography, sound design, final mix: James Carlin
Additional cinematography: Dan Oleskowicz
Art Direction: Max Young
Case Study Motion Graphics: Sam Findlay
Stitching of Pride Ball: Jerry Thornton, Jr. @ STT Lettering
Special thanks to my counterparts at the Giants, Royals, Diamondbacks, Orioles, and Rays for their partnership.