Boston Red Sox Outfielder Darnell McDonald Signs with Respect Your Universe

Respect Your Universe, Inc. (RYU) has announced that Boston Red Sox Outfielder Darnell McDonald has joined RYU to become the latest professional athlete to represent the quickly growing premium high performance apparel brand.

McDonald, who became a part of the Boston Red Sox organization in 2010, is the third official RYU athlete on the elite professional athlete roster for RYU in addition to Top UFC Welterweight Jon Fitch and 2011 Mr. Olympia Phil Heath.

McDonald will be engaged in an off-field apparel and product endorsement deal with RYU and was selected by RYU for his alignment with RYU’s core values of respect, strength, honor and sustainability, his Warrior Ethic as a professional athlete and ability to share the brand message to athletes in all sports with his weekly incorporation of Mixed Martial Arts in his training routine.

John Wood, RYU President, said: “We are pleased and excited to have Darnell join the RYU family. Through Darnell’s continued pursuit of respect, honor and strength he has been able to achieve the highest levels of professional athletics. Darnell’s incorporation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into his workout regimen allows him to speak to the Mixed Martial Arts inspired athlete and to the value of MMA training in all major athletic sports.”

McDonald began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career in 1997 when he was selected in the first round (26th) of the amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles and later played for the Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds. In 2008, McDonald was chosen to represent the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game prior to joining the Boston Red Sox organization in 2010.

With the Boston Red Sox, McDonald became the 9th player in the organization to hit a home run in his first at-bat and only the third person to pinch hit for the Red Sox and have his first hit be a home run. In the same game, McDonald also became the first ever member of the Red Sox to collect a game-ending RBI in his debut with the club. Most recently in 2011, McDonald made the Opening Day roster for the Red Sox and served as a utility outfielder.

“I connected with RYU immediately, their concept of an internal warrior is exactly in-sync with my own personal beliefs of what an athlete should be,” said Darnell McDonald about joining RYU. “I’ve been playing professional baseball for years and often battle with the mental games that it entails. Within each battle, I try to search out the lessons in resilience and sprit and remind myself that the real battle is within me. Each day that my mind, body and spirit grow stronger, so does my inner warrior.”

Made with both performance and style in mind, RYU was created specifically to enhance the athlete’s overall performance and need to excel at their sport. All RYU apparel items and products are made from the highest quality fabrics, comprised of up to 90% organic and/or recycled materials to maximize performance, comfort and style.