Two iconic American baseball equipment companies are now owned by a Chinese company associated with the CCP
- Wilson and Louisville Slugger—icons of America's pastime—now operate under Anta Sports, a CCP-linked Chinese conglomerate.
- Louisville Slugger's family owners sold out in 2015 after being outgunned by global giants; Wilson had already sold to Finland's Amer Sports in 1989.
- Anta, founded in 1991, built its empire by copying Western designs and undercutting costs—now it's the world's third-largest athletic brand.
- In 2019, Anta suspended NBA ties over Hong Kong protests; in 2021, its billionaire owner donated $1.2 billion to a CCP-connected 'charity.'
- The takeover highlights a broader trend of U.S. manufacturing outsourcing backfiring, as Chinese firms swallow iconic Western brands whole.
Brief Summary
So much for 'as American as apple pie.' The two most storied names in baseball gear—Wilson and Louisville Slugger—are now corporate stepchildren of Anta Sports, a Chinese behemoth with the Communist Party practically in the ownership group. Louisville Slugger's founding family threw in the towel in 2015, citing the impossibility of competing with mega-multinationals. Wilson had already sold out to Finland's Amer Sports decades earlier, and in 2018, Anta swept in and bought Amer wholesale. The result: the glove on Clayton Kershaw's hand and the bat in Ronald Acuña Jr.'s grip are manufactured under a banner loyal to Beijing's playbook. This isn't just a business story—it's a slow-motion annexation of a beloved American institution.
Why This Matters
For the average fan or weekend warrior, this isn't just a trivia fact—it's a gut punch to the idea that American tradition can survive the globalist meat grinder. Your kid's Little League glove isn't just a piece of leather; it's now part of a supply chain that funnels profits toward a company that formally iced NBA ties over Hong Kong and donates billions to CCP-aligned causes. The deeper problem is the chilling effect: if a 140-year-old brand can't stay American, what else is on the auction block? Your next pair of sneakers, your car parts, your home appliances—all are increasingly made by entities with values at odds with ours. It's a reminder that every offshored job and outsourced dollar plants a seed for foreign ownership of our cultural markers. The only saving grace: the bats and gloves still work, but don't be surprised if they start demanding you salute the flag—just not the Stars and Stripes.