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Make Sure That Series Gear Is Real Deal, Not A Steal

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By SAMARA SODOS

News Channel 8

Published: October 21, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Think you just got a great deal on that nifty Tampa Bay Rays World Series shirt you bought on the street corner?

It might be because it's a fake.

But chances are bogus World Series merchandise will be harder to find, now that Major League Baseball and local law enforcement are going to be cracking down on counterfeit sales.

St. Petersburg police have made 12 arrests of counterfeiters during the Rays' ALCS run, said Ethan Orlinsky, senior vice president of Major League Properties for the MLB.

Law enforcement agencies plan to be even tougher in the days ahead, bringing in federal authorities if necessary to curtail counterfeit merchandise, Orlinsky said.

Catching counterfeiters not only protects the teams' interests, but the crackdown also protects retailers who lose out, Orlinsky said.

"Counterfeiters don't pay taxes," he said.

Retailer Mario Droguett said if fans spend $10 to $15 on a shirt, it should be licensed—and it also serves as an official memento for the Rays' historic World Series run.

"It keeps everything legit," Drouguett said. "It keeps fans happy."

Orlinsky says there are generally five ways to tell if an item is a valid, licensed product:

*An authorized hologram — which is impossible to duplicate — has a red line and a raised stitch feature.

*There is a licensee identification of the company that makes the product.

*An MLB identification is on the item.

*Trademark notices are visible on the product.

*There are no cut labels on the back of the shirt. An official MLB shirt will not have a label on the neck.

Tribune reporter Ray Reyes contributed to this report.

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