PITTSBURGH -- The Cubs have joined Major League Baseball in its efforts to raise awareness about prostate cancer and raise funds for research to fight the disease.
As part of Father's Day weekend, Cubs players and coaches are wearing a blue ribbon on their uniforms, plus blue wristbands. Players also are wearing specially designed uniforms and caps.
MLB will donate all royalty payments from the sales of the caps and jerseys to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer. For the first time this year, the Father's Day games will feature a blue-stitched Rawlings baseball as the game ball.
Most of the Cubs' players will celebrate Father's Day when they get back to Chicago on Sunday night from their six-game road trip to New York and Pittsburgh. Albert Almora Jr. plans on celebrating Father's Day during the Cubs' upcoming trip to Miami, which is his hometown. He'll bring his wife, Krystal, and their son, A.J., who turns 1 on Aug. 18.
"It's definitely special," Almora said of his first Father's Day. "When we go to Miami, we'll spend Father's Day with my dad and myself, and it'll be the first one [with father, son and grandson], and that'll be cool."
Wearing the blue wristbands, uniforms and using a blue bat also are special for Almora. His father has been battling prostate cancer.
"He's in good health," Almora said. "It's all good."