The winner of the Padres-Mariners series will win the Vedder Cup, designed by the Pearl Jam frontman himself
Eddie Vedder is bringing his love for Seattle and San Diego to Major League Baseball! On Friday, MLB announced that the Mariners and Padres will compete for the Vedder Cup every year, and will partner with the rockstar’s charity to support Epidermolysis Bullosa research.
Starting this year, the winner of the Seattle-San Diego six-game series will earn the Vedder Cup, featuring “a guitar provided personally by Vedder” calling back to Vedder’s childhood hometown (San Diego) and the city where he broke through with Pearl Jam (Seattle).
“Both cities have one iconic person in common. Both claim him as his own. Raised in San Diego, reached the pinnacle of success in Seattle: Eddie Vedder,” said a svoiceover posted to both team’s Instagrams. “This season MLB is ready to let the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners decide this rivalry on the field. Which city will win the first-ever Vedder Cup?”
This year, the Padres and Mariners are scheduled to face off six times. The Padres will host a Vedder Cup Series event on May 17 to commemorate the occasion. (They’ll play in San Diego for three games May 16-18.) Meanwhile, the Padres will feature a ticket special for the final game of the series, scheduled for Aug. 27.
As part of the matchups, both teams will support EB Research Partnership, Eddie and his wife Jill Vedder’s nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for EB, a skin disorder that causes blistering and skin tearing. The winning team will also take home a trophy expected to be revealed ahead of the first matchup between the two clubs.
“We are thrilled that we were able to bring the Vedder Cup concept to life in such a fun and impactful way,” said Mariners executive Trevor Gooby in a press release. “Creating and sharing memorable events like this with Mariners fans is extremely gratifying, and I am very thankful for Eddie, his team, EB Research Partnership, and the Padres in sharing the Mariners’ vision and commitment to celebrating and serving the Seattle community.”
But which of the two teams does Vedder root for? Well, neither. Vedder is a longtime Chicago Cubs fan and even released a song called “All the Way” back in 2008. He’s also performed “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at Wrigley Field Games several times.
Leave a Reply