Bronx Borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. announced Friday morning that the New York Yankees have agreed to a deal with Bronx businesses that will permit merchants to legally sell official Yankees T-shirts, caps and other merchandise.

"I am pleased to learn that the New York Yankees, Nike and Major League Baseball were receptive to public pressure to do the right thing, and have heeded the concerns of our business community in the area surrounding Yankee Stadium," Diaz said. "The news that these three entities have reversed their policy that would have prevented these longtime mom-and-pop stores from selling official Yankee merchandise is a welcome one.

In an Oct. 30 letter to Nike CEO Mark Parker, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Yankees president Randy Levine, Diaz urged reconsideration of a recently announced deal between MLB and Nike that would have prevented vendors in the vicinity of Yankee Stadium to sell official team merchandise.

"As one of the richest sports franchises in the world, it was incumbent on the Yankees to do what was right and protect this small business community that almost exclusively caters to their fan base. Inaction on this issue would have certainly reaped huge profits for the Yankees, Nike and Major League Baseball. However, it would have most definitely crippled our local economy that the New York Yankees promised to enhance, as part of the deal that built their new stadium with significant taxpayer funds.

Diaz thanked Cary Goodman, executive director at the 161 Street Business Improvement District, for bringing the issue to the borough's attention, City Council member Vanessa Gibson for her assistance and the Yankees "for doing their due diligence and addressing this alarming issue that would have had a huge negative impact on The Bronx."

Diaz summed up the agreement on a familiar note: "As I have always said, if you want to do business in The Bronx, you have to do business with The Bronx."