I rarely buy any of the MLB special event caps, but I do look forward to seeing what New Era has created for MLB to wear on traditional holidays.
It's widely believed that the Cincinnati Reds were the first MLB team to sport green themed uniforms and caps on St. Patrick's day caps in 1978 in a spring training game against the New York Yankees.
From what I have been able to learn, the players were not to keen on wearing them, but would defeat the Yankees by a score of 9-2.
The brim and shape of this cap immediately signal to me that it may be a snapback cap and not fitted.
However I was able to confirm that these caps worn on 3/17/1978 were indeed fitted caps and made by New Era:
1978 Pete Rose Game Worn St. Patricks Day Cincinnati Reds Cap,
Pants. It's been a tradition for years for the Cincinnati
ballclub to trade in their red for green on St. Patty's Day, having
a little bit of fun with the casual nature of spring training
baseball. Here we find two uniform pieces from the locker of the
greatest star of the Big Green Machine. The green cap is tagged
"New Era 7 1/4"
Turns out that the Reds were not the first team to feature all green caps on St. Patty's day on March 17, 1978. Anthony Colicchhio (xclickx) found this article:
"The Phillies first wore green 117 years ago on March 17, 1899 during their spring training activities in Charlotte, N.C. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on March 17 that "the Phillies burst upon the startled natives this morning in their new sweaters trimmed with green." It must have been quite a sight to see Big Ed Delahanty "trimmed with green."
For many years, I believed that the Phillies wore this cap on 3/17/81.
I was wrong.
Turns out, the Phillies did not ever wear this cap in 1981.
In an article I found on Philadelphia.com, the author states that the 1981 Phillies St. Patrick's day hats and uniforms are a fabrications and were invented so Mitchell & Ness could sell uniforms of Tug McGraw #45 and Rose #14.
The article goes on to state that the Phillies began wearing 3/17 green uniforms in 1986.
The next team to "go-green" was the Boston Red Sox in 1990.
The Red Sox would wear green caps on 3/17/1990 and then wear green uniforms on 3/17/04.
I want to mention a few other 3/17 caps that have caught my attention:
New York Mets worn in 2014
Orioles 2012
2013
If you want a database to keep track of MLB St. Patty's day caps, check this out:
Special thanks to XclickX...you know who he is and I can't spell his last name anyway.
And to the hat community for contributing photos!
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