What were they thinking???

Don't worry, MLB players will not be wearing these caps next year.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that NOBODY will be wearing these caps next year.

Lids is trying to sell this, whatever it is, as the 

MLB Ultimate Patch Collection Series.

For only 49.95!

I think it should come with a warning like one of those prescription drugs that begins with an "X" or a "Z".

"Wearing this cap may cause dizziness, blindness, hair loss, headache, back ache, ass ache, acid reflux, and vomiting."

Celebs in Caps

Current Houston Texans Defensive End JJ Watt was interviewed at halftime of the Texans vs. Steelers game that aired on NBC on Christmas day.  Watt is currently injured and not playing.

I noticed very quickly that he was wearing an authentic on-field cap of the Corpus Christ Hooks (Alt 1).  The Hooks are Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.  In a well conceived geographical marriage, the Hooks are named for the city's association with fishing.

Did JJ have some other options to chose from to support a local minor league team?

Of course he did.....

He could have easily worn a cap from the San Antonio Missions...

The Missions are currently the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

I prefer the vintage Missions cap (above) and logo to the rebrand that occurred in 2015.  The Missions are aptly named for The Alamo, originally a Spanish mission located in San Antonio.

Don't forget about the Frisco Roughriders!  

The Roughriders are currently the Double-A franchise of the Texas Rangers.  And yes, that is Teddy Roosevelt on the cap.  A tribute to the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment during the Spanish–American War, headed by to-be American President Theodore Roosevelt.

And then there is the Midland Rockhounds.

Midland is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics.  A rockhound is well, just that, a geologist or amateur collector of mineral specimens.  I cannot picture JJ Watt is in this cap, it just doesn't work.

This classic Midland Angels cap is a thing of beauty...

There's so much going on here in the logo that it could get its own post.  Think California Angels and their logo with the halo on the state of California...this is a California Angels minor league affiliate at the time this cap was worn on the field.  Simply brilliant.

I have to say that I think JJ made the right choice in going with the Hooks.  He stayed with the Houston brand and family.  But, he had more colorful options to choose from:

 2017 Christmas cap

2017 "Fauxback"  Love how they worked the hook in the logo.  I would have picked this one.

Regular On-field model.

The most interesting item that I learned from this post is JJ was only a two-star recruit out of high school and went to Central Michigan where he played Tight End before transferring to Wisconsin.

Ask the Captain...

Dear Captain:  My wife and I really enjoy having our family over to our house for special occasions and holidays.  This past Thanksgiving, my wife cooked the bird for nearly 35 relatives.  On almost every occasion such as this, I entertain our guests with a tour of my "hatatorium" where I lecture on the various authentic baseball caps in my collection and the logos.  My wife says that I go on too long and people lose interest...but that's not the point.

The reason that I am writing this is because I have noticed that one of my prized caps went missing shortly after the Thanksgiving day visit.  My wife and I were about to create this year's Christmas cards and we wanted to be photographed wearing the Harrisburg Senators "Christmas in July" cap that was worn in the summer of 2017 (designed by Anthony Collicchio).  I had kept this prized cap in  the Minor League section of the "hatatorium", (alphabetized and in chronological order), in it's own display case.

It makes me sick to think that one of my own family members would have taken this cap, but we have no idea what else could have happened to it.  We have asked our children and grandchildren whether they saw anyone removing caps from the display cases, but they say they saw no one.  Nothing else in the hatatorium was disturbed. We are at a loss as to what to do.  Should we cancel our Christmas meal?  Should we ignore this and pick another cap for our Christmas cards?

The Captain's Response:  After considerable thought, you should absolutely send a family Christmas card this year.  Here is what I suggest that you send:

2017 On-Field Cap of the Year

It's that time again.

The Houston Astros have defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. While MLB has given out its various awards to

rookies and managers, I'm awarding my annual "Cap of the Year".

Last year's recipients were the Pittsburgh Pirates (regular on-field) cap and the Tampa Bay Rays (Specialty cap) for their tribute to the victims of the June 12, 2017 shooting at the Pulse nightclub.

And this year's winners are:

For MLB, its New Era's 5950.




Why?

Well, because of the New Era  flag on the side for the first year ever.

This is a polarizing move, similar to that of Colin Kapernick.  Love it or hate it, this is an evolution of the on-field cap equivalent of the 2007 switch from wool to polyester.

In the MLB Specialty Category, the award goes to the 2017 Stars and Stripes Series caps.

I loved the 2008 version (First year of series and was all blue) of Stars and Stripes, but the concept has become stale since then.  This year's version was both refreshing and  patriotic.

The detail on the inside and underbrim of this year's version was exemplary.  USA made versions were very hard to find, but low crown models were readily available

Runner up in this category goes to..

 Baltimore Orioles for their "All Maryland Day" cap worn on May 20, 2017.  USA models were impossible to find, but I thought the concept was great.

As for the Minor League Regular Rotation Cap of the Year, the winner is:

Scranton/Wilkes- Barre Railriders "Baby Bombers" cap. 

Why the "Baby Bombers?"  This cap was wildly popular because of Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier, and Gary Sanchez all helping the parent club New York Yankees in the 2016 season after they spent most of the season at Triple "A" SWB.  The "Baby Bombers" was worn on every Sunday home game for the 2017 season.

As for MILB Specialty Cap Category:

The winner is the Corpus Christ Hooks.

Worn on May25-27 by the Corpus Christi Hooks to celebrate Day of the Dead.

The Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muerta, typically falls on October 31 and November 2.

I want to point out that I had no difficulty finding a USA made model of this cap.

Notice the traditional "CC" logo on the forehead?


Runners up in the MILB Specialty category:

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Fauxback.

I have to give a lot of credit to the IronPigs for this cap.

Based upon the 1976 Season when the Phillies won one hundred games for the first time ever, the story behind this fauxback is that the Pigs "fed" the Phillies success in 1976.

And the Harrisburg Senators for their Christmas in July promotion that included this awesome cap.

If you haven't noticed, the Senators have a Director of Merchandise (Ann Marie) who really understands the importance of putting a quality product in the hands of the customers.

Ann Marie spends a lot of time talking to the fanatics and asking for their input.  If I was awarding a merchandise director of the year, she would win hands down.

The idea and design for the "Christmas in July" cap came from Anthony Collicchio.  Great idea!

MLB Umpire Caps

The MLB umpire in the picture on the left is Marty Foster.  He is irrelevant to this post, but his cap is not.  The only reason he is used in this post is because of the cap that he is wearing.

This cap has been appearing on ebay recently and has been selling in the 200-300$ range.

Why?

I wanted to know myself.  I do own one..but never understood the history behind it until I did the research for this post.

This cap is unique because it was only worn by MLB umpires for the 2000 regular season only.

I have watched numerous youtube  videos of the 2000 NL and AL playoffs and World Series...and this cap is never worn.

Why 2000 only?

Here is what I found out from some internet research:

In 1999,the Major League Umpires Association had a mass strike in which 68 MLB umpires resigned in an attempt to force negotiations in a labor dispute.

MLB accepted some of the resignations and hired new replacements, thus breaking the union.

The Major League Umpires Association was decertified and the World Umpires Association was formed (WUA).

The tags on this cap clearly indicate that the cap was made from 1999-2004.

It's hard to see, but the leather band is a staple of umpire caps and was not used for MLB player caps since the 1980's

As for the post-season in 2000, every picture and video that I have seen, has the MLB umpires wearing this logo:

If you have one of the MLB Umpire caps from the 2000 season, hold onto it.  It's a rare collectible.

If you are inclined to sell it, bidding should start at a minimum of 300 dollars.

Ebbets Field Flannels, Lids, Ideal Cap Company... this cap would sell.. I've done the work for you.

If you are going to sell it, don't be a jackass and use the same pictures from the same person who sold it to you!

ask the captain 4

Question
I have been dating my girlfriend for two years and ended the relationship after realizing that despite our fondness for each other, we would just not be able to reside together.

Towards the end of our relationship, I gave her father a rare Phillies baseball cap, which she never gave to her father. 

After the breakup, I asked for the cap back, and she declined, saying that I had broken her heart.  In the meantime, I asked three or four female friends whether they thought it was OK to ask for the cap back and whether they thought she should return it.  All said yes.

Having had some unexpected expenses-mother's day caps, new minor league promo caps, and a new tattoo,- as well as my ex now dating my roommate- I emailed her and asked for the cap back.

Once again, her response was that I had broken her heart and her response was that she was not going to return the cap.

Is it acceptable to ask for and expect the cap to be returned?


The Captain's response

Proper etiquette holds that it is proper to return the cap after the relationship ends, since she had not yet given it to her father. 

However, this situation seems beyond the realm of etiquette and there are clearly some very hurt feelings here.  Your ex is holding on to resentment even tighter than she is holding on to the cap.

You have a couple of options when it comes to having the cap returned.  You might have a mutual friend serve as a mediator.  Would she listen to xclickx, Paul, or el gmac?

If this option does not get the cap returned, it's time to move on-with or without the cap.  It's unfortunate that things ended acrimoniously, but it would have been far worse to marry the wrong person!

Chris Koch and Bad Luck Blue

If you have been reading this blog, you are probably aware that my favorite cap is "Bad Luck Blue."

Made only in 1994, the Philadelphia Phillies refused to wear it after consecutive losses.  Lenny Dykstra appeared on national television and dropped a few "Blues" into a shredder.

I probably have "Blue" in every size that was made and frequently give them out as gifts to Phillies fans.  I just received another version of "Blue", that I will

 not be giving away or wearing.  This version is going straight to a display case in my "hatatorium" as my wife calls it.

The cap was signed by Chris Koch, New Era President and CEO.  

Chris's grandfather, Ehrhardt Koch founded New Era in 1920.  What has Chris Koch implemented for New Era?

According to Wikipedia:

"In 2001 Chris Koch was named CEO and began an era focused on global expansion and building the New Era brand name across sport and lifestyle segments.
In 2007 the 59FIFTY cap underwent the largest redesign to date, the innovation team worked with suppliers and engineers to develop a cap that

keeps the wearer cooler, dryer and eliminates staining. The company then underwent a massive "market clean-up" of all older product. This trend of innovation and improvement would continue with the introduction of the purpose-built Diamond Era cap in 2013."

Along with the cap, a personalized note came along with "Blue", I don't fell right about sharing something that was personalized and not meant for public display....but it was a nice touch.

Possibly enough to make me start buying New Era caps again.

As it is written on the cap. Here's to Bad Luck Blue!"

The Throwback

I don't usually pay much attention to or  buy any throwback or "turn back the clock caps."

Until this little gem came along, which was made by the Roman Cap Company.

After a little research I had to but this cap.

Why did this cap grab my attention?

I had never seen it before and the tags indicated it was made in the early 90's.

Here's the story:  remember that the Minnesota Twins came into existence in 1961.

They Twins were not an expansion team. Minneapolis was awarded an expansion franchise but they  received  Washington Senators  instead.

The above cap is a "fauxback" based on this cap"

"In 1994, during the height of Texas' "we want an old uniform but we don't have one" days, the team did dip back into the uniforms of those Washington Senators but they were updated, ever so slightly.

Washington's famous "curly W" logo (currently used by the Washington Nationals) was transformed into a curly "T", the "Senators" script across the chest was re-done to read "Rangers" in the exact same style. They both represented their pre-relocation franchise history and their current home fans. An interesting idea, and from what I can tell they're the only team to ever do this for a throwback game."

Retro Classics

     While I do not usually buy them, I am interested when companies make a remake or retro versio of older baseball caps.

       Lids has a series called the Ebbets Field MILB collection.  Here are some of the recent releases          along with photos of the originals from my collection.


        Exhibit #1   Retro Syracuse Chiefs from 1977-1980.                                  

                                       
         Here is a picture of my Syracuse Chiefs cap:        

      The differences are very noticeable and the logo is not very close to the original.                                    Grade on this cap...D+



        Exhibit #2   Vero Beach Dodgers Retro Classic.

 

Here is a picture of the original:

I have to say that the original is not a sharp or detailed logo while the retro classic is very clear.  My grade..Solid B.



Exhibit # 3  Erie Sailors Retro

Here's the real McCoy worn by the Florida Marlins first ever minor league team in 1992:

You have to look closely but there are a few errors on a logo that is pretty simple.  I have to take points off for the stitching on the baseball on the retro and there is a "tm" logo on the retro that is not on the original.   Grade D+

Che Guevara and the Yankees

 

In my local paper today, buried on the back pages, is an article about the death of Che Guevara.  It appears to mark the 50 year anniversary of his death. 

 

 

 


On October 9, 1967, it states that Guevara was "summarily executed by Sgt. Jaime Teran. in La Higuera, Bolivia."  Guevara's last words were, "Shoot, you are only going to kill a man!"

This post is not to  praise or to vilify Che.

It's about my brief time in Cuba in 2009 when I traveled there on an educational trip and confirmed what I already knew about the New York Yankees.

I had packed 15 to 20 authentic and snapback baseball caps of the Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees to give away to the Cuban children that I would be meeting.

I was also hoping to trade for an authentic Cuban Baseball cap of one of their many teams.  Notice I did not say professional teams, because I learned that Fidel Castro banned all professional sports after the revolution of 1953-59.

My hypothesis was confirmed, as when I offered any age islander their choice of any of my caps, the first pick was always the Yankees.  Through an interpreter, three or four people referred to the "NY" logo as the "New York City Yankees."

 It did not even matter if the cap fit them or not, they wanted the "New York City Yankees."

The Boston Red Sox were the second favorite and the Phillies third.

I have a feeling my "experiment" would yield the same results in just about any country outside of the U.S.

Like it or not, this logo is iconic and known worldwide.

 

As for my quest for an authentic Cuban baseball cap, I did have one...briefly.

It was a red cap with a logo similar to the picture on the right.  I was told it was a University of Havana sports cap.

Upon my return to the U.S., I had to go through immigration in Philadelphia.  I did not lie and indicated that I had traveled to Cuba.

Most of my souvenirs such as books, papers, and yes...the cap were confiscated.





Cosby Sporting Goods

In 1982, on my first trip to Madison Square Garden in New York City, I had a life changing experience.

It wasn't the skyscrapers  that left the indelible memory.

It was a sporting goods store that had more baseball caps than I had ever seen.

 I don't have the caps that I bought that day.

What was the store?  Cosby's Sporting Goods.

Here are the only two Cosby caps that I have in my collection.

I believe they were made by the Devon Cap Company because of this emblem...

Every Cosby cap has this logo on the inside..as does every Devon cap that I own.

But who is Gerry Cosby?

I assumed that he played for the New York Rangers.

Wrong!!

The internet tells me he was an American hockey player who played goaltender for the 1933 World Champion Massachusetts Rangers.  He was a practice goaltender for the New York Rangers in the 1930's.

He founded his sporting goods company in the late 1930's and its headquarters was Madison Square Garden.

Mr. Cosby passed away in 1996.