1995 Riverside Pilots Cap - Fresh Fitted Friday!!!!

This Riverside Pilots cap has to be one of most unique caps in my collection and that's mostly just because the team only existed from 1993 through 1995! Their ephemeral existence combined with the fact that they were only a High-A team with a tiny fanbase makes me wonder if I'll come across an unworn vintage Riverside Pilots hat ever again.

The spirit of the 1990's is strong here as Tealism is in full effect. The sparkle from the silver lining is regal and that plane on the "R" makes you want to blast off, right?

The MILB batterman logo started appearing on the back of minor league caps in 1995 and because that was the Pilots final season, we can be fairly certain this cap is from that year.

The three tags were most predominantly used from 1994-96 and to me, they represent the Golden Age of New Era sweatband tags.

Here's a rare shot of Raul Ibanez during his time as a Pilot. Special thanks to Mickey's Cards for not only having this card, but a signed version at that!

One last thing I'd like to note: I'm probably not going to be popping the tags on this cap today. A fellow cap collector lists this one highly on his list of grails and I'd feel weird wearing it knowing that a brother-in-arms is out there pining for it. The only problem is I don't like selling my caps, even if I've never worn them...but I will entertain trade offers. 

Hopefully I can make one happen with said collector! Also, if you are at all interested in learning more about the history of the Riverside Pilots, I recommend checking out this article from the good folks over at Lookout Landing, which is a Seattle Mariners blog affilated with the SB Nation site.

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