I started a little mini-tradition last year on the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend with my "National Don't Fry Day" post which I think is worth continuing this year so I'm happily breaking out this 1967 El Paso Sun Kings cap I purchased back in August 2011 from Ebbets Field Flannels back when the Triple Play price for three caps was $79.
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| The El Paso Sun Kings were a California Angels affiliate from 1965-70 and then again in 1973 so I listed that iteration of the parent club's name in the labels section of this post as well as in previously published posts wherever it was appropriate to do so. |
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| This hat, along with retros of the 1955 San Francisco Seals and 1958 Phoenix Giants, was in my very first Ebbets order and I'm happy to say that all these years later, it's in a great enough condition that I have no qualms with it being a Fresh Fitted Friday selection today! |
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| The little yarmulke looking halo here is very unique and possibly confusing at first glance but maybe less so if you have an appreciation for the fact that their parent club in Anaheim also featured this design element through the 1970 season. |
Before this week's post, the Midland Angels had the distinction of being the only Angels affiliate I've written about whose logo incorporated cues of the parent team. As a San Francisco Giants fan who is still sour from 2002, I feel uncomfortable wearing Angels-adjacent caps but I figure the Dodgers are the only team that is truly off limits so this is probably fine.
Full disclosure: I've also written about a few caps worn by Dodger affiliates over the years but I assure you this was done for research purposes. Also, I'd likely never wear the hats out in public which is why they're basically trade bait. In case you were wondering, at the top of my list would be a 1982-93 Denver Bears cap or one worn by the 1992 Peninsula Pilots.
Also, I took my first trip to Minneapolis this past weekend to see the Giants play the Twins and I hope this isn't recency bias speaking when I say Target Field is one of my top five ballparks I've ever been to. Perhaps this trip is what is sparking my interest in Twins affiliates which fits nicely with this week's Angels theme as both clubs began play in 1961.
I've recently procured some fun vintage and retro caps of former Twins affiliates and hope to share those with you good folks in the near future. I've also gotten my hands on some really neat caps from The Clink Room so expect to see some more of those creations in the coming weeks as well.
In the meantime to learn more about "Don't Fry Day", I recommend checking out last years post I did for the 1993-99 Jacksonville Suns retro from Hat Club. Also of note is that the fourth friday in May is also Heat Safety Awareness Day so this is an extra reason to stay safe and cool out there, friends!
This week's Fresh Fitted Friday selection is not going on the Trading Block however please don't hesitate to reach out if you want any other cap from that list and you are willing to part with any of the hats on my Wish List.
As always, thanks for coming back to read about baseball hat geekery. I've got comments disabled here so if you'd like to discuss a trade or simply just chat about hats, please feel free to connect via the following social sites:
Instagram: @baseballmilquetoast
Twitter: @FittedFriday
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