Welp my beloved San Francisco Giants took their postseason run all the way to the fifth game of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers and while there's not really a bigger sting in sports than to lose at the hands of your most bitter rival, the healing has to begin right now.
Instead of dwelling on the Giants' missed opportunities tonight and throughout the series in general, what comes next for me is cheering on the Atlanta Braves as they take on the Dodgers in the NLCS. I should also mention my other good reason to root for them is that my wife is originally from Atlanta which means I married into a whole family of Braves fans!
I wasn't always big on the Braves for a number of reasons growing up with the first being I did not care much for slogans like "America's Team" which I always felt sounds as silly as saying "God's Team" or something like that. I also didn't care much for their perpetual winning in the 1990's and because even at an early age, I was somewhat of an anti-conformist.
Also, the Braves' presence in the National League West up through 1993 meant they were rivals of the Giants and then the following year when they became part of the National League East they became instant foes of the Mets, which were a team that I was mildly invested in because their Triple-A team played in my hometown of Norfolk, VA.
Fast forward to 2021, and they are the next chance I've got at sending the Dodgers home packing however because I don't own a single Atlanta Braves cap, I decided to feature a 1953 Jacksonville Braves cap for this week's Fresh Fitted Friday post.
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| This cap is an Ebbets Field Flannels reproduction of the one the Jacksonville Braves wore during their inaugural season in 1953 in which they won the South Atlantic League Championship. |
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| Top notch Made in U.S.A. quality is something that you can always expect from a fine purveyor like Ebbets Field Flannels. |
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| Whenever I see the green satin under visor on an Ebbets cap, I immediately start to think about how even better it will look after a few years of wear. |
Hank Aaron and Afro-Peurto Rican infielder Felix Mantilla wore this cap when they played for Jacksonville in 1953 and if you'd like to learn more about their story of constantly facing adversity while continuing to tear down the "color barriers" in baseball during that season, I recommend checking out this article from The Jaxson which was published on October 6, 2020.
As you might or might not know, the Jacksonville's parent ballclub at the time was in Milwaukee, which is where Aaron and Mantilla went when it was their time to play in the bigs. Aaron went on to have one of the most extraordinary careers in the history of baseball and while Mantilla may not be a household name, it's important to tell each of their stories as time goes on.
Aaron's success with the Braves continued when the team moved to Atlanta in 1966 and his impact will forever be a defining aspect of the team's history. Sadly, he passed before the 2021 season and while the Braves have put a lot of energy into celebrating his legacy throughout this year, winning the National League pennant and then the World Series would be the best tribute.
Going further, changing the name of the team to the Atlanta Hammers would be an even better show of respect not only for Aaron but for all the Native American tribes who suffer through the indignation of watching thousands of white fans appropriating their culture through tasteless acts such as the "Tomahawk Chop" which to this day is still performed at Atlanta Braves games.
I saw a lot of tearful "farewell" posts to Chief Wahoo on Cleveland caps on social media this year and if we're being honest, it made my stomach turn to see fellow cap collectors show an undying affection for a logo design that is steeped in racism and yet not even be able to show a shred of empathy for people who are simply asking not to have their culture be mocked as a mascot.
Buying merch from the Cleveland Guardians site is going to be at the top of my purchase list going into the 2022 season and I hope more collectors follow suit because as hard as it is to admit, I truly believe the only way Atlanta will correct their behavior is if they see a profit at the end of the road.
In the meantime, I'll be rocking this elegant Jacksonville logo as continue to wish all the ill in the world on the Dodgers int their upcoming series against Atlanta!
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:
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Twitter: @FittedFriday
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