I mentioned in last week’s post that the San Bernardino Spirit cap would be the last in the “Soto Sweepstakes” series. The news of Modesto losing their team in the 2026 California League Shuffle convinced me to buy a cap from a team that played there.
I am not sold on either of the current Modesto Nuts hats so I am looking further back in time at a Modesto A's retro although I would like to stay away from the later era if possible as the elephant exudes more Oakland energy than I am comfortable with on a cap logo. All this considered, my best option seems to be the "M" script worn from 1977 through 1992.
As a San Francisco Giants fan, I am a bit uneasy about wearing an A's-related logo, especially one formerly worn by Oakland superstars such as Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and most notably, Rickey Henderson who passed away on December 21, 2024. Even though I loathed the A's, I admired Henderson as a young baseball fan so I will make the exception here.
If I had to summarize baseball in one word, it’d be impact. Few players truly embody it, but Rickey is one of them. He holds the MLB career records for runs scored and stolen bases as well as the single-season record for swiped bags with 130. During his only California League season with Modesto in 1977, he set left his mark there as well.
While Rickey's California League single season record for 95 stolen bases would later be eclipsed by Donnell Nixon stole 144 bases with the Bakersfield Mariners in 1983, a league record which still stands to this day is Rickey's seven bases stolen in a single game which occurred at the expense of the Fresno Giants on May 26, 1977.
I am not sure when I will get a hold of that Modesto A's cap however I selected this 1961 Richmond Virginians retro since the "R" on the logo makes a fine tribute to Rickey, who might not have played on that team but did spend part of his career as a member of the New York Yankees who were the parent club of the International League team from 1956-1964.
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| Another reason this cap was perfect for this week's post is I recently had a delightful visit ahead of the Christmas holiday with some friends who live in Richmond, VA. |
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| The classic Made in U.S.A. tag on the sweatband is an Ebbets aspect I often call out because I appreciate it so very much. |
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| I recently picked up a few caps from Ebbets that have some embroidery on the cap's rear which is elegantly done but I do prefer the classic flat look on the back as seen here. |
This Richmond Virginians cap is still available in a few sizes on Ebbets' site and as I have stated before, I hope 2025 brings the company back to its glory days of authentic minor league ballcap reproductions. In addition to a 1970s/80s era Modesto A's hat, I want a Norfolk Tars retro as that team was the Yankees affiliate in the Piedmont League from 1934 to 1954.
The Norfolk Tides have attempted to retro the cap during recent Turn Back the Clock nights but I think only Ebbets will perform the due diligence of getting the logo right. Even if a Tars cap from Ebbets never comes to fruition, I have a few Newark Bears hats in my collection that I can at least pretend are Tars caps!
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. 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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