Apologies for starting this week's post with a math lesson, but it's Pi Day so I must mention the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter is referred to by the Greek letter “π” and has an irrational number value, which means it continues on into infinity. However, I am assigning it a rational number value of 3.1415926535 to save space here.
Mathematics enthusiasts have celebrated that wacky number on March 14 (also written as 3/14) every year since 1988 as Pi Day which provides enough pretext for eating copious amounts of pie, whether they be sweet, savory or even both. The last time March 14 fell on a Friday was in 2014 and unfortunately I did not have the idea then to dedicate a post to it like I did this year!
The only pie-related baseball caps I am aware of are the Lehigh Valley IronPigs "Shoofly" alternate or the Portland SeaDogs "Whoopie Pie" identity and I am not jazzed enough about either one to make a special purchase for this post so I placed my focus on a 1997 Orlando Rays hat because it has the most circular logo of any cap currently in my collection.
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| I didn't think much of the Rays gradient back in 1998 when the team's logo first appeared but that's changed now! |
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| I think might be one of the earliest versions of this cap because based on the size tags this cap would appear to be from 1993-96 which is impossible since the Orlando Rays inaugural season was 1997! |
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| Would have loved a gradient batterman but that's asking for a lot, I know! |
In truth, my main reason for the Orlando theme is it is being floated as a potential landing spot for the Rays with the news of the team not moving forward with their planned $1.3 billion project to build a new ballpark in St. Petersburg. They hope to repair the roof at Tropicana Field in time for the 2026 season but with that lease running out after 2027, the future looks grim in Tampa.
I have never been to the Trop and seeing it is such a low priority, I think it will only happen if I have visited all of the other ballparks or perhaps if I happen to be in Tampa when the Rays are home. My desire to see a New York Yankees game in Spring Training is actually greater and that might actually be part of the problem. Baseball has reached a saturation point in Tampa.
From the moment Spring Training begins until the last out in a Tampa Tarpons game, baseball fans in Tampa have options besides the Rays. There is mounting pressure from Rays fans for current ownership to sell the team, especially with the ballpark deal falling through but what if the team is bought by the Orlando Dreamers group whose sole mission is to bring MLB to Orlando?
From a business perspective, I have no idea which outcome makes the most sense but if the Rays move to Orlando I hope they keep that team name because I am huge fan of the Orlando Rays cap logos, I think that sounds a lot better than Orlando Dreamers but maybe a new name might be what's needed for a fresh start.
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:
Instagram: @baseballmilquetoast
Twitter: @FittedFriday
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