Ahead of the Modesto Nuts final homestand, I have finally procured my first ever Nuts cap as I stated that I hoped I would do this year back in my San Bernardino Spirit post from December 20, 2024. As I mentioned in that post, Modesto has fielded a team for almost 80 years so closing out the California League's season with this cap seems like a fitting tribute.
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| This logo is not the first one that comes to mind when minor league fans first think of the team but it has made its fair share of appearances over the past 20 years of their existence and it plays a fine straight man to the wild embroidery design of the side patch. |
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| I had a hard time trying to decide if I wanted a cap featuring Al Almond or Wally Walnut so thankfully Topperzstoreusa came through in the clutch by featuring both on the embroidery. It is done up in a metallic style that is not easy to read however if you are familiar with the team's designs it's fairly obvious. |
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| The embroidery is so massive the hat is skewed unevenly when folded up but what matters most is that it all works together when you're wearing the hat! |
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| I don't have enough brown caps so in addition to combining all the iconic logos associated with the team, I'm glad to have a colorway that is not as prevalent among my roster of hats. |
One would imagine that between the time of my San Bernardino Spirit post and now there should have been chatter about a new team setting up at John Thurman Field in 2026 but alas, nothing has materialized yet. I think the best hope for Modesto would involve a Pioneer League expansion although a California-specific version of that league would be a fine long-term goal.
As I mentioned in my Nashville Sounds post from a few weeks back, there is a rich tradition of baseball on the West Coast that has been lost due to MLB's expansion over the last 70 years and I think that community spirit can be regained if baseball fans would be willing to shift some of their focus to the local teams.
That approach should resonate with folks in towns of all sizes, even here in New York City. Just this week I attended a Staten Island FerryHawks game and even though there wasn't more than a few hundred people in the stands, I felt more of a connection to the team than I do when attending games at Yankee Stadium or CitiField.
Of course, it didn't hurt that I got to witness Pablo Sandoval hit a massive home run in the first inning which set the stage for a blowout win. I hope Panda signs with the team again next season because I want to see more Panda bombs in 2026 and if he decides to finally hang it up after all these years, I would have been glad to have these past few seasons with him here!
I will be out of town the week of the FerryHawks final homestand so I am planning on featuring the amazing cap I picked up at the ballpark after the close of the season or perhaps early on in the 2026. I just hope by then Modesto has found a solution to the Nuts relocating because the fans in that town deserve to watch some quality baseball!
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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