Missives of a Baseball Milquetoast

We're wrapping up the second week of MLB's 2018 season however I'm showing no signs of slowing down with the inventory of minor league caps from Florida teams. This week's cap is a Florida State League classic: a Brevard County Manatees cap from 1994-96. From what I've seen, this version of the cap with a teal brim is less common than the all black. For what it's worth, I've only seen it on cards from 1994. Usual suspects as far as sweatband tags from 1994 to 1996 are concerned.  The black and teal batterman here makes me think of pure waters where Manatees may float and snack as they please. Graze on. I've mentioned this before but it's worth repeating that the peak level of my interest in minor league baseball came in the mid-1990's so it's no surprise that when the Portland Sea Dogs and the Brevard County Manatees showed up in 1994 with black and teal caps, I was sold on these teams immediately. The Manatees and Sea Do

Happy new year, dear reader! As you are well aware, I capped off 2017 by posting some photos of rare gems that had yet to be de-tagged and I'm happy to be starting this year off with another one of those hats. So without further ado, the first Fresh Fitted Friday selection of 2018 is a Portland Rockies hat that I estimate to be from 1995 or 1996.  Portland only hosted this Class A Short Season team from 1995-2000 but this logo is legendary as it combines the major league club's aesthetic along with a rose, which is emblematic of Portland, aka the "City of Roses." I can't be the only one who finds it neat that the price of this cap is exactly the same as the team's inaugural season (as well as the year it was worn).  The usual suspects: classic mid-1990's sweatband tags A purple and black MILB batterman patch is a thing to be treasured.  Well friend, if you wear a size 7 1/8 and you've got a great cap in my size to trade

For the last post of 2017 I'm continuing the trend of showcasing a classic Class A Short Season cap while also paying tribute to my favorite band, Phish, who got their start  in Burlington, Vermont which is where t he Vermont Expos (now Lake Monsters) played.  The Vermont Expos of the New York-Penn League wore this logo from 1994 through 2005. Because there is no New Era flag it's safe to say this cap is from 1996 at the latest. The sweatband tags here have the mid-1990's flavor. Notice the size tag flapping in the wind! Can't believe for the second week in a row I've got a cap that's over 20 years old and hasn't had its tags popped. Ringing in the new year in style! This cap isn't for sale or trade however don't hesitate to reach out if there's something you like on the  Trading Block  and you are willing to  part  with any of the hats  on my  Wish List . Happy New Year y'all and a s always, thanks for coming back

I'm conflicted about the All Star Break. On one hand, I like that teams get a chance to take a breather before ramping up for playoff runs, or in the case of my San Francisco Giants, a brief respite from a season that is a complete disaster. And then on the other hand, I really don't like being without baseball (especially fantasy) even if it's for a few short days. One thing I do like about the break is the All Star Game, although this one was annoying because it was the first year in which the ASG patch shifted to the wearer's right side as the New Era flag is now mandatory on every official on-field cap. Some don't mind it but I find it distracting so I'm not going to buy any of the ASG caps unless they're on clearance.  Because I miss the glory days when teams were not forced to blatantly advertise the companies that manufacture their uniforms, I decided to take a break from writing about Minor League caps to showcase a few of the MLB hats tha

This Riverside Pilots cap has to be one of most unique caps in my collection and that's mostly just because the team only existed from 1993 through 1995! Their ephemeral existence combined with the fact that they were only a High-A team with a tiny fanbase makes me wonder if I'll come across an unworn vintage Riverside Pilots hat ever again. The spirit of the 1990's is strong here as Tealism is in full effect. The sparkle from the silver lining is regal and that plane on the "R" makes you want to blast off, right? The MILB batterman logo started appearing on the back of minor league caps in 1995 and because that was the Pilots final season, we can be fairly certain this cap is from that year. The three tags were most predominantly used from 1994-96 and to me, they represent the Golden Age of New Era sweatband tags. Here's a rare shot of Raul Ibanez during his time as a Pilot. Special thanks to Mickey's Cards for not only having this card, but a sig

Chances are if you are wearing a black hat with an orange B on it, people will just assume you are a Baltimore Orioles fan which I suppose isn't necessarily a bad thing. That assumption however can become problematic if you are really fan of the San Francisco Giants. I spent many years rooting for the Giants when I lived in the Bay Area of California but now that I live in New York, I need a more subtle way to root for my team. One way that suits me well is wearing caps from the Giants' minor league teams, both past and present. This Bellingham Giants cap is an example of the former and I really connect with this unique logo. A simple design such as the orange B over the silver batter is pure elegance although the baseball diamond in the back reminds me of certain Brooklyn Dodgers retro caps that I've seen.  The combination of the grey underbrim, white sweatband and the Made in U.S.A. tag from the mid-1990's makes me so happy.  The black and orange MILB

It seems like lately I haven't been able to come up with an answer to this very simple question: what is it that makes a minor league ballcap interesting? In the past I argued that a minor league team's cap logo is inherently more interesting if it has very little resemblance to that of its parent club.  Yet, I've also recently applauded caps that make an interesting allusion to their parent clubs while maintaining a local sensibility in the logo. The latter is certainly the case with this Stockton Ports cap: An item of note is that the Stockton Ports have long-believed that the  Ernest Thayer poem "Casey at the Bat" was based on their team. While that might or might not be true, I like that they believe it enough to use an image of a Mudville Nine batter-man, who himself is wearing a pillbox cap with an M on it. I love meta-caps! As for the production year on this cap, there is no evidence of it before the 1994 season. It's not often-see