Missives of a Baseball Milquetoast

Just a week ago, I wouldn't consider walking out the door without a hoodie to keep me warm, but then the following Sunday, temperatures reached the mid-80s and rose up to the low 90s, which stayed steady through this past Wednesday. I should mention, the purpose of this weather recap is really only to provide an excuse as to why I haven't been to a Yankees game yet this season! Considering the past few posts went from Yankees to Mets, you would think the Subway Series theme would be wrapped up, but today is National Maritime Day, and the most nautical cap I own just happens to be one worn by the Columbus Clippers, who were the Triple-A affiliates for the Yankees from 1979 through 2006. The last time I wrote about this cap logo was almost exactly 11 years ago although this week's hat is the one the Clippers wore in 2001 to commemorate their 25th season in Columbus.  If the Clippers celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2001, this year would be their 50th season; however, as ...

Not long ago I picked up this 1999 Columbus Clippers cap but haven't worn it until right now because it looks like next week will be my first Yankees game of the year. I'll need to be rocking a Yankees cap with some uniqueness to it and I think this will do the trick. This is the classic "Big C" logo that the Clippers wore from 1996 through 2008. You can pick up a legit reproduction at Sole Collector while supplies last. Get on that! The sweatband tags match the ones from the  1998 World Series New York Yankees cap , yet the "New Era" flag didn't show up  on Clippers caps until 1999, making this the earliest year this cap could have been produced. That MILB batter man is completely murdered-out. I haven't seen one like that before or since this cap! The Clippers wore this cap from 1996 through the 2008 season and while it's not going to be the most obscure cap in the bleachers, I still doubt most of the fans will recognize...

Before I get started on this week's Fresh Fitted, I feel obligated to offer hearty congratulations to the Boston Red Sox on their 2013 World Series championship. It's too difficult for a New York City resident to actively root for a Boston team, but in light of the Boston Marathon bombing earlier in the year my thought is that losing the World Series would have been an especially hard pill to swallow for Red Sox Nation. My only positive spin on this victory is that the New York Yankees will undoubtedly feel extra pressure to dominate the AL East next year. In light of all this, I deemed it appropriate that the first post of the off-season should showcase a rare cap from one of my favorite former Yankees farm teams: the Columbus Clippers. I know I've featured the Clippers in the recent past but this cap really stands out as one of the great forgotten ones of yesteryear. Behold the official (short-lived) on-field batting practice cap that the Clippers wore when they were a...

Alright, so for this edition of Fresh Fitted Friday I thought I'd do another throwback however this time, I want to pay some respect to a ballplayer who hasn't had a lot of time on the field this season: #2, Derek Jeter. I've seen the man do some tremendous things at Yankee Stadium, but I'll always really remember him as a scrappy prospect with the Columbus Clippers. Here's a great baseball card where he's wearing a cap very similar to the one featured here today: As some of you might know, I grew up in Norfolk, VA and going to Tidewater Tides games at Met Park was an intregal part of many summers in my youth. I remember getting to the ballpark early in the afternoon when the players arrived to scam some autographs and then I'd wait for the guys to leave after the game to get even more autographs. Some of them made some snarky comments here and there, but the beauty of time is that now I can only remember the good memories. I got lots of 'gr...