Missives of a Baseball Milquetoast

The past two posts since returning from my mini-break have been proper Fresh Fitted Friday entries however this week I'm switching it up with an Erie Sea Wolves snapback in honor of National Dog Day which is today, August 26. Erie sported this Carolina Blue look on their caps from their inaugural season in 1996 through 1998 however the next photo will support my argument that this cap is most likely from their first season. The lack of New Era flag branding on this cap supports my conclusion that it's probably from 1996 since the flag logo came about the following year. And judging by the condition of the sweatband on this cap, I don't think anyone has washed it since 1996 either. I obtained this cap in a big haul a few years ago in order to scoop up an  Appleton Foxes cap  and while that was a worthwhile purchase, I haven't even worn that cap nor this one because the sweatband situation is so dire. I mentioned earlier that today is National Dog Day and while a Sea Wolf

Two consecutive posts since returning from my most recent break and now I'm firmly back in my wheelhouse which is showing love to esoteric MILB logos! This week's Fresh Fitted Friday selection is a 1982 Wichita Aeros retro that I got from Hat Club back in the early part of 2021 while they were on a tear of releasing retro MILB caps. Wichita only wore this logo for one season in 1982 and despite the original cap being of the "Fresh Mesh" variety and that the thickness of Hat Club's "W" is way too thick here, what grated on me was their decision to use  red stitching on the white panels of the cap . All good though, all I needed was a a seam ripper to be back in business! I have an order in the works with my plug for a vintage snapback version of this cap which also has a green undervisor however for some reason I've always preferred grey undervisors when it comes to Montreal Expos affiliates. Either way I'm happy to have this logo in an "eve

Just as I anticipated, I'm back within a month of my last post and just the thought of regularly writing again is very comforting as this summer has been busier than usual for me. I'm now mentally preparing myself for autumn and all the fun activities that I associate with the season with the top item of that list being Halloween! The tradition of remembering the departed is celebrated around the world throughout different times of the year and can known by a variety of names. For  example, in China and many parts of Southeast Asia, the Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival, takes place on the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, which is today on the western calendar. One aspect of Ghost Festival is that spirits that are ignored are thought to create mischief and those wily activities are the inspiration for this week's Fresh Fitted Friday selection whose gold lightning bolts on are designed to pay tribute to the “Ghost Army” which was a tactica

It's been a month since my last post but in all likelihood it's going to be a more weeks before I'm ready to return to posting more regularly. Nothing to worry about though as there are lots of good things happening on my end and I have a feeling I'll be fully energized once I get a bit more charge in me! Let's just consider this week as a sort of check-in at the halfway point of the hiatus which, as the All-Star break is almost upon us strikes me as a bit ironic considering the players who have been grinding up to this point of the season are ready for a well-deserved break so here I am to relieve them! I normally like to feature All-Star Game caps for posts around this time of year but since tomorrow is National Snake Day, I feel compelled to showcase my Chandler Diamondbacks cap which was most likely worn during the Arizona Fall League's inaugural season in 1992. I'm not the biggest fan of snakes but I definitely don't get squirmy when I see one on TV

I mentioned in the previous  Fresh Fitted Friday post that I'd be taking a little break from the blog and while my intent was to take a longer respite for most of the summer, I had to make a quick return for a special post as a shout out to my sister who is celebrating a birthday today. Ask anyone who has had a sibling in their life about the bond they share with that person and they will tell you that their relationship is unlike any other one that they have ever known. As we grow older our recollections become fuzzier but no matter how much time passes, each of us has touchstone memories that define our childhood. One of the most lasting experiences like that for me was when I was just over four years old and my parents showed me a gold necklace with a letter "G" pendant for my sister Gabrielle who had just been born. From that point on, whenever I look upon any design featuring that initial, my heart is instantly warmed as I think of my sister. I was visiting Boston f

This week's Fresh Fitted Friday post might be the last for a little while as I'm about to embark on a busy summer that slated to feature some fun travels as well as a big home improvement project. I don't want to share too many details yet but let's just say the background you see on the Instagram posts will be affected in a major way! Every year on the first Saturday in June, National Black Bear Day is celebrated to recognize the most common bear in the United States. Since tomorrow is the first Saturday in June, the theme for this week's post is going to be ursine-focused with my 1948 Knoxville Smokies retro from Ebbets Field Flannels. Ok, so maybe the logo isn't even ursine-adjacent at all but for me, whenever I think of Knoxville, the first thing that comes to mind is the Smoky Mountains and my next thought after that is of the black bears that live in the park.  Ebbets branding and the Made In U.S.A. pride comprise the magnificent duo of tags seen on almos

Summer is almost in full swing in New York City and outside of the occasional 90º day, I'm happy to welcome it. The two main things I need to remember at all those fun hangs in the park is to stay hydrated and apply sunscreen, with the former being especially apt as "National Don't Fry Day" is recognized today as it is done each year on the  Friday before Memorial Day Weekend. Overexposure to the sun is something that too often goes unnoticed as we spend time relaxing outdoors and this is especially true during the summer months  so this holiday is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness in regards to the risks involved with those otherwise good times. Because of this, the phrase ‘slip, slop, slap and wrap’—which originated in Australia and New Zealand and is now used worldwide—encourages sun enthusiasts to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen,  slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses. To that point, I'm not sure if there is any better way for me to honor the sig