As I was considering what to cover in this week's post, I thought it might be fun to write about an Air Force-themed cap because today is the anniversary of the signing of the National Security Act of 1947, which marked its establishment as an independent branch of the United States military.
While looking through the caps I have not yet written about I noticed the only aviation-related ones have more to do with space travel and I have already earmarked dates for those posts. I did have a Peninsula Pilots retro cap that I've been wanting to highlight for a while and even though they might be named after maritime pilots, I think it's time to let it fly anyway!
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| The New Era flagship store in Buffalo got really close to the original logo here. I will hopefully someday soon get a chance to attend a Coastal Plain League to see the current incarnation of the Peninsula Pilots that plays at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton. |
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| No batterman logo here is just fine because the Carolina League version of the team I watched growing up ceased to exist before the proliferation of the batterman logos on minor league caps. |
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| The vintage snapback I have of the cap the Pilots wore has a white sweatband and green undershirt, but I like the combination of black sweatband and grey undershirt here a lot more for longevity purposes at least. |
Readers of this blog know that as far as sports go, baseball holds most, if not all, of my attention, although I do have a soft spot in my heart for all things Buffalo, and I certainly am enjoying hearing the sounds of the Bills beating up on the Detroit Lions in this week's Thursday Night Football game that is playing in the background as I write this post.
As it happens, this Pilot hat is an exclusive release from the flagship New Era store in Buffalo, and I am thankful for their efforts in getting the logo as close as they could to the minor league team I grew up watching at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, Virginia.
If you are a fan of Buffalo sports and the name of that venue rings a bell, that's likely because you have some fond memories of Buffalo Bisons games played there from 1979 through 1987 before the team moved to a brand-new ballpark called Pilot Field. That stadium is now known as Sahlen Field and remains their current home today.
The connection between the Pilots and Bisons does not end there, though, because the earlier iteration of the Buffalo Bisons that originated in 1860 left town in the middle of the 1970 season to become the Winnipeg Whips. I touched on that move when I wrote about the retro release of that Whips cap produced by Ebbets and that two year stint before their transformation as the Peninsula Whips where they played at the aforementioned War Memorial Stadium in Hampton.
Baseball has a funny way of producing a plethora of full-circle moments, and I am thankful for the lasting relationships I have made through my passion for the game. In fact, I would not have this hat if it were not for a few fun conversations sparked up with @yellowsub73 and it was another internet bud of mine, xclickaroox, who actually made me aware that the Winnipeg Whips cap I mentioned earlier might actually be a retro of what was worn by the Peninsula Whips!
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| I am impressed how the team was able to spin up ballcaps after having moved to a new location earlier in the year. I have to imagine if the caps were made through the standard methods via New Era in Buffalo, it would have been painful to put that order together. |
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| In the previous photo, the "W" on the on-field caps was white, while the Peninsula Pilots cap featured on the program from 1973 above is red and thus matches the color blocking of my "Winnipeg Whips" cap made by Ebbets. If that storyline holds true, then it seems I've got multiple Peninsula caps on my hands! |
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.
Instagram: @baseballmilquetoast
Twitter: @FittedFriday
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