New ESPN column today — here’s the link.
Meanwhile: I love historical uni oddities that we all missed the first time around but are now rediscovering, and reader Chris Ford has come up with a doozie. Here’s his scoop:
Tonight I was watching a replay of the 1977 Sugar Bowl between the University of Georgia and the University of Pittsburgh, and I noticed something peculiar: Some of the Panthers were wearing different uniforms from the rest of the team. For instance, if you look at this shot, you can clearly see that Tony Dorsett’s numbers [including the one on his sleeve] are dark blue with gold trim, and his name appears on his jersey. However, the guy in the air (QB Matt Cavanaugh), has a light blue number on his sleeve, with no gold trim, and it was the same way on his back. Also, his name did not appear on his back.
It seemed to me that it was mainly the WRs and RBs whose unis were like Dorsett’s (maybe 10 players), and the rest of the team wore unis like Cavanaugh. I took this screen shot, which shows Nos. 33 and 34 wearing the blue/gold numbers and names on their jerseys, while No. 77 had no gold trim and no name. Additional examples are here and here.
It’s hard to imagine a major college team doing this today — in a bowl game, no less. Anyone know the story behind this one?
From Toe to Head: Yesterday I wondered aloud why baseball socks have that little white name tag, since you never see anything written there anyway. But as Brandon Davis pointed out in yesterday’s Comments section, last year I actually linked to this photo of Joe Blanton. Forgot about that one.
I also got this note from a source who works in an American League clubhouse: “We definitely use the white box on the socks to mark them. However, we only put the number on them, and often only on one side, so that’s why you probably haven’t seen anything in the box before. Since it’s hard to read a sharpie on a dark sock, the white patch is very useful.”
This same source, incidentally, had some other news of interest:
Hats will be changing next season. The New Era wool 5950 will be no more. We’ve sold our massive stock of hats to the team store, since next year we’ll be getting a newer design. I haven’t seen any sort of prototype yet, but I do know it’s designed to be less vulnerable to getting soaking wet like the current caps do. I also saw a swatch of the Cool Base jersey material, and next year it looks to be a little less meshy, while retaining the softer feel and resistance to moisture.
Uni Watch News Ticker: A muslim soccer player in Spain is refusing to wear the logo of his team’s sponsor — 888.com, an online betting company — because he believes gambling is sinful. So while his teammates have the 888.com logo on their chests, he’s taped over it. Full story here. (Thanks to Matthew Bonnett.) … Meanwhile, German soccer players have settled a “bitter shoe dispute.” Full details here (with thanks to Brian Valle). … The Sept. 11th issue of ESPN Mag has a photo of minor leaguer Eddie Lantigua wearing those annoying pant-cuff straps. … Horn-toot: In that same issue, I have a “6 Things You Should Know About Bat Boys” piece. … Latest Japanese baseball scoop from Jeremy Brahm: The Yomiuri Giants were recently in such dire financial straits that they switched uni manufacturers to Adidas, which has no baseball experience. … Weird scene yesterday at Shea Stadium, where Shawn Green hit a homer and then, as he approached the dugout after circling the bases, pointed at a fan, removed his batting gloves, and tossed them to the fan. … Bryan Redemske (whose name I misspelled a few days ago — mea culpa and all that) notes that Gary Sheffield wore a standard minor league double-earflap helmet while rehabbing with the Trenton Thunder earlier this year, but Hideki Matsui, who’s rehabbing in Trenton right now, is using his single-flap Yankees helmet. … The ever-vigilant Jeremy Brahm has discovered this excellent Dutch web site devoted to the design of soccer uniform numbers. … In case you missed it in yesterday’s Comments section: The Pirates will soon begin wearing a memorial patch for Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor, who died last weekend. According to the last item on this page, the patch will debut next Monday, when the Bucs start their next homestand, “will feature a black background and the name ‘Bob’ in gold lettering, and will be worn on the left chest of the Pirates’ uniforms for the remainder of the season.”
I hope new era doesn’t use a material or design similar to the BP hats. I like the traditional wool hats, but I can understand why it might be time for a fabric change.
Bet those Pitt jerseys on the RB’s and WR’s were tear-aways. They were notorious for being different from the standard jerseys.
When Auburn used them, the tear-aways had no stripes on the sleeves, while the regular jerseys did. The numbers had a slightly different font as well.
Don’t know why the tear-aways would have names and the regular jerseys wouldn’t, however.
The 5950 gone? This is a sad day.
Paul-
Shawn Green has been flipping his batting gloves to kids in the stands for many years, it was a huge thing in LA (back when he was hitting lots of homers.)
The “muslim soccer player in the UK” is Fredi Kanoute, who actually plays in Spain
Does no more 5950 mean no more ridiculous designs like we discussed a couple of weeks ago?
The Dorsett and others jerseys looked too nice to be tearaways. And they typically didn’t have players’ names on them. Oddly, Cavanaugh’s and the linemen’s jerseys look like tearaways.
And looking at the SI cover, what is up with Dorsett’s pants? Geez, they fit funny. Did he have a few extra pounds of pads in them?
Notice that’s two Kentuckians (Kearns and Blanton) getting it done the right way with the high socks/stirrups. We do it right in the Bluegrass.
I remember a game in the early 80’s when Herschel Walker was playing for Georgia. He had to replace a ripped jersey twice in the same game. The first two jerseys were the same, but the third was different…the numbers looked a little different, and there was no name on the back.
Maybe back in the 70’s teams didn’t have the abundance of game-ready uniforms they seem to have now, and ripped jerseys were replaced with whatever was available, matching or not.
Godzilla probably had to wear a single flap helmet because they don’t make double flap helmets for a size 8 3/8 head.
I think I have the answer on Pitt’s 1977 Sugar Bowl jerseys.
In that game, skill position players like #24 Gordon Jones and #33 Tony Dorsett wore white tearaway jerseys with navy blue numerals trimmed in gold.
QB Matt Cavanaugh and most of the rest of the Panthers wore what appear to be hot-weather mesh jerseys made by Champion. (I’m guessing from the numeral font.)
In 1976 it was customary for the Joneses and Dorsetts to wear the tearaways at home (royal blue) or away (white). Check the Sports Illustrated cover galleries under Pitt Panthers and you’ll find examples — a 1976 Dorsett cover, and a 1977 cover “PITT IS IT” with Cavanaugh and Dorsett in their respective jerseys.
The “official” Pitt jersey featured striped sleeves identical to the ones made famous by Boston College in the Doug Flutie era. (Search SI gallery for Hugh Green on the 1980 college football preseason issue cover) For some reason, Pitt wore different unis that day against UGA. My hunch is that Coach Johnny Majors was leaving nothing to chance inside the stuffy Superdome and wanted his Panthers to be nice and cool.
It worked. Pitt marched through Georgia, 27-3.
WHAT?!? No more 5950?!? Please not the mesh batting practice hats that have been crammed down out throats for the past 5 or 6 years – those things are revolting.
It’s funny, Pitt always had players wearing two different jerseys and I never thought anything about it. Just got used to it. I don’t think the jerseys were tearaways, because I’m pretty sure I recall a few offensive linemen wearing them as well. They almost looked like glorified practice jerseys.
Add my name to the list of those that are disappointed with the apparent loss of the 5950. It’s all I’ve ever worn since I went away from mesh caps as a kid. Hope there’s a massive sale so I can stock up on blue Cubs caps for years to come. From low profile 5950, to the earlier mesh BP caps to the current 3930, notjing beats a 5950 for me.
Was sufing around last night and found that even Oregon’s cheerleaders have uniform issues.
link
good riddance to the 5950. It never seemed to fit my head right. Any other hat I have no problem with but the 5950 I play with itlike crazy to get the brim bent right and it still doesn’t fit right.
Speaking of Oregon, where’s our band source? Did the Oregon band change its uniforms along with the football team?
The piece on the Yomuri Giants says Adidas has no experience with baseball unis…
Maybe not in Japan, or in the US Major Leagues, but I know the AAA Portland Beavers sport Adidas unis, and have got to think that several of the Adidas schools (Tenn, Notre Dame, UCLA) probably do too, I’m just too lazy to google for pictures.
NOOO!!!
the 5950 is easily the best hat on the market. getting rid of it is a huge mistake if this is true. id pour out some liqour for it. sad day.
RIP 5950. I may have to stock up on them when they go on clearance. After all, who couldn’t use an extra ten or twenty Reds caps?
Tennessee, Notre Dame and UCLA all wear Adidas baseball uniforms.
[quote comment=”7767″]The piece on the Yomuri Giants says Adidas has no experience with baseball unis…
Maybe not in Japan, or in the US Major Leagues, but I know the AAA Portland Beavers sport Adidas unis, and have got to think that several of the Adidas schools (Tenn, Notre Dame, UCLA) probably do too, I’m just too lazy to google for pictures.[/quote]
I think the 59fifty sucks.
I’ve never been able to buy one online because the sizing is inconsistent. On top of that they shrink and the panels in front where the logo is located rises too high for my taste.
I hope they go with some sort of flex-fit hat.
I went to the Pitt game last Sat, and a handful of players had a different color name plate then the rest. I couldn’t see a pattern but then again i really didn’t try.
Right on about Dorsett’s tear-away. It seems during that era tear-aways and hot-weather mesh unis often featured fewer stripes and television numbers than the “regular” jersies. Michigan’s Anthony Carter wore a white tear-away with no sleeve stripes (but with shoulder numerals) and Woody’s Ohio State September jersies were often plain compared to their cooler-weather look.
As a kid, I remember being bothered by the different Pitt jersies in the same game, which should have been an early warning sign of my problem . . . Those Pitt helmets are still one of my favorites. Sorry to see them long gone.
[quote comment=”7757″]Godzilla probably had to wear a single flap helmet because they don’t make double flap helmets for a size 8 3/8 head.[/quote]
Yea that is what I read. I got that info from link, which is a very credible source.
Logo creep in an unexpected place: link
Anibal’s feat was great, but he ruined it with his link.
Also good to see nobody actually saw that game live. Look at the stands behind Anibal. Very common down in Miami…
I’m a little curious as to why Joe Cullen’s link haven’t been critiqued yet.
the article on the Yomiuri Giants mentions the Chicago White Sox as being as popular as the Red Sox and Yankees…since when? The White Sox aren’t even the most popular baseball team in their own city, let alone the United States.
Tear away football jerseys… designed by the guy who designed the screen door for submarines.
[quote comment=”7762″] From low profile 5950.[/quote]
When and where were these sold? I have never seen these and would have bought a ton of them.
[quote comment=”7778″]Anibal’s feat was great, but he ruined it with his link.[/quote]
the jersey was untucked during the celebration when his teammates mobbed him. he did pitch with a tucked in jersey. i am sure the umpiring crew would not let him do otherwise.
[quote comment=”7767″]The piece on the Yomuri Giants says Adidas has no experience with baseball unis…
Maybe not in Japan, or in the US Major Leagues, but I know the AAA Portland Beavers sport Adidas unis, and have got to think that several of the Adidas schools (Tenn, Notre Dame, UCLA) probably do too, I’m just too lazy to google for pictures.[/quote]
Didn’t the Yankess have Adidas making their equipment a few years ago as well?
[quote comment=”7771″]…the panels in front where the logo is located rises too high for my taste.[/quote]
I used to have this problem as well. If you cut out the white meshy thing on the inside of the hat it sits a lot better on the head. If they go to those flex-fit hats it will be awful. One size fits all my ass, those things give me headaches if I wear the hat too long.
I will not miss the 5950. It always seemed as if sizing was inconsistant, and I could never get a full summer out of one because of the shrinkage. I am a BP cap convert, love the fir and the breathability.
meant fit.
[quote comment=”7787″][quote comment=”7767″]The piece on the Yomuri Giants says Adidas has no experience with baseball unis…
Maybe not in Japan, or in the US Major Leagues, but I know the AAA Portland Beavers sport Adidas unis, and have got to think that several of the Adidas schools (Tenn, Notre Dame, UCLA) probably do too, I’m just too lazy to google for pictures.[/quote]
Didn’t the Yankess have Adidas making their equipment a few years ago as well?[/quote]
adidas did a prototype, but I don’t believe it was ever used in a game.
And yes, all those above mentioned schools wear adidas baseball jerseys. I am looking at the ND baseball media guide right now and the 3 stripe logo is on the right chest.
[quote comment=”7771″]I think the 59fifty sucks.
I’ve never been able to buy one online because the sizing is inconsistent. On top of that they shrink and the panels in front where the logo is located rises too high for my taste.
I hope they go with some sort of flex-fit hat.[/quote]
You must be under the age of 30. Maybe even 35.
Today’s ESPN column is link. As you’ll see, I followed up on yesterday’s Giambi blog entry over on ESPN — thanks to everyone who provided additional info in yesterday’s Comments section.
[quote comment=”7788″][quote comment=”7771″]…the panels in front where the logo is located rises too high for my taste.[/quote]
I used to have this problem as well. If you cut out the white meshy thing on the inside of the hat it sits a lot better on the head. If they go to those flex-fit hats it will be awful. One size fits all my ass, those things give me headaches if I wear the hat too long.[/quote]
Most flexfit hats come in different sizes. I’ve got a small/medium on right now.
I never liked the fitted hats because then never seemed to fit right. Plus, if you got a haircut during the season, your hat didn’t fit. At least, that’s how it was for me
[quote]No more orange pants, but the team’s official specs now include solid black pants and a throwback-ish design with thinner piping, neither of which has yet made an on-field appearance.[/quote]
Shouldn’t that say brown?
Maybe I’m overanalyzing, but the source said “The New Era wool 5950 will be no more,” not “The New Era 5950 will be no more.” That leads me to believe that these new caps will be the same, high profile 5950 caps, just with a more breathable and quicker-drying material.
Does anyone know how long New Era’s contract with MLB is, as in, are these caps definitely going to be made by New Era?
[quote comment=”7786″][quote comment=”7778″]Anibal’s feat was great, but he ruined it with his link.[/quote]
the jersey was untucked during the celebration when his teammates mobbed him. he did pitch with a tucked in jersey. i am sure the umpiring crew would not let him do otherwise.[/quote]
Well, no…
We’ve discussed the untucked-jersey-at-the-end-of-the-game phenomenon before. No matter when it’s done, it looks bad. That’s why they don’t allow it during the game.
[quote comment=”7798″][quote comment=”7786″][quote comment=”7778″]Anibal’s feat was great, but he ruined it with his link.[/quote]
the jersey was untucked during the celebration when his teammates mobbed him. he did pitch with a tucked in jersey. i am sure the umpiring crew would not let him do otherwise.[/quote]
Well, no…
We’ve discussed the untucked-jersey-at-the-end-of-the-game phenomenon before. No matter when it’s done, it looks bad. That’s why they don’t allow it during the game.[/quote]
It’s a celebration. As much as it is not allowed during the game, this was a post-game celrbration. Every post-season, we see post-game celebrations where shirts come out from pants. Should MLB go to the unitard to prevent it? We should be happy for him, and embrace the celebratory shirt untucking.
I wonder if the Steelers will do anything for Bob O’Conner? My guess is that a helmet decal may be in the offing.
The Pitt helmets of old are much better than the ones today. I had liked the change when they went from mustard yellow “Pitt” to a picture of a panther (although their weird insistance that they were “Pittsburgh, not Pitt” was doomed from the start. No fan changed their name for the team.). I also liked it when they decided to put the Pitt back on the helmets – but the font they use now is too bold and distracting. They need to change back to the script “Pitt” – maybe if they did that, they’d start winning again.
[quote comment=”7796″][quote]No more orange pants, but the team’s official specs now include solid black pants and a throwback-ish design with thinner piping, neither of which has yet made an on-field appearance.[/quote]
Shouldn’t that say brown?[/quote]
Yes. Total brain-lock on my part. Just asked my ESPN editor to fix it.
[quote comment=”7801″]I wonder if the Steelers will do anything for Bob O’Conner? My guess is that a helmet decal may be in the offing.
The Pitt helmets of old are much better than the ones today. I had liked the change when they went from mustard yellow “Pitt” to a picture of a panther (although their weird insistance that they were “Pittsburgh, not Pitt” was doomed from the start. No fan changed their name for the team.). I also liked it when they decided to put the Pitt back on the helmets – but the font they use now is too bold and distracting. They need to change back to the script “Pitt” – maybe if they did that, they’d start winning again.[/quote]
they’re having a moment of silence before the game. Al Roker was at Heinz Field this morning and discussed it on the Today show.
[quote comment=”7777″]Logo creep in an unexpected place: link[/quote]
looks like kobe got a new tat on his lower arm…
I’m sure someone already posted this, but the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage link
the article on the Yomiuri Giants mentions the Chicago White Sox as being as popular as the Red Sox and Yankees…since when? The White Sox aren’t even the most popular baseball team in their own city, let alone the United States.
The article is from a Japanese publication. Perhaps because of Tadahito Iguchi, when a Japanese author is trying to pick a team from three large cities, he goes for the White Sox to represent Chicago instead of the Cubs.
In any event, if the Cubs keep up their current level of ineptitude, the White Sox will pass them in popularity soon enough.
Looks like Hawai’i also made some changes from link to (in my opinion) an awkward link.
[quote comment=”7807″]Looks like Hawai’i also made some changes from link to (in my opinion) an awkward link.[/quote]
Not new — they wore the silver for some games link too.
Was that a request for flex fit hats in the bigs? My God! Lets leave flex fits to X-games stars, they’ve got to be the most unprofessional hat
Anyone else notice that the Hurricanes were wearing white cleats and socks against Florida State on Monday night rather than the black of old. Unfortunate.
[quote comment=”7801″]I wonder if the Steelers will do anything for Bob O’Conner? My guess is that a helmet decal may be in the offing.
The Pitt helmets of old are much better than the ones today. I had liked the change when they went from mustard yellow “Pitt” to a picture of a panther (although their weird insistance that they were “Pittsburgh, not Pitt” was doomed from the start. No fan changed their name for the team.). I also liked it when they decided to put the Pitt back on the helmets – but the font they use now is too bold and distracting. They need to change back to the script “Pitt” – maybe if they did that, they’d start winning again.[/quote]
Hmmm…. what should Syracuse do then to be competitive, nevermind winning???? He says looking like the 70’s pollution indian.
Concerning the different Name and Number styles on major program college jerseys during major bowl games…you say it can’t happen now…but it did! At the 2003 Fiesta Bowl when Ohio State won the National Championship. Is that major enough? I noticed it when I was watching the game, but I didn’t have this blog to post to back then.
The names on various jerseys were different. Some were Full Block (with serifs) and some were Plain Block (sans serif).
link
And here are some more pics showing the Plain Block names
link
link
If you look over the left shoulder of #54 you can see another full block name on that guy too!
Also 5950….farewell and don’t ever come back! I hate you!!!!
[quote comment=”7808″][quote comment=”7807″]Looks like Hawai’i also made some changes from link to (in my opinion) an awkward link.[/quote]
Not new — they wore the silver for some games link too.[/quote]
Either way, it still looks link to me. Leave the silver-white or black jersey-silver patterned look to the link. As little as i like the Raiders, their unis are classic. But I love Hawai’i link a la the link. Those were both great looks.
Hawai’i is also one of the rare cases with classy asymmetry on both the sleeves and legs. Love it.
As for their men’s volleyball uniforms, link.
So I finally break away from this site for an evening and go to the gym for a Spinning class and my instructor shows up wearing link and I immediately turn to my buddy and go into a speech about the Evil Empire, Asmmetrical Sleeves and the hideousness of the “shirt”. Since I started reading this blog two months or so ago, I can’t watch a game or see a pic on a wesite without looking for detail and imperfections. Oh the life of a Uniwatch faithful.
Paul I read your comment about Colorado’s new logo. This is the second season with the new logo, and there are two versions of it: the regular version has the buffalo facing right, but the left-facing one is just for the helmet.
Matt,
I’ve never seen the “low profile” 5950 in any stores, but you can buy that version from the link.
Poking around the New Era website I also found their new link…ugh.
[quote comment=”7813″]Concerning the different Name and Number styles on major program college jerseys during major bowl games…you say it can’t happen now…but it did! At the 2003 Fiesta Bowl when Ohio State won the National Championship. Is that major enough? I noticed it when I was watching the game, but I didn’t have this blog to post to back then.
The names on various jerseys were different. Some were Full Block (with serifs) and some were Plain Block (sans serif).
link
And here are some more pics showing the Plain Block names
link
link
If you look over the left shoulder of #54 you can see another full block name on that guy too!
Also 5950….farewell and don’t ever come back! I hate you!!!![/quote]
I noticed throughout that entire season that Matt Wilhelm’s nameplate had a slightly different font. If I’m not mistaken I think that oddity was isolated to just him.
[quote comment=”7818″]Poking around the New Era website I also found their new link…ugh.[/quote]
I found this one link
I hope the teachers let the hats stay on this day.
[quote comment=”7800″]It’s a celebration. As much as it is not allowed during the game, this was a post-game celrbration. Every post-season, we see post-game celebrations where shirts come out from pants. Should MLB go to the unitard to prevent it? We should be happy for him, and embrace the celebratory shirt untucking.[/quote]
Tut tut, I would not characterize this as a celebratory untucking. I believe that Anibal is one of the guys who untucks immediately after his services in a game are no longer required, regardless of whether a celebration is taking place.
So I was watching Sportscenter this morning and noticed that Ladainian Tomlinson had his number (21) on the end of his upper chin strap. It was printed, (not handwritten), and it was very visible on the very end of the strap specifically the tab that sticks up above the snap located above the facemask. I can’t find a pic but in my research I came up with another question. Has L.T., (with all apologies to Lawrence Taylor), switched helmets this year? It seems that the upper snap is located farther in, (closer to the middle), than in years past.
[quote comment=”7823″]So I was watching Sportscenter this morning and noticed that Ladainian Tomlinson had his number (21) on the end of his upper chin strap.[/quote]
This is common throughout the Chargers roster. Many of the Chiefs do it, too. I plan to do an entire column on chinstraps later this fall.
Regarding Hideki Matsui’s wearing his Yankee helmet in the Trenton Thunder game: Today’s NY Post says it was because Trenton didn’t have a helmet big enough for his head.
While watching the 1980 South Carolina at Georgia game yesterday I noticed Herschel Walker had on a jersey with just numbers on the sleeves & no stripes. Early on his jersey got ripped then it appeared that he put on a new jersey of the same type. When he came into the came for the 3rd quarter he had on normal jersey. A couple of the receiver had on the plain jerseys as well so they must have been ‘tear-aways’.
i hate those stretch hats. even getting a stretch hat in my “size” annoys the heck out of me. it too gives me headaches, and i hate how low the front is. makes it seem (and feel) like i’m wearing a beanie and not a hat. give me the high panel fitted hat any day. plus, i like the wool.
[quote comment=”7818″]Poking around the New Era website I also found their new link…ugh.[/quote]
wow! amazing! i find it ironic that my friends and other people i know who would wear this hat and the other 5950 attrocities, have significant herb habits…and could benefit from a pocket “that size”.
[quote comment=”7808″][quote comment=”7807″]Looks like Hawai’i also made some changes from link to (in my opinion) an awkward link.[/quote]
Not new — they wore the silver for some games link too.[/quote]
I did a year of grad school at Hawai’i. There are a couple of very distinct things about their football unis. First, I love the link pattern on the pants legs. Second, when they used to be the link, (they changed the name due to the, how shall we say, “negative connotation” given to rainbows these days), they used to have a link.
The New Franchise hats are becoming more popular…they fit pretty good, but I will miss the 5950…I have plenty, MLB & NCAA…they better be making it better rather than getting rid of it
link
The reason Shawn Green gives his batting gloves to kids after a homerun is that while he was a Dodger, his batting gloves ripped after hitting a homerun. Instead of just throwing them away, he gave them to kid in the stands on his way to the dugout. He then started doing this after every homerun.
One note about those pesky 5950 brims-if you aren’t “hip” enough to rock it flat (gangsta style… with gold sticker intact, of course)the best method to get a nice permanent bend is to fill up a tall glass with some H20 and roll the brim into the cup. Leave it for a day or two. I have never had success until I did this, and once dry, the combination of moisture and being pressed in a circle will amaze you and your friends!!! (Pets too!!!)
[quote comment=”7838″]One note about those pesky 5950 brims-if you aren’t “hip” enough to rock it flat (gangsta style… with gold sticker intact, of course)the best method to get a nice permanent bend is to fill up a tall glass with some H20 and roll the brim into the cup. Leave it for a day or two. I have never had success until I did this, and once dry, the combination of moisture and being pressed in a circle will amaze you and your friends!!! (Pets too!!!)[/quote]
It sounds like I’m the only one who has never had problems with any of my 5950 hats. I just got a new Astros hat a few months ago and it required a single day of breaking in.
Water really does help to break it in though if you’re having trouble. The trick is to wear it in rain for a few hours (I wore mine while moving into a new apartment in February). Still nice and clean afterwards and it also fits perfectly.
I’m not looking forward at all to the replacement, whatever it is.
[quote comment=”7830″][quote comment=”7818″]Poking around the New Era website I also found their new link…ugh.[/quote]
wow! amazing! i find it ironic that my friends and other people i know who would wear this hat and the other 5950 attrocities, have significant herb habits…and could benefit from a pocket “that size”.[/quote]
Hmmm…I was wondering what the possible use of a small pocket on the side of the cap could be. I would guess that the “hip-hop” and other oddball 5950 variants will stay in the line even if the pro caps switch to another style. I wouldn’t mind having a lower crown than the current MLB caps.
I have tried the batting practice caps, too. The S-M was too tight (or the elastic was too strong?) and gave me a headache, while the L-XL was so big it would fall off easily. Maybe they just need more sizes, rather than relying on stretch so much? I do like the Zephyr “Z-Fit” caps, though.
Watching baseball games this year, I have noticed that many players seem to have very snug-fitting caps (fitting close to the head all over), which is difficult to do with the old 5950’s. I wonder if they have been field-testing next year’s caps?
[quote comment=”7839″][quote comment=”7838″]One note about those pesky 5950 brims-if you aren’t “hip” enough to rock it flat (gangsta style… with gold sticker intact, of course)the best method to get a nice permanent bend is to fill up a tall glass with some H20 and roll the brim into the cup. Leave it for a day or two. I have never had success until I did this, and once dry, the combination of moisture and being pressed in a circle will amaze you and your friends!!! (Pets too!!!)[/quote]
It sounds like I’m the only one who has never had problems with any of my 5950 hats. I just got a new Astros hat a few months ago and it required a single day of breaking in.
Water really does help to break it in though if you’re having trouble. The trick is to wear it in rain for a few hours (I wore mine while moving into a new apartment in February). Still nice and clean afterwards and it also fits perfectly.
I’m not looking forward at all to the replacement, whatever it is.[/quote]
i always got it wet by spraying it with a spray bottle, microwaving it on medium for 40 seconds, and then wearing it until it dried…
[quote comment=”7795″]Most flexfit hats come in different sizes. I’ve got a small/medium on right now.[/quote]
Yeah, they do make an extra large-ish hat but even that isnt big enough to fit on my melon. I usually get a 7-5/8 sized hat and have to break it in a little before it fits real well.
I’m going to have to try some of those breaking-in ideas. I usually wear mine into the shower once or twice after cutting out that mesh insert.
Paul’s ESPN column points out that Pacific Lutheran wears the team nickname “Lutes” on their back nameplate. I seem to remember that they also used to wear “EMAL” on their nameplates, which stood for “Every Man A Lute”. Hopefully some folks still residing in the Pacific Northwest can confirm this.
[quote comment=”7842″]i always got it wet by spraying it with a spray bottle, microwaving it on medium for 40 seconds, and then wearing it until it dried…[/quote]
[quote comment=”7838″]One note about those pesky 5950 brims-if you aren’t “hip” enough to rock it flat (gangsta style… with gold sticker intact, of course)the best method to get a nice permanent bend is to fill up a tall glass with some H20 and roll the brim into the cup. Leave it for a day or two. I have never had success until I did this, and once dry, the combination of moisture and being pressed in a circle will amaze you and your friends!!! (Pets too!!!)[/quote]
Wow, you guys go to extreme lengths. I just wear it backwards for a little while. In addition to breaking it in, it also pulls the crown down so it doesn’t sit up too high.
[quote comment=”7844″]…after cutting out that mesh insert.[/quote]
ahh, cutting out the interior mesh to eliminate the “peen” of the hat. a true science in itself. tools of the trade?
1 sharpie marker
1 razor blade
1 sharp scissors
1 sharp steak knife
[quote comment=”7849″][quote comment=”7842″]i always got it wet by spraying it with a spray bottle, microwaving it on medium for 40 seconds, and then wearing it until it dried…[/quote]
[quote comment=”7838″]One note about those pesky 5950 brims-if you aren’t “hip” enough to rock it flat (gangsta style… with gold sticker intact, of course)the best method to get a nice permanent bend is to fill up a tall glass with some H20 and roll the brim into the cup. Leave it for a day or two. I have never had success until I did this, and once dry, the combination of moisture and being pressed in a circle will amaze you and your friends!!! (Pets too!!!)[/quote]
Wow, you guys go to extreme lengths. I just wear it backwards for a little while. In addition to breaking it in, it also pulls the crown down so it doesn’t sit up too high.[/quote]
That works too I’ve heard, but personally I look like a fool when I wear my hat backwards (on some people, it just looks funny…I’m one of them).
When I was younger, my mother used to throw my hats in the washer. This works, except it shrinks the hat way too much and so if you head continues to grow as you get older (The first fitted hat I ever got was when I was 6, I wore a 6 7/8 at the time and now at age 23, I wear a 7 3/8), the less likely you’ll be able to wear it.
Wearing it the rain has always worked best for me.
[quote comment=”7793″][quote comment=”7771″]I think the 59fifty sucks.
I’ve never been able to buy one online because the sizing is inconsistent. On top of that they shrink and the panels in front where the logo is located rises too high for my taste.
I hope they go with some sort of flex-fit hat.[/quote]
You must be under the age of 30. Maybe even 35.[/quote]
Was the age reference a personal attack or an unfunny joke? Either way, we are writing about baseball caps. It doesn’t need to go there.
Meanwhile, back at the show:
I think there could be great business reasons to move to a flex-fit cap. First, it is easier to produce 4 sizes rather than the 12+ sizes currently manufactured. Second, this would eliminate many stock issues that plague the hat shops, sporting goods shops, etc. Third, I suspect the returns related to inconsistent sizing would go down. If they did go with a flex-fit it wouldn’t have to look like a BP hat. That being said, we don’t know that MLB is going w/ a flex-fit hat. This was just my speculation.
Regarding going away from wool caps, we got over MLB moving to polyester uniforms back in the 70’s so I’m pretty sure we’ll get over the caps changing.
[quote comment=”7846″]Paul’s ESPN column points out that Pacific Lutheran wears the team nickname “Lutes” on their back nameplate. I seem to remember that they also used to wear “EMAL” on their nameplates, which stood for “Every Man A Lute”. Hopefully some folks still residing in the Pacific Northwest can confirm this.[/quote]
Actually there was an article in ESPN Mag about this. Coach “Frosty” Westering is one of the all time leaders in wins. I can’t find the article but it said that they do have “EMAL” on the uni somewhere. The article mentioned that one of their rivals, (maybe University of Puget Sound?), Put “ELAP” on their unis one game “Every Lute a Pu$$y”.
My hair has too much length variance over a 5-6 month period for fitted hats, and the flexible ones give me headaches.
I was never a huge fan of the 5950 anyway, with the preen, as todd calls it, and the raised logos. They never looked good on my head.
Regarding the Pitt unis with the different number fonts: Apparantly, the Dodgers had a similar problem in 1956. link is a shot from after Game 1 of the World Series, in which Sal Maglie is shown wearing the “Red Sox” number font, while Gil Hodges has the normal Dodger block font.
(I once saw a great pic of Hodges, Robinson, and Campanella standing around a batting cage — and, in that shot, it was Hodges who had the “Red Sox” font! Unfortunately, I cannot find that picture now.)
This sort of font problem was a common occurrence with the Jets in the 80s and even into the 90s (until they brought back the good unis). They frequenly had guys out there together with different 2s and 7s. Some guys had the link font, and others had the style with the link.
[quote comment=”7841″][quote comment=”7830″][quote comment=”7818″]Poking around the New Era website I also found their new link…ugh.[/quote]
wow! amazing! i find it ironic that my friends and other people i know who would wear this hat and the other 5950 attrocities, have significant herb habits…and could benefit from a pocket “that size”.[/quote]
Hmmm…I was wondering what the possible use of a small pocket on the side of the cap could be. I would guess that the “hip-hop” and other oddball 5950 variants will stay in the line even if the pro caps switch to another style. I wouldn’t mind having a lower crown than the current MLB caps.
[/quote]They will probably be marketed to hold your Ipod. Manny could be their first spokesman.
A number of years ago, the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team also sported floral pattern pants.
My 5950s all get the same treatment — soak the crown (the stiff part in front) in COLD water (warm makes the thread in the logo run). And soak any other part of the lid that is sticking out unfavorably. After that, put it on your head and smooth out those spots. Wear it until it dries. You’ll be stinky, but it holds the form well.
How boring are those San Antonio hockey sweaters? Why do they have to mimic the Spurs with the colors?
Does it bother anyone else when a major college team, a la Texas, has the school name on the front of the jersey? Doesn’t it seem like they have an inferiority complex…you know, we’re not sure you know who we are so we have to tell you? When you see ND you know it’s ND…same for Michigan, USC, Ohio State, Penn State. I don’t know, it just seems harry high school to me.
Here’s a looping set of photos with the Hawaii men’s basketball team doing a dunk contest in link
Never mind about me saying it’s camo.
Those are the floral shorts!
A thing about wearing those 5950s in the rain….They smell really pungent when they get wet!!! I have always worn 5950 Red Sox hats, and I get a new one when the old one shrinks to the point of unwearability. Anyhoo-Even when brand NEW they stink. WHY???!!!??? (They do break in Damn good with some moisture, just buy ’em a little big and in no time you will look the the Fresh Prince!)
MLB should use the
it fits much better than the 59FIFTY and the cotton is much more comfortable than the wool that always make your head itch.
sorry i meant to say use the concealer heres the link link
RE: ESPN column
Speaking of teams wearing their team name on the back of jerseys, you should check out the German Bundesliga. Every team wears both link on the back of their jerseys.
[quote comment=”7839″]Water really does help to break it in though if you’re having trouble. The trick is to wear it in rain for a few hours (I wore mine while moving into a new apartment in February). Still nice and clean afterwards and it also fits perfectly.[/quote]
I found that out when I fell into the water off Kitty Hawk the first and only time I tried to go kayaking. I was wearing my favorite Yankee hat at the time. It’s fit a whole hell of a lot better since.
(And, by the way, it’s the only cap I have that is all beat up, faded, and with those Wetteland-esque salt stains. The rest of my caps are fairly pristine. Of course, the cap I wear most of the time is the broken-in one…)
the Yomiuri Giants used to be the Tokyo Giants, which sounds much better IMHO. I have a Tokyo road replica jersey and it looks sweet!
My prior suggestion of using the concealer would be great if they have to stay with new era but i think the best decision would be to go with link
Yet another reason not to wear link. The crotch of J.D.’s pants is halfway down his thighs! That’s gotta inhibit mobility at least a little bit.
So who’s familiar enough with eary ’70’s Marshall football uni’s to comment on the accuracy in link?
I have a Yankees hate made by The Franchise, its the only fitted cap that lies low on your head and has a good fit. i like mine, and im getting another, because the current one is losing the cover on the brim
Zephyr hats … ugh. No thanks. That cheap-ass wool blend is crap. I’d be willing to be the new lids are a middle ground of the 5950 and the low-profile 5950, and with a lighter fabric. The woolies do get a little warm.
As to the bellhop comments for the NFL officials, those black collars make it look like they are wearing black bow ties, which only makes them appear more like they are asking for a 2 dollar tip.
[quote comment=”7883″]As to the bellhop comments for the NFL officials, those black collars make it look like they are wearing black bow ties, which only makes them appear more like they are asking for a 2 dollar tip.[/quote]
You’re absolutely right but that still doesn’t mean I’d be willing to mess with link and I’m a big boy. That dude is a freakin’ MAN.
The Oregon State – Boise St. game on ESPN is one of the ugliest games – uniform wise – that I’ve seen in a while. The blue field doesn’t help!
NOOOOOOOO! Not my 5950’s. You can’t take away my 5950’s. This is starting to get stupid. I was already getting a little peeved that my micro-fleece sweatshirts (absolutely the most comfortable sweatshirts ever) were discontinued in favour of thermal fleece (which admittedly I haven’t tried on but it feels heavier and doesn’t look as nice IMO). My guess is they’ll probably go with some sort of wool blend (New Era’s is 30% wool, 70% acrylic). It still looks like wool but, I believe, drys quicker. No idea about shrinkage, breaking in etc. I own about 7 or 8 different 5950’s and go through an Angels hat about every year (dirt and grime, not shrinking). I usually break mine in the the old fashioned way (wear them for about a month before expecting a perfect hit) however I did once get caught in the rain with my Red Sox hat on and will attest to the amazing breaking-in powers of the rain. Just remember to leave the hat on your head until it dries.
[quote comment=”7782″]Tear away football jerseys… designed by the guy who designed the screen door for submarines.[/quote]
Hey, this polak takes offense to that!
In other news, the 5950 is great. Keep it please? We already lost the good-looking ABC helmets.
I actually e-mailed New Era a few days ago regarding the Low Profile 59Fifty hats. I HATE this whole hip hop hat phenomenon, where they dont even wear the hat the way it was intended, and they look so ridiculous. I have only one 59Fifty low profile, a Yankees hat. I was hoping they would produce more in different colors, but I got a response that said they will only produce the basic hats for each team, no others. They never used to have the high profile or low profile hats, it use to be all one and they were low profile. I used to buy these hats all the time as a kid, I just liked how they fit and I liked all the different teams logos. But now I can’t wear them because they all look ridiculous when you try and wear them like they were meant to be worn.
And as an alternative to the New Era hat, I usually wear one of the ‘Franchise’ hats. I have a few different styles (all Yankees). They are a really comfortable hat.
Juan Encarnacion is sporting the stirrups tonight; hopefully, this is becoming a trend for Cardinals players.
Brian A., making sure culture supremacy stays alive in the 21st century.
Although, I’ll admit I think the kids in the LLWS that wear the hat slightly sideways (other than the kid with the stent) are kind of “punkish”
However, there is a difference between on field attire and what people choose to wear on the street.
There is no “right” way to wear a hat.
[quote comment=”7881″]I have a Yankees hate made by The Franchise, its the only fitted cap that lies low on your head and has a good fit. i like mine, and im getting another, because the current one is losing the cover on the brim[/quote]
I own a Phillies fitted cap made by The Franchise, and I have to agree with you…unlike the 5950 it didn’t require me to wear it for 3 weeks straight to get it to mold to my head. If the Phillies logo on the back were replaced with an MLB logo, you’d never be able to tell the difference from the 5950.
[quote comment=”7853″][quote comment=”7793″][quote comment=”7771″]I think the 59fifty sucks.
I’ve never been able to buy one online because the sizing is inconsistent. On top of that they shrink and the panels in front where the logo is located rises too high for my taste.
I hope they go with some sort of flex-fit hat.[/quote]
You must be under the age of 30. Maybe even 35.[/quote]
Was the age reference a personal attack or an unfunny joke? Either way, we are writing about baseball caps. It doesn’t need to go there.[/quote]
Lighten up, Francis. It was neither. My point (which you missed; I apologize for being too vague; I’ll spell it out more clearly for you next time) was that those of us in our late 30s and older have known little aside from the 5950 and dearly love these hats and their high front.
Meanwhile, the younger crowd is used to the low profile hats that have been popular for a while now, and many of them have never owned anything else.
Thus, my post intended no ill will. Happy, Ken? Now do me the favor of not replying to my posts, Mr. P.C.
[Knock it off. It’s not difficult to be polite.   – webmaster ed]
I just bought a couple of new Clemson baseball caps, they are New Era 5950’s, and are made of some sort of synthetic rather than wool, that might be what they are referring to for the new MLB caps. I know mine are much cooler than the wool caps and look nearly identical.
The Franchise hats look nothing like the 5950s. that should be blasphemy on a site dedicated to uniforms and the differences between them. yeah its lighter weight, but its no where close to the same quality. and who wants flex-fit? this isnt middle school this is the major leagues. flex fit would make pant leg straps look classy.
Did anyone catch the writing on the right sleeve of the Boise State unis? Something about “20”. Even in HD it was tough to see.
Just how bad are my Vikes’ new unis? This bad:
link
[quote comment=”7892″]Brian A., making sure culture supremacy stays alive in the 21st century.
Although, I’ll admit I think the kids in the LLWS that wear the hat slightly sideways (other than the kid with the stent) are kind of “punkish”
However, there is a difference between on field attire and what people choose to wear on the street.
There is no “right” way to wear a hat.[/quote]
I disagree. The brim of a baseball hat is there for a reason, to protect the face from sun/rain/weather. There certainly was an intended way. I think many of the new ways of wearing a hat (flat brimmed, cocked, even backwards) are intended to convey a certain look or attitude in a fashionable or trendy way. I think it’s abuse. Don’t tell me you can justify link.
i think the writing on the boise state uniform is to commemerate 20 years of the blue “smurf turf”
[quote comment=”7785″][quote comment=”7762″] From low profile 5950.[/quote]
When and where were these sold? I have never seen these and would have bought a ton of them.[/quote]
When I moved to L.A. in 2000, it was almost all they had in the team store at the top of Dodger Stadium. They all had the big circle sticker with “LOW PROFILE” on them.
[quote comment=”7805″]I’m sure someone already posted this, but the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage link[/quote]
This looks like a sneezing cow!
[quote comment=”7767″]The piece on the Yomuri Giants says Adidas has no experience with baseball unis…
Maybe not in Japan, or in the US Major Leagues, but I know the AAA Portland Beavers sport Adidas unis, and have got to think that several of the Adidas schools (Tenn, Notre Dame, UCLA) probably do too, I’m just too lazy to google for pictures.[/quote]
The Portland Beavers wear wilson uniforms with an adidas logo. The beavers saturday uniforms are the only true adidas uniforms they wear. The adidas uniforms fit well, but are not durable.
The 1977 Pitt Uniforms is somewhat of a mystery. You either had plain blue numbers or blue numbers with gold trim, and some had the last name on the back of the jersey and some didn’t…as seen in the photo. And yes the jerseys were also different. The main reason for the changes was if you were a “RETURNING LETTERMAN” you got the jersey with the yellow trim around the numbers and your name on the back. To be classified as a returning letterman you had to play in a minimum of games the previous year. This info was provided by a PITT GOLDEN PANTHERS BOOSTER.