04/19/24
February 21, 2007
2007 is a good year for sheep: MLB's uniform technology people haven't been wool gathering. There's a new cap in town -- a synthetic polyester blend that aims to remove long standing traditions like sweat stains with less, well, au jus. Bud Selig has been a trend ender in many respects, but this one may be the longest running tradition he's tackled. You will still be able to acquire the legendary wool caps, but if you want to dress like the pros, you've gotta go polyester.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw to baseball at 10:35 PM - 14 comments
I have to agree with you on the wool thing. Why it lasted this long I wonder myself. However, it will be kind of nice not to see all of the white sweat stained hats, from the guys that never change them all season. Also, that list of milestones on the sidebar of the article was very nice, thanks.
posted by jojomfd1 at 02:15 AM on February 22, 2007
This is my nomination for Quote of the Week: The best thing is, when it rains, the hats won't stink like the wool ones did. -Justin Verlander Also when I read the part about the brim of the hat with the glare of sun and stadium lights, I suddenly got the feeling I was at a game. I twittered. March is the longest month of the year.
posted by SummersEve at 06:08 AM on February 22, 2007
Are we sure Costanza isn't involved with this somehow?
posted by tommybiden at 07:40 AM on February 22, 2007
Waiting for Mark Cuban to weigh in on the new hat vs. old.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 08:19 AM on February 22, 2007
Like Crafty I tend to be conservative when it comes to The National Pastime but this is a good thing. I remember wearing flannel unis in Babe Ruth League in Michigan. They were OK in March but horribly hot later. Can't imagine them or wool caps here in Texas.
posted by sickleguy at 08:23 AM on February 22, 2007
The best thing is, when it rains, the hats won't stink like the wool ones did. -Justin Verlander That's exactly what I was thinking, the wet dog smell when it rains really annoys me.
posted by tron7 at 08:36 AM on February 22, 2007
Almost like Baseball Caps on Steroids..........
posted by jaclp at 09:19 AM on February 22, 2007
What will this possibly mean for Trot Nixon? Now that he's no longer in Boston, how will he be able to get his new Indians hat to look the same way?
posted by dyams at 11:01 AM on February 22, 2007
Dip spit, same as usual. It'll be harder to excuse as his playing time drops, but if Ozzie Guillen could get away with wearing what looked to be a WWI German Army helmet during his later playing days, why not Trot?
posted by yerfatma at 12:41 PM on February 22, 2007
Dip spit, same as usual. What does that smell like when it gets rained on? 'Cuz polyester or wool, I'm not thinking it's going to matter much.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:08 PM on February 22, 2007
That's exactly what I was thinking, the wet dog smell when it rains really annoys me. I have never played baseball at any professional level, but I've played at nearly every other existing level and in a huge variety of locations under equally varying conditions. And I can honestly say that "wet hat" has never been among my top olefactory concerns. Other than the grass, there isn't one single thing in baseball that smells better when it's wet. In fact, grass stains are above hats on the offensive scale. I am willing to bet that when he gets rained on, there are at least half a dozen things on Verlander that smell worse than his hat.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 03:13 PM on February 22, 2007
Actually, synthetic fibers are notoriously stinky after extended wear, so I don't really know what the move away from wool is supposed to accomplish in that department. I used to get Backpacker magazine, and one of their primary concerns with evaluating polyester clothing (commonly worn by backpackers for its moisture-wicking abilities) was the clothing's anti-stinkitude. So unless they do a really good job of drying out the hats between uses, they're going to have a bunch of little microbe farms on their hands.
posted by LionIndex at 03:34 PM on February 22, 2007
New hats = more $$$$$$$ from the fans.
posted by danjel at 08:33 AM on February 23, 2007
Generally, I hate New Era and what they've done to baseball caps. But this change has been coming for over a century. Wearing wool on your head in the middle of summer makes absolutely no sense. And the promise that the new hats won't shrink is a huge benefit as well. I am a traditionalist by nature, but this was a long time coming. Frankly, I don't understand why the wool caps lasted this long. They should have gone out with the wool uniforms in the '70s.