You could be forgiven for assuming a baseball cap is little more than a fashion accessory. Today, people wear all sorts of hats for no other reason than to add yet another item to the outfit. Hats have become as much about fashion as any other article of clothing. And yet, they are very important to certain types of people engaged in a very specific activity.
The baseball cap is more important than you think, especially to baseball players and teams. A genuine baseball cap is not just another piece of the uniform. Players don’t wear them just to complete their looks. Keep reading to satisfy the curiosity that has undoubtedly filled your mind.
History of the Baseball Cap
The cap is one of the oldest pieces of the official baseball uniform. History credits the Brooklyn Excelsiors with being the first to wear headgear. Their floppy, long-billed cap with a button on top was introduced in 1860. It proved so popular that other teams began adding caps to their uniforms.
What became the Brooklyn-style hat was immensely popular by the turn-of-the-century. It was being worn both on and off the field. On the field, innovation continued with the introduction of latex rubber. It was added to the floppy Brooklyn-style hat to make it more rigid. At that time, the bill was also lengthened and widened.
Here’s the important part: the Excelsiors had a reason for dressing their players with caps. That reason was the sun. A billed (or peaked) hat made it easier for ballplayers to look up into the sky and not be blinded by the sun. Guess what? Little has changed in that regard in 160 years.
Part of the Game
Even now in 2021, baseball caps are an integral part of the game. Players still wear them for the same reason. The longer, wider brim of the modern baseball cap just makes it easier for players to see. Players wear sunglasses too, but it is really the hat that does the trick when you’re looking up in hopes of tracking down a fly ball.
Baseball caps are obviously designed to go with the rest of the team’s uniform. In other words, they are designed with the same colors and artwork. This is done for branding purposes. It doesn’t hurt that unique baseball caps make it easier to identify the teams on the field.
Baseball Caps off the Field
Baseball caps have proven so attractive that millions of people wear them off the field. In fact, the vast majority of people who own one have never played professional or amateur baseball. That’s okay. The revered baseball cap offers plenty of function for non-players.
Brands like Plurawl sell baseball caps with all sorts of messages. In Plurawl’s case, they are all about promoting the LatinX community. They have Latina and Latino hats featuring messages unique to their culture.
It is not unusual for large corporations to license their logos and trademarks for use on baseball caps. For instance, visit any gift shop or flea market in central Florida and you’re bound to find hats boasting everything from the Disney logo to your favorite Disney characters. Licensing gives companies like Disney an opportunity to make a little money on hats, T-shirts, etc.
To baseball players, the baseball cap is an important part of playing a good game. It is important to branding and marketing from the team’s perspective. And for the rest of us, baseball caps are ideal for keeping the sun off our faces and out of our eyes. What’s not to love about them?
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