Hammerin' Hank's Braves

     

     Nine Hall-of-Famers, seven games, and the greatest home-run hitter of all time; this is what the 1957 World Series brought to the table for all to see, and it didn't disappoint. In a series that was won by a team other than one of the three New York franchises, for the first time in nine seasons, it came down to a gutsy victory on the road to take home the title of champion.

     The Braves had just recently moved from Boston to Milwaukee, hadn't captured a National League Pennant in ten seasons, and had six name changes over the course of the prior 70 seasons; needless to say, a tradition of winning wasn't exactly in their heritage. After only losing the NL Pennant by one game in the previous season, Milwaukee certainly had their work cut out for them against the seemingly immortal New York Yankees.

     Thanks to the offensive prowess of a then 23 year-old, National League MVP, Hank Aaron, three victories in the series by pitcher Lew Burdette, and a relentless line-up featuring players the likes of Eddie Mathews and Frank Torre, the Braves were able to seal the series victory, in seven. That amazing feat has inspired this recent release from http://www.ecapcity.com/. Although the World Series side-patch didn't make it's way onto New Era on-field caps until the mid-90's, this is an authentic logo used on programs and other merchandise, thus being an accurate visualization of what it would have looked like.

     Along with the fore mentioned side-patch, the cap featured above has a red brim, navy crown, capital "M" front and center, a period correct green under-brim, and the accurate absence of MLB Logo on the reverse. If you're interested in this cap, it can be found HERE. If it seems like something you'd like to add, I'd suggest buying it quickly before it's gone forever.

   

Burried Treasure

     Sometimes, you find the best things when you're not even looking; similar to walking along one of the world's beaches, finding lost jewelry, an old coin, or maybe even a memento from the past, that was otherwise thought to be lost or gone forever. The latter is exactly what happened, a little over a month ago, while I was hopping from one small shop to another, along the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

     Being an avid collector for years, I've learned to appreciate the hunt for a good cap. That being said, there are always a few in the back of your mind that you don't necessarily pursue, but hope to stumble upon down the road. In this sense, it's more of a desire to find a specific logo. The reference pertains to the stylings of the now extinct Montreal Expos. Since the conclusion of their active history at the conclusion of the 2004 season, dead-stock Expos caps, such as the retro-pinwheel design above, have been dwindling in numbers, thus becoming more and more difficult to find. Sports Collection, located at 1731 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey, had this beauty tucked away in the back of the store, along with multiple others unique finds.

     I understand it isn't an on-field cap, which is probably enough to turn some people off from it, but it comes from a time where my fitted collection began. It brings back memories of a time before a closet full of caps, when I could only dream of amassing as many as I have to this point. All that, along with the fact that I paid in the ballpark of $20 for a mint condition cap (sticker still intact) was enough for me to pull the trigger. 

     Other caps in the shop included various logos from the past, which teams have since moved on from, or in this case, from teams that no longer even exist. Unfortunately, if you don't live within driving distance of this place, picking and choosing may be difficult, being that there's no accurately cataloged database of caps they have to offer. That being said, you can still reach out to them through their website, featuring their main store further down the boardwalk. The URL for that site is http://www.hatemporiumac.com/main.sc 

     The cap above features alternating blue and red panels around the crown, a blue brim, red under-brim, an oversized MLB logo featuring the Expos word mark inlaid, and the classic Montreal Expos "M-E-B" logo, centered across the rear 2 panels. 

     If you'd like to add some retro caps to your collection, and have a few minutes to explore, drop them a line at the contact page of the above website. When I was there, they were extremely friendly, and sincerely appreciated my interest in their accumulated stock of great caps. It can't hurt to give it a shot.