Let's see some Game Used Caps

[Chris-Counts]

Hi Mark, who's the maker of your Senators' cap? It's a style I don't recognize. Do you know when it was made or worn? It looks like it has a red outline around the white "W."

Originally Posted by perezfan

Few more....

Reds:
Wally Post
Hank Foiles
Vada Pinson
Concepcion (Spring Training)
New- never Used
Need to look up again
Johnny Bench (Signed by The Great Eight)

Defunct Mariners Caps:
Tom House
Mark Langston
Ken Griffey Sr.
Dan Wilson
A-Roid
Lou Piniella

Colt .45s - Unknown Player
Orioles - Unknown Player

Willie Mays
Warren Spahn
Harmon Killebrew
Al Kaline
Tom Seaver
Don Drysdale
Fergie Jenkins
Early Wynn

George Brett
Brooks Robinson
Tony Gwynn
Lou Brock
Griffey Jr.
Tony Perez
Cal Ripken
Goose Gossage

Barry Larkin

George Foster (signed by The Great Eight)

Whew.... That's it!

[perezfan]

It will be difficult to dig it out, as that acrylic display is open only on the back side (and that display tower is jammed into a very tight space). But when time allows, I'll take it out to look at the manufacturer tagging. Guessing it will be Wilson, as I believe they were the Senators' mid-century maker of choice.

Yes, it's a navy blue cap with a white "W" outlined in red. Marc Okkonen's "Dressed to the Nines" website shows this specific cap style was utilized by the Senators from 1948 - 1951. Within that 4-year period, Early Wynn was a Senator only in 1948 (his final year with the team). So by process of elimination, this cap is most likely from 1948.

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by perezfan

It will be difficult to dig it out, as that acrylic display is open only on the back side (and that display tower is jammed into a very tight space). But when time allows, I'll take it out to look at the manufacturer tagging. Guessing it will be Wilson, as I believe they were the Senators' mid-century maker of choice.

Yes, it's a navy blue cap with a white "W" outlined in red. Marc Okkonen's "Dressed to the Nines" website shows this specific cap style was utilized by the Senators from 1948 - 1951. Within that 4-year period, Early Wynn was a Senator only in 1948 (his final year with the team). So by process of elimination, this cap is most likely from 1948.

As a Senators/Nats fan, that caught my eye, too. I recall meeting Wynn before the first Cracker Jack Old Timer’s Game in DC in 1982 and chatting with him briefly about his time with the Senators. He was nice enough to spend a few minutes talking with a young guy who was eager to learn about the history of MLB in DC. So much fun to remember how excited I was to meet him.

[Chris-Counts]

Thanks Mark, I'm always interested in looking at the insides of caps because there's a lot to be learned from them. Caps, like pinbacks, are one of those genres of collectibles that are kind of a mystery — I'm discovering new things about them all the time.

For what it's worth, I started a much longer thread on caps ("Let's see your vintage baseball caps") a few years back. is it possible merge it with this one?

Here's a display I put together showing the evolution of the St. Louis Browns and Baltimore Orioles caps ...

Originally Posted by perezfan

It will be difficult to dig it out, as that acrylic display is open only on the back side (and that display tower is jammed into a very tight space). But when time allows, I'll take it out to look at the manufacturer tagging. Guessing it will be Wilson, as I believe they were the Senators' mid-century maker of choice.

Yes, it's a navy blue cap with a white "W" outlined in red. Marc Okkonen's "Dressed to the Nines" website shows this specific cap style was utilized by the Senators from 1948 - 1951. Within that 4-year period, Early Wynn was a Senator only in 1948 (his final year with the team). So by process of elimination, this cap is most likely from 1948.

[perezfan]

Awesome, Chris...

Really love seeing that evolution from Brownies to Orioles... some super tough styles there!

Per your request, here are pics (inside and out) of the Early Wynn Senators Cap. It has a white leather inner sweat band, and the maker is Tim McAuliffe (not Wilson, as I had guessed earlier).

Hope this is helpful!

[Chris-Counts]

That's an awesome Senators cap Mark, and it's no doubt it's a tough design to find. I looked up all the Topps and Bowman cards of Senators from 1949 to 1952, and every single one shows a white "W." I also looked at old Sports magazines for color photos. The only images I could find of this cap in color come from Red Man Tobacco cards. According to MLBCollectors.com, "the team wore red trim with home jerseys and caps" from 1948-51," although I have no idea how accurate that is, and the site's owner has been AWOL for years. Nevertheless, he doesn't he even a single photo displayed of your design. It must come from 1948 because Early Wynn gets traded to Cleveland. I don't have a cap that early with a McAuliffe tag. It's interesting see that Tim McAuliffe had teamed up with Paul Kaufman by 1948. This came at time when there was fierce competition in the market, with McAuliffe, Spalding, Rawlings, Coane and MacGregor-Goldsmith all making caps.

[perezfan]

Wow, awesome research, Chris...

Really appreciate the vital info, as you are the undisputed "Hat Guru" of net54. Super nice to know this is a rare style. Just wish my Dad lived long enough to see it, as he was a lifelong Senators fan.

Thanks again!

[roarfrom34]

Buck Showalter GU cap from the 2012 ALDS that he signed for me the other evening at a local banquet: