Sorry for the lack of posts over the last year, I've been incredibly busy. I've been working on this article off and on since the last post. Please enjoy this analysis of the MLB team issued caps coming out of Florida. After buying multiple team issued caps over the last few seasons, I have determined that there are multiple types of caps that New Era is producing from their Florida facility and sending out to the MLB teams. Below is the list of types that I've encountered. The Usual This cap is made exactly like typical overseas-made New Era caps. These caps have a slightly-shorter visor an ..read more

 Despite the MLB lockout, the new MLB Spring Training caps are finding their way to stores. Much to everyone's surprise, the new caps are "trucker" style mesh caps, the likes of which have not been seen on a professional baseball field for decades. Commonly worn in snapback form from the 70s through the early 90s during spring training, mesh was the last thing I expected to see with all of the fancy high-tech moisture-wicking fabric we have available today. New Era has used "basketball shorts" mesh in the past before experimenting with fancy materials for the past decade such as "Diamond ..read more

New Era shut down their long-time US factory in Derby, NY in June of 2019. Since MLB requires the actual caps that the players wear on the field to be at least "assembled" in the US, New Era now hires contractors in the Miami, FL area (Hialeah) to assemble MLB team issued caps. These caps are not made for retail, but it's possible to acquire MLB team issued caps directly from teams via "Authentics" programs, MLB Auctions, and fan fest sales. It also appears that occasionally, some actually do make it out to retail. In this post we will examine the differences between New Era caps made at the n ..read more

The Korean Baseball Organization has been thrust into the spotlight recently as for a period of time it was the only professional baseball league playing a regular season in 2020. MLB is now scheduled to start in late July. When the KBO season first started, I had searched eBay to look for on-field caps but there weren't any. However, it appears that on-field caps for most teams have now become available. The KBO is a wide-open market for cap and uniform providers. Like the NPB, it's a mix of national and international brands. KBO on-field caps typically come in both Velcro-back and fitted s ..read more

I have revised my New Era cap MLB on-field cap tag guide. It is now much more thorough and comprehensive guide, and I'm proud to say that this will be the be-all and end-all ultimate authority on New Era's MLB 0n-field cap tag history. Please check HERE to view and enjoy! Help support the blog! Ballcap Blog eBay Sales Pro Cap Collectors Facebook Group ..read more

"'47 Brand" is the only surviving ancestor of the great "KM Pro" baseball cap empire. When KM Pro shuttered in 1976, Devon Professional Cap kept its legacy going until the end of the 80s. They were subsequently bought out by Twins Enterprises, now known as '47 Brand. They have since become the leading supplier of "Dad Hats" (under their "Franchise" line), a far cry from the ones that KM Pro once provided for player use in professional baseball. The last time a '47 Brand-related cap was worn by an MLB team it was the 1987 Boston Red Sox wearing caps made by Devon, which until then had exclusive ..read more

Updated 3/16/20 The baseball uniform market for Japan's major league - Nippon Professional Baseball - is wide open. Typically, the uniform supplier also provides the caps. However, some teams have chosen New Era at one time or another for caps and gone with a separate uniform supplier. A cap worn by Sadaharu Oh in the 1970s. There are several major sports and athletic apparel brands that have provided NPB uniforms and caps, such as Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas. Former MLB uniform supplier Majestic also supplies uniforms and caps. '47 Brand just recently began supplying caps for the T ..read more

The San Francisco Giants offer two different opportunities to purchase game used caps during the offseason; an annual memorabilia sale held in mid-December and Giants Fanfest. The December sale is usually held within a different area in the ballpark each year. It's been near the front entrance, in a cleared-out section of the team store, and this year it was held inside the actual player's clubhouse. Some years, a player (past or present) is there to sign autographs. One I can remember from a previous year was J.T. Snow. This year it was Joey Bart, one of the Giants top prospects. Giants gam ..read more

This was the first time in about three years that I had been able to attend A's Fanfest. My brother and I had been attending the NAMM expo in Anaheim in that time, which usually takes place the same weekend. The last A's Fanfest I attended was the first time they had it outdoors at "Jack London Square" in Oakland, where they continue to have it to this day. Jack London Square is Oakland's waterfront area, which is a decent area to visit. In the past, A's fanfest was held at the Oakland Coliseum or the neighboring arena. The A's fanfest website did not mention a game used memorabilia sale, as ..read more

This year's Padres Fanfest was quite something. Upon entering the Padres garage sale, I was greeted by tables and tables covered in caps. It appeared that the team was getting rid of all of its team-issue stock since the Padres will have new uniforms next season. They had all the varieties; spring training with the Cactus League patch, batting practice, primary home blue, Friday brown alternate, and camouflage alternate (the later three had 50th anniversary patches).  Spring Training "Hex Tech" bell panel cap with Cactus League Patch. Standard blue cap with 50th Anniversary patch. Go ..read more