Baseball Caps

The baseball cap is the most recognizable part of a baseball player’s uniform. Moreover, it is the most familiar of American hats, commonly worn not just by ballplayers, but also by fans in the stands, workers on the job and everyday people on the streets.

Like other aspects of the game, the baseball cap evolved over time. Early baseball teams wore a variety of different kinds of hats. Most of them were made of flannel and featured a bill to keep the sun out of players’ eyes. The stitched visor was introduced by Spaulding in 1903, leading to the rounded-crown, large-visor caps so familiar today.

Baseball caps serve many purposes. They shield a player’s eyes from the sun or artificial light, help distinguish players of one team from another, promote the team, and are a major way that baseball fans express loyalty to a favorite team.

http://libweb.uoregon.edu/exhibits/baseball/caps.html
April 26, 2004
Maintained by Ted Smith