WHITE ELEPHANT CAPS
It was interesting to see not one, but two Athletics coaches caps up for bid on eBay recently. The genre is an unusual and groundbreaking one.
The practice began in 1965 in Kansas City, with a ’65 photo visible on manager Alvin Dark’s 1966 Topps card. The style bore the normal interlocking KC in green with a white crown and green brim. Upon the move to Oakland, a similarly hued cap with a green A was used in 1968-69. With the jersey logo adding the ” ‘s ” in 1970, the caps did likewise. The last trace of the caps I can find was in 1980, depicted on Billy Martin’s 1981 Fleer card. The examples I’ve seen were made by McAuliffe and KM Pro, although it’s possible other suppliers may exist.
While a scarce style, even rarer are the similarly designed caps that the manager and coaches of the White Sox and Senators broke out when playing the A’s. Photos of Eddie Stanky (Sox) and Gil Hodges (Nats) were featured in the 1990s in the old Diamond Duds newsletter. Other than the two photos, I have never seen the caps anywhere. Based on the managers depicted in the photos, likely years of usage would be 1966 and/or 1967.
JETS NFL THROWBACKS
Intended for the previous article but not making it in time, some news regarding New York Jets Throwbacks in upcoming games and seasons.
Murf Denny shared the news that the Jets would wear blue and yellow Titans throwbacks (the franchise’s original identity)
twice in the upcoming season: in the September 14 home opener vs. New England, and in an October 12 match-up with the Bengals. Further, the team, in conjunction with the Titans/Jets 50th Anniversary, has indicated plans to wear road Throwbacks in 2009.
GOOD GRIEF!
With all of the themed jerseys that are used in the minor leagues, you have to give Mike Veeck credit for a one-of-a-kind idea. In 2001, the St. Paul Saints came up with a doozie…jersey with the popular comic strip Peanuts as the theme. The jerseys were modeled after Charlie Brown’s shirt…yellow with the black zig-zag stripe circling the midsection. Now THAT is a unique baseball jersey!
THE NUMBERS GAME
Two notes on numbers to close out this installment. First, the recent deal that sent pitcher Paul Byrd to the Red Sox found him seeking…and getting…his favorite number (36) from young catcher Kevin Cash, who now wears #30.
Finally, The Edmonton Oilers have planned a ceremony for January 18, 2009 to retire the number of team great Glenn Anderson. Anderson’s #9 will be retired in honor of a team star who was on five Stanley Cup Championship teams in Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky era, as well as a sixth with the New York Rangers.
MICHAEL PHELPS..YOU”RE WORTH YOUR WEIGHT IN GOLD!