Skip to content
 

Green Beret

green3.jpg

Last month we discussed several ballplayers whose caps have had a tendency to fall off, including Mike MacDougal, Jim Bouton, and John Pacella. (For those who missed it, the full treatment is here.) But those were all pitchers — it’s much rarer to find a position player with cap-retention problems. In fact, I’m not sure I’d ever heard of one until Shawn Green came along.

Green has played in four games since being acquired by the Mets last week, and he’s lost his cap at least once in each of them. It usually happens when he’s tracking a fly ball, but yesterday it happened as he chased a double into the corner.

Normally you wouldn’t see something like this being covered by the beat writers. But thanks to Sunday’s Mets game being rained out, the local scribes were poking around for something — anything — to write about for Monday’s editions. And so it came to pass that Monday’s Daily News actually contained a small item about Green and his cap. Here’s the relevant passage:

It seems every time Shawn Green makes a play in right field, his cap flies off and lands some 20 feet behind him. He swears it’s not intentional. “I’ve got a good answer,” he said. “I have to wait until it shrinks up on me to fit my head.”

Green pointed to the blue cap in his locker. “That one fits but I have to wait until we wear that color of uniform,” he said. “I’m lucky I’ve got Carlos (Beltran in center field) to pick them up for me.”

It’s hard to know what to make of this — like, if his cap doesn’t fit, can’t he just ask for another one? In any case, Green’s being too kind to Beltran here, since he’s usually picked up his cap himself.

This is the part where I mention that since Green is MLB’s most prominent Jewish player, maybe he should just wear this. But you all saw that one coming.

Uni Watch News Ticker: Hot tip from the purple battlefield: It has come to my attention that a certain purple-clad team will be going purple-free next season. Can’t share any details just yet, but look for more news in this Thursday’s ESPN column. … Interesting post-game moment after Friday’s Bears/Cardinals preseason contest, as documented by Mike Murray: “Matt Leinart and Brian Urlacher were chatting on the field after the game. Leinart must have asked Urlacher for his jersey, because Urlacher started to take it off while they were talking. The jersey got stuck on his shoulder pads, so Leinart reached over and helped him remove it. Then they stood and chatted some more while Leinart had Urlacher’s jersey slung over his shoulder. Apparently Urlacher didn’t want Leinart’s jersey in return.” … Jersey swapping is also big in MLB, but it goes on behind the scenes. … By now we all know about MLB’s Cool Base jerseys (if you need a refresher course, look here), and now reader Jordan Sidwell has noticed the Cool Base’s natural counterpart showing up on MLB.com: the Therma Base fleece, which we’ll presumably start seeing when the weather gets colder. Like virtually everything else being produced nowadays, it features some seriously unnecessary piping. … Speaking of which, could something please be done about this? … Remember our recent discussion of umlauts and tildes and such? It took a while, but Jeremy Brahm has finally turned up some cedillas, as seen here (a Portuguese volleyball player, from 2003) and here (Portuguese soccer player Sergio Conceià§ao, playing for Standard Liege in Belgium).

 
  
 
Comments (102)

    I can remember Jose Cruz’s hat flapping back (but never coming off) when he would run for a fly ball. It looked like he used bobby pins to keep it in place on top of thatlink he had in the day.

    Paul, those fleece sweatshirts look pretty much the same as what’s been out for a while, the only difference being the piping. I own one, and it’s very comfortable. What you are calling piping is just a strip of stretchier material. I can’t vouch for the placement of it on the new “Therma Base” fleece jerseys, but on the jersey I have the piping is around the armpits, similar to the striping on UCLA’s football uniforms. The piping provides more arm movement without it feeling tight, so it’s perfect to wear under the uniform if you don’t need the compression of an UnderArmour jersey.

    Wille Mays’ cap used to fly off regularly. Look at any picture of “the catch” in the ’54 series.

    And there are plenty of Willie’s cap flying off while rounding the bases.

    Going back to yesterday’s comments concerning Japan’s pitcher in the LLWS, here’s a picture of his hat:
    link

    Also, one of the players had a lot to say on his hat brim:
    link

    Now we just need a translation.

    At least Charlie Manuel is wearing a jersey in that pic, unlike Eric Wedge, Dusty Baker, et al. … Seriously, why aren’t these managers forced to be in uniform. I know for the cold months they wear the dugout jacket, but is it that hard to button up a shirt?

    It’s great to hear that players swap jerseys in MLB, maybe even more interesting how Leinert and Urlacher did it – but I’ve always thought that it was a cool tradition in soccer. Maybe more players in other sports will pick up on it too.

    [quote comment=”6902″]Pardon me if I missed something obvious, but what is Paul talking about changing in the Phillies link?[/quote]

    I’m referring to the completely unnecessary vertical stripe on the umpire’s windbreaker.

    I’m guessing the complaint re: the ump picture is the grey/white piping on the Ump’s windbreaker/polo thing.

    I also have one of the older therma fleece things (I got the Sox red version after I saw them all through the playoffs…it also has the World Series Champs patch on it), and I can vouch for it being incredibly comfortable. Personally, I like the idea of a manager wearing those instead of a jersey, and I can understand, given the comfort, why they’d go that route. I’ve always hated the idea that a coach or a manager taking a number that a player would want to wear.

    I own two of the fleece’s, they are really great. The streach material makes it easier to swing a baseball bat when you wear during batting practice, its actually functional.

    early in kenny lofton’s career, i remember hearing or reading about how he would wear his hat a few sizes small so it would rest on his head. this way it would fall off when tracking down flies thus giving the illusion that he was faster than he actually was…

    also, gary matthews (the sarge) had a habit of popping off his batting helmet after getting a base hit…

    my guess on the topic of conversation between urlacher and leinart… miss paris hilton. they HAD to be comparing notes…

    [quote comment=”6907″][quote comment=”6902″]Pardon me if I missed something obvious, but what is Paul talking about changing in the Phillies link?[/quote]

    I’m referring to the completely unnecessary vertical stripe on the umpire’s windbreaker.[/quote]
    and all this time i thought you were referring to the watermelon that manuel was hiding in his jersey…

    Speaking of hats coming off…do any of you Cubs fans remember “The Sarge,” Gary Matthews? Correct me if I’m wrong (since I was about 3 or 4 when he was in his hey-day with the Cubs), but when he’d round the bases, a lot of times he’d knock his own helmet off, right? I don’t quite know why he did this, but it always amused me as a kid. I remember myself imitating him when I’d play baseball with my friends…running around the bases and knocking my hat off between 1st and second base.

    As a longtime Cardinals fan I can tell you what the Urlacher jersey incident was all about. Larry Fitzgerald wanted it for himself and since Leinart missed all but three days of camp, they really didn’t get to haze him. So, Fitz made Leinart go get Urlacher’s jersey for him. Also on a side note, I don’t know why everyone insists that Paris and Matt are dating. They have both denied it and there is nothing to suggest that they are.

    [quote comment=”6902″]Pardon me if I missed something obvious, but what is Paul talking about changing in the Phillies link?[/quote]

    The vertical stripe has to go, as does the horizontal stripe going across the front of the windbreaker. (I may be a little late with this one) But score one for the Phillies’ manager who looks to be wearing white socks with a traditional red stirrup.

    [quote comment=”6917″]As a longtime Cardinals fan I can tell you what the Urlacher jersey incident was all about. Larry Fitzgerald wanted it for himself and since Leinart missed all but three days of camp, they really didn’t get to haze him. So, Fitz made Leinart go get Urlacher’s jersey for him. Also on a side note, I don’t know why everyone insists that Paris and Matt are dating. They have both denied it and there is nothing to suggest that they are.[/quote]

    So, this site is now for discussion of celebrity dating? Who cares?

    Not that I feel they shouldn’t wear them, but there is no rule stating that a manager or coach has to wear a uniform. They could come in a tuxedo, if they wanted, or gym shorts and a t-shirt. It just happens that in baseball, for some reason (which I’m sure someone out there knows), they wear the uniform. Imagine Scotty Bowman behind a bench in a bright red jersey and hockey socks, or Pat Riley out there screaming in a tank top and high tops? I guess as long as he doesn’t wear link, we’re ok.

    [quote comment=”6921″]Not that I feel they shouldn’t wear them, but there is no rule stating that a manager or coach has to wear a uniform. They could come in a tuxedo, if they wanted, or gym shorts and a t-shirt. It just happens that in baseball, for some reason (which I’m sure someone out there knows), they wear the uniform. Imagine Scotty Bowman behind a bench in a bright red jersey and hockey socks, or Pat Riley out there screaming in a tank top and high tops? I guess as long as he doesn’t wear link, we’re ok.[/quote]

    From the MLB rule book:

    3.15
    No person shall be allowed on the playing field during a game except players and coaches in uniform,

    [quote comment=”6904″]
    Also, one of the players had a lot to say on his hat brim:
    link

    Now we just need a translation.[/quote]

    Let’s see if I can help with that.

    The two characters extending out from above his left eyebrow read shuuchuu, or “concentration.” The two characters closest to his forehead read sekai, or “world” (perhaps there is more that is unseen?). Finally, the two characters “under” those (above them and upside down from our perspective) read zenryoku, or “all one’s energy.”

    The English part is either obvious (JAPAN) or too small for me to read (looks like “…lt Dragons” to me, but it’s the Chunichi Dragons and the Yakult Swallows, so that’s wrong). Any help on that?

    [quote comment=”6921″]It just happens that in baseball, for some reason (which I’m sure someone out there knows), they wear the uniform.[/quote]

    For the better part of a century, the field manager was also a player, so he was already wearing a uniform. Although we no longer have player/managers (the last one was Pete Rose), the tradition persists. Also, baseball managers routinely go out onto the field of play (to argue, to change pitchers, etc.), while their counterparts in football, hockey, and basketball generally stay off the field, ice, and court, respectively, so it’s somewhat more appropriate for them to be in uniform. (This is a somewhat circular point, however, because the reason managers go onto the field of play is rooted in the fact that managers used to be players.)

    By way of comparison: The reason many early football coaches wore suits is that they owned the teams — they were businessmen, so they wore business attire. The most famous business-suited baseball manager, Connie Mack, was a team owner as well (although there have been plenty of other business-suited managers who were NOT owners, most recently Burt Shotton of the Dodgers in the 1940s).

    My hat comes off almost every time I go for a fly ball in my high school games. I like to keep it loose.

    [quote comment=”6906″]It’s great to hear that players swap jerseys in MLB, maybe even more interesting how Leinert and Urlacher did it – but I’ve always thought that it was a cool tradition in soccer. Maybe more players in other sports will pick up on it too.[/quote]

    Shirt swapping is really big in rowing. In fact, if you win the grand final of your race, you can expect all the other crews to literally give the shirts off their back. So if you win nationals or some large regatta, you can expect a big boost to your tshirt collection.

    Though with Title IX it’s gotten a bit complicated with the whole betting shirts deal (for women), but with mens rowing not being NCAA sanctioned, you see it fairly often, as it’s tradition, and rowing is alllll about tradition.

    [quote comment=”6919″]If that purple-team teaser is Holy Cross, we’re all going to be ticked![/quote]

    I bet you that it’s the Toronto Raptors… it’s been in the discussion boards here and on the news, radio and TV in Toronto they have been commenting that purple was to be “de-emphasized” from the uniform colours this coming season.

    During yesterday’s Mets game, Gary Cohen discussed Shawn Green’s capless antics on air. IIRC Gary stated that Shawn Green, anticipating that his cap will shrink because of sweat and whatnot, he wears caps that, at first, are one size too large. Furthermore Shawn said, by way of Cohen, that this hadn’t been a problem earlier in his career when he wore his hair shorter.

    Can someone tell me how on earth Oscar Gamble (circa 1970s) kept the hat on this ‘do?

    link

    Nice airbrush on the cap and pinstripes, Topps, by the way.

    any one else see Tony Kornhieser punk Joe Thiesman last night after the rain delay. and just to stay on topic i used to do the knock your hat off while you run down a fly ball or round the bases thing too growing up

    FWIW (not much, I know), but there were some posters actually discussing this last week. The WNBA team I work for has already seen designs for next year’s Adidas unis & according to someone has seen them, they are “hideous”. If I can somehow land some images, I’ll share.

    [quote comment=”6932″]FWIW (not much, I know), but there were some posters actually discussing this last week. The WNBA team I work for has already seen designs for next year’s Adidas unis & according to someone has seen them, they are “hideous”. If I can somehow land some images, I’ll share.[/quote]

    i’m guessing that you work for the team that was recently sold along with its nba counterpart by coffeeshop owner…
    thats the team i follow…

    and all this time i thought you were referring to the watermelon that manuel was hiding in his jersey…

    I laughed out loud at this one. Thanks.

    Paul-

    New Era Hats, unless waterproofed immediately after buying (or being handed to if you a player), will shrink between 1/8 to 1/4 of a size smaller. it usually takes a little while, maybe only a few games with all the sweating that major league baseball players do and how often they wear hats in comparision to people outside of baseball. since many players wear the same hat for most of the year, to have one that will fit the way you want it, you have to buy about a size to big than what you want and let it shrink. thats why shawn green’s hat keeps falling off.

    Hideki Matsui’s hat used to fly off all of the time in his first few years with the Yankees.

    My point about Managers not wearing the jersey is why wear half a uniform and a nylon shell shirt. It looks so sloppy. either wear a uniform, or wear street clothes. But dont make up your own uniform as you see fit- it’s called a UNIFORM for a reason. On a side note- I know we’ve covered this before, but Ken Macha wearing the Connie Mack inspired suit (complete with straw hat) for an A’s throwback game was great. I wish more people involved in throwback games put in that much effort.

    [quote comment=”6933″][quote comment=”6932″]FWIW (not much, I know), but there were some posters actually discussing this last week. The WNBA team I work for has already seen designs for next year’s Adidas unis & according to someone has seen them, they are “hideous”. If I can somehow land some images, I’ll share.[/quote]

    i’m guessing that you work for the team that was recently sold along with its nba counterpart by coffeeshop owner…
    thats the team i follow…[/quote]

    Not that team. :)

    Anyone recall seeing Paris Hilton wearing a Brian Urlacher Jersey during a 2003 football game? She was sitting in a sky box at Soldier Field. Shortly thereafter, rumors about the two hooking up in Las Vegas were everywhere. Wasn’t it Leinart who was “seeing” Hilton earlier this year? Looks like Leinart and Urlacher are into more than just trading jerseys.

    [quote comment=”6931″]any one else see Tony Kornhieser punk Joe Thiesman last night after the rain delay. and just to stay on topic i used to do the knock your hat off while you run down a fly ball or round the bases thing too growing up[/quote]

    I saw that and loved it.

    [quote comment=”6927″][quote comment=”6919″]If that purple-team teaser is Holy Cross, we’re all going to be ticked![/quote]

    I bet you that it’s the Toronto Raptors… it’s been in the discussion boards here and on the news, radio and TV in Toronto they have been commenting that purple was to be “de-emphasized” from the uniform colours this coming season.[/quote]

    I think it’s the Milwaukee Bucks, they dropped purple from their logo, it makes sense to do the same with their unis, plus we know they have new unis coming up…

    Completely off-topic, but every time they interview a Dallas Cowboy in their locker room, the Comic Sans nameplates drive me nuts.

    All the fonts in the world. They use THAT one.

    [quote comment=”6935″]Paul-

    New Era Hats, unless waterproofed immediately after buying (or being handed to if you a player), will shrink between 1/8 to 1/4 of a size smaller. it usually takes a little while, maybe only a few games with all the sweating that major league baseball players do and how often they wear hats in comparision to people outside of baseball. since many players wear the same hat for most of the year, to have one that will fit the way you want it, you have to buy about a size to big than what you want and let it shrink. thats why shawn green’s hat keeps falling off.[/quote]
    I remember an SI article about a young Doc Gooden having the equipment manager stretch his cap before his starts due to the imminent shrinkage. Doc was definitely a sweaty guy. I always remember him standing off the back of the mound wiping sweat and then licking his fingers between batters.

    Don’t forget about Gilbert Arenas throwing his jersey into the crowd after every game! He buys all of those jerseys to give away.

    [quote comment=”6939″][quote comment=”6933″][quote comment=”6932″]FWIW (not much, I know), but there were some posters actually discussing this last week. The WNBA team I work for has already seen designs for next year’s Adidas unis & according to someone has seen them, they are “hideous”. If I can somehow land some images, I’ll share.[/quote]

    i’m guessing that you work for the team that was recently sold along with its nba counterpart by coffeeshop owner…
    thats the team i follow…[/quote]

    Not that team. :)[/quote]

    darn! i thought i had my in!

    [quote comment=”6943″][quote comment=”6927″][quote comment=”6919″]If that purple-team teaser is Holy Cross, we’re all going to be ticked![/quote]

    I bet you that it’s the Toronto Raptors… it’s been in the discussion boards here and on the news, radio and TV in Toronto they have been commenting that purple was to be “de-emphasized” from the uniform colours this coming season.[/quote]

    I think it’s the Milwaukee Bucks, they dropped purple from their logo, it makes sense to do the same with their unis, plus we know they have new unis coming up…[/quote]

    Milwaukee’s the obvious choice, but it’s not exactly a secret since the team unveilied the new logo and color scheme.

    I think it’s Toronto. There have only been hints, and unofficial Myspace photos that show the purple is gone, or at least significantly minimized. Nothing has been officially released about the new color scheme, only secondary logos, so with it technically up in the air, this could be the official word on it.

    Then again, maybe it’s the Diamondbacks. Even though Colangelo loves purple, maybe this is the team that will be adding brick red to the color scheme next season, as the rumors seem to mention. Brick red and teal might seem a little more desert-like for a team named after a snake.

    And as far as the loose caps go, Johnny Damon was always losing his cap when he played for the Red Sox. All that hair was too much for the hat to control.

    Been meaning to mention this for a while and I’m not sure whether or not it’s been discussed here, but everyone on this board should read ‘Uniforms: Why We Are What We Wear,’ by Paul Fussell. While this book isn’t based on athletic uniforms, it does go into great detail with just about every other uniform out there and why they look the way they do. I highly recommend link. For those of you who are historians (esp WWII) this book is far different than his other publications–and no nearly as smarmy.

    a note on managers/coaches wearing unis… in the state of delaware ALL high school coaches and managers are required to wear full uniform to be allowed to step onto the field…

    also… dmitri “da meathook” young with the tigers flips his helmet off for every extra base hit in honor of “sarge”….

    Let me be clear, the jersey doesn’t look horrible, La Russa in it does…baggy long sleeves & turtleneck

    [quote comment=”6912″]I own two of the fleece’s, they are really great. The streach material makes it easier to swing a baseball bat when you wear during batting practice, its actually functional.[/quote]
    Ya I have one that I got from my baseball team and I warm up in it before every game in the early spring and fall. It really deeps you warm.

    My guess is that it’s the LA Kings. No idea, of course, but I could see them going back to the Gretzky black and white days

    thought you guys might be interesested in this link. My college buddy plays in the Penn League for Tri City and I was on the website checking out how he was doing (very well I might add, leading the league in wins and era) and I came across the news that the cats (astros) and the cyclones (mets) will be wearing 1986 throwbacks. There is a pitcure on the main page of the cats’ website that shows a picture of the unis.

    [quote comment=”6922″][quote comment=”6921″]Not that I feel they shouldn’t wear them, but there is no rule stating that a manager or coach has to wear a uniform. They could come in a tuxedo, if they wanted, or gym shorts and a t-shirt. It just happens that in baseball, for some reason (which I’m sure someone out there knows), they wear the uniform. Imagine Scotty Bowman behind a bench in a bright red jersey and hockey socks, or Pat Riley out there screaming in a tank top and high tops? I guess as long as he doesn’t wear link, we’re ok.[/quote]

    From the MLB rule book:

    3.15
    No person shall be allowed on the playing field during a game except players and coaches in uniform,[/quote]

    You left out the next word of that statement- “managers,”. Since they are very specific about noting it, you would think it would have said “managers in uniform”, especially since managers and coaches have a big distinction from one another in baseball, but it didn’t.

    [quote comment=”6904″]Going back to yesterday’s comments concerning Japan’s pitcher in the LLWS, here’s a picture of his hat:
    link

    Also, one of the players had a lot to say on his hat brim:
    link

    Now we just need a translation.[/quote]

    My co-worker is Japanese. He said that it translates to: “To Be World Champions”.

    What are the chances the purple team could be a certain baseball team rhyming with “Pockies”?

    [quote comment=”6930″]Can someone tell me how on earth Oscar Gamble (circa 1970s) kept the hat on this ‘do?

    link

    Nice airbrush on the cap and pinstripes, Topps, by the way.[/quote]
    I have that card, sweet isn’t? I also have the previous year ? Where he’s at bat as a Padre.
    Oscar had a Hillmanian fro’.

    [quote comment=”6938″]Ken Macha wearing the Connie Mack inspired suit (complete with straw hat) for an A’s throwback game was great.[/quote]

    Actually it was link, not Macha.

    Very amusing to observe the purple guessing game unfolding here. Just to clarify: Everyone here already knows about the Bucks and Raptors going purple-free, so don’t waste your time speculating about those two.

    [quote comment=”6964″]Has there been any rumor to the “pokies” changing color though?[/quote]

    A couple of message boards have it narrowed down (MLB wise) to the Rockies and DBacks, with arguements for and against each.

    -Rockies chose purple because of “Purple Mountains Majesty” in America the Beautiful.

    -Colangelo doesn’t want to change from Purple in Arizona.

    But perhaps the Kings in the NHL?

    Also… when are deadlines for changing team colors etc for the major sports… That the news is coming out now leads me to believe it would MLB rather than other sports due to the proximity of seasons of NHL and NBA.

    Speaking of managers who NEVER wear a jersey?…the # 1 offender is Mike Scioscia of the Angels….I honestly don’t think I’ve EVER seen him with his # 14 jersey on since he took over the job.

    Possibly next year’s Ravens? Move to a more black/ gold oriented getup?

    My guess is still with the Kings, however.

    Two things. It most definitely will be the Raptors jersey which was falsely tagged as a new one on “MoPetes Myspace” however, since then, it has been noted that the jerseys on his my space were old pictures with a new jersey doctored overtop of them. This however may be an attempt at getting things going since their star Bosh has been busy all summer. The jerseys do however show up in screen shots of the new NBA 2K7 video game, link

    Off colour joke of the day. These two both have been with Paris Hilton, jerseys arent the only thing they have traded.

    ive noticed that everytime an underarmour logo pops up its showed bc there lack of contracts with certain leagues…well i was looking and seen this photo of Conor Jackson wearing some UA cleats link

    [quote comment=”6971″]Two things. It most definitely will be the Raptors jersey which was falsely tagged as a new one on “MoPetes Myspace” however, since then, it has been noted that the jerseys on his my space were old pictures with a new jersey doctored overtop of them. This however may be an attempt at getting things going since their star Bosh has been busy all summer. The jerseys do however show up in screen shots of the new NBA 2K7 video game, link

    Off colour joke of the day. These two both have been with Paris Hilton, jerseys arent the only thing they have traded.[/quote]

    link

    link

    [quote comment=”6965″][quote comment=”6938″]Ken Macha wearing the Connie Mack inspired suit (complete with straw hat) for an A’s throwback game was great.[/quote]

    Actually it was link, not Macha.[/quote]

    Oh man, major brain fart there. I can’t believe I messed that one up. All mistakes aside, more players should put that effort into throwback games.

    [quote comment=”6971″]Two things. It most definitely will be the Raptors jersey which was falsely tagged as a new one on “MoPetes Myspace” however, since then, it has been noted that the jerseys on his my space were old pictures with a new jersey doctored overtop of them. This however may be an attempt at getting things going since their star Bosh has been busy all summer. The jerseys do however show up in screen shots of the new NBA 2K7 video game, link

    REAL 2K7 LINK ABOVE

    I know it’s not a major color in their jersey, but how about the Devil Rays getting rid of the purple completely?

    or

    NFL – Ravens? NBA – Jazz? Kings? Hornets? or could it be…..Lakers…naaaaaahhhhhhh

    [quote comment=”6970″]Possibly next year’s Ravens? Move to a more black/ gold oriented getup?

    My guess is still with the Kings, however.[/quote]

    The Kings are a good guess, since the Ducks are going to be sporting new uni’s and logo…I’d imagine the Kings might do something to change their look also. It’s bad enough that the Ducks outplay them lately…you can’t have them selling more jersey’s too.

    Nothing wrong with LaRussa with the long sleeves under his uni–better than Ozzie covering up his name/number with the fleece pullover. I’ve always called the windshirt pullovers that are especially common on AL managers “maternity shirts” because of the way they blouse over the[mostly portly] managers’ bellies. I believe there is a rule in college baseball that coaches who come out on the field cannot have on a jacket or any shirt that doesn’t have their uni number showing.

    Intersting thing I just read about the Boston Bruins who just started workouts.

    “In a gracious move, Hannu Toivonen gave up No. 33 to defenseman Zdeno Chara. No. 3, Chara’s number in Ottawa, is retired by the Bruins (Lionel Hitchman). The word is that Toivonen will take No. 54, which we’ll confirm tomorrow.

    No dough, dinner, or other incentives were included in the swap. Guess having Chara clearing bodies in front of his net is good enough for Toivonen.”

    Logo creep? Have a look at the giant reebok logo on linkAre the steelers going to be wearing these pants in the regular season? (they arent wearing them now) Or was this more work by the hacks at the SI photo shoot dept. link

    I just noticed this jersey for sale on the Steelers website.

    link

    I originally thought this was just a ploy to sell additional jerseys. However is it possible that the patch on the jersey will be worn versus Miami next week, similar to what the Patriots did when they hosted the Thursday night NFL kickoff game when they were Super Bowl Champs?

    This picture from the Steelers game against the Vikings two weeks ago shows a Reebok logo on the right pants leg, just not as defined as the one on the SI cover.

    link

    [quote comment=”6930″]Can someone tell me how on earth Oscar Gamble (circa 1970s) kept the hat on this ‘do?

    link

    Nice airbrush on the cap and pinstripes, Topps, by the way.[/quote]

    I’m guessing bobby pins … oh wait, that was a rhetorical question, wasn’t it? Damn. Oh well, I just wanted to post.

    When Kirk Gibson was with the Pirates at the beginning of 1992, his helmet would often come off on the basepaths. In fact, there was a game at Wrigley (April 25?) where Gibson’s helmet flew off while he was attempting to steal second, the batted ball hit the helmet, and Gibson was thrown out at third because the ball never left the infield.

    [quote comment=”6968″]Also… when are deadlines for changing team colors etc for the major sports… That the news is coming out now leads me to believe it would MLB rather than other sports due to the proximity of seasons of NHL and NBA.[/quote]

    The NFL’s deadline for team changes is Nov 1st or 15th I believe. If it is in fact the Ravens, that would be the 2nd team that has petitioned the league for a new uniform/color change in 2007. The other team is…..

    [quote comment=”6919″]If that purple-team teaser is Holy Cross, we’re all going to be ticked![/quote]

    The Crusaders do purple the right way.

    something totally off the subject:

    where do you think urban outfitters got this design link

    (hint: check out the Colorado Rockies NHL uniforms from 1976-77 thru 1981-82)

    [quote comment=”6930″]Can someone tell me how on earth Oscar Gamble (circa 1970s) kept the hat on this ‘do?

    link

    Nice airbrush on the cap and pinstripes, Topps, by the way.[/quote]

    I still love the look on those old airbrushed Topps cards. Bring back some good memories. The hats always looked as if they were velvet. Funny thing, as a kid you don’t really notice, but after looking more closely, it looks as if the artists went to Happy Hour first for a few hours, then went to work on the details of the caps and uniforms.

    [quote comment=”6958″][quote comment=”6922″][quote comment=”6921″]Not that I feel they shouldn’t wear them, but there is no rule stating that a manager or coach has to wear a uniform. They could come in a tuxedo, if they wanted, or gym shorts and a t-shirt. It just happens that in baseball, for some reason (which I’m sure someone out there knows), they wear the uniform. Imagine Scotty Bowman behind a bench in a bright red jersey and hockey socks, or Pat Riley out there screaming in a tank top and high tops? I guess as long as he doesn’t wear link, we’re ok.[/quote]

    From the MLB rule book:

    3.15
    No person shall be allowed on the playing field during a game except players and coaches in uniform,[/quote]

    You left out the next word of that statement- “managers,”. Since they are very specific about noting it, you would think it would have said “managers in uniform”, especially since managers and coaches have a big distinction from one another in baseball, but it didn’t.[/quote]

    Is it possible that “managers” means GM and assistant GM? After all the field manager is the head coach.

    [quote comment=”6995″]something totally off the subject:

    where do you think urban outfitters got this design link

    (hint: check out the Colorado Rockies NHL uniforms from 1976-77 thru 1981-82)[/quote]

    They probably got it link got it.

    From the jersey swap article:

    “Cabrera makes $472,000 and won’t get his first big money deal until next year… ‘This year I’m a little more secure and I can spend $100 for a jersey.'”

    Now that he’s making nearly a half million dollars a year, he can finally afford to pay half to a third of what the average fan pays in the shops… how ’bout that!

    two words link
    also i saw a cartman(south park character) kippah funny because he makes fun of jews,Its ok and i am sorry to any jewish people reading i live in a very small town 45% jewish, i saw those therma base fleeces at a stroe they are very nice i like how they got rid of the fleece on the out side and replaced them with those

    link

    I think Majestic added a tonal home plate graphic on the Therma Base fleece of the Cubs garment to remind hem to cross it once every 3 or 4 games…The Cubs.. Sucking for 98 years and going strong to 100… Hey anyone can have a bad century.

    T.

    [quote comment=”7006″]http://mlb.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pMLB2-3135067dt.jpg

    I think Majestic added a tonal home plate graphic on the Therma Base fleece of the Cubs garment to remind hem to cross it once every 3 or 4 games…The Cubs.. Sucking for 98 years and going strong to 100… Hey anyone can have a bad century.

    T.[/quote]

    i know he was being sarcastic

    I couldnt find a picture but i have that original fleece and it also has the home plate shaped area where the logo is

    Paul-

    Hot tip from the purple battlefield: It has come to my attention that a certain purple-clad team will be going purple-free next season. Can’t share any details just yet, but look for more news in this Thursday’s ESPN column.

    Ah, now we’re cooking Paul, (no more writing on the inside of the brim minutiae) … yeah, just imagine the possibilities of one less purple team brand.

    The Lakers going to royal blue, light blue and a touch of gold …now that’s a scoop and a great idea.

    The Suns going PHX crazy and moving to orange, charcoal grey and warm red…tantalizing. Hasta la vista purple…

    Or even the Rockies switchin’ it up and moving to another color
    scheme… although their balls are stuck in a humidor so not sure if their unis or their privates are purple?

    How about something as radical as the Northwestern Wildcats switching to their names to the Purple Haze? Oh it already happened… from 1972 to 1975…sweet!!!!!!

    link

    Oh this purple stuff is all so very leakalicious….

    T.

    1) Did I read that the Brownies were dropping the AL from the sleeves?

    2) I remember those HORRIBLE airbrush jobs. All velvety and smudgy. HA!

    Here’s some news on a new uni front: The UNCo Bears have changed uniforms, to something more traditional (they say), and a contract with New Balance. link (no back picture yet, but there are no names, by the by) replace link.
    Any thoughts?

    when did new balance start in on football? next thing you know all of Northern Colorado’s cleats are going to grey and extremely comfortable.

    [quote comment=”7013″]when did new balance start in on football? next thing you know all of Northern Colorado’s cleats are going to grey and extremely comfortable.[/quote]

    *shrug* Apparently Wyoming and Central Florida have the same deal, but I haven’t been able to find the N on their jerseys…

    [quote comment=”7011″]Here’s some news on a new uni front: The UNCo Bears have changed uniforms, to something more traditional (they say), and a contract with New Balance. link (no back picture yet, but there are no names, by the by) replace link.
    Any thoughts?[/quote]

    Total and complete downgrade. Te lettering on the front is awful. Seemed fine the way there were.

    Managers not wearing jerseys annoys me for some reason…Wedge just started doing it recently…Trying to be trendy, i guess.

    Nice airbrush on the cap and pinstripes, Topps, by the way.

    I remember opening a pack of cards as a 12 year-old kid, seeing that “quality airbrush job” on the Gamble card and laughing so hard that I spit out my wad of bubble gum (accumulated from the previous 6 packs bounty) right into my friend Byrdie’s lap. Good times. I seem to remember his batting helmet falling off every other swing, however.

    Todd Krevanchi mentioned that Kenny Lofton’s hat often popped off and he’s right. He was notorious for it in Cleveland to the point that everyone in town KNEW that he wore his hat several sizes too large (not small) for maximum blow off-age. My father and brother and I used to guess during the first inning when we would see him pick it up off the ground for the first time that game. After all, it was only a matter of time…

    I Hear the Dbacks were dropping purple. Everyone is saying olangelo wouldnt let it happen but he doesnt havve much of a say becasue he doesnt own them anymore

    Since we’ve been treated to some sweet vintage pics, I thought I’d pass along collections from the Library of Congress. I use some of these in my history classes to introduce the idea that history isn’t just a bunch of facts in a book, but anything my students like has a history!
    link
    link
    link

    To follow up on my previous post, I just wanted to add that there are a huge number of pictures from vintage sports available through the LoC in other areas through keyword searches. It’s a great source of information.

    I hadn’t ever noticed, as I hadn’t previously paid much attention to him, but now that Preston Wilson is spending his days and nights in various positions in the Cardinals’ outfield I’ve noticed a tendency for his hat to grow wings in the midst of a big play. I think it’s got a lot to do with that beanie that he’s wearing now, though I haven’t noticed it happening to another recently acquired, beanie-topped Redbird, Ronnie Belliard.

    The way I figure it, if a pro ball player wants a hat that fits, he orders it. It stays on his head because it’s the right size. If the hat’s flying off, it’s not an accident. I heard mention of Willie Mays on this board and that’s what it all comes back to. You see “The Catch” and, yeah, the glove work is the feature – but the flying hat is as much a part of the drama as the spin and fall after the throw. It’s a valid way to make something great look even greater and some of today’s players didn’t miss the point.

Comments are closed.