By: MiLB.com staff
Whether you’re at Disneyland in Southern California or a grocery story in New York City, Minor League Baseball hats are everywhere. With 160 teams, countless defunct clubs and new specialty nights popping up each month, fans have more options to choose from than ever.
In honor of National Hat Day, members of the MiLB.com staff decided to share some of our most-cherished chapeaus. Did your favorite make the list?
Kannapolis Intimidators
Anthropomorphism runs rampant in Minor League Baseball; however, rarely do letters come to life. But they do in Kannapolis as the South Atlantic League Intimidators sport a hat that features an instantly iconic “K.” This crazed consonant, a hard sound for hard times, has eyes that gleam with murderous intent. It resembles no known living creature (although some have remarked that it resembles a high-heel shoe). The clawed hand of the “K,” emerging from parts unknown, grips a baseball and is clearly ready to record a “K” of its own. A Kannapolis cap is not for everyone — it’s for iconoclasts, contrarians and those audacious enough to venture beyond the limits of comprehension. — Ben Hill, reporter
Hawaii Islanders
As Minor League caps go, it veers toward the traditional side, but the yellow “H” emblazoned on a red crown is steeped in baseball history. The Hawaii Islanders joined the Pacific Coast League in 1961 and stayed there for the next 27 years before moving to Colorado Springs in 1988. As a native of Oahu, Hawaii, I went to my share of Islanders games at Aloha Stadium in the 1980s, which helped cement my love for baseball. I was fortunate enough to watch several future Major Leaguers, too, including a pair you may have heard of — Tony Gwynn and Barry Bonds. — Michael Avallone, reporter
Rocky Mountain Vibes
I’m all about good vibes. So when Colorado Springs rebranded to the Rocky Mountain Vibes and unleashed that fire logo (literally), I was immediately all about it. That marshmallow is strolling toward chill town, and I’d very much like to get there one day as well. Mr. Marshmallow sports a sweet set of shades in the club, another sign of a good time and no worries. And if I’m wearing a hat, that’s exactly what I’m going for. — Chris Bumbaca, reporter
Greenbow Biscuits
I’m more of a sucker for Forrest Gump than Bear Bryant in need of a kick returner. I’m also a sucker for all things involving old-timey diners. So when the Montgomery Biscuits announced they would be the Greenbow Biscuits (named for Gump’s fictional hometown in the book and film), my interest was more piqued than Bubba’s in shrimp. I was not disappointed.
The Biscuits already have a fun logo, but I’m all in on this “fauxback” look out of the Big Boy School of Design that takes a tremendously flaky and happy biscuit and puts it on the body of a slugger. Tell me that didn’t flash in neon on Main Street in Greenbow, inviting you to enjoy the tallest stack of flapjacks and thickest cut of bacon this side of Tuscaloosa. The one I purchased is of the trucker variety, one you can imagine was worn by Elvis or Lieutenant Dan. Sure, it’s nostalgic for an age that didn’t technically exist in our universe, but it’s a special pang of nostalgia all the same. — Sam Dykstra, reporter
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
I prefer a classic look when it comes to baseball caps, so I considered ones like Iowa, St. Lucie and Salem. It’s hard to top the angry bacon cap, though, that Lehigh Valley created in the wake of its 2014 shift toward a cured pork look. Do I think it’s weird that the IronPigs are essentially celebrating a cooked, defeated version of its mascot? Yes. It’s undeniably odd to have a hog mascot and assume he’s cool with bacon. But the hat itself has a great design — the bacon’s clenched fists, angry stare and fighting stance pop — and complements a classic all-blue look. It’s original and unique. — Danny Wild, graphics designer
Durham Bulls
The Minors’ most famous team features colors — blue and orange — and a logo that are classic, but not dated. In a logo landscape dominated by cute animals with fierce smirks, the snorting Bull honors a legacy stretching back over a century and looks good doing it. What cap better represents its team, its city and the immortal phrase, “Hit Bull Win Steak”? — John Parker, editor
San Francisco Seals
I love the hats of several current teams (hello, Portland Sea Dogs, Montgomery Biscuits, Albuquerque Isotopes, Everett AquaSox and Birmingham Barons), but the look and feel of this 1949 San Francisco Seals cap calls to mind the stories and legends of the pre-MLB expansion Pacific Coast League, when the open-classification circuit was both the height of baseball on the West Coast and a league in which teenagers developed into star players in their own hometowns (such as Ted Williams with the Padres and Joe DiMaggio with the Seals). Plus, who doesn’t love San Francisco — especially the markedly more affordable San Francisco of the mid-20th century? — Josh Jackson, features editor
Lake Elsinore Storm
My favorite Minor League hat is the Lake Elsinore Storm eyes. Aside from being one of the coolest-looking logos across the Minors, it represents my introduction to MiLB. My first job out of college was writing sports for a newspaper in San Diego, and I was sent to Lake Elsinore to cover a rehab start by Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson. It was my first time in a Minor League ballpark and the first time I watched a Minor League game. I really enjoyed it and got the chance to return to Lake Elsinore a few more times that year. I’ve been hooked on the Minors since! — Rob Terranova, reporter
Casper Ghosts and Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Long live the Ghosts. For my money, Casper had the best logo, name and uniforms in the Minor Leagues — one that only lasted four seasons before the team decamped for Grand Junction, where it dropped the identity in favor of its parent club’s. In Brandiose’s early days (then known as Plan B Branding), Casper’s cap logo glowed into the dark and was one of the company’s early forays into the outlandish. As for active teams, not much gives me more anxiety than having to pick just one favorite, so I took the easy way out and took the first team I worked for in the Minors. Myrtle Beach’s look is contemporary, yet classic. — Tyler Maun, reporter
Montgomery Biscuits
There were a couple of choices I had in mind, but when it comes to my favorite hat, this felt like an obvious choice. The smiling biscuit (with a pat of butter as its tongue) hiding behind the M just feels so perfect to me and will always be a great reminder of breakfast food. For a hat to make me think of the best meal of the day, that’s a true win. It’s a fun design without trying too hard, which is all you can really ask for. Bonus, the blue-and-gold color combination is always a plus in my book and reminds me of my high-school days. — Andrew Battifarano, reporter
Staten Island Cannolis
When I told my wife I was asked to pick my favorite MiLB hat she replied, “How are you possibly going to do that?” I have 50+ MiLB hats in my closet and there was a good reason for each purchase; this was a tough task. I only wear on-field player caps and lean toward the teams that I have visited or the clever special occasion caps like the San Jose Churros, Wisconsin Brats and the Hartford Whirlybirds. OK, after lots of lost sleep, I’m going to say that the Staten Island Cannolis is my favorite MiLB hat. The friendly-faced cannoli with a wisp of cannoli cream hair locked in the Babe Ruth called shot position is so entertaining to me. In addition to using a New York Yankees navy blue cap, their Class A Short Season affiliate also incorporated an Italian flag colored Yankees top hat. It’s perfectly ridiculous. — Brian Bednarski, product designer
Charlotte Pitmasters
If there’s one thing folks from the Carolinas can agree on, it’s that we love our barbecue, and this specialty Charlotte Knights cap is the perfect one to wear when enjoying the work of our legendary pit masters — pulled pork, smoked brisket and saucy ribs — who spend hours making sure everything is “fall off the bone”-delicious. The menacing pulled pork sandwich, obviously a grizzled veteran of the competitive barbecue circuit (thanks to his slaw “hair”), is literally sending all the other BBQ styles — Texas, Memphis, Kansas City — home in defeat. — Nathan Blackmon, club relations
Brooklyn Cyclones
I appreciate a unique MiLB logo as much as the next baseball fan, but sometimes traditional is the way to go. I’ve always liked when a team uses their parent club font in their own way (i.e., the Salem Red Sox or Kingsport Mets). The perfect marriage of traditional and unique in my mind is the Brooklyn Cyclones logo. The Cyclones knew how important it was to pay homage to the Brooklyn Dodgers while giving it a twist with the colors and interlocking “C.” As someone who cherishes the traditional and values a local spin, the Brooklyn Cyclones hat is as good as it gets for me. — Kelsie Heneghan, social media manager
Lynchburg Hillcats
The choice came down to several finalists, but in the end this Lynchburg Hillcats cap was too good to pass up. Not only is it the logo of a widely recognized predator, which is always a plus when it comes to sports mascots, but the hat also combines several hues of my two favorite colors — blue and green. The bobcat looks quite aggressive, as you’d expect from such a creature, and that only adds to the appeal of this particular hat design. — Chris Tripodi, club producer
Lowell Spinners
The Lowell mascot pays homage to the textile mills that helped build the city, but the team gave itself an alternate identity through this awesome visual representation. I’m personally fascinated by and terrified of alligators. They’re basically just dinosaurs that can outrun most humans, climb trees and fences, wield their tails like a hammer and bite down with more than 2,000 pounds of force. The gator doesn’t get far beyond Tim Tebow’s alma mater for sports logos, but Lowell’s image is mean-looking and smug at the same time — an awesome portrayal of one of nature’s most fearsome predators. — Gerard Gilberto, reporter
Staff picks: Favorite Minor League hats was originally published in MiLB.com’s PROSPECTive Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.