1935 New York Black Yankees Caps at Starling

Cooperstown Ball Cap Co. has been making replicas of historic baseball caps for twenty-three years, and only recently went under due to "commercial, financial and legal difficulties; and the complexity of sewing one-of-a-kind caps in the U.S." They've still filled spring orders though, and the online store Starling in Japan has three models of the 1935 New York Black Yankees model.

From 1933 through 1948, a time when there was still racial segregation, the New York Black Yankees were a professional baseball team founded in Harlem and based in New York City, Paterson, NJ, and Rochester, NY. In their heyday, they played in the Negro National League, and on July 13, 1935, Elmer McDuffy pitched an 8-0 no-hitter at Hinchliffe Stadium against the Israelite House of David team. According to the Paterson Evening News, it was “the first time such a feat had ever been turned in by the Negro club in this territory.”

Ball caps aren't for everyone, and shouldn't ever be worn indoors (unless you're at an indoor batting cage or stadium). But these fitted caps in melton wool are a great casual way to stave off the sun, keep your mop top from blowing around in the wind, or if you lack hair, to keep your head warm in cooler months. If you need a proxy, contact Sharp Service.

Legendary pitcher, Satchel Paige

 "The best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced" - Joe DiMaggio

The 1942 New York Black Yankees