Cap facts & stats

Question 1

In what year did the Brooklyn Excelsiors wear an early precursor to the modern baseball cap?

Accepted Answer

1860. That early cap already had the long peak that defines baseball caps today.

Question 2

In what year did a baseball team, the Boston Braves, first put lettering on their caps?

Accepted Answer

1894. Team monograms on caps eventually became standard across all of baseball.

Question 3

In what year did the Detroit Tigers become the first major league team with a cap mascot logo?

Accepted Answer

1901. The Tigers put a red tiger on their cap, an early example of cap-based team branding.

Question 4

In what year did New Era begin selling baseball caps to fans, not just to athletes?

Accepted Answer

1980. This shift turned the baseball cap into an everyday fashion item well beyond the ballpark.

Question 5

In what decade did the distressed, unstructured 'dad hat' style of cap originate?

Accepted Answer

1990s. The relaxed 'dad hat' look started as a distressed take on the classic structured cap.

Question 6

In what decade did 'dad hats' reach mainstream, celebrity-driven popularity?

Accepted Answer

2010s. What started as a niche throwback style eventually became a mainstream fashion trend.

The basics