Things are looking patchy for the Yanks in ’09

by 52 Comments

Manny rejects Dodgers again for the fourth time
Mo's cutter the eighth wonder of the world

When I have friends over and they peak inside my room, they’re always surprised by the number of Yankee hats I have. As you can see above — or here in a larger size — I have a hat for every occasion.

Since 1996, when MLB started the whole patch/marketing push, I’ve snapped up just about every non-Opening Day or All Star Game Yankee hat. I have World Series patches from 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. I have the 100th season hat from 2003, the flag patch hat from 2001, and the All Star Game patch from last season.

stadiumpatchlarge So when the Yankees announced new stadium sleeve patch, the collector in me got a bit excited. When I saw the new patch — at left, click to enlarge — I grew even more intrigued.

These new hats, you see, are something new from the marketing guys at Major League Baseball. Instead of sticking the patch on the left side of the hat, the patch is incorporated into the MLB logo and is on the back of the hat. The new commemorative logo is subtle and classy. It incorporates the Yankee Stadium frieze, the year and the MLB silhouetted batter. Plus, this guy looks pretty good in it. Who am I to complain?

The new hats go on sale on March 1. Admittedly, I’m a sucker for new hats, and I’ll have mine by Opening Day. Will you?

Manny rejects Dodgers again for the fourth time
Mo's cutter the eighth wonder of the world
  • Victoria

    Let’s be real, Jeter will look good in any hat you stick on his head.

    • John
      • Joey

        Yes. Yes he would.

        • Mike Pop
          • Clayton

            It’s funny. It’s funny because it’s ah, bigger than, ah…you know, a normal hat.

            • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

              Maybe I should change my name to tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Turd Ferguson.

              • Joey

                DO IT!

    • Expired Milk

      Completely average face so no

  • pat

    Lohuddians are brilliant-

    dave February 27th, 2009 at 12:08 am

    The bottom one with the logo in back isnt bad but the top one is ugly IMO.
    ———————————-
    JF February 27th, 2009 at 12:14 am

    What the heck does 59FIFTY even mean?
    ———————————
    They of course referring to the removable sticker on the brim of every new era hat.

  • John

    ben, you have some dust on your floor…

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.

      I am not at all surprised to hear that.

  • Jake H

    Man you have a lot of hats. I have 2 hats, 1 that is sweat stained and dirty that I do work in and a good hat that I wear during games.

    • Marsha

      You don’t know the half of it. Those are Ben’s Yankee hats. Ask him to take a picture of the rest of his baseball hat collection.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.

        Those are actually not even all of my Yankee hats. I have about four others that have no patches that didn’t make this photo.

  • WhizzoTheWize

    Hats for bats, keep bats warm.

    • jsbrendog

      haha. nice

  • bob

    my girlfriend and i saw the hat on lohud last night and we both thought it looks disgusting. i know the collector in you is excited, but there is nothing classier on the baseball field than the NY w/ the simple, tiny mlb logo on the back. that patch is just ridic. how many people are watching the game and saying “OH! its the first season at this stadium, really? its a stupid & ugly marketing scheme for the yankees

    • Yank Crank 20

      I’ll respectfully disagree bob. It’s a patch, on the back of the hat, and when you put it against the disgusting army of merchandising that the Sox have done with their new jerseys and hats, this is rather mild and tame. I like the patch, and I dig the fact it’s on the back and incorporated with the MLB logo. I’ll be buying one.

      • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

        I agree with bob. I think it’s way too big and garish. I love the clean, uncluttered look the Yankees rock from head to toe. This seems out of place.

        Then again, you are talking to the guy who rocked the white version of this hat for a couple of years back in 03-05:

        http://www.hathype.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spike-lee1.jpeg

        • Mattingly’s Love Child

          Good god, really? That’s pretty horrendous. Though I do like the idea of wearing that to Fenway, just to remind them of their place….

          • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

            The one I had (which I can’t find an online picture of) was a white hat with 26 round baseballs with the years on them, rather than triangular pennants. It looked a little less gauche, but yeah, it’s still quite over the top.

            They’re designed by Spike Lee, FWIW.

            I haven’t worn it in years (but that’s mainly because I barely wear hats at all anymore.)

  • Mike Pop

    I’m not a huge fan of the patch but I guess it’s okay. I can’t complain about it too much because at least we don’t have to see this patch every day.

    http://vjortiz.com/blog/MetsPatch.jpg

  • Jay CT

    I think your collection is fricken awesome. What a cool idea

  • monkeypants

    “I’ll have mine by Opening Day. Will you?”

    No.

    • Yank Crank 20

      I’ll have mine on March 1

  • Matt ’09

    I love it. Side patches always made the hats look ‘uneven’….this is much better.

  • http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt

    I have had one Yankee hat since 1999. I got it in the series vs. the Marlins and I’ve had it ever since. Most of the inside is torn up, right next to the “button” on the top is a rip that my hair will stick through if it’s too long, and the bring has a gash in it all the way across its middle. In my mind, I’m saying “New stadium…new hat” but in my heart, I can’t give this one up and I feel bad when I even try new Yankee hats on.

    • jsbrendog

      i have the same hat from 96 world championship. as soon as they won it i retired my previous hates from the dark years and wore that thing every day for at least a year. it is so grimy it is a dark brown now and started out as clear crisp white. i still wear it occassionaly but it smells awful even after many consecutive washings. now its just a nostalgia piece. i do need a new one. perhaps this one would be a good purchase.

      I SURE AS HELL won’t be buying a red hat with a yellow ny or any of that crap.

  • hate the patch

    No the patch is terrible…I like the design but hate the placement…it would look a lot better on the side…I was hoping there would be an uproar and we could get it replaced…no such luck I guess

    • Mike Pop

      New stadium, new beginnings.

  • yankeefan91 Arod fan

    whoever wants to watch live batting practice of the twins and yanks here the link and at 11 sumtin the yanks have batting practive and peter abraham is going to join i heard

    http://www.news-press.com/article/20090227/SPORTS02/90227016/1075

  • Expired Milk

    Wtf is wrong with the patch being on the side?It worked all this time.

    • jsbrendog

      ive never likd the patch on the side and never willingly bought a hat with one.

  • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.

    I usually throw mine out once they’re too old and worn and sweat stained. My SWB Yanks hat has show a plus-plus resiliency tool, I’ve had it since about June.

    I am jealous though, I wish I had all those hats.

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      My SWB Yanks hat has show a plus-plus resiliency tool…

      So, it’s the opposite of Alan Horne, is what you’re saying.

    • jsbrendog

      i have a red SI yanks hat i havent worn yet. i shuold bust that out. but it sucks cause its got the fabric one size fits all adjustor in the back with the metal clasp, i dont like those

  • GG

    Best WS Patch:’98
    Worst WS Patch:’99

    • GG

      Looking at the hats, they were all fine except 99 just looked like an uglier ’96 patch

  • Pingback: Patch…Add-em? «

  • steve (different one)

    i can’t fathom how anyone is upset about this.

    who gives a crap? don’t like it? don’t buy it.

    it will go away in a year.

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      CASHMAN WTF IS THE STUPD PATCH ON BACK OF HAT FOR U SUXOR!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!ELEVEN!!!!

      • jsbrendog

        we also would’ve accepted “eleventy”

  • Mattingly’s Love Child

    July+DayGames+Bleachers= Death to all of my good Yankee hats. I think I’ll buy one of the new ones, what the heck. The new ballpark only opens once (which is exactly the reasoning for them adding a patch to the hat).

    If they sell enough hats, maybe they could afford to add Manny to a one year deal! LOL

  • Tom Zig

    How come this article doesn’t get tagged as “Better than the Mets”?

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