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Father’s Day Open Thread

father's day

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

I was torn between a full post and an “Open Thread” today. Instead, there will no main article today, although I will have some things below. Take a few minutes to reflect upon things today. The floor is yours. Anything you want to say is fine. Lots of baseball today. The final round Whatever golf they can get in at the US Open is today. Wimbledon starts tomorrow. There was a Civil Rights Game last night (more on that below), complete with 1964 throwbacks. Talk about all those or perhaps just say a word or two about your dads.

I’m lucky enough to be spending a majority of the day with mine. He’s still not in the best of health (although better than he was doing when Paul offered me the Bench Coach duties — back then he was in the middle of a three month hospital stay, a portion of which he spent in a coma). We won’t be having a catch, going fishing or even playing a round of golf, but we will be together. And for that, I’m eternally thankful.

Everybody have a good day.

Peace

— Phil

~~~~~~~~~~

First up today is West Coast Correspondent Brinke Guthrie, my doubles partner, who has a quick update on Wimbledon.

The Big W starts Monday, and as always style is on centre (the correct way to spell it) court, along with the defending champion who always kicks things off. Wait, he’s MIA.

Fed will be regal cool in white and gold. Looks a little like 007 here, though. Adidas presents their usual crisp, clean look for the grass courts, and bonus points if you recognize the groundskeeper before they flash his name badge. These ladies were hanging out with royalty, while plugging Polo. Um…not sure if this is Maria’s new Nike look. Maybe this? Either way, London weather is always very iffy, so now they’ve got a roof. Batter up!

Thanks Brinke.

~~~~~~~~~~

Guess The Game From The Scoreboard: Today’s entry should be fairly easy. Even if you can’t really read the scoreboard. Here it is.

~~~~~~~~~~

Continuing in the UW uni-tracking phenemonon, we are joined today by Ben Teaford, who has been tracking his “beloved” Cleveland Indians and Brian Heise, both of whom contacted me regarding the tracking (or lackthereof) of the Indians thus far. We begin with Ben:

I thoroughly enjoyed the uni tracking piece that ran at the end of last month. So much that I decided I absolutely needed to be part of the fun. Plus, with my virtual cellar dweller Indians putting a damper on my summer, I figured doing this would be a good way to stay interested in what could very well be an extremely long season. I went back through the first two months of the season and got caught back up and now Phil has allowed me to post my results.

I think though that I may have gotten a bit carried away with this whole thing. I decided that simply tracking wins and losses in the different uni combos wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to go the next step to track the performance of the team in their various uniforms. So I’ve also been compiling the batting average and ERA of the team in each of their uniforms this season. I know it may sound nuts, but seriously, this has been an awful season for the Tribe.

The Indians have five different combinations of uniforms, but because of Jackie Robinson Day and Memorial Day they have worn 7 different uniforms so far this season. At home, the Indians have three different uniform choices. First, there is the traditional home white uniforms which they wear with the red brimmed Chief Wahoo hat. Second, is the alternate blue uniform top with the white pants and the red brimmed Chief Wahoo hat. Third is their Saturday, Sunday, and holiday uniform, the quasi-throwback cream uniform with the blue hat with a red “C”. On the road they have the option of the traditional gray uniform with the blue brimmed Wahoo hat or they can wear the blue uniform top with the gray pants and the cursive “I” hat. I’m not sure exactly how they decide which uniform to wear on a given day (with the exception the of cream alternate), but it does seem that it is up to the starting pitcher that day, because there definitely seems to be a pattern with certain starters, but I’ll get to that later.

Through the end of May, the Indians were 22-30, good enough for last place in the AL Central Division. As a team they were batting .271 with an ERA of 5.38. When they wore the home whites with the red brimmed Wahoo hat they were 5-6, hitting .235 with an ERA of 2.70. In the blue alternate with the red brimmed Wahoo hat and the white pants, they were 3-1, hitting .269 with an ERA of 5.50. In the cream alternate with the blue “C” hat, they were 3-6 while hitting .255 with an ERA of 5.56. And in their one game wearing the cream alternates with the red stars and stripes hat, they were 1-0, hitting .316 with an ERA of 10.00.

On the road the Indians were 4-11 in their road grays with the blue brimmed Wahoo hat, hitting .269 with an ERA of 6.31. In the blue alternate with the cursive “I” hat and gray pants they went 5-6, hitting .310 with an ERA of 6.47. And in their one matchup sporting the road grays and the #42 on the back they were 1-0 hitting .303 with an ERA of 4.00.

I said earlier that I wasn’t sure how they decide which uniform to wear on a given night, but the reason I’ve guessed that the starting pitchers decide is because there is somewhat of a pattern amongst certain starters. The staff ace, Cliff Lee is clearly a traditionalist. He only wears the traditional home whites (5 starts) and road grays (5 starts), although he did wear the cream alternate once though by requirement.

Fausto Carmona appears to prefer the blue alternates, but only on the road. He wore the blue road alternate in 5 of his 6 road starts (the only time he wore the road grays was in the second game of the season, so maybe they asked him to wear those just because it was the beginning of the season). At home he likes the whites (worn in 2 of his 4 home starts) and wore the cream alternates when forced (once on Memorial Day, so he wore the Stars & Stripes cap).

Carl Pavano is one of two starters to wear all five uni combos. He started the season slowly (9.50 ERA), wearing the blue road alternate in three of his four starts with the other one being the cream alternate. In May though, Pavano switched to a more traditional get-up making four starts in the road grays and one in each of the three home unis. In May he was 5-1 with a 3.60 ERA. Coincidence? Obviously not.

Anthony Reyes was the other starter to wear all five uni combos in April and May. He had seemingly no pattern as he would wear the same uniform after he had lost the game previously while wearing it and he would change unis after a win. He wore the home whites and the blue home alternate once each. He sported the other three combos two times each. The worst part is I’ll never know why he chose certain uniforms over others because he’s out for the year (and possibly longer), so there won’t be any more starts to help me find a pattern.

The remainder of the revolving door Indians rotation didn’t pitch enough to get any kind of pattern. Scott Lewis only made on start this year and it was in the home opener so he was forced to wear the cream alternate. Zach Jackson also only made one start and he wore the home whites. Jeremy Sowers started two games wearing the blue alternate at home and the grays on the road. Aaron Laffey had four starts wearing the blue alternate and the cream alternate at home and the grays twice on the road (once was on Jackie Robinson Day).

I can’t say that I would prefer the Indians only wear the white and grays or that they should wear the blues more often (they do have a much better record in blues though at 8-7). What I can say though is that is long since time for them to bring back the red undershirts and socks. In 2002 they decided to change the red piping to blue (they were already doing this on the road unis, where they always wore blue socks and undershirts. The blue unis still have white piping, but they just looked so damn sharp with red socks and undershirts). Before the switch the team was 718-509 and won 6 division titles and made 2 appearances in the World Series. Since the switch in 2002 they are 570-564 (not including this season, which will surely knock them below .500) and they’ve won just one division title and made no appearances in the World Series. Obviously the piping and sock change is why. Also they hired Eric Wedge in 2002, so it could be that as well. I suppose I shouldn’t complain that much though. At least they’re not wearing these anymore.

Thanks for that very concise write up, Ben. Except for the sleeve patch, maybe the Indians should return to this uniform? They won their last World Series in that one. Next up is Brian:

I realized no one had decided to track the Tribe’s uniform statistics for this season yet so I figured I’d take some initiative and do it myself. Plus I’m currently unemployed so I had plenty of time on my hands. In the two hours or so it took to put this together, this is what I’ve gathered so far from the Indians uniform combinations this year.

The Indians have worn the traditional home whites with red script Indians across the chest 16 times. In these games they are 7-9. with a run differential of 65 scored and 68 allowed.

The Road Gray’s with red script Cleveland have been worn 21 times, the most of any combination. In these games the Indians are 7-14 with a run differential of 107 scored and 115 allowed.

The alternate weekend and special event cream colored uni’s with block C hat have been worn 10 times resulting in a record of 4-6 with a run differential of 40 scored and 54 allowed.

The alternate Blue jerseys with red script Indians have been worn a total of 18 times with a record of 10 and 8. This is the only jersey the Indians have worn this year with any regularity that’s resulted in an above .500 record. They have scored a total of 126 runs and allowed only 110 runs. Its the only regular uniform with a positive run differential. However this Jersey is also worn both at home and on the road. At home with the blue chief wahoo cap and red brim they are 4-2 scoring 39 runs and giving up only 34. On the road this jersey is paired with the solid blue road cap with script I. This combo has a record of 6-6 with a run differential of 87 scored and 76 allowed.

The 2 special combos the indians have worn this year were the red memorial day caps with the cream home alternates and last saturday when they wore the 1980’s throwbacks. In these 2 games they are 1-1 and have scored 12 runs and given up 10.

A few things I gathered from this rough data are that the Indians are not very good regardless of what they are wearing. The overall run differential for the season is -7. This data shows that the Indians hit and pitch just about equal regardless of uniform. However, it does appear that they perform slightly better when wearing the blue alternates both at home and on the road. Last, I’m not sure how the jerseys for the day are decided. I know the cream alternates are reserved for weekends and holidays, but from what I can see it appears that the pitchers choose the jerseys. The evidence for this is Fausto Carmona has predominantly worn the blue jersey during games he has started. Cliff Lee seems to avoid wearing the blue alternate, he has worn it once all year. Carl Pavano appears to wear the blue jersey strictly on the road and never at home. These are simply observations I made that support the idea the pitchers are selecting the combinations, but I’m sure someone could interpret it differently from me. All of my data can be found in this Excel spread sheet.

Thanks gentlemen. That’s about all we need to know about the Indians. You guys really took it to the extreme, but hey, isn’t that what Uni Tracking is all about?

~~~~~~~~~~

The 2009 Civil Rights Game was played last night in Cincinnati, an interleague matchup between the Reds and the Chicago White Sox. An all weekend affair, there was a pregame ceremony, at which Hank Aaron, Muhammed Ali & Bill Cosby received “MLB Beacon” Awards. Bud presented Hank Aaron with the Beacon Award. Here’s a photo of Hank wearing the award around his neck along with Dusty Baker & Dusty’s son. Cincinnati Red great Frank Robinson threw out the first pitch. More on the Civil Rights Game can be found here.

Both teams were adorned with 1964 throwback uniforms. The Reds attempted to recreate this look (home) while the White Sox went with the powder blues for their part.

The Reds for the most part looked pretty good, and were fairly faithful to the 1964 team’s look. Of course, baggy pants and modern day cleats kind of ruined that. A few players opted for the high socks. With seemingly properly-cuffed period pants, some looked really good. While not every ballplayer wore a hardcap helmet in 1964, neither team went with special headgear for the game. Of course, uniform malfunctions (such as ripped pants) reveal the teams did not go with period-appropriate undergarments. Both teams featured a huge Civil Rights Game patch on the rear collar for the game, and the Reds vests sleeveless jerseys (which appeared to have thicker stripes around the armpits than the originals — one of several faux pas anachronisms — love the modern catchers gear with a throwback cap, and the non-matching color of the Sox’ current helmets) had NOB’s below the numbers (which was true to 1964). Also true to the spirit of the 1964 season were the ice cream caps which the Reds wore for the contest.

The Sox likewise had several players sporting the pajama pants look. It’s kind of hard to see in this picture, but Sox players’ had two white strips surrounding a navy blue stripe down each pant leg. (Here is a better view) The Sox also sported navy blue caps and a large block-style “CHICAGO” across their chests. One player, DJ Carrasco went unusually (and “period inappropriately”) high stirruped (screen grab courtesy of JTH). The Sox also sported TV numbers. Wouldn’t this have looked better with proper stirrups and sock stripes?

Also, late last evening reader Michael Emody offered a pretty outstanding write up of his take on the game (scroll down to post #53 if it doesn’t automatically jump to it). Better take on the game that you’ll probably read in any newspaper or online this morning. Great stuff, Michael.

~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that’s all for today. A lot longer than I had anticipated, but I wanted to put in some of the stuff that was time sensitive or I promised people I would get posted. Sorry if it was too much, but in light of the fact there was no main article, I guess there was plenty. Everyone have a safe and reflective day today. If you’re fortunate enough like I am to be able to spend today with your pop, that’s great. If you’re not, give him a call or say a prayer in his memory. The floor is yours. Have a good first day of summer. — Phil

 
  
 
Comments (76)

    Happy Father’s Day!

    Toronto’s link are such a hit that the Yankees have offered to put them up in the best seats in the house during the Jays’ July 3-5 series in the new Yankee Stadium. That is, according to link about the gents at Nationals Park.

    Weird, hmm?

    – jude

    A couple from yesterday:
    1) I stumbled across another “happy logo”: The link.

    2)[quote comment=”336061″]Here’s a picture of Bruce Dickinson that also illustrates the point.

    link
    [/quote]
    That’s Chris Dickerson.

    link. The Judges would also have accepted link.

    3) Apparently I don’t know my left from my right.

    Yeah, not being able to see the scoreboard clearly is a problem, but I think we’re looking at this game:

    link

    Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)

    My wife and I noticed that the Mets ground crew wore burgundy (or maroon) caps. Has this always been the case, or is it only since they’ve moved to Citi?

    Odd sighting yesterday: A guy in a local mall with an Expos shirt on that looked brand new.

    Last night, the Angels gave the parents of Jeff & Jared Weaver “hybrid” jerseys that said “Do-gels” and “An-dgers.”

    Story & pic here:
    link

    Happy Father’s Day to all.

    Due to the excessive rain, I have been afforded a rare day off to enjoy with my family.

    Phil mentions that the newfangled cleats throw off the vintage look of the uniforms.

    The Air Zoom Coop and Air Zoom Clipper by Nike are the most traditional of Nike’s spikes as opposed to the Zoom Huaraches that the pitcherCarasco is wearing, which are based on a basketball last.

    Coop:
    link

    Clipper:
    link

    Clipper: Cooperstown Edition:
    link

    Huarache:
    link

    [quote comment=”336065″]Happy Father’s Day!

    Toronto’s link are such a hit that the Yankees have offered to put them up in the best seats in the house during the Jays’ July 3-5 series in the new Yankee Stadium. That is, according to link about the gents at Nationals Park.

    Weird, hmm?

    – jude[/quote]

    Did anyone read the comments on that Nationals post? Someone basically compared umpires to child molesters. I love the internet.

    How long before the fake ump routine stretches to other sports?

    [quote comment=”336074″]What the Hell is Lance Johnson trying to illustrate in this pic:

    link

    BTW…Red Expos hats???

    [/quote]

    I believe the red Expos hats were their batting practice hats…and I would have liked for them to wear those in a game at least once.

    Is that opening quote from M.A.S.H.? I remember Winchester saying something like that to Hawkeye.

    One line is incorr[quote comment=”336076″][quote comment=”336065″]Happy Father’s Day!

    Toronto’s link are such a hit that the Yankees have offered to put them up in the best seats in the house during the Jays’ July 3-5 series in the new Yankee Stadium. That is, according to link about the gents at Nationals Park.

    Weird, hmm?

    – jude[/quote]

    Did anyone read the comments on that Nationals post? Someone basically compared umpires to child molesters. I love the internet.

    How long before the fake ump routine stretches to other sports?[/quote]

    One line is erroneous…apart from the numbered shirts, I use the SAME exact gear as MLB umpires:

    Check out Nike\’s new babies…the Hypermax:

    Tennis Ball:
    link

    McFly:
    link

    Gasol:
    link

    link

    link

    My dad will never read this, because he’ll never use a computer, but I’m going to say it anyway – Happy Father’s Day, Dad! Thank you for everything – for all the good things you did, for all the lessons I learned from your mistakes and mine, and for taking me to Pirates games and instilling in me a love of sports. I probably wouldn’t be on this great website if it wasn’t for you.

    Happy Father’s Day to all of you dads reading this as well, and a special Happy Father’s Day to Irwin Lukas.

    Peace to all.

    [quote comment=”336078″]Is that opening quote from M.A.S.H.? I remember Winchester saying something like that to Hawkeye.[/quote]

    i’ve seen the quote attributed to anne geddes, but i believe the true author is unknown

    [quote comment=”336066″]A couple from yesterday:
    1) I stumbled across another “happy logo”: The link.

    2)[quote comment=”336061″]Here’s a picture of Bruce Dickinson that also illustrates the point.

    link
    [/quote]
    That’s Chris Dickerson.

    link. The Judges would also have accepted link.

    3) Apparently I don’t know my left from my right.[/quote]

    Don’t forget Bruce Dickinson the record producer. Everyone remembers what he needed.

    [quote comment=”336081″][quote comment=”336078″]Is that opening quote from M.A.S.H.? I remember Winchester saying something like that to Hawkeye.[/quote]

    i’ve seen the quote attributed to anne geddes, but i believe the true author is unknown[/quote]

    Nevermind. Winchester said, “Where as I have a father, you have a dad.”

    [quote comment=”336076″]
    How long before the fake ump routine stretches to other sports?[/quote]

    Game Four in Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Final had a “referee” sitting front-row. link for his resemblance to former NHL referee Mick McGeough.

    [quote comment=”336082″][quote comment=”336066″]A couple from yesterday:
    1) I stumbled across another “happy logo”: The link.

    2)[quote comment=”336061″]Here’s a picture of Bruce Dickinson that also illustrates the point.

    link
    [/quote]
    That’s Chris Dickerson.

    link. The Judges would also have accepted link.

    3) Apparently I don’t know my left from my right.[/quote]

    Don’t forget Bruce Dickinson the record producer. Everyone remembers what he needed.[/quote]

    Check the last link in the previous comment for a graphical representation. ;o)

    Happy Fathers Day to all!!!

    What a disappointment with that Civil Rights Game…from a Uni stand point. All players should be REQUIRED to wear high socks/stir-ups. What’s so hard about getting helmets (non-cool flo) to match the caps?! The Reds didn’t look bad but the back of the jersey did appear a bit cluttered.

    The more I look at I believe the MLB is ready to see the Ice Cream cap make a comeback. Maybe not as a pimary cap but as an alternate/Sunday cap.

    [quote comment=”336079″]One line is incorr[quote comment=”336076″][quote comment=”336065″]Happy Father’s Day!

    Toronto’s link are such a hit that the Yankees have offered to put them up in the best seats in the house during the Jays’ July 3-5 series in the new Yankee Stadium. That is, according to link about the gents at Nationals Park.

    Weird, hmm?

    – jude[/quote]

    Did anyone read the comments on that Nationals post? Someone basically compared umpires to child molesters. I love the internet.

    How long before the fake ump routine stretches to other sports?[/quote]

    One line is erroneous…apart from the numbered shirts, I use the SAME exact gear as MLB umpires:

    Check out Nike\’s new babies…the Hypermax:

    Tennis Ball:
    link

    McFly:
    link

    Gasol:
    link

    link

    link
    Even with MLB logos and such?

    [quote comment=”336087″][quote comment=”336079″]One line is incorr[quote comment=”336076″][quote comment=”336065″]Happy Father’s Day!

    Toronto’s link are such a hit that the Yankees have offered to put them up in the best seats in the house during the Jays’ July 3-5 series in the new Yankee Stadium. That is, according to link about the gents at Nationals Park.

    Weird, hmm?

    – jude[/quote]

    Did anyone read the comments on that Nationals post? Someone basically compared umpires to child molesters. I love the internet.

    How long before the fake ump routine stretches to other sports?[/quote]

    One line is erroneous…apart from the numbered shirts, I use the SAME exact gear as MLB umpires:

    Even with MLB logos and such?[/quote]

    My mask, chest protector and shin guards are all MLB approved and branded. Here they are:

    Chest Protector:
    link

    Shin Guards:
    link

    Mask:
    link

    They were all designed for Wilson by MLB umpire Joe West.

    [quote comment=”336086″]Happy Fathers Day to all!!!

    What a disappointment with that Civil Rights Game…from a Uni stand point. All players should be REQUIRED to wear high socks/stir-ups. What’s so hard about getting helmets (non-cool flo) to match the caps?! The Reds didn’t look bad but the back of the jersey did appear a bit cluttered.

    The more I look at I believe the MLB is ready to see the Ice Cream cap make a comeback. Maybe not as a pimary cap but as an alternate/Sunday cap.[/quote]

    Agreed on high socks (or at least cuff your pants above the top of your shoes).

    I know this sounds stupid considering the cost of making 30-35 sets of throwback unis, but it can’t be cheap to get 25 batting helmets made to match your throwback uni (same thing with catching gear, jackets, etc) If it’s a one-time thing, I give them a pass. If either team started wearing them on a semi-regular basis, I’d agree with you more.

    Besides, after seeing Texas’ white batting helmets, I’m not sure I really want to see an ice-cream white with red pinstripe batting helmet.

    While Paul and others will face today as a first Father’s Day without him, think too of all the other males who are celebrating their very first Father’s Day as a father. The circle keeps on continuing.

    Will get to spend the day with Dad, and probably watch a bunch of sports too. Always enjoyable. Take care, everyone.

    I really liked the look of Cincinatti’s Ice Cream caps…check out Volquez:

    link

    I used to have the Barry Larkin era Ice Cream cap and I like the look of these much better.

    link

    The closest thing I could find online for purchase was this:

    link

    I’m one of those people who knows that Field of Dreams wasn’t about baseball, it was about fathers and sons. Ray and his father getting the opportunity to have one more catch in the field.

    Ray Kinsella: Hey… Dad? You wanna have a catch?
    John Kinsella: I’d like that.

    My dad took me to my first major league baseball game. Jays versus Athletics, on Victoria Day, 1977. I don’t remember much about the game other than we were a long way from home plate, the seats were metal benches on the first base side, we were facing into the football stands and had to turn sideways to see the baseball field, and the Jays lost.

    We went to dozens of games when I was a kid. In those days you could buy undated tickets for the grandstand at Exhibition Stadium for one dollar at the grocery store. Me and my dad could go to games for two bucks, it was cheaper than going to a movie.

    We were together at the top of the fifth deck on the first base side in 1993 when Joe Carter put a Mitch Williams pitch over the left field fence.

    He taught me to catch and throw in our front yard, and he coached all my little league teams until I got older and better and they insisted on having “real” coaches. He still spent hours playing catch with me, and came to every one of my games. Even when I was an adult and played slowpitch he still came to as many games as he could.

    Our last game together was in the summer of 2004, Jays versus Devil Rays at Skydome. I don’t remember anything about the game other than Jorge Sosa pitched for the Rays and (not knowing anything about the Rays) he thought Sammy Sosa was pitching for about the first three innings.

    He died four years ago of pancreatic cancer. I’ll think of him a lot today, and honour him by watching a little baseball and by having a catch with my son (who was born three weeks before my dad died) in the backyard.

    [quote comment=”336085″][quote comment=”336082″][quote comment=”336066″]A couple from yesterday:
    1) I stumbled across another “happy logo”: The link.

    2)[quote comment=”336061″]Here’s a picture of Bruce Dickinson that also illustrates the point.

    link
    [/quote]
    That’s Chris Dickerson.

    link. The Judges would also have accepted link.

    3) Apparently I don’t know my left from my right.[/quote]

    Don’t forget Bruce Dickinson the record producer. Everyone remembers what he needed.[/quote]

    Check the last link in the previous comment for a graphical representation. ;o)[/quote]

    Damn it.

    I really would like to see the Tribe do an 80s/90s throwback every now and then. i wish i could find a legit Major League jersey some where

    [quote comment=”336086″]Happy Fathers Day to all!!!

    What a disappointment with that Civil Rights Game…from a Uni stand point. All players should be REQUIRED to wear high socks/stir-ups. What’s so hard about getting helmets (non-cool flo) to match the caps?! The Reds didn’t look bad but the back of the jersey did appear a bit cluttered.

    The more I look at I believe the MLB is ready to see the Ice Cream cap make a comeback. Maybe not as a pimary cap but as an alternate/Sunday cap.[/quote]

    AGREED …

    The insane pants wearing in MLB all year round should be subject to a dress code. Doubly so in throwback games.

    It is crazy that these millionaire MLB players can dress like ragamuffins with pants literally dragging under their feet, with no uniformity, and certainly not wearing the iuniform the way it was meant to be worn. It is insane that the MLB leadership puts up with this. No other league or sport would.

    My question is, WHY?

    It looks like Mr. Lukas received a nice nod today…Amazins in Pins and blue caps!

    Surprisingly, no blue wristbands and accents, though.

    [quote comment=”336098″]I really would like to see the Tribe do an 80s/90s throwback every now and then. i wish i could find a legit Major League jersey some where[/quote]
    Happened last year, 19 July 2008 against Seattle.
    In link Ticker. (I would reproduce the links, but there are too many pictures for me to do that. Enjoy!)

    [quote comment=”336100″]It looks like Mr. Lukas received a nice nod today…Amazins in Pins and blue caps!

    Surprisingly, no blue wristbands and accents, though.[/quote]

    update…baby blue wristbands and ribbons on the left chest

    [quote comment=”336100″]It looks like Mr. Lukas received a nice nod today…Amazins in Pins and blue caps!

    Surprisingly, no blue wristbands and accents, though.[/quote]

    yes matt…the pins are their regular sunday duds (sighs-but at least they have had the good sense to wear the blue caps with them on all but one occasion … so far)…

    traditional and longtime rival tampa bay has chosen the softball look again

    lots of link abound today, while many players are wearing the blue wristbands

    The Tacoma Rainiers wore purple and gold last night to link.

    I’ve been to a Rainiers game this year and I never noticed this until I went to the website, but while their home jerseys are very close to the Mariners’ in terms of color and style, their road jerseys are dark blue and red.

    [quote comment=”336079″]One line is incorr[quote comment=”336076″][quote comment=”336065″]Happy Father’s Day!

    Toronto’s link are such a hit that the Yankees have offered to put them up in the best seats in the house during the Jays’ July 3-5 series in the new Yankee Stadium. That is, according to link about the gents at Nationals Park.

    Weird, hmm?

    – jude[/quote]

    Did anyone read the comments on that Nationals post? Someone basically compared umpires to child molesters. I love the internet.

    How long before the fake ump routine stretches to other sports?[/quote]

    One line is erroneous…apart from the numbered shirts, I use the SAME exact gear as MLB umpires:

    Check out Nike\’s new babies…the Hypermax:

    Tennis Ball:
    link

    McFly:
    link

    Gasol:
    link

    link

    link

    links are 404

    [quote comment=”336096″]I’m one of those people who knows that Field of Dreams wasn’t about baseball, it was about fathers and sons. Ray and his father getting the opportunity to have one more catch in the field.

    Ray Kinsella: Hey… Dad? You wanna have a catch?
    John Kinsella: I’d like that.

    My dad took me to my first major league baseball game. Jays versus Athletics, on Victoria Day, 1977. I don’t remember much about the game other than we were a long way from home plate, the seats were metal benches on the first base side, we were facing into the football stands and had to turn sideways to see the baseball field, and the Jays lost.

    We went to dozens of games when I was a kid. In those days you could buy undated tickets for the grandstand at Exhibition Stadium for one dollar at the grocery store. Me and my dad could go to games for two bucks, it was cheaper than going to a movie.

    We were together at the top of the fifth deck on the first base side in 1993 when Joe Carter put a Mitch Williams pitch over the left field fence.

    He taught me to catch and throw in our front yard, and he coached all my little league teams until I got older and better and they insisted on having “real” coaches. He still spent hours playing catch with me, and came to every one of my games. Even when I was an adult and played slowpitch he still came to as many games as he could.

    Our last game together was in the summer of 2004, Jays versus Devil Rays at Skydome. I don’t remember anything about the game other than Jorge Sosa pitched for the Rays and (not knowing anything about the Rays) he thought Sammy Sosa was pitching for about the first three innings.

    He died four years ago of pancreatic cancer. I’ll think of him a lot today, and honour him by watching a little baseball and by having a catch with my son (who was born three weeks before my dad died) in the backyard.[/quote]

    that’s really nice mike…i was thinking about doing a “FOD” related post today…in the end, i went open thread

    although ray kinsella actually uses both “have a catch” and “play catch”, i’ve always said “have a catch”…

    heading over to the folks’ house now, where i’ll be spending the day…like i said above, his health isn’t good, so our activities will be limited to watching the mets and golf, rather than having a catch and playing 18 (which we did last year)…and a post dinner bridge game (which i completely suck at, but pop loves to play)

    have a great rest of the day all…catch you tonight

    [quote comment=”336107″] … but pop loves to play)[/quote]LI Phil, take it from someone who misses a lot of people today; I think that will make it a great Father’s Day even without the round of golf or the game of catch.

    Happy father’s day to all.

    Growing up in Kansas during the ’60s, my father would take us to the semi-pro National Baseball Congress tournament in Wichita.

    There were a lot of crazy uniform combinations. But even then I was picking out my favorite. Obviously there was a patron saint for Uni Watch, Ray Dumont. Because in addition to trophies that went to winner, to the team that traveled the farthest, etc., there was a trophy that went to the best-dressed team.

    Here’s a link that will lead to others. link

    There were a lot of semi-pro teams back then and they played a lot of games – probably to keep the young college players out of trouble. But it introduced me to the game in a way that my on-field talents did not. Thanks, Dad, for the introduction.

    [quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.

    [quote comment=”336110″][quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.[/quote]

    Larry…a bot OT but I was listening to the Fordham University radio station the other day while they were conducting their fund drive when one of the DJ’s thanked “Larry from Tampa” for hios generous donation.

    Any connection?

    And Brinke…here’s your Tennis ball kicks:

    link

    [quote comment=”336111″][quote comment=”336110″][quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.[/quote]

    Larry…a bit OT but I was listening to the Fordham University radio station the other day while they were conducting their fund drive when one of the DJ’s thanked “Larry from Tampa” for his generous donation.

    Any connection?

    And Brinke…here’s your Tennis ball kicks:

    link

    More Tennis Balls:

    link

    [quote comment=”336111″][quote comment=”336110″][quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.[/quote]

    Larry…a bot OT but I was listening to the Fordham University radio station the other day while they were conducting their fund drive when one of the DJ’s thanked “Larry from Tampa” for hios generous donation.

    Any connection?

    And Brinke…here’s your Tennis ball kicks:

    link

    Why yes…yes it is!!! Actually no, but funny thing, it’s a closer fit than you even know. Dad was a Ram.

    [quote comment=”336110″]Finally about the CRG from last night…. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating.[/quote]Reading the post from Micheal Emody about the game and looking at the pictures, here are a few of my thoughts about the Sox throwback’s: the combo of the numbers and names on the back was definitely off. Great pic somewhere here of JC Martin, Sherm Lollar, Sam Esposito and others watching BP in Yankee Stadium: that’s a great look at what the Sox should have been striving for yesterday. The patch ruined both uni’s IMHO. If you have to have it at all, somewhere else would have been better. I’m not one to go stirrup-crazy, but those striped stirrups would have been far better (but you have to wonder how many of today’s players would have gone along with the idea). The block lettering of Chicago on the front of the uni’s looks great in isolation: when you get a better look at the uniform as a whole, IMHO imitating the piping around the numbers on the back (as well as the TV numbers!) would have been far better.

    Apropos of very little but today’s significance: as a youth it seemed that the White Sox scheduled a Father’s Day game every year and the highlight was the pregame “Father and Son/Daughter” game that is almost NEVER seen at the major league level anymore.

    [quote comment=”336113″] Dad was a Ram.[/quote]
    Does Fordham call their women’s teams “Rams” also?

    [quote comment=”336115″][quote comment=”336113″] Dad was a Ram.[/quote]
    Does Fordham call their women’s teams “Rams” also?[/quote]

    What do ewe mean?

    [quote comment=”336116″]What do ewe mean?[/quote]

    :-)

    Not that long ago the HS state championship game for the girls in Illinois featured the Friars vs. the Knights: and IIRC the Rams were also playing that weekend.

    Some teams change; others just say “that’s the way we’ve always done it…” and go on, no matter how “incorrect” it looks.

    [quote comment=”336114″][quote comment=”336110″]Finally about the CRG from last night…. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating.[/quote]Reading the post from Micheal Emody about the game and looking at the pictures, here are a few of my thoughts about the Sox throwback’s: the combo of the numbers and names on the back was definitely off. Great pic somewhere here of JC Martin, Sherm Lollar, Sam Esposito and others watching BP in Yankee Stadium: that’s a great look at what the Sox should have been striving for yesterday. The patch ruined both uni’s IMHO. If you have to have it at all, somewhere else would have been better. I’m not one to go stirrup-crazy, but those striped stirrups would have been far better (but you have to wonder how many of today’s players would have gone along with the idea). The block lettering of Chicago on the front of the uni’s looks great in isolation: when you get a better look at the uniform as a whole, IMHO imitating the piping around the numbers on the back (as well as the TV numbers!) would have been far better.[/quote]

    Here is a 1968 Sox road set:
    link
    Don’t rightly know how it may differ from the ’64 but obviously the blue is much “softer” and it doesn’t have the ridiculous piping on the pants last night’s did.

    Phil mentioned the vests sleeveless jerseys worn last night. The third photo down is a real good look at a vest.
    link

    Phil mentioned the vests sleeveless jerseys worn last night. The third photo down is a real good look at a vest.
    link

    [quote comment=”336120″]Phil mentioned the vests sleeveless jerseys worn last night. The third photo down is a real good look at a vest.
    link

    WTF? I can’t get the strikethrough to work.

    [quote comment=”336118″]
    Don’t rightly know how it may differ from the ’64 but obviously the blue is much “softer” and it doesn’t have the ridiculous piping on the pants last night’s did.[/quote]
    Sometimes you have to wonder exactly who in MLB has input into these decisions, and who signs off on them.

    Even with everything people here can gather from the web, it’s a certainty that the people within the Sox organization have far more resources to get things period-correct: what’s the point of saying “these are our 1964 uni’s” when obviously they are NOT your 1964 uni’s?

    I know the last question can be answered with the word “money” but still; how much $ can be made from those uniforms??

    [quote comment=”336121″]

    WTF? I can’t get the strikethrough to work.[/quote]
    It should be working, the preview features it…

    [quote comment=”336123″][quote comment=”336121″]

    WTF? I can’t get the strikethrough to work.[/quote]
    It should be working, the preview features it…[/quote]

    A-ha, I think I was using the wrong code.

    [quote comment=”336113″][quote comment=”336111″][quote comment=”336110″][quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.[/quote]

    Larry…a bot OT but I was listening to the Fordham University radio station the other day while they were conducting their fund drive when one of the DJ’s thanked “Larry from Tampa” for hios generous donation.

    Any connection?

    And Brinke…here’s your Tennis ball kicks:

    link

    Why yes…yes it is!!! Actually no, but funny thing, it’s a closer fit than you even know. Dad was a Ram.[/quote]

    Ah, I’ve seen those Nikes. No way to you get to play the Big W in those. Shot on sight.

    [quote comment=”336090″][quote comment=”336086″]Happy Fathers Day to all!!!

    What a disappointment with that Civil Rights Game…from a Uni stand point. All players should be REQUIRED to wear high socks/stir-ups. What’s so hard about getting helmets (non-cool flo) to match the caps?! The Reds didn’t look bad but the back of the jersey did appear a bit cluttered.

    The more I look at I believe the MLB is ready to see the Ice Cream cap make a comeback. Maybe not as a pimary cap but as an alternate/Sunday cap.[/quote]

    Agreed on high socks (or at least cuff your pants above the top of your shoes).

    I know this sounds stupid considering the cost of making 30-35 sets of throwback unis, but it can’t be cheap to get 25 batting helmets made to match your throwback uni (same thing with catching gear, jackets, etc) If it’s a one-time thing, I give them a pass. If either team started wearing them on a semi-regular basis, I’d agree with you more.

    Besides, after seeing Texas’ white batting helmets, I’m not sure I really want to see an ice-cream white with red pinstripe batting helmet.[/quote]

    True that…well allow me to correct myself, helmets should match the caps where applicable. But since it seems like the MLB can never get things right, it shouldn’t be done.

    [quote comment=”336107″]

    that’s really nice mike…i was thinking about doing a “FOD” related post today…in the end, i went open thread

    although ray kinsella actually uses both “have a catch” and “play catch”, i’ve always said “have a catch”…

    heading over to the folks’ house now, where i’ll be spending the day…like i said above, his health isn’t good, so our activities will be limited to watching the mets and golf, rather than having a catch and playing 18 (which we did last year)…and a post dinner bridge game (which i completely suck at, but pop loves to play)

    have a great rest of the day all…catch you tonight[/quote]

    Found the clip:

    link

    [quote comment=”336116″][quote comment=”336115″][quote comment=”336113″] Dad was a Ram.[/quote]
    Does Fordham call their women’s teams “Rams” also?[/quote]

    What do ewe mean?[/quote]

    I never understood why colleges attach “Lady” to their names. Rams are Rams, Tigers are Tigers, etc. We don’t call them the “Black Redskins”, or “White Redskins” because most of the football players on Washington are white or black.

    Just finished watching the Giants (+6 above .500? What?) sweep the Rangers. Boy that Salta guy sure has a lot of stuff on the back of his jersey..hadn’t seen that til now.

    Regarding Chisox powder blues – in 1976 I attended an Orioles’ World Championship ten year anniversary old-timers game at Memorial Stadium. 1966 Orioles vs AL All Stars. The all stars wore their road unis from 1966, and the White Sox blues were very distinctive – Ron Hansen, local MD resident and not a perennial all-star, represented Chicago.
    This was roughly 10-15 years before the advent of TBTC days and/or the concept of “throwbacks”

    [quote comment=”336125″][quote comment=”336113″][quote comment=”336111″][quote comment=”336110″][quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.[/quote]

    Larry…a bot OT but I was listening to the Fordham University radio station the other day while they were conducting their fund drive when one of the DJ’s thanked “Larry from Tampa” for hios generous donation.

    Any connection?

    And Brinke…here’s your Tennis ball kicks:

    link

    Why yes…yes it is!!! Actually no, but funny thing, it’s a closer fit than you even know. Dad was a Ram.[/quote]

    Ah, I’ve seen those Nikes. No way to you get to play the Big W in those. Shot on sight.[/quote]

    Michael Chang might have been able to albeit in Reeboks:

    link

    BTW…I have had a great Fathers day with my daughters, nieces and nephews today. We played a few rounds of kickball, wiffleball, had a catch with my nephew to break in my first new glove in 25 years and they are now finishing Bad News Bears.

    After everyone is settled, and I am prepped for work tomorrow, I plan on watching a few innings of the Trolley Dodgers and the Halos. After that, I am going to watch my late father’s favorite baseball movie, Eight Men Out…my library didnt have Field of Dreams.

    [quote comment=”336131″][quote comment=”336125″][quote comment=”336113″][quote comment=”336111″][quote comment=”336110″][quote comment=”336069″]Paul,
    On this 1st Father’s day without your dad. Just remember all the silly, wonderful things he did for you and with you. (I know that is something my friend did and it helped)[/quote]

    I have been happily inundated with FD wishes all morning, but this post reminded me of FD 2004. My first as a dad and my last with my dad. He met his granddaughter for the first (and last) time that weekend and part of the plan was for us to go to the Royals-Phils game on Saturday night. Alas, he was not up to it. Nice recall for today.

    Also nice selection for “Guess…..”. That game was my dad’s first FD with me!

    Finally about the CRG from last night. Reds were respectable but that was pretty easy to do. The Sox were just awful IMO. I can’t really put my finger on it but they didn’t capture any “feel” of the uniforms they were supposedly replicating. I guess we’re asking too much for that.[/quote]

    Larry…a bot OT but I was listening to the Fordham University radio station the other day while they were conducting their fund drive when one of the DJ’s thanked “Larry from Tampa” for hios generous donation.

    Any connection?

    And Brinke…here’s your Tennis ball kicks:

    link

    Why yes…yes it is!!! Actually no, but funny thing, it’s a closer fit than you even know. Dad was a Ram.[/quote]

    Ah, I’ve seen those Nikes. No way to you get to play the Big W in those. Shot on sight.[/quote]

    Michael Chang might have been able to albeit in Reeboks:

    link

    BTW…I have had a great Fathers day with my daughters, nieces and nephews today. We played a few rounds of kickball, wiffleball, had a catch with my nephew to break in my first new glove in 25 years and they are now finishing Bad News Bears.

    After everyone is settled, and I am prepped for work tomorrow, I plan on watching a few innings of the Trolley Dodgers and the Halos. After that, I am going to watch my late father’s favorite baseball movie, Eight Men Out…my library didnt have Field of Dreams.[/quote]

    BTW..funny story…I wore my new 1965 Angels cap yesterday. While working at the hardware store, a few old timers noticed it. But when I went to my daughter’s karate class, my wife mistook the halo for a yarmulke.

    No matter the explanation, she came to the same conclusion!

    Happy Dad’s Day to all you out there. I lost my dad four years ago when I was 24 to leukemia and a weak heart – you never know which one will be your last, so celebrate and cherish them all.

    Thanks to my dad for years of driving to soccer practices, spending holidays on the road for tournaments, coaching us when no one else wanted to and just generally making me the tomboy I am today.

    Have a catch? Is that an East Coast thing? And why do some people refer to the pinstripe caps as ice cream caps? Did I miss that memo? As a previous poster noted, it is a nice change of pace cap.

    I dont know about anyone else, but I really dislike the Indians’ hat with the red brim. In my opinion the hat with the blue brims featuring the Chief look much better and have a lot more pop to them

    Part of my Father’s Day was spent watching some Northern League baseball — Schaumburg Flyers vs. Gary Southshore RailCats.

    Both teams had crap unis. Schaumburg went with blue sleeveless jerseys and matching undersleeves. Gary had green pullovers.

    The one redeeming aspect was that no fewer than four Gary players went with stirrups.

    All these pictures pretty much suck, but here they are.

    link
    link
    link
    link. It was hard to tell if he had solid socks or low-cut stirrups (especially with the white shoes)

    [quote comment=”336138″]Part of my Father’s Day was spent watching some Northern League baseball — Schaumburg Flyers vs. Gary Southshore RailCats.

    Both teams had crap unis. Schaumburg went with blue sleeveless jerseys and matching undersleeves. Gary had green pullovers.

    The one redeeming aspect was that no fewer than four Gary players went with stirrups.

    All these pictures pretty much suck, but here they are.

    link
    link
    link
    link. It was hard to tell if he had solid socks or low-cut stirrups (especially with the white shoes)[/quote]

    That’s strange. Gary was in town a few weeks ago, and no one wore stirrups. Only two players had high socks, and one was a pitcher who never left the dugout bench.

    Jerks. LOL

    [quote comment=”336092″]While Paul and others will face today as a first Father’s Day without him, think too of all the other males who are celebrating their very first Father’s Day as a father. The circle keeps on continuing.

    Will get to spend the day with Dad, and probably watch a bunch of sports too. Always enjoyable. Take care, everyone.[/quote]

    For me it’s actually both. My dad passed before he found out he was going to be a grandfather during those first months when my wife and I were waiting to tell the world we were expecting. Now my little guy is 9 weeks old.

    My dad wasn’t a saint but he tried in his way. My best memories of my dad are all baseball related. From my first trip to see Rickey in Oakland, to my love for the Rainbow guts Unis I first saw in SF, to the Pirates pill box cap he got me, to my first trip to Yankee stadium (to see Rickey), my dad did what he could to maintain our relationship.

    When I was 13 I got the little brother I’d always wanted. six years later I got to practice my dad skills by taking my brother to see Rickey. My brother and I went to about 40 games per year until I moved away.

    Now I look at my son and I know I’m going to be a good dad for him. Starting with the little personalized All Blacks kit that just came for him and extending through his sporting life and everything else that comes with being a dad. The one thing I want most in the world is for him to be able to say “My dad was always there for me.”

    Sorry for the one off ramble. He did say we could write about anything.

    [quote comment=”336081″][quote comment=”336078″]Is that opening quote from M.A.S.H.? I remember Winchester saying something like that to Hawkeye.[/quote]

    i’ve seen the quote attributed to anne geddes, but i believe the true author is unknown[/quote]

    Totally non uni-related post. But my 19 year old cousin plays me a Marilyn Manson song he’s “totally into” and start singing along “through early morning fog I see, visions of a place to be” and I start singing along “suicide is painless it brings on many changes” he’s wondering how I know that song.

    I actually kinda dig the M.M. version.

    [quote comment=”336136″]I dont know about anyone else, but I really dislike the Indians’ hat with the red brim. In my opinion the hat with the blue brims featuring the Chief look much better and have a lot more pop to them[/quote]

    I prefer the mid-70’s Indians hat the most. When I needed a new hat recently, link is the one I went with.

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