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It just seems like New Era and other sports apparel companies are constantly coming out with new variations, models, and designs for caps just to shamelessly make a quick buck. I have difficulty sometimes separating what's on-field official from what is sold to fans to get their money. Those Prolight caps seem completely ridiculous but apparently those were actually worn during spring training?

 

Do they really need to come up with new BP and spring training caps/jerseys every year? They all seem to be variations on one another with only minor variations. How many people actually buy the various iterations of Mother's/Father's/Memorial/Independence day caps that are constantly issued every year? I feel like I never see fans wear anything of that sort.

 

I think new BP stuff is a good thing.  Imagine if they issued new uniforms every year like soccer teams. 

 

 

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What's good about having new BP uniforms every year? I'm simply curious.

 

I feel like they change them just to change them sometimes and of course make money. The current Marlins BP uniforms are pretty hideous, in my opinion. The best BP jersey from the "orange" era was  2012. Everything since then has been a downgrade.

 

It is good because pro sports teams want to extract money from fans through merchandise sales.  I’d rather they do it by changing something minor like pre game apparel as opposed to changing their actual uniforms every year like soccer.  There are teams out there with excellent uniforms but their manufacturer will issue terrible designs on occasion. Fans buy them for some reason. I’d rather not see that invade baseball 

 

 

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Thanks for the clarification on low profile. So basically players have a choice on which to wear? Any sense on how many opt for that as opposed to the regular?

 

As far as I know it's a very, very few who choose the low profile option. I'd imagine most just keep the regular version because they're used to it but yes they have the option. 

 

I could be wrong but I think Josh Beckett had a low profile too. 

 

 

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That's a fair point, but I really wonder how much extra revenue they really make by subtly changing the BP jerseys. I think most casual fans don't even notice a difference and just buy whatever they think looks attractive. There are collectors out there who buy almost everything, of course, but I don't know if that's a super large market.

 

I don’t know the answer to that either.  Perhaps it is New Era that wants to push the product onto MLB but I’m guessing. 

 

 

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Definitely money is the primary reason for changing all these things and I only imagine they make a decent profit compared to the cost of making the new stuff because if they didn't they'd have stopped this madness by now.

 

With that said I do see several variations that do serve practical purposes. The low profile caps are a great option for some who just don't look good in the regular crown caps. The 3930 shape is very comfortable for a more relaxed feeling than the sturdier caps, for example I love a good 3930 while at the beach or cutting the grass. The diamond era caps did seem to reduce moisture and keep heads cooler so I enjoy that one. The new prolight ones from this year were a mess. They're supposed to absorb even more moisture but I think they feel like such a cheap material and they also easily show all the moisture so the cap ends up looking like a sweaty sock and it's just ugly...

 

 

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It just seems like New Era and other sports apparel companies are constantly coming out with new variations, models, and designs for caps just to shamelessly make a quick buck. I have difficulty sometimes separating what's on-field official from what is sold to fans to get their money. Those Prolight caps seem completely ridiculous but apparently those were actually worn during spring training?

 

Do they really need to come up with new BP and spring training caps/jerseys every year? They all seem to be variations on one another with only minor variations. How many people actually buy the various iterations of Mother's/Father's/Memorial/Independence day caps that are constantly issued every year? I feel like I never see fans wear anything of that sort.

 

That’s kinda why I got out of collecting MLB stuff. Went from being relatively possible to buy  everything worn on field to about impossible with a new design for every holidays. Took my love of collecting out of it.

 

....And it doesn’t help that these speciality hats are almost 40 bucks for a pretty crappy product. You have to try 13 different caps of the same size to find one that fits and hopefully your don’t buy on that the logos are off center or falling off.

 

 

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I hate Low profiles caps, they feel like a yamaka with a brim sewn on it. but i don't blame many players and hat ppl going the low profile way, New Era chinese made hats have helmet boxy higher than usual crowns, hard to break in, Also Polyester sucks over Wool

 

 

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I hate Low profiles caps, they feel like a yamaka with a brim sewn on it. but i don't blame many players and hat ppl going the low profile way, New Era chinese made hats have helmet boxy higher than usual crowns, hard to break in, Also Polyester sucks over Wool

 

I look goofy as hell in most of the standard caps. Most of the hats I bought around 2010 fit well but the new stuff, the quality control has sucked, even some of the American ones.

 

 

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It just seems like New Era and other sports apparel companies are constantly coming out with new variations, models, and designs for caps just to shamelessly make a quick buck. I have difficulty sometimes separating what's on-field official from what is sold to fans to get their money. Those Prolight caps seem completely ridiculous but apparently those were actually worn during spring training?

 

Do they really need to come up with new BP and spring training caps/jerseys every year? They all seem to be variations on one another with only minor variations. How many people actually buy the various iterations of Mother's/Father's/Memorial/Independence day caps that are constantly issued every year? I feel like I never see fans wear anything of that sort.

 

I did buy the Fathers Day hat 2 years ago, and the independence day one last year.

 

That's a fair point, but I really wonder how much extra revenue they really make by subtly changing the BP jerseys. I think most casual fans don't even notice a difference and just buy whatever they think looks attractive. There are collectors out there who buy almost everything, of course, but I don't know if that's a super large market.

 

Obviously they're making enough for it to be worthwhile for them.  And I'm sure that kind of stuff sells more in other/bigger markets.

 

 

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I wouldn't dare buy ALL of those special event caps and I can't imagine any who would except for a select few people... but I have bought a few over the years, maybe one a year on average (my wife loves wearing the mother's day stuff because she loves how the logo looks in pink)... so I'm gonna guess one special event cap or jersey purchase a year for many fans is enough profit for them to keep making all this stuff.

 

Like I've said before if this was a financial disaster for New Era and Majestic it would have already been stopped by now so the fact that it still exists must mean it's bringing in something positive for them.

 

 

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This article is six years old but it gets into the beginnings of the BP hat.  They never discuss the money aspect but I think we’ve covered that here. 

 

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story/_/id/7604983/batting-practice-caps-take-starring-role-spring-training-players-disdain

 

Good read... would love to see them update it with feedback on the more recent Diamond Era and Pro Light caps. 

 

 

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