Whether you are not stepping on the foul line, not talking to your pitcher, or not washing your ball cap for an entire season, baseball is full of superstition. None more significant than the Rally Cap. Tracking the history of turning one’s hat inside out is heavily debated. Was it the 1985 Mets who first dawned it? Or the 1977 Rangers, who claimed to have seen the Texas Longhorns do it? The oldest argument goes back to the 1945 Detroit Tigers and the claim that they flipped their hats inside out to rally back from a four-run deficit to beat the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 of the World Series.
Regardless of who started what, it’s always entertaining to watch. And, the Phillies are clearly on that train. Aaron Nola was first up with a super awkward interview while rocking it. Giddy like a child but in no way about to show his hand. He’d just pitched one of his best games of the season. In the locker room, he threw on his lucky charm and tried to have a conversation. Well, he kind of tried. Then, last night, there was Harper’s walk-off Grand Slam. It’s one of those swings where you feel like you just witnessed a murder. I’m not saying it was Albert Pujols ending Brad Lidge’s career, but a baseball did get murdered. Harper sprinted the bases like Babe Ruth and the Phillies were back in the locker room, flying high, and dawning their lucky charm yet again.
So where did this hat come from? What is the story behind it? We are dying to know! With a little digging, we did find the hat at Duck Camp. All I can say is “Sweet Hat Bro!” and always wonder how on earth something so random came to be.
I’m going to blog baseball a lot this summer. Until the next one, go check out @TheBullpenCreative on Instagram to check out the sports arm we are building with @anthony_ranaudo