I was in Ocean City with my family for five days last week, and on the way down, I decided that I?d do an unscientific poll and count the number of Orioles? caps I spotted on people?s heads.
In five days ? and hundreds of heads ? the count was in single digits. In fact, the most single of digits. I saw exactly one Orioles? hat in five days.
Inasmuch as I?ve always viewed OC as more of a destination for Baltimore-area folks, I was a little surprised.
When the Orioles went to the “ornithologically correct” bird in 1989, their cap was one of the hottest sellers in the country. At the time, anything black was a fashion statement to start with, and the detailed embroidery was something to see, especially in comparison with the cartoon bird they?d worn since 1966.
They tweaked the bird a few times over the years ? at one point, it was so plump it looked more like a mallard ? and added a version with an orange bill that they wear for home games. The club briefly had a road version in the ?90s with a gray crown as well.
(They?ve also added a black-and-orange cap with “O?s” on the front in orange script that I find grotesque. You might love it, and that?s fine, but until they start calling the Yankees “Y?s” and the Ravens “R?s,” it?s not going to fly with me. But I digress.)
So here?s the question: Is the lack of Orioles? caps on Maryland heads due more to the skein of losing seasons the club has had, or simply because what is now an 18-year-old design is ? pardon me ? old hat?
I?ve run this query past a number of fans and neighbors, and the answer seems to be somewhere in between, though leaning toward the former.
“If the Orioles were contenders, I?d be more likely to wear their hat.” (Front-runner.)
“Hey, it?s football season once training camp starts.” (Truthfully, I saw many Ravens ? and Redskins ? caps at the beach.)
“I know I?ve got an Orioles hat somewhere, but I haven?t seen it in years.”
“I prefer the cartoon bird.” (I was amazed how often I heard that.)
I suspect if the Orioles were in first place, heading for the postseason, it wouldn?t matter if they wore buckets on their heads ? everyone would want to wear their hat.
Still, from a marketing standpoint, I?d guess they?re not selling as many lids these days as they did in the ?90s. Once upon a time, losing teams would change their cap design frequently in order to sell caps ? Cleveland changed four times in the five-year stretch between 1969 and 1973 ? so we?ll give them credit for not doing that.
There are no uniform/cap changes on tap for the Orioles in 2007, and in order to make any changes for 2008, they?d have to notify Major League Baseball by late spring next year.
My ESPN Radio 1300 broadcast partner, Tom Davis, and I both served on the committee that redesigned the Baltimore uniform ? and cap ? that they adopted in 1989.
We?d be happy to do it again, inasmuch as the team seems stuck in neutral on this issue.
Phil Wood has covered sports in the Washington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years. You can reach him at [email protected].
