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At my family reunion this past weekend, my cousin told me he had a game-worn Nolan Ryan Astros cap from the '80s that originally was given to his friend by Nolan at Busch Stadium. I haven't looked at the cap yet and don't even know if it's orange or navy at this point. Just wanted to see if there's anyone out there who can educate me going in. Obviously, I'm interested in knowing about Nolan's cap size, the probable manufacturer, whether the underbill should be gray or green, how Nolan marked his caps (34 under bill?), etc. I'd appreciate any insights members can offer. Thanks!
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Jeff Scott
birdbats@charter.net
http://www.birdbats.com
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Re: Nolan Ryan Astros cap
so you don't trust your cousin (or his friend)? -
Re: Nolan Ryan Astros cap
It's not about trust. It's just that he's not a collector and thinks he has something special. We've all heard stories about how "grandpa got this bat from Babe Ruth after he hit a HR with it," but the bat is just a retail model. Well, this is a cap he got from a friend. Don't know anything about his friend. Could be the real deal, or it could be something from the souvenir shop that his friend was passing off as legit to make his buddy feel good (just like grandpa telling you Ruth used the bat when he clearly didn't). I want to help him figure that out. As Ronald Reagan once said, "Trust, but verify."
Jeff Scott
birdbats@charter.net
http://www.birdbats.com
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Re: Nolan Ryan Astros cap
Hi Jeff,
Not sure if I can be much help because I am by no means a baseball cap expert. When researching caps, I often look at previous auctions to see what the potential cap size for a player might be. Mind you, not all auction houses have a real piece, so its tough to tell. Based on some quick research, it looks as though Ryan wore a 7 3/8" size, at least towards the later portion of his career (late 80's - early 1990s). Not sure if this is correct though...perhaps someone here has a Nolan Ryan game used cap with good provenance and can answer this question better.
This article might be of some use to you at least in terms of what to look for. There's even a photo of a game-used Nolan Ryan cap (early 80s), but unfortunately no additional information is given. This article also lists several player cap sizes which are known with certainty.
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My Blue Jays CollectionComment
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Re: Nolan Ryan Astros cap
Also, knowing what year the cap was obtained would be useful in terms of being able to tell what the underside of the cap looked like and who manufactured it. My guess is that the manufacturer would be New Era, since Ryan spent 1980-1988 with the team and New Era supplied almost all teams with game caps from the early 80s onwards. If the cap is post 1986, New Era is almost certainly the manufacturer and should have a MLB Diamond Collection tag in the underside of the cap.------------------------------------
My Blue Jays CollectionComment
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Re: Nolan Ryan Astros cap
False alarm. I talked with my cousin last night while he had the cap in his hands. Seems the cap was acquired in Houston, not St. Louis. It was navy with a green underbill and no number written on it... and it was adjustable! I had to break the news to him that Nolan Ryan didn't wear his cap. That's why you never take stories at face value, even from relatives. Most non-collectors are oblivious to details that collectors take for granted.Jeff Scott
birdbats@charter.net
http://www.birdbats.com
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Re: Nolan Ryan Astros cap
Obviously the hat is much less than your cousin had hoped it was, but the Astros did wear adjustable blue hats during spring training in the Nolan era.Comment
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