Manufactured by
New Era Cap Company, founded 1920
Worn by
Stargell, Willie, American, 1940 - 2001
Subject of
Pittsburgh Pirates, American, founded 1882
Date
ca. 1979
Medium
wool with embroidery thread, cardboard and plastic
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3 1/2 × 7 3/4 × 10 in. (8.9 × 19.7 × 25.4 cm)
Caption
This cap, with it's distinctive pillbox style and bumblebee stripes, was worn by first baseman Willie "Pops" Stargell as part of the Pirates' road uniforms during the late 1970s, including the legendary 1979 season which concluded with the Pirates sweeping the National League Championship and winning the World Series. This standout season was made even more memorable with the Pirates claiming "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge as their theme song. Stargell, was a standout hitter and a respected leader in the clubhouse. Stargell was named Most Valuable Player of the '79 World Series and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Description
A Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap game worn by Willie "Pops" Stargell.
The cap has a flat crown and upright sides, giving it a cylindrical shape, with a curved, flat bill in the front. There is a mustard yellow embroidered “P” at the front center, three thin yellow stripes around the sides, and a yellow button, or squatchee, in the center of hte crown. There are several small black eyelets going around the side of the cap, in between the top two stripes.
The inside of the crown of the cap is black mesh with tan fabric around the bottom of the inside edge. There is a darker tan manufacturer’s label at the back which has black and red text: [SINCE 1920 / New Era / DUPONT VISOR / WEATHERIZED / PRE-SHRUNK / 100% WOOL FABRIC / PRO MODEL]. The underside of the bill is off white and shows signs of wear and tear. There is a handwritten Roman numeral 8 (VIII) on the bottom of the bill.
Classification
Clothing - Sports Uniforms
Type
baseball caps
Topic
Baseball
Clothing and dress
Sports
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2023.44.1
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd539da8e08-dbcf-4455-a1db-7d1f773e42b2

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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