Toronto Blue Jays set to wear retro white-panel caps in Game 3 of American League Division Series
Photo credit: https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/
Don't be surprised if the Toronto Blue Jays have a retro look when they take the field against the New York Yankees in the Bronx zoo.
The Blue Jays are up 2-0 in the best-of-five American League Division Series, but the white panel hats are on a five-game winning streak.
Baseball is the official sport of superstitions, and after losing six of seven down the stretch to put their lead in the AL East in danger, closer Jeff Hoffman had an idea.
He wanted to bring back the old white-panel hats, a look rarely seen since the Blue Jays' World Series years but always a fan favorite.
Hoffman kept the idea in the back of his head as an option all year
When he heard two clubhouse attendants discussing what jerseys to lay out for the end of the regular season, he asked them if the retro look was a possibility.
«'I heard we have those with our real logo, is that true?' And they were like, 'Yeah, we've got them up upstairs,'» recalled Hoffman last week. «I was like, 'Let's bring them out, it's no better time.' I think everybody was on board without me even saying it.
«It was just like who was going to offer the proposal to wear them and everybody was on board.»
Toronto went on to beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1 that night, then sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in the final three games of the regular season.
The Blue Jays donned the caps in their 10-1 win over New York on Saturday in Game 1 of the ALDS and again in Sunday's 13-7 thumping of the Yankees.
Kevin Gausman had something to say about them, which the team wore for a July 25-27 weekend road series against the Tigers, winning two out of three.
«I believe we wore them for the Hall of Fame game, and those ones were a little different. Those ones were actually like the old school '92-93 teams that wore them,» Gausman said. «One of the best logos ever, I think. We just kind of needed to change things up, and when we did, I think we won four in a row. A lot of these guys think these look really good. I'm a big fan of pinwheel hats. I think they're as baseball as it gets. So I'm all for it.»
Sitting at the podium on the Blue Jays' workout day Monday at Yankee Stadium, Schneider wore the white-panel hat again, a sign of what's to come in Game 3.
«I didn't pack another hat,» Blue Jays manager John Schneider said with a smile on Monday when asked if he believed the caps were good luck.
Toronto has a chance to sweep the Yankees on Tuesday night to advance to its first AL Championship Series since 2016.
The Blue Jays still chasing their first World Series since 1993, and if they pull it off wearing the white-panel hats, they might stick around for good.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 7 | 370 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays set to wear retro white-panel caps in Game 3 of American League Division Series Are you a fan of the Blue Jays white-panel caps? | ||
| Yes | 323 | 87.3 % |
| No | 47 | 12.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
