The City of Brotherly Love: a critical cog in the clockwork of our young nation. History runs through its architecture, politics, and culture. From Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell to the Philly cheesesteak, Philly knows all about making a name for itself. Philadelphia has such strong conviction that even its baseball team has an untouchable historical record. The Philadelphia Phillies are the oldest franchise that has kept its name and city.
The Philadelphia Phillies joined the National League in 1883. Where were the Phillies before 1883? They were playing baseball as the Worcester Ruby Legs because names were picked out of hats in the 19th century. Seventeen years later, the professional baseball team experienced a franchise milestone – they started wearing hats!
From 1900-10, the Phillies let their bats do the talking because their hats were adorned with nondescript lines. It wasn’t until 1911 that Philadelphia decided to test an insignia, a capital “P,” which has stuck with the franchise for over a century.
The Philly “P.” Forms, fonts, styles, and colors were all modified as the decades rolled on. Can you picture the Phillies in navy, with a capital dandelion-yellow “P” above the brim? It happened in 1938 for one season. How about a white, capitalized, block-letter “P” upon cerulean? Yep, 1944-45.
In 1946, Philadelphia tested a proprietary font for their cap logo “P.” The style stuck, as it is the same form used today. It is one of the Phillies’ most recognizable hat logos and has been stitched in since 1992. The biggest competition regarding popularity to the current “P” logo would be their throwback insignia. This is a fluid, maroon capital “P” with a baseball swirling into its center. These two logos adorned official Philly hats during their World Series championships (1980 and 2008).
Philly also had moments of ambiguity, where they donned solid color caps (black in 1907, navy in 1921, and “Philly red” in 1933). So if your lucky Phillies hat has lost its luster, explain that your navy ball cap is a throwback to 1920s Philadelphia baseball. Now, find yourself a worthy replacement at Jersey Fanatics, where your Phillies hat will speak for itself.