Capshot: Portland Mavericks 59Fifty

One of the most interesting teams in Minor League Baseball history, the Portland Mavericks emerged in 1973 as the lone independently-owned team in the minors at the time. Owned by enigmatic actor Bing Russell (father of actor Kurt Russell), the Mavericks were a genuine throwback to teams before they were “owned” by Major League franchises (technically, minor league teams engage in player development contract agreements with MLB teams, though some MLB clubs do own their MiLB counterparts). Given that Russell was not contracted with an MLB team, he took to an open casting call and would field a team of castoffs and rough-edged characters that charmed a city devoid of baseball after the departure of the Portland Beavers.

What was surprising regarding the Mavericks is that the team full of ex-major league players and players cast off of other minor league teams did surprisingly well, ending each of their 5 seasons with a winning record and breaking records in attendance throughout the minors. I highly recommend The Battered Bastards of Baseball, which documents the trials and travails of the team. You can find the doc on Netflix and it really is a must-see for any baseball fan.

Red, white, and black crown
Black brim
Black squatcho
White New Era logo
White and black M logo

A ubiquitous pinwheel design first utilized by the Montreal Expos, the Portland Mavericks’ cap utilizes a twist on the look and incorporates white as the side panel color instead of the front panels. Black, white, and red make for a cohesive and complimentary colorway overall.

This version of the Mavericks M is actually closer to a remake utilized by the Hillsboro Hops rather than the actual Mavericks M, which features a more prominent loop flair at the bottom of the M. Ebbets Field Flannels owns the rights to that particular M.

Here’s a better look at the unique pinwheel effect on the cap.

The rear of the cap is devoid of any logos.

The underbrim is standard kelly green, which was the underbrim color on baseball caps until the 90s. A black sweatband finishes off the look.

Cap Availability Status: Uncommon

I only label this cap as uncommon since it’s not exactly commonplace, but there are a few channels that carry it. My version is from a Hat Club drop, though you can find it via the Hillsboro Hops shop. Ebbets Field Flannels carries a more true-to-source material version which is available year-round. After watching the documentary you may want to find one for yourself as well.