My favorite team from across the border, the Águilas de Mexicali (Mexicali Eagles) of the Mexican Pacific League are celebrating their 70th anniversary with a series of caps that commemorate the various looks and accomplishments of seasons’ past.
While doing a little digging I discovered this picture via Google of one of the first exhibition games held by the 1948 Águilas in a very familiar place (for me, anyway): Stark Field in El Centro, CA.
While I always knew there was and is a huge Águilas following here in the Imperial Valley, I didn’t know such a connection was fostered in the origins of the team playing in my home. A very cool detail to dig up! Baseball names were not exclusive to the States in this era: such nicknames like Santiago “Dumbo” Ayala and Bob “Cero Cero” Balcena made up the inaugural team. “Dumbo” Ayala (who probably gained the moniker thanks to his ears) is notable for scoring the first runs for the Águilas in a game against the Las Vegas Wranglers in the 1948 opening of Parque Hidalgo (Hidalgo Park) in Mexicali.
Such pieces of history are part of what draws me into collecting caps; outside of the many great looks and styles of headwear found in the hobby are the amazing stories and the histories these caps carry and convey. Being able to discover new facts and connections between the teams I love and the places I know is incredibly enriching.
If you look closely at the picture you’ll see that this cap is a pretty close take on what those original Águilas wore:
Red crown and brim
Red and white A logo
White New Era logo
This modern remake of the cap worn by the inaugural 1948 team features a simple colorway and simple A (for Águilas) logo, fitting for the time period.
Of note is the construction of the A logo itself: the A portion is a very thick felt that protrudes a fair bit from the crown. While probably not period-correct as far as depth it makes for a striking look on the cap. A white embroidered border separates the A from the crown.
Found on the wearer’s right is the 70th anniversary patch featured on all the Águilas caps of this series. A very clean design that includes the years, the interlocking MA logo, and baseball stitching as a wreath makes for a great patch look. Some MLB designers should take note…
At the rear of the cap is the modern LMP (Liga Mexicana Pacifico) logo.
The underbrim of this cap is throwback kelly green and the sweatband is black. There is one more detail that you have to see on the sweatband, however…
And that’s the year the cap is commemorating, stitched right on the band itself. Such stitching is a very unique detail that you don’t see often in caps. The stitching itself doesn’t make the cap uncomfortable; I haven’t noticed it when wearing the cap.
New for this season is the inclusion of the interlocking MA logo as the brand tag; previously it was the LMP logo and prior to that there was no brand tag. Underneath the standard materials tag is a white tag with the materials in Spanish.
Cap Availability Status: Import
As with most Águilas de Mexicali caps this hat is an import and is only found (currently) at the Estadio B’Air stadium team store. With current exchange rates these caps are currently coming out to roughly $40: definitely on the higher end of hats but worth it to this collector and to the many rabid fans of the team.
SD HAT COLLECTORS 
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