Putting Logos On Their Hats

When Fred McGriff went into the Hall of Fame last month, he went in without a logo on his hat.  McGriff spent five years each in Toronto, Atlanta and Tampa Bay and couldn't choose between the Blue Jays, Braves and Devil Rays, so he decided to not go with any of them.  We've seen that more and more in recent years.  Hall of Famers who don't want to offend the fans of one of the teams they played for by representing another for eternity. 

While that's a reasonable stance and the Hall of Fame should definitely take it into consideration, that doesn't mean they should automatically go with a blank hat.  Frankly, it should be a collaboration.  Because even though most players will likely play for multiple teams in their career, they're still going to be identified with one of those teams more than the others.  And that's the team that should be on their plaque in Cooperstown.

I'll take a few soon-to-be Hall of Famers as an example.  Adrian Beltre played for four teams.  Everybody thinks of him as a Texas Ranger.  That's the hat he should be wearing when he goes in next year.  You could make the argument for Justin Verlander going in as an Astro, but he spent most of his career in Detroit and really should be a Tiger.  Meanwhile, when you think of Max Scherzer, the Nationals are the first team that comes to mind.

So, with that in mind, let's go back, take some of the Hall of Famers who went in with logo-less hats and put a logo on it.  And, since this whole thing started because of Fred McGriff, let's start with him.

Fred McGriff: Braves-Was there ever a better trade deadline deal than the one that brought the Crime Dog to Atlanta in 1993?  (OK, maybe Verlander to Houston in 2017.)  He was the missing piece.  And it was in Atlanta where he had his greatest individual success too.  All*Star Game MVP in 1994, a World Series ring in 1995, another pennant in 1996.

Greg Maddux: Braves-OK, the main reason those 1990s Braves teams were so dominant was because of their trio of Hall of Fame pitchers.  And this is an example of exactly what I was talking about by not wanting to offend a fan base.  Maddux spent nearly the same amount of time with Cubs and Braves.  But, who we kidding?  He's a Hall of Famer because of what he did in Atlanta.

Roy Halladay: Blue Jays-Halladay was elected posthumously, and his wife didn't want to speak for him when choosing his Hall of Fame team.  He had four excellent seasons with the Phillies, including that tremendous first year in 2010 when he threw a perfect game in the regular season, another no-hitter in the playoffs and won the Cy Young.  Still, though, he spent 12 of his 16 Major League seasons in Toronto.

Mike Mussina: Orioles-Mussina is an interesting case.  He played 18 seasons, split almost equally between the Orioles and Yankees.  Ten years in Baltimore, eight in New York.  The team success came with the Yankees.  The individual honors came mainly with the Orioles.  It's close, but I'd say he should be representing Baltimore.

Tony La Russa: Cardinals-This problem isn't exclusive to players.  You could make arguments for both Oakland and St. Louis when it comes to La Russia.  His 10 years in Oakland featured three consecutive pennants and a 1989 World Series title.  He won two World Series during his 15 years in St. Louis, though, and the Cardinals were in the playoffs seemingly every year.  That's why I'd say he should have an "STL" on that blank hat.

Catfish Hunter: Athletics-For a while, until this recent stretch of logo-less hats, Catfish Hunter was the guy who stood out for not having one.  He won three World Series in Oakland and two with the Yankees, where he went as one of baseball's first-ever free agents.  I could understand the rationale for wanting to be a Yankee, but he's a Hall of Famer because of what he did in Oakland (and Kansas City before the move).

Johnny Mize: Cardinals-Johnny Mize's hat not having a logo comes with an asterisk.  The Cardinals didn't have a logo on their hats when he played there in the late 30s, so it's actually historically accurate for it to be blank.  And, seeing as he also played for the Giants and Yankees, but his plaque doesn't have an "NY" on the hat, we'll just go ahead and say that's a Cardinals hat he's wearing.  (There are several other St. Louis Cardinals from this era who also have blank hats, and I'm guessing that's why for them, as well.)

Yogi Berra: Yankees-Yogi Berra's head is turned on his plaque.  That's literally the only reason why there isn't a logo on the hat.  Because what other team would be on it?!  He's synonymous with the New York Yankees!

There are a bunch of other players from the Hall of Fame's early days who don't have a logo on their hat, but, like Mize, that's not necessarily because they aren't representing a specific team.  It's just because that team didn't have a logo on their hat at the time.  Then there are some like Yogi, where their head is turned, or where they just aren't wearing a hat at all, thus really solving the problem!

That may actually be the best solution.  If a Hall of Famer can't decide between teams or his contributions were equal, have him looking to the side so the logo can't be seen.  If he's facing forward, though, there should be a logo!