Incredible Fedora - 1951 Yankees

[Runscott]

Caution - very esoteric.

This just arrived and I couldn't be more pleased. It's a Dobbs Fifty (cost $50) that was given to the Yankees' Bob Muncrief during Spring Training in 1951.

I have seen three of these auctioned - each was described either as a hat presented to the Yankee players because they won the World Series in 1951, or as something the player could order instead of a ring. Ridiculous.

The fact is that Yankee co-owner Del Webb switched spring training locations with the Giants in 1951, so that Webb could show off his team to his buddies in Phoenix. There are a couple of photos showing Yogi Berra wearing his hat, and also one of the entire team.

I used to collect and restore fedoras, and the 'Dobbs 50' was one of the plushest hats ever made, so I had to have it. The confusion over origin and the fantasy reconstruction of history surrounding these hats, is due to the stamping in the sweatband, which, after the player's name, reads: "N.Y. Yankees World Champions' on the second line, with 1951 under the word 'champions'. But it also reads 'In Phoenix, Arizona' to the left of '1951'. Muncrief took great care of his hat, probably because it had references to a great team, along with his name, and his involvement with them was minuscule - 2 games, 3 innings in 1951, then he was gone from baseball. He just caught a glimpse of the beginning of the Mantle years.

How is that for esoteric?

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I used to collect and restore fedoras

That line blew my mind

Very cool pick-up, excellent research and relation of the item's history, and the resurrection of your old hobby means you currently have my vote for Esoteric Enthusiast of the Year Award (at least until Carlton's next flea market trip).

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

That line blew my mind

Very cool pick-up, excellent research and relation of the item's history, and the resurrection of your old hobby means you currently have my vote for Esoteric Enthusiast of the Year Award (at least until Carlton's next flea market trip).

Thanks Lance. I had around 70 fedoras hanging on my walls, stacked in my closet, etc. I am not resurrecting my old hobby, but I can't pass up a good cross-over item. My ultimate crossover item was Ted Williams' pool cue - it was cracked (but not frozen) and nothing special. I still restore antique pool cues.

[horzverti]

I usually wear a ball cap, but that fedora is cool. Looks like it is in perfect condition. Great pick up Scott. Have you started shopping for the right mannequin head on which to display this gem?

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by horzverti

I usually wear a ball cap, but that fedora is cool. Looks like it is in perfect condition. Great pick up Scott. Have you started shopping for the right mannequin head on which to display this gem?

Eff the mannequin head; I want to see a photo of Scott wearing this bad boy!
Scott, terrific pick up. How cool!

[Al C.risafulli]

Scott, this is one of the coolest pieces I've seen in a while.

Thanks for sharing.

-Al

[Runscott]

Thanks, guys. It's almost in new condition, but there is some evidence that Muncrief wore it from time to time. A $20 hat from this period was phenomenal and the felt was of a quality unavailable today. $50 hats were mostly for presentations or wealthy people. The $100 hat came along a bit later and was more inflation than anything else. There's your hat history synopsis - I promise not to do that again

I also had a Phil Rizzuto fedora ($20 hat), but moronically sold it One more and I would have had a Yankee fedora collection. I have tried to win hats belonging to Jack Dempsey, Tom Landry and a few other sports celebrities, but only had luck with the Yanks.

[ethicsprof]

gorgeous hats!!
It's always great fun to move through these fascinating tributaries of the
hobby.
many thanks.
all the best,
barry

[WillowGrove]

Great pick up Scott and I really enjoyed the reactions and monarch note version of recent hat history.

Good stuff right here.

[Jacklitsch]

Love the hat!

One thing confuses me...was this hat $50 in 1951 or is that what you paid?

If the latter that is one terrific buy!

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Jacklitsch

Love the hat!

One thing confuses me...was this hat $50 in 1951 or is that what you paid?

If the latter that is one terrific buy!

Haha....no, but I wish I paid $50. Dobbs, Knox and Stetson each had hats named after their prices (Fifty, Twenty and Fifteen for Knox and Dobbs). Stetson later made a '100' (that cost $100) which was used almost exclusively as a presentation hat - it was the exact style LBJ and Eisenhower wore. This one is odd in that it does not have a bound brim, but instead has the more expensive 'Cavanagh Edge', even stranger on a dress western like this.

[mark evans]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Thanks Lance. I had around 70 fedoras hanging on my walls, stacked in my closet, etc. I am not resurrecting my old hobby, but I can't pass up a good cross-over item. My ultimate crossover item was Ted Williams' pool cue - it was cracked (but not frozen) and nothing special. I still restore antique pool cues.

Fascinating hobby.

Re pool cues: I grew up following the career of a wonderful player Luther Lassiter who shot pool in my hometown (Norfolk, VA). His Balabushka cue came up in recent years on eBay with an asking price of $60,000. Just too many zeros for this kid. In the next life I won't drop out of Columbia U. business school to pursue a career as a lawyer with the federal gov't.

[GoldenAge50s]

Very interesting post! I started following the Yankees in 1949 as a kid & of course remember the '51 season very well as Mantle's 1st yr, but I sure don't recall anything about the fedoras!

Great stuff & thanks for posting!

[Runscott]

Fred, my pleasure. I didn't think there would be any interest - posted this mainly to gather my photos/research and document the hat.

There are at least two more of these that have shown up at auction - a well-worn Johnny Mize and another, I forget whose. I would love to get hold of Berra or Bauer's (or Mantle's). DiMaggio wasn't around then as he retired after 1951, but I can't imagine he would have worn one of these willingly.

Here's Mize's Dobbs, from Lelands (creased photo) and Grey Flannel. To give these two AH's credit, neither made up a pseudo-history for it, as was done for the other two hats:

Lelands-"From the estate of the Big Cat. Terrific felt hat once worn by the HOF'er has golden embossing in the leather headband reading, "Johnny Mize, N.Y. Yankees World Champions in Phoenix, Arizona, 1951." Hat has some moderate foxing but still displays very well. An exciting year in Yankee history, as the torch was passed from DiMaggio to Mantle."

Grey Flannel-"Johnny Mize was a ten-time All-Star, a five-time World Series Champion a was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1981. This hat originates from the esta Hall of Famer and NY Yankees great Johnny Mize. Felt “Dobbs Fifth Avenu manufactured cowboy hat with gold colored embossing on the interior “JOHNNY MIZE NY YANKEES WORLD CHAMPIONS in PHOENIX, AZ 1951”. Appropriate foxing, EX overall."

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

you currently have my vote for Esoteric Enthusiast of the Year Award (at least until Carlton's next flea market trip).

I haven't been here long......but long enough to appreciate that line