On a mighty team made up of strong personalities - Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Carl Furillo, Roy Campanella - one man stood out for his quiet, rock-solid presence - first baseman Gil Hodges. The voice of reason and strength, Hodges emerged from being a third-string catcher to become one of the most beloved players ever to wear a Brooklyn Dodgers cap - one of which we just so happen to have here. This timeless piece of Brooklyn history is the ball cap Hodges wore that last season before moving to Los Angeles. It can be attributed to that final summer by studying the "B". Though subtle to most eyes, the style of "B" changed slightly over throughout the 1950's and this thinner style was used only in 1957. The cap shows tremendous game use: the visor has been creased and broken on the left side and overall it exhibits many stains and marks. The underside of the brim, beneath Hodges' famous number "14" written in black marker are two rips in the green cloth. The sweatband is present, and though brittle, it is uncracked. It's a well-used cap - but this is GIL HODGES cap and it has that certain "something" about it. Looking at the artfully sculpted "B" one can almost hear the crowd, and that famous Brooklyn Dodger Blue - slightly different than its LA counterpart - makes one think you can almost smell the Ebbets Field grass. Game worn Brooklyn Dodgers caps rarely come around and even harder to find is one from such a prominent member of the Boys of Summer as their beloved first baseman, Gil Hodges. Letter of Authenticity from uniform expert Dave Meidema. Additional research has shown this hat to be most likely from the 1953 season.

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