Baltimore Orioles: Reactions to New Era ‘Local Market’ Hat

On Tuesday, New Era released a “Local Market” hat series, including a new Baltimore Orioles hat. Here’s an explanation of the designs and how fans reacted to the latest O’s gear

Unveiled on Tuesday, the “Local Market” hat series is the latest mock-up of Major League Baseball hats produced by New Era, which introduces a brand new Baltimore Orioles hat design. The series attempts to surround the standard team logo with market-exclusive area codes and designs that relate to the history of the city each team plays in.

Here’s a look at the Baltimore Orioles New Era 59FIFTY “Local Market” design:

SOURCE: New Era

The hat’s design includes area codes 410, 443, and 667 to the left of the team’s logo, each of which are area codes covering the Baltimore metropolitan area. Oriole Park at Camden Yards falls within the 410 area code listed at the top of the list on the hat.

On the hat’s right side is the 1983 World Series logo, which represents the franchise’s most recent title and nods to Orioles legends who played in the series, such as Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Cal Ripken Jr., and World Series MVP Rick Dempsey.

The defining figures of Baltimore featured on the hat include the USS Constellation, a crab, a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe, and an orange-colored silhouette of the state of Maryland with “1954” printed within it.

Here’s a brief explanation of the significance of each design:

• USS Constellation – Commissioned by the Union to block ports of the Confederacy during the Civil War, the ship is now a National Historic Landmark in the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
• Crab – Maryland’s connection to the Chesapeake Bay makes crabs a popular export for the state.
• Edgar Allan Poe – The world-renowned poet’s earliest standing home is located in Baltimore, where he spent many years of his life.
• 1954 – The franchise relocated to Baltimore and became the Orioles during this year.