Baseball cap

A baseball cap is a type of soft hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill[1] projecting in front.

Since the 1980s, varieties of the hat have become prevalent in the United States and many other nations, both for utilitarian (protecting the eyes from the sun) and fashion accessory purposes.

[3] The merino cap topped with a star-like pattern was made by the New York sporting goods company Peck & Snyder.

[2] During the 1940s, latex rubber became the stiffening material inside the hat and the modern baseball cap was born.

[4] Fitted baseball hats — those without an adjuster — are normally sewn in six sections, and may be topped with a matching fabric-covered button (also called a squatchee) on the crown.

In some cases, the rear sections of the crown are made of net-like mesh material for extra ventilation.

In 2014, the MLB began allowing pitchers to wear a special reinforced hat to protect their heads from line drives.

The baseball cap is also commonly used by private security companies as a cheap, practical piece of uniform headgear.

[citation needed] In Slovenia, policemen on motorcycles wear baseball caps as a part of their uniform, when they remove the helmet.

In the United Kingdom, the baseball cap has the additional advantage of being unisex and suitable for wear by both male and female officers.

[9] However, the Northamptonshire force announced in November 2018 that their "Bump Caps" had proven scruffy and unpopular, and would be withdrawn from use.

A notable exception is the San Francisco Police Department, where peaked caps are still worn regularly.