Rally cap
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Rally Cap is a baseball cap worn while inside-out or in another unconventional manner by players or fans, in order to will a team into a come-from-behind rally late in the game. The Rally Cap is primarily a baseball superstition.
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[edit] History
The first appearance of the Rally Cap was during the 1942 baseball season[citation needed], when fans of the Detroit Tigers, while in attendance at Tiger Stadium, occasionally would wear their baseball caps inside-out as a makeshift talisman to generate a come-from-behind victory in the late innings of a baseball game. The superstition spread from the fans to the Tigers players themselves, and rose to national awareness during the 1945 World Series when the Detroit Tigers were playing the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers were tied in Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. In the sixth inning of that game, the radio announcer mentioned certain members of the Tigers in the dugout wearing their caps inside out. Subsequently, in that inning of that game, the Tigers scored four runs after a ball rolled between the legs of Chicago first baseman Phil Cavarretta. The Tigers then went on to win the game 8-4. The historic rally led to a Game 7 win, allegedly with the prominent assistance of their "Rally Caps" allowing them to become the 1945 World Series Champions.
The Rally Cap subsequently was adopted by baseball fans internationally, being used to give their team a little extra mojo and come from behind. The Rally Cap is especially popular among Little League players as a way to spark a comeback.
[edit] Details
The belief behind the rally cap is generally to sacrifice a small amount of one's dignity in exchange for a little luck for one's team. It is widely understood that the baseball cap must be one depicting the logo of the team in order to be used as a Rally Cap.
[edit] Rally Chew
Often, in addition to the rally cap, one will also use chewing tobacco as a means of sparking a comeback for one's team. This is known as the "Rally Chew", and can be seen under the lips of a number of Major League Baseball players and managers. It is said that the Boston Red Sox come-from-behind series wins in the 2004 ALCS and 2007 ALCS have been attributed to manager Terry Francona's chewing habits. However, in 2008 the Red Sox came up short against the Tampa Bay Rays, and some believe this is because Francona, in an effort to kick his addiction to tobacco, had resorted to chewing bubble gum instead.
[edit] Use in the NHL
The "Rally Cap" has also been used recently in the National Hockey League in shootout situations. Instead of a traditional cap, however, hockey players will place their helmets on their heads backwards. Marc Savard, during his stay with the Atlanta Thrashers, is the originator of this tradition.[1]
[edit] Use in the Media
In 2009, General Motors began using the "Rally Cap" in their advertising campaigns due to the fact that they were in serious financial trouble, along with much of the world's economy.
