Story of the Rally Cap

We have all seen them and on occasion tested its powers, however few have understood the origins of the Rally Cap. So, I give you the Story of the Rally Cap.

The most widely accepted definition for the term rally cap is: To wear one's baseball cap turned inside out and often sideways to encourage a rally from your favorite baseball team. Must be performed in the confines of a sporting facility and works best in the late innings of a game with runners on base.

According to rallycap.com:

The first appearance of the Rally Cap was during the 1942 baseball season, 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 6th 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 4 runs after a ball rolled between the legs of the Chicago first baseman. 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 was not seen again for another 41 years until the 1986 World Series when the New York Mets were playing the Boston Red Sox. The Mets were losing game six and already down 3 games to 2 in the series. It seemed almost certain that the Red Sox were going to be the 1986 World Series Champs, but in the 7th inning of that game something amazing happened. The Mets players all started wearing their caps inside out while sitting in The dugout, catching on, the fans also started to sport their caps inside out and the Rally Cap was reborn. Then just like in the 1945 World Series the Mets won that game when the Red Sox first baseman made an era on a routine ground ball.

Then in game 7 the Mets were behind again by a score of 3 to 0 in the 6th inning and one more time in need of a little magic, so the fans and players put on their Rally Caps and the rest is baseball history. The New York Mets rallied back and went on to win that game by a score of 8 to 5, became the 1986 World Series Champions and brought new life to the Rally Cap.