New Era is at it again. This time, the company that provides the official on-field hat for the Cincinnati Reds and every other team throughout Major League Baseball, has created a new and awful design just days before Opening Day.
New Era is inviting you to get your daily dose of essential nutrients to upgrade your fitted rotation with the State Fruit Collection. Apparently the state fruit of Ohio, which I was unaware of, is the tomato. And, depending on who you ask, the tomato isn't even a fruit.
The Cincinnati Reds State Fruit 59FIFTY fitted hat, which retails for $49.99, has the classic wishbone-C on the front panel and a 1990 World Series patch on the side. Above the MLB Batterman logo on the back is an embroidered tomato.
The New Era Reds State Fruit hat is unappetizing.
If you want to take a peek at the Cincinnati Reds State Fruit hat, click here. If you prefer to spare your eyes, I understand. However, you can also check out several other horrendous examples of New Era's collections such as the City Collection and Snakeskin.
Whatever happened to just a simple, red-colored hat with a the wishbone-C on the front? You know, like the ones the players wear on the field? Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the simple on-field designs as opposed to the insane amount of logos and themes that are crammed onto a ball cap.
In case you were curious, the tomato is actually the state fruit of Ohio, so the concept isn't completely crazy. Ohio is actually the nation's third-largest producers of tomatoes and it has been the official state fruit since 2009.
Among some of the others in the New Era State Fruit Collection are the Los Angeles Dodgers whose green-colored hat features an embroidered avocado on the back. There is also the red-colored New York Mets hat that represents an apple. There's also a purple St. Louis Cardinals hat that is supposed to symbolize a grape.
New Era seems to have struck out with the Cincinnati Reds "Tomato" hat, but it seems as though fans in Florida really dig the orange-colored hat with the Miami Marlins' throwback logo. It's sold out! At least that one makes a little sense.