Why did MLB remove new hats from official site? Everything you need to know about the controversy as price rises to $1,000 on eBay

MLB: Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays - Source: Imagn
Why did MLB remove their new hats? Everything you need to know about controversy as price rises to $1,000 on eBay (Imagn)

The MLB season always brings about new merchandise. Teams generally wear the same jerseys and hats every year, so New Era, a big hat provider for MLB, tries to be creative a lot. Sometimes it works, and sometimes, like this year, it really doesn't.

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They released hats with the name of the team or city behind the logo of said team. In most cases, it's just clunky. But in others, it created a vulgar term on the front of the hat. Those have been removed.

The most egregious example of this is the Texas Rangers' hat. Theirs had the word Texas with the T logo over the middle, which inadvertently spelled out a Hispanic term for a woman's breasts.

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That hat is no longer available on the team store or the MLB Shop. League officials declined to comment about the hat when asked by ESPN for comment. This is not the only hat that caused an uncomfortable word, though.

The Los Angeles Angels hat, which now read Anaels, was also removed. The Houston Astros hat, or the Ashos as the hat put it, was not made unavailable.

While some others are awkward or unattractive, no others have as of now been removed, and it's unclear what MLB or New Era will do about the entire line, especially the Rangers and Angels' versions.

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Texas Rangers MLB hat soars on eBay

In the wake of the controversy and perhaps more tied to the fact that it's now unavailable, resale prices for the controversial Texas Rangers hats have soared on eBay. Resale is the only way to get it now, and those who bought the hat are reaping the benefit.

Texas Rangers hats are selling like wildfire (Imagn)
Texas Rangers hats are selling like wildfire (Imagn)

The Athletic reported that six of the Rangers' hats have sold on eBay for as much as $1,000. An eBay seller even made some knockoff versions of the hat and has sold one for over $100. They originally retailed for $45.

The report stated that these hats became the most expensive New Era hats ever sold on the popular reselling platform. As the scarcity increases, that price range could soar even higher.

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Edited by Krutik Jain
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