Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian weighs in on Texas Rangers cap controversy as resale prices soar to $1,000 after design blunder

Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian shared his two cents on the latest controversy involving the Texas Rangers' erstwhile celebrated Overlap 59FIFTY cap. The removed-from-shelves cap, taken off e-retailers due to an unexpected design flaw, has skyrocketed in value on the secondary market, with some prices reaching a staggering $1,000.

In reaction to the backlash, Ohanian cited its worth as a collector's piece, comparing it to one of baseball's most historic memorabilia blunders—the 1989 Billy Ripken "F**k Face" error card.

The controversy began when Major League Baseball's official cap vendor, New Era, unveiled its Overlap 59FIFTY line, featuring team logos positioned in creative ways atop their respective names. Unfortunately for the Texas Rangers, this was a design fiasco in the making. The "T" logo of the team was placed on top of the word "TEXAS" such that the "X" was obscured, thereby forming the Spanish colloquialism "TeTas," which is an insulting word for female physiology.

When pictures of the hat were posted on the internet, enthusiasts were quick to point out the blunder and unleash a torrent of ridicule and abuse. New Era and MLB immediately removed the hat from official stores, such as Fanatics and MLB's official store.

However, removing the cap just added fuel to the fire. With its scarcity now cemented, resellers cashed in, selling the hat on secondary markets like eBay for astronomical amounts. Originally $44.99, some hats have been selling for more than $1,000. Such instances of pent-up demand are a reenactment of previous sports memorabilia fiascos, most notably the notorious Billy Ripken error card.

Fleer produced in 1989, a Ripken baseball card with the unadorned phrase "F**K FACE" emblazoned on the tip of his bat. The mistake was not picked up initially, so a number of copies had entered circulation before the rectification was implemented. The unrevised version then turned out to be a classic and sought-after collector's piece, a fate which Ohanian believes the Rangers cap could potentially have.

Taking to X (previously Twitter), Ohanian shared his thoughts regarding the ordeal, writing that while the cap may never share the legendary status of the Ripken card, it's undoubtedly going to be a keeper in the community.

"Absolutely gonna be a collectors item -- not on the same level as the F**k Face card, but pretty spectacular," Serena Williams' husband wrote.

In addition to the Rangers' hat, other Overlap 59FIFTY line clubs have also been criticized for inadvertent word arrangements. The Los Angeles Angels' model seemed to spell "Anaels," while the Houston Astros' hat spelled out "Ashos," sparking further outrage. Following the scandal, New Era also removed those hats from its shelves without fanfare.

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian showcased Michael Jordan's 'classic' baseball trading card

In Picture: Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian (Source: Getty)

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, proudly displayed a ‘classic’ Michael Jordan baseball trading card. In January 2025, he shared on X that his co-owned platform, Mantel, inspired him to acquire the 1994 GM MT 10 card from Jordan’s brief baseball stint.

"The @onMantel community inspired me — I had to cop a GM MT 10 of this classic MJ card from his year of baseball," Serena Williams' husband wrote.

Jordan played one season with the Birmingham Barons, hitting a .202 average in 127 games. Ohanian also owns an iconic 1986 Fleer card of the five-time NBA MVP, which he purchased in 2023 and called ‘contemporary art.’

In other news, Alexis Ohanian voiced his thoughts on automated umpiring in baseball, following a viral moment during the Angels vs. Padres MLB training game.