Tuesday is National Hat Day, but for the San Antonio Missions, 2018 was a remarkable hat year.
According to the official store for Minor League Baseball, San Antonio's team owned the top spot for headwear sales with the Flying Chanclas cap. The team's alternate identity, which was used for select home games during the 2018 season, was a viral sensation.
According to the league, the name pays tribute to Hispanic grandmothers and their propensity for throwing their sandals at misbehaving youth. The Chanclas nickname "honors the matriarch of the Latino family ... and her symbol of strength, discpline and love."
The colorful teal cap with a white front and flip flop logo resonated with fans all over the country, not just in South Texas.
"I think Flying Chanclas just hit every market it kind of needed to," Minor League senior brand manager Ryan Foose told milb.com. Foose played a role in the development and execution of the Flying Chanclas identity. "For one of the first times ever, a team looked at an entire culture, rather than a specific city or specific fan base. ... San Antonio was definitely the perfect city for it, with a fun-loving, vibrant feel."
In addition to the hat's popularity nationwide, the Flying Chanclas identity was a home run in San Antonio. According to milb.com, the San Antonio Missions generated more than $700,000 in sales for Flying Chanclas gear in the ballpark and via the team's online store.
The "Copa de la Diversión" campaign will return in 2019, with more teams' logos to be unveiled in March. The Missions will begin play in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in April.