Offered is the earliest Detroit Tigers cap bearing a chain stitched player's name examined by MEARS. Hat was manufactured by Spalding and has the black and silver tag sewn into the brown leather sweatband. Chain stitched into the band is "Tavener" in orange period cotton thread. This is the early soft small billed hat with the sewn green under bill. It is the 8 panel construction and aside from some soiling from wear on the inside and a small cigarette burn size hole on the second panel to the left of the gothic orange "D", the hat remains in game worn but near mint condition. Tavener played for the Tigers with Ty Cobb from 1925-28 but the orange "D" was worn in 1927-28 nailing down the era of its use to two seasons.
Between 1925 and 1928, Tavener was the Tigers' starting shortstop and in 1926, Tavener played all 156 games at shortstop for Detroit. He also scored his best offensive year in 1927, with a .333 on base percentage, 36 extra base hits, and a.406 slugging percentage in 116 games.
Overall, a museum quality hat and one of the earliest known examples of a hat with the players name factory chain stitched. You will never see another. Collection of MEARS staff. MEARS LOA.