New Era Deep Cuts - 4 of 365 - Duluth-Superior Dukes

Due to technical difficulties I was not able to get this blog posted last night. Hoping that doesn't become a habit.

The fourth entry in my Deep Cuts series is a cap I never really had my sights on, but once it became available it set up a new obsession for me. One I likely will never see fulfilled, but as any good cap collector knows, you never give up.

One of the first caps I ordered when my collecting entered a more serious phase in 1996 was the incredible cap of the independent Northern League's St. Paul Saints. To this day it is one of my very favorites in my collection. (#CrewEra13 will remember it was the cap I wore that first day in Buffalo)

I didn't really know too much about the Northern League, or honestly cared. But that Saints cap was sacred to me. It was probably about 2008 or 2009 when I stumbled upon this cap. I'd seen it before, but it was never one that I longed for. But it was on eBay and fairly inexpensive, so I grabbed it.

I can't resist purple and black.

The Duluth-Superior Dukes played in the Northern League from 1993-2003 before relocating to Kansas City as the T-Bones. That makes this cap not only defunct, but rare. In fact I've only seen it one other time up for auction. A pretty simple logo, certainly not as awesome as that other defunct Dukes team from Albuquerque, but as I said, it started an obsession with me. I suddenly had the desire to own fitted (in my size) versions of all six original Norther League teams. I have since acquired one additional, so I'm halfway to my goal.

Unlike my Saints cap, which I wear quite often, I have maybe worn this once or twice since picking it up. I do love the colors, and the logo is simple enough. I just wish it was a little smaller. Actually the thing I love most about this cap is the Northern League logo on the back of the cap. I'd love to see that on the front of a cap.