NEW ERA CAP UPGRADES OFFICIAL MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CAPS

-- Newly Engineered Caps Perform Better for Players On-Field and in Practice --

BUFFALO, N.Y., (February 2007) - New Era Cap Company, the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of the official on-field and batting practice caps for Major League Baseball (MLB), is introducing new caps for the 2007 baseball season. The caps are part of a new collection from New Era called Performance Headwear, engineered with the latest advancements in cap manufacturing. Both caps are infused with new fabric containing vapor and moisture management features making them feel and perform better on the field of play. New Era’s 59FIFTY and 39THIRTY caps will remain the League’s official on-field and batting practice caps, respectively.

“Major League Baseball players have worn New Era caps on the field since the 1930s, making it the gold standard for ballplayers and sports fans,” said Christopher H. Koch, New Era Cap CEO. “By revolutionizing the cap, we’re ensuring the players headwear provides the best performance while they play.”

The 59FIFTY on-field cap, the official cap worn on-field by every MLB player, utilizes moisture management technology in a new performance fabric which provides superior dryness, ultimate comfort and total durability to every player. The technology used throughout the cap works to wick, or draw, moisture away from the skin and move it into the new performance sweatband. With unprecedented efficiency, the performance fabric then works to accelerate the drying of the cap resulting in a player and a cap that are cooler, dryer and more comfortable. Another change New Era has made to the 59Fifty cap’s performance is changing the color of the under visor from gray to black to reduce the glare from the sun and stadium lights.

The 39Thirty batting practice cap, the exclusive cap worn during Spring Training and during all pre-game workouts, features an innovative new vapor management technology preventing moisture from developing and guarding against sweat, odor and fading.

“Slight changes have been made over the years to our caps,” said Koch. “For example, changing out the leather sweat band in the 80s to a cloth one, but this is by far the most significant overhaul to the cap as it specifically affects the cap’s performance for the players.”

New Era put its new Performance Headwear to the test during the 2006 baseball season. A number of ballplayers received the batting practice cap and had the opportunity the wear it in Spring Training and pre-game conditions as part of the development process.

The marketing efforts in support of this launch include:
- Print advertising and retail POP displays utilizing current MLB players including Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves and Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros
- Text message contests with a chance to win one million dollars and a prize to go the 2007 All Star game
- In-game integration into MLB ’07 The Show played on PlayStation 2, PSP and PlayStation 3
- Comprehensive in-store merchandising support


The new 39Thirty batting practice cap will hit shelves on February 1st, while the 59Fifty on-field cap will debut on March 30th, prior to the first game on Opening Day. A limited number of New York Yankees and New York Mets caps will be available at the New Era: New York flagship store on 4th Street in SoHo, and fans will be able to pre-order their new caps online at neweracap.com starting in March.


About New Era Cap
Since 1920, New Era Cap, located in Buffalo, New York, has been the world’s premier headwear brand with products that transcend time, culture, sport and fashion. Producing more than 30 million caps per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of the official on-field cap worn by every Major League Baseball team and their Minor League affiliates and maintaining agreements with other licensed entities. Some of the Company’s core markets include Action Sports, Children, Fan, Suburban, Women and Fashion/Lifestyle. The Company employs people in New York, Alabama and at its operations in Canada, Europe and Japan. New Era is a ‘Category A’ affiliate of the Fair Labor Association.


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CONTACT:
Dana Marciniak
Corporate Communications Manager
(716) 604-9000 ext. 1459
dana.marciniak@neweracap.com

Paige Novack
Major League Baseball
(212) 931-7607
paige.novack@mlb.com