Why Do People Wear Baseball Cap Backwards?

Why Do People Wear Baseball Cap Backwards?


People give many reasons for wearing their baseball cap backwards, some are practical, and some are for vanity. So the real question becomes, is there the best reason – and the answer is yes.

Vanity aside, one of the best reasons to wear your baseball cap backwards is to protect your neck for a variety of different reasons. Practically, the brim of a backwards hat can protect the neck’s back from various hazards.

Though protection is one of the biggest and best reasons to turn that hat around, the things you protect that vulnerable part of your neck from vary greatly. Also, some people may be turning their cap around for entirely different reasons.

Practical Reasons To Wear Your Cap Backwards

Despite the opponents to this style and those who say there is no reason to wear your baseball cap backwards, there are many practical reasons to do so. The most natural reasons for those are to help you keep that back part of your neck safe from a few different hazards.

The hat has always been to protect people’s faces. When people started wearing baseball caps, the brim used to encircle the whole hat was only in the front. People turning that hat backwards makes complete sense because people often keep their faces protected with SPF lotion and sunscreen. The neck gets less care, especially the back of it.

Here are some practical reasons to turn that baseball cap backwards.

  • Sun Shield – Brims are designed to keep the sun off of the face. That is the whole point of a hat with a brim. Yes, the cap protects the skull itself, but the brims whole point is to protect the face. The main hazard to protect the face and neck from is the sun. The sun beats down, and even on the cloudiest of days, you are exposed to the rays. If you are wearing a hat, you are more protected. The brim can keep the vulnerable part of your neck safe and unburned. This simple act can help prevent a lot of pain and decrease disease risks like sun poisoning and skin cancer.
  • Barrier – Much like working as a shield from the sun, brims can serve as a barrier to many different hazards. Weather, objectiles, and more can be diverted by merely turning that hat backwards. Some things that the backwards baseball cap can protect a person from are as follows:
    • Wind
    • Rain/Snow
    • Leaves/Acorns/Falling Objects
    • Wood Chips When Working
    • Welding Sparks


One of the most common sights you see at a baseball game is the catcher with his hat backwards under his catcher’s mask. When masks first came out, it quickly became apparent that there was no way for the player to fit the cap forwards under their mask.

Also, in the early days, the mask was very uncomfortable. The hat underneath provided much-needed padding. Though now there are other kinds of padding available, many catchers still use their hats as the padding because it is part of their uniform, and many feel it makes them seem more like a team to have it on.

Because of this, in pickup games among neighborhood kids or adults, you will often see the guy playing the part of the catcher turning their hat backwards to denote them as that position.

Other Reasons

Of course, there are multiple reasons why people wear their hat backwards, and some of them have absolutely no practical reasons whatsoever. They can be just because they like how it looks or does it as a kind of tribute to a personal hero of theirs.

Here are some of the other reasons people wear their baseball cap backwards.


Ken Griffey Jr. made the backwards hat cap look popular in the 1990s. When he first came up through the ranks and hit the major leagues, people were fascinated with him – they loved his style of play, his wonderful personality, and his genuine love of the game.

He also brought with him his backwards hat. Many of his fans began emulating him and wearing their hats backwards – after all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. People may not have known that he wore his hat that way for a very practical reason.

As he revealed in interviews, he began turning his cap backwards when he was a child and wore his father’s hat; it was a size too big for him. It would slide down, and the brim would hit him in his face. So he turned it to keep it out of his face.


Yes, some people turn their baseball cap around because they like the way it looks. Maybe they feel that it makes them look tougher or like more of a “bad guy.” Some also think that it just makes them look better on their head or face backwards. There are many reasons someone may believe that the hat fits with their style backwards instead of forwarding.

See Also:
How Often Do Baseball Players Get Paid?
Why Is The American Flag Backwards On Baseball Uniforms?
Why Do Baseball Players Eat Sunflower Seeds?