Former and current Blue Jay pitchers Mike Timlin, left to right, Tom Henke, Duane Ward, J.A. Happ, Pat Hentgen, Brett Cecil, Dave Stieb, R.A. Dickey, Marco Estrada, Roy Halladay, Aaron Sanchez and Juan Guzman pose for a photo as part of pre-game ceremonies celebrating the team's 40th anniversary season, prior to the start of the Blue Jays American League MLB baseball game against the Houston Astros in Toronto on Sunday, August 14, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill
Former and current Blue Jay pitchers Mike Timlin, left to right, Tom Henke, Duane Ward, J.A. Happ, Pat Hentgen, Brett Cecil, Dave Stieb, R.A. Dickey, Marco Estrada, Roy Halladay, Aaron Sanchez and Juan Guzman pose for a photo as part of pre-game ceremonies celebrating the team's 40th anniversary season, prior to the start of the Blue Jays American League MLB baseball game against the Houston Astros in Toronto on Sunday, August 14, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill
FJT
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Pat Hentgen is pictured in this July 1993 file photo. The ºÃÉ«tv Press/Phill Snel
At least one member of the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays approves of the return of the white-panelled caps.
Pat Hentgen was a member of the 1992 and 1993 World Series-winning teams and went on to win the Cy Young Award as the American League's best pitcher in 1996. He's now a special advisor to the Blue Jays, working with their pitching department to develop the next generation of arms, and he loves that the distinct blue hat with a white front panel has become a good-luck charm for Toronto in this year's AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.
"I think that you have to believe to receive and with the white hat, if guys feel comfortable and more confident, then it's good," said Hentgen on Tuesday. "I agree with the manager (John Schneider): 'it's the only hat I brought.'"
Hentgen was referring to Schneider's glib reply on Monday when asked if the Blue Jays would again don the retro hats for Game 3 of the ALDS in New York on Tuesday night.
The ball caps were standard for Toronto in 1992 when Hentgen played his first full season in Major League Baseball. The Blue Jays wore the white-panel caps as they beat the Atlanta Braves in six games to win their first World Series championship that year. The next season they were replaced by all-blue caps when the Blue Jays successfully defended their title.
Although the white-panel cap with a modernized logo was introduced back in 2015, it hadn’t been used this season until Sept. 25 when closer Jeff Hoffman suggested they wear them as a kind of talisman. Hoffman was hoping they'd help Toronto win its final four games of the regular season to clinch the AL East division title.
The Blue Jays did win those four games and then the next two in the ALDS, all while wearing the white-panel caps.
"Hey, they're playing well," said Hentgen in a phone interview with The ºÃÉ«tv Press. "They need to play well tonight and, and finish off the Yankee series and get rested for the next series.
"If you don't win tonight, well, then you get up, you go at them tomorrow."
Hentgen played in just three games in 1991, but then made 28 appearances in 1992 and was an all-star in 1993 with a 19-9 record. When he won the Cy Young in 1996 he had a 20-10 record with 10 complete games, three shutouts, 177 strikeouts and a 3.22 earned-run average.
He went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2000 and the Baltimore Orioles from 2001 to 2003 before returning to the Blue Jays in 2004, his final year in the majors.
Because he played for Toronto for 10 different seasons after spending five years in its minor-league system, he has worn many versions of the Blue Jays' uniform.
"I love the white hat. That was the one I came up with and the old white uniform and the grey one," said Hentgen. "I even broke in with the powder blue in the minor leagues. I remember wearing the old powder blue and the minor leagues hand me downs that were from big league players.Â
"Then when I got to the big leagues, we wore grey. so I love the white hat. I still think the home white uniform is the best uniform. It's one of the better uniforms in baseball."
Hentgen was a three-time all-star over his 14 years in MLB. He finished with 131-112 record, a career 4.32 ERA and 1,290 strikeouts.
This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published Oct. 7, 2025.
