Inside Label: Tony Lucadello's Straw Fedora Hat

On September 12, 1972, Michael Jack Schmidt made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the eyes of Tony Lucadello, a Midwest scout for the Phillies, who saw the potential of Schmidt and drafted him in the second round of the 1971 draft. Lucadello had been following Schmidt since his little league days in Dayton, Ohio. Lucadello didn’t want other scouts to catch on to the potential which he saw in Schmidt. This caused him to scout Schmidt from rooftops, behind bushes and from parked cars beside the field.               

Lucadello was also responsible for bringing Ferguson Jenkins to the attention of the Phillies, signing him in 1962. Both Schmidt and Jenkins have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Lucadello emphasized the importance of the fundamentals of the game. His ideology was known as “The Lucadello Plan.”  He ran clinics which featured basic drills in which one could do to improve themselves. These drills required just a ball and a wall. Lucadello believed every boy should have a wall to practice on outside of their house. In response, fathers across the Midwest began building walls for their sons to practice the drills within “The Lucadello Plan.”  

Lucadello’s straw fedora hat rests within the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. It is constructed from panama straw and is woven in its natural color. Wrapped around the crown is a brown sublimated silk cloth. Lucadello was known to wear these types of hats while scouting because of his desire to keep a low profile.

Sadly, Lucadello committed suicide in the spring of 1989. He did so shortly after he was informed by the Phillies that his services were no longer needed. He has forever left an impact on the perception of player development.

Images/Text: Jared E. Wheeler