Full disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. I make a small commission if you buy a Sugar Land Space Cowboys hat through those links. Think of it as buying me a hot dog at the ballpark – except it definitely pays less than a hot dog costs!
Heading to Houston for a Gotham FC match
Whenever I go to a new place, I go hunting for new Minor League Baseball hats. Part of my research on any new destination is looking up any teams who might be nearby that I can swing through the Pro Shop. My wife and I were heading to Houston to see the NJ/NY Gotham FC take on the Houston Dash and so dutifully I fired up a search engine and looked around the area where we would be staying.
I’m very aware that Houston is huge and I didn’t want to commit to going somewhere that could accidentally take 2 hours in each direction. Voila! The Sugar Land Space Cowboys came right up, and so Constellation Field in Sugar Land Texas became a must-hit destination for our quick trip.
I had two non-negotiable requirements for my time in Houston.
- Get really good Breakfast Tacos
- Get a Sugar Land Space Cowboys hat.
Dear reader, I am happy to report as a spoiler that both were achieved.
Introduction to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a minor league baseball team located in Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston. Their name reflects the region’s history with space exploration and cowboy culture. They have awesome branding, great social media presence, and they play at “Constellation Field.” What’s not to love?
The team was founded in 2012 as the Sugar Land Skeeters. They played in the independent Atlantic League through 2019. When the Minor League realignment happened 2021, the Skeeters were brought into the official MLB affiliated teams as a Houston Astros minor league team and were officiall purchased by Astros owner Jim Crane.
After that, the team began the process of rebranding to something more aligned with the Astros while maintaining its own unique identity. Thus the Space Cowboys were born.
It’s a great name. It’s evocative, fun, and allows for really exciting branding options. Plus they share a name with one of my all-time favorite songs, and one of my favorite catchphrases. All things considered, buying a Space Cowboys baseball hat at Constellation Field became a must-stop on my Houston trip.
Arriving at Constellation Field
It was a short 25 minute drive out to Sugar Land. As with many parts of Houston the majority was along highways and state routes lined with strip malls and restaurants. It is wild how big Houston is. Population wise it’s a third the size of New York City, but it sprawls in a way I’ve never really experienced before.
Arriving at Constellation Field, the parking lot was empty (there was a game that night but we pulled in late morning). The stadium has a fun sillouhette that felt charming in a very minor league baseball sort of way. In many ways it looks like the front of a Wegmans, which I found funny.
But we were here on a mission, it was time to head into the Pro Shop and see what we had for Hat options. I will look up some of the hats in a team’s arsenal in advance so I can be on the lookout for great MiLB hats. Hunting for rare or limited-edition hats adds excitement. I treat every pro shop visit like a treasure hunt. Finding a unique or hard-to-find hat is a real thrill. I never know what I will discover on the shelves. Each new addition feels like a small victory.
I had seen some awesome options right off the bat among the Space Cowboys baseball merch, so I was really excited to see what was going on with the Space Cowboys.
The Primary Hat of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys fitted hat (their home primary hat) is an A+ addition to anyone’s closet. I knew coming in that no matter what I was going to be happy with just that option.
With an all dark navy blue design every part of the hat draws your eye to the main logo. We have a robot astronaut, silhouetted in an orange faceplate, with a constellation reflectedin his visor. The brightest star is also part of the general brand mark for the team. He wears a grey cowboy hat, and has a blue bandanna around his neck. It’s a striking image, and frankly, quite awesome. To top it all off, the squatchee and new era logo match the blue, tying the whole thing together.
I am the game master for an Orbital Blues home campaign, and I knew this would become my hat for those sessions immediately.
The Space Cowboys’ Alternate Hat
Their alternate hat was also a strong contender for me to take home. They have a spaceship logo that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie or even an official NASA patch. On the patch is a diamond adaption of the Texas flag with a rocket. The same star brand mark makes the star from the flag, and instead of red, the flag is in the secondary orange of the team.
The patch sits on a white front panel, with orange brim and light blue squatchee / new era logo. The dark navy back paneling frames the whole experience. It’s overall more colorful than their primary, and matches their alternate jerseys perfectly.
I truly wasn’t sure which one I was going to walk away with. I added both this and the primary to my cart while I shopped around.
The Scary Clown Hat from the Payasos Rebrand
While walking the aisles I stopped at a striking, and unsettling image. The Payasos del Rodeo de Sugar Land is the Copa de la Diversión rebrand for the 2025 season.
There are two hat options for this branding. The logo remains the same, a clown in a brown rodeo hat with the star brand mark on it. The clown has orange and light blue facepaint that looks like it’s crying, and a light blue mouth. Finished off with an orange bandana in the opposite orientation from their Space Cowboy primary hat.
The first hat features this on a dark navyhat with light blue squatchee and eyelets. The new era logo in orange ties the whole thing together.
The second hat has a light blue brim, and a blue/orange patterned ribbon around the whole hat, on top of which sits el Payaso del Rodeo de Sugar Land.
Both hats are striking, and the clown is mildly unsettling if you’re not a clown fan (which I’m generally not.) I’ve seen Terrifier too many times in the last few months to want a clown anywhere near my head. (Shoutout to my buddy David Howard Thornton, though. I did a musical with him over a decade ago and I’m thrilled to see him getting his flowers now!)
The Payasos rebrand brought a bold, new look to the team. If its goal is to capture attention, it nails it. When I picked it up out of morbid curiosit, my wife gave an IMMEDIATE no. I was not sold either, but tried to convince myself I could want it. So I looked in the mirror, paused. I’m lying. I don’t want it. The more I stared, the less sure I felt. It’s one thing to appreciate a bold design, another to wear it.
I considered picking one up for my friend Jeff Stormer, who is a scholar of the great cown Pagliacci. It would have been a wild gift. In the end, I didn’t buy it. A week later, a friend sent me a picture from being at a Space Cowboys game. The clown hat was front and center, and she was offering to pick one up for me. Did I make a mistake? The photo made me question my decision all over again.
The Dulces de Sugar Land Rebrand
I did end up buying a Dulces de Sugar Land hat, however. The 2023 Copa de la Diversión rebrand featured bright red and green coloring with an absolutely memorable main image. Red and white panels, teamed with green brim, squatchee, and eyelets, make for a bold profile. The combination stands out in a crowd instantly.
The imagery on this hat is unlike anything I’ve seen. It’s a chunk of watermelon on a stick, coated in red candy, and set ablaze. The logo looks playful and dynamic. It grabs your attention from far away. A truly unique hat.
I just couldn’t say no to that design, even while my wallet protested. The hat’s look is memorable and wild. It’s the type of thing you don’t find anywhere else. It entered my cart, an absolute purchase ready to happen.
Other Great Hats from the Sugar Land Space Cowboys
There were other fantastic hats that were variations on a theme. Was especially drawn to the Marvel Defenders of the Diamond hat which was unfortunately unavailable in my size. They took the primary hat and gave it the Marvel treatment.
The space cowboy now sported a texas flag chest plate in the same style as the mission patch logo, and an orange cape to offset the blue bandana. It’s a great redesign while fitting the original concept and I really wanted to make it mine. Sadly this big ol’ noggin prevented me from doing so.
Beyond that, however, there are some great secondary hats available from the Space Cowboys. There’s an all light blue option of the constellation brand mark in orange with orange eyelets and squatchee that’s especially striking.
They also have a partnership with Big League Chew to make a Space Cowboys in the style of the classic gum design. While I didn’t need it, for the gum lover out there, it’s a fun hat that has a nostalgic feel that I was really into.
I did wish that they had a Sugar Land Skeeters hat available in the pro shop. While the team is now defunct, that makes the hats more special and rare! What an addition to my collection that would be.
For anyone who loves a classic baseball look, the Space Cowboys offer a vibrant selection of retro-inspired designs. These hats use throwback colors and details but keep the modern fit and comfort. Whether adjustable or fitted, there’s a perfect option for every head size. Some hats feature interesting / contrasting brims and eye-catching embroidery. I even found accessories like pins and patches among the Sugar Land Space Cowboys merch to personalize your gear, adding an extra touch if you would like.
Meeting the Family of a Space Cowboy
On my trip back to the airport to head home, I wore my new Space Cowboys primary hat. While boarding the shuttle bus from rental car dropoff to the airport, a man in line asked me “Were you at the game?” I instinctely replied, “Yes!” I had, after all, been here for the Gotham FC match, so my answer came out automatically before I realized he was staring at the robot cowboy on my head. “Oh, no,” I corrected. “I just collect minor league baseball hats.”
He laughed and said that he and his wife were at the game. That started a friendly chat about the Space Cowboys. We talked about the stadium and how fun the game had been. Their excitement was infectious. We parted our separate ways to board the bus.. Later, while disembarking, his wife leaned over and quietly shared that her grandson was a pitcher for the team. She told me her husband had said not to mention it for some reason, but she just couldn’t keep it in. She was so excited to have seen him pitch the game.
Her grandson is Colton Gordon. She and I talked about him as we walked towards the terminal. She glowed with pride, sharing stories of his journey and how thrilled they were to watch him pitch. He’s now #62 on the full Astros roster, having been called up earlier in May.
Later, I messaged him on Instagram and asked if I could share this in the article. Now, Colton Gordon is my new favorite up-and-coming player. It brought me back to my childhood memories of collecting signed baseballs when Bill Hurst played for the Portland Sea Dogs. I hope Colton became some young Sugar Land fan’s favorite player too.
Final Thoughts from Sugar Land
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys offer a unique experience for fans and shoppers alike. Walking through the team store, I found merchandise options that fit every taste and style. There were hats featuring the bold Space Cowboys logo, shirts in every size, and even quirky, space-themed souvenirs. The merch selection ranges from collectibles to practical items, making it easy to find the perfect memento. In the end I left with a Sugar Land Space Cowboys primary hat and a Dulces de Sugar Land hat.
I hope I can make it back to Constellation Field to take in some Sugar Land Space Cowboys baseball someday, but if not, then I got two great hats, and a new favorite baseball player in Colton Gordon. All in all? I call that a win of a trip.
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