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A batting helmet is the protective headgear worn by Batter s in a game of Baseball or Softball . It is meant to protect the batter from stray pitches thrown by the Pitcher . A Hit By Pitch , caused by either a Wild Pitch or a purposeful attempt to injure the opposing team's batter, can cause serious injury. A batting helmet covers the back, top, and sides of the head, and at least one Ear . The left ear is covered for Right-handed batters and the right ear for Left-handed batters, whichever ear faces the pitcher. Batting helmets that cover both ears are common as well, though almost exclusively worn by Switch-hitter s in the Major League s. In the minor leagues, such helmets are mandatory, except for major leaguers on rehabilitation assignments. Similar helmets are also mandatory in amateur-level baseball. Despite the fatal beaning of Ray Chapman in 1920, batting helmets were not made mandatory in Major League Baseball until 1971 , a result of several years of hospitalizations due to injury from hits to the head. However, they had been in use for several years prior to being made mandatory. In the 1950s and 1960s , players batting without helmets still used plastic inserts inside their baseball caps. After 1971, players who were Grandfathered In could still choose whether or not they wanted to use a helmet. Some players, most notably Norm Cash and Bob Montgomery continued to bat without a helmet through the end of their playing careers. Montgomery was the last to do so in 1979 . Although helmets with earflaps were common in amateur sports, they were slow to gain popularity at the professional level. Ron Santo wore one of the first earflap helmets at the major league level, if not ''the'' first, upon returning to action after having his left cheekbone fracture by a pitched ball in 1966. Earflaps were adopted by the players relucantly. Some batters felt that seeing the earflap out of the corner of an eye was distracting. In . However, he has chosen to wear a helmet with an ear flap throughout his career. On April 8 , 2004 - "Hank Aaron Day" in Atlanta, the 30th anniversary of Hank Aaron 's famous 715th home run, Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal came to the plate in the sixth with a helmet without an ear flap, as a tribute to Hank Aaron, who played his entire career in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and therefore did not wear a helmet with an ear flap during his playing career. Umpire Bill Welke made him get one with a flap. The no-flap helmet is still utilized in baseball, as the following examples will attest. Occasionally, a player will wear a batting helmet without ear flaps while playing a defensive position in the Field . This is usually done by a player who has a higher-than-normal risk of head injury. One notable example is former major-leaguer John Olerud , who started doing so after undergoing emergency surgery for a Cerebral Aneurysm while attending Washington State University . An earlier example was Richie Allen , who decided to wear a helmet in the field after at least one incident of being hit by objects thrown by fans. Major League Bat-boys /batgirls and ballboys/ballgirls are required to wear a helmet rather than a cap while performing their duties while on the field of play. They are allowed to use the no-flap helmet for this purpose, and most do. Some Major League catchers also continue to use the no-flap helmet, wearing it backwards along with their mask. In 2006 , several Major League teams began using the Coolflo batting helmet, manufactured by Rawlings . The helmet was designed with vents to allow for increased air flow. It was previewed during the 2005 All-Star Game before being put into regular use. It is now available to all Major League teams in 2007. {Link without Title} |
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