NY Times
BASEBALL OFFICIALS CONSIDER USE
OF DEVICE TO PREVENT INJURY
NEW YORK - Thursday - August 19, 1920. Headgear for ballplayers to use while batting is being considered by club owners and players as a result of the unfortunate accident which resulted in the death of Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman this week and it will not be surprising if batsmen of the future go to the plate with a covering on that side of the head that is nearest to the opposing pitcher.
That club officials had the subject under consideration was disclosed yesterday by Magistrate F. X. McQuade, Treasurer of the NY Giants baseball club. When asked if the headgear would resemble the helmets sometimes used by aviators and which were quite the vogue in football in former years, he declared that nothing definite had been decided upon. It is probable, however, that sporting goods manufacturers will offer some model and the one which seems to suit conditions the best will be adopted.
Though the idea of headgear in baseball will sound strange to the fans, the adoption of such a form of protection will be following the trend of the sport to bring out at intervals protective devices that lessen the tendency to injury on the part of the player. When introduced, the various devices invariably met with some ridicule from the fans and from players who had gone through years of service without the protecting equipment, but in turn each additional bit of armor has come to regarded as essential.
When the big glove, now in general use behind the bat, was introduced it was ridiculed as a pillow. Up to the time of its adoption, the catcher wore a skin tight glove with little padding in the palm, and some gloves were without fingers. The breast pad got a similar reception and shin guards, when introduced at the Polo Grounds by Roger Bresnahan less than fifteen years ago, were ridiculed from one end of the major league circuit to the other.
The wisdom of all these appliances has been proved beyond question, and today no catcher would think of going into a game without all the equipment, since each plays its protective part against injury by a pitched or tipped ball. A headgear for batsmen, in view of the fatal accident of a few days ago, probably would not be ridiculed to the extent of the devices mentioned, though it would seem odd at first to the fan.
