Batting helmet
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A batting helmet is the protective headgear worn by batters 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.
Traditionally, 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-hitters in the Major Leagues. In the minor leagues, such helmets are mandatory, except for major leaguers on rehabilitation assignments.
Batting helmets were not 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 such as Norm Cash and Bob Montgomery continued to bat without a helmet through the end of their playing careers.
In 1983, it was made mandatory for new players to use a helmet with at least one ear flap. Players who were grandfathered in could choose to wear a helmet without ear flaps. Players can choose to wear double ear flap helmets in the major leagues, however, this is not mandatory. Gary Gaetti was the last player to wear a helmet without ear flaps, during the 2000 season. Tim Raines and Ozzie Smith were two other players to continue wearing the ear flap-less helmet well into the 1990s before retirement. Technically, as of the 2006 season, there is still one player left with a long enough career in the big leagues and could wear a helmet without flaps: Julio Franco. 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 did not wear a helmet with an ear flap during his playing career. Umpire Bill Welke made him get one with a flap.
Occasionally, a player who is at a higher-than-normal risk of head injury will wear a batting helmet without ear flaps in the field. 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.