helmet flaps major league helmets

[lnfogel@aol.com]

what year did players start wearing flaps on their helmets, i thought some time in the 70's
thanks for help on this
regards andy PLEASE WRITE TO LNFOGEL@AOL.COM

[MSpecht]

"Despite the fatal beaning of Ray Chapman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Chapman) in 1920, batting helmets were not made mandatory in Major League Baseball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_clause) could still choose whether or not they wanted to use a helmet. Some players, most notably Norm Cash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Cash) and Bob Montgomery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Montgomery_(baseball_player)) 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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 1983, it was made mandatory for new players to use a helmet with at least one ear flap. Players who were grandfathered in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_clause) 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. Tim Raines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Raines) was the last player to wear a helmet without ear flaps, during the 2002 season. His flap-less Florida Marlins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Marlins) helmet is currently at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Gary Gaetti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gaetti), who retired in the year 2000, and Ozzie Smith (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Smith), who retired in 1996, both wore flap-less helmets until they retired from the game. As of the start of the 2008 season, Julio Franco (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Franco) was the only remaining active player eligible to wear a helmet without flaps, but he has chosen to wear a helmet with an ear flap throughout his career. Franco retired from baseball in May, 2008."

---------From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batting_helmet

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com

[skyking26]

"Despite the fatal beaning of Ray Chapman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Chapman) in 1920, batting helmets were not made mandatory in Major League Baseball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_clause) could still choose whether or not they wanted to use a helmet. Some players, most notably Norm Cash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Cash) and Bob Montgomery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Montgomery_(baseball_player)) 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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 1983, it was made mandatory for new players to use a helmet with at least one ear flap. Players who were grandfathered in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_clause) 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. Tim Raines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Raines) was the last player to wear a helmet without ear flaps, during the 2002 season. His flap-less Florida Marlins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Marlins) helmet is currently at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Gary Gaetti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gaetti), who retired in the year 2000, and Ozzie Smith (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Smith), who retired in 1996, both wore flap-less helmets until they retired from the game. As of the start of the 2008 season, Julio Franco (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Franco) was the only remaining active player eligible to wear a helmet without flaps, but he has chosen to wear a helmet with an ear flap throughout his career. Franco retired from baseball in May, 2008."

---------From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batting_helmet

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com
Dave Kingman, notably, played from 1971 to 1986 with no ear flaps on his helmets. I own 3 of his helmets: Giants, Mets and Firebirds - all flapless...