face mask

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I'm talking about the ear flap-less batting helmets that catcher's use, you know, like batting helmets used to be before the ear flaps. All catchers that use conventional masks use them in most leagues I've worked. Sometimes though, the catchers just turn their caps around.

Here is a picture of Johnny Bench wearing a batting helmet, just for example:

aka "skull cap."

[DG]

Ah, skull cap. No longer permitted in high school ball.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Skull caps are those half-helmet affairs which do not feature a bill. What Bench is wearing in this picture is his batting helmet. Plus, not all baseball is high school ball.

[DG]

Those helmets have not been permitted for any players entering the major league since 1983, while batting. So while this may be Bench's batting helmet it is not permitted as a batting helmet today, and not allowed for catchers in HS.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by DG

Those helmets have not been permitted for any players entering the major league since 1983, while batting. So while this may be Bench's batting helmet it is not permitted as a batting helmet today, and not allowed for catchers in HS.

I would say that is an ABC Fielder's helmet which was the original batting helmet being used in the late 1950's and early 60's. The batting helmet with one ear flap began to appear during the mid-60's and was made mandatory in the early 1970's. I wore a batting helmet with two ear flaps back then in HS . One-ear and two-ear flap helmets are batting helmets. That fielder's helmet remained popular among catchers and older first basemen, i.e. Boog Powell. John Olerud is one recent first baseman I can remember wearing it on the field. In HS, I have seen players on defense with previous head tramal wear the fielder's helmet.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...601343_pf.html
or
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Skull caps are those half-helmet affairs which do not feature a bill. What Bench is wearing in this picture is his batting helmet. Plus, not all baseball is high school ball.

Baseball Express calls this a skull cap.

[SanDiegoSteve]

This is what Rawlings actually calls a skull cap, which is what I have always referred to as a skull cap. What John Olerud wore at first base is a pre-flap batting helmet. And what John Bench is wearing is also a batting helmet.



And no, PWL, Johnny never wore his catcher's gear while batting. Except for that batting helmet he wore while catching.

And Garry Templeton was the last player I saw using the no-flap batting helmet, as he was grandfathered too. He also used it in the adult league he played in here.

[LomUmp]

Hey all,

Aug, I believe that Ozzie Smith used that type of batting helmet more recently than Garry Templeton did. Others to use that towards the end of it's life span were Gary Carter, Mookie Wilson, Keith Hernandez, as well as the previously mentioned John Olerud.

LomUmp

[Tim C]

Gary Gaetti was the last MLB player allowed to wear a batting helmet with no flaps at all.

Source ESPN Column "Uni Watch".

Regards,

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by LomUmp

Aug, I believe that Ozzie Smith used that type of batting helmet more recently than Garry Templeton did. Others to use that towards the end of it's life span were Gary Carter, Mookie Wilson, Keith Hernandez, as well as the previously mentioned John Olerud.

I wasn't inferring that Garry Templeton was the last to use the helmet, just that he was the last one that I saw wearing the helmet, as I saw him wear it on a daily basis here with the Padres. I didn't get to see Ozzie as much after Tempy flipped the bird to the fine folks in St. Louis.

[SAump]

It is NOT a batting helmet anymore. Yes, it use to be a batting helmet 30 years ago. The cheaper plastic replica is sold to fans with a warning label. Batters cannot wear it a any level of baseball. The thing is certainly NOT a batting helmet anymore. It can be worn on the baseball field. It is a fielder's helmet. I believe John Olerud only wore it on the field and then wore a batting helmet to the plate. I have one in front of me and the label reads "American Baseball Company, Pro No Ear Helmet." I have another one in front of me and the label reads "American Baseball Company, Adult Fielding Helmet." Stop calling it a batting helmet when it is NOT.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by SAump

It is NOT a batting helmet anymore. Yes, it use to be a batting helmet 30 years ago. The cheaper plastic replica is sold to fans with a warning label. Batters cannot wear it a any level of baseball. The thing is certainly NOT a batting helmet anymore. It can be worn on the baseball field. It is a fielder's helmet. I believe John Olerud only wore it on the field and then wore a batting helmet to the plate. I have one in front of me and the label reads "American Baseball Company, Pro No Ear Helmet." I have another one in front of me and the label reads "American Baseball Company, Adult Fielding Helmet." Stop calling it a batting helmet when it is NOT.

Okay Mr. Expert, the one Johnny Bench is wearing is a batting helmet. The ones Ozzy Smith and Garry Templeton wore were batting helmets. Nobody was even talking about the cheap replicas here. Some of us here can remember when helmets had no ear flap. Just because batters cannot wear them any longer does not mean that they cease to be batting helmets. They did not used to be batting helmets, they still are batting helmets. Get a clue.

[kylejt]

I thought we were talking about masks.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Okay Mr. Expert, the one Johnny Bench is wearing is a batting helmet. The ones Ozzy Smith and Garry Templeton wore were batting helmets. Nobody was even talking about the cheap replicas here. Some of us here can remember when helmets had no ear flap. Just because batters cannot wear them any longer does not mean that they cease to be batting helmets. They did not used to be batting helmets, they still are batting helmets. Get a clue.

Which would you like me to pass, the Russian or Ranch dressing? I think I have already acknowledged your argument in my helmet posts. It is as much a batting helmet as a Ford Model T is a car. However, I cannot BUY said helmet/automobile today, nor tomorrow, at average market helmet/car value. Get my drift yet? Pudge Rodriguez wears a batting helmet at the plate and a fielder's helmet behind the plate. He does not wear a catcher's helmet (acceptable) or a batting helmet (unacceptable) underneath his mask to catch.

I got a LEGAL clue. As someone has correctly pointed out; one can not legally wear that thing into a batter's box. A batter must wear a helmet, but NOT that one. There is a difference, a legal one. It use to be a legal batting helmet. It is now against the law to market a batting helmet with no ear flaps. It has ceased to be recognized as an "officially approved" batter's helmet or batting helmet. Read the labels carefully and avoid litigation.

SDS: Don't take me too seriously on this. You know I enjoy the give and take part of it.

[Tim C]

I agree. According to Elias Raines played games in 2002 and GG in 2000. I have sent this information to Uni-Watch.

Thanks for the correction.

Regards,