Smart Shopping for Baseball Helmets

Baseball helmets were invented for one reason: to protect the head from serious and perhaps fatal injury if it is hit with a pitched ball. Major league baseball players and those at much lower levels never gave the helmet more than a passing thought until a pitcher named Carl Mays of the New York Yankees struck and killed Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians in 1920. Even after that tragedy, batting helmets were not required in Major League Baseball until 1971. Today, helmets include flaps that hang down over one or both ears and provide much more protection than those that don't. Former Chicago Cub Ron Santo is believed to be the first hitter to wear a helmet with the ear flaps after he returned from a fractured cheekbone in 1966. Ear flaps were mandated by MLB in 1983. Protective helmets are required at all levels of baseball and the thought of going up to the plate without one is not even considered. Base coaches are now required to wear them as well following the 2007 death of minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh, who was hit in the side of the head while coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers

What to Look for

Helmets need to be made of hard plastic shells with protective padding on the inside that will help dissipate the force of the blow. The padding is made of dual-density foam, which is both light and strong. Earlier generations of helmets did not offer the same level of protection because they did not have the same level of padding. Batting helmets for young players should also include a curved bill that will help protect even more of the head and face. Today's helmets are also vented to allow heat to dissipate. Generations of batter shave complained about the heat generated by wearing a helmet and vents allow hitters to practice their trade with much more efficiency.

Common Pitfalls

The first priority of the batting helmet is to protect the wearer's head. Helmets can now be somewhat of a fashion statement--interesting color patterns and sharp-looking vents--but that really has nothing to do with protecting the head from serious injury. Helmets should be inspected regularly after use. After one has been hit, the padding and the shell should be checked for cracks and other faults. Once a helmet has been cracked, it has lost its usefulness and must be replaced. Padding can be replaced once it starts to peel away or lose its density, but if the shell is compromised the helmet cannot be used again.