Who was the first catcher to wear a hockey mask?
4 min read
Asked by: Amit Masters
O’Brien was a solid defensive catcher and a modest right-handed batter. He is best remembered for pioneering the hockey-style catcher’s mask, which he created while with the Blue Jays.
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| Charlie O’Brien | |
|---|---|
| Batting average | .221 |
| Home runs | 56 |
| Runs batted in | 261 |
| Teams | |
Who wore the first hockey mask?
The first goaltender to wear a mask in an organized ice hockey game was Elizabeth Graham of Queen’s University in 1927. The first National Hockey League (NHL) goalie to wear a mask full-time was Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens; he wore a face-hugging fibreglass mask created by Bill Burchmore beginning in 1959.
When was catchers mask invented?
The first invented catchers masked was created by an Ivy League man by the name of Fred Thayer in 1876 who used a fencing mask and maneuvered it into a catcher’s mask. The mask consisted of a forehead and chin rest and a wire cage, with straps to secure the mask to the catcher’s head.
Who was the first NHL goalie to paint his mask?
Jim Rutherford
Jim Rutherford. It’s been said that Jim Rutherford was the first goalie to ever have a design painted on his mask, as most were simply happy with one colour for the whole thing, usually white. Rutherford was traded to the Detroit Red Wings and had a designer paint his mask before the first game.
When did catchers start wearing helmets?
1997: Blue Jays catcher Charlie O’Brien becomes the first MLB catcher to wear the hockey-style mask.
Why was the hockey mask invented?
Jacques Plante, hockey legend and goalie for the Montreal Canadiens hockey team (1954-1963), designed and built the first-ever fibreglass mask in 1956 to protect himself from being injured by flying pucks. At that time, he wore it during practices only.
When did hockey goalies start painting masks?
1959
In the 1950s, minor-hockey goalies began wearing clear-plastic shields. But it wasn’t until 1959 that the goalie mask truly arrived. Owners were very much against covering up players’ faces.
What is a catchers mask called?
The “platform mask,” a one-piece aluminum casting with horizontal crossbars instead of soldered mesh, was patented by umpire James E. Johnstone in 1921 (patent 1,449,183).
Who invented the catchers mitt?
Historians quibble over whether Harry Decker or Joe Gunson first used the padded catcher’s mitt in the 1880’s. Supposedly, Kansas City Cowboy’s Gunson dreamed up the mitt, but he was too busy catching in Al Spalding’s world baseball tour to take advantage of the idea.
When did catchers start wearing shin guards?
Catchers gear, such as shin guards, a chest protector and a mask, are an important part of the position, but that was not always the case. In fact, it was not until this day in 1907 that shin protectors would be worn, debuted by New York Giants catcher Roger Bresnahan.
Why do catchers take off their masks?
either take it off or leave it on. The reason for this is the hockey-style mask will stay snug to the head and won’t shift around as you run and look up. If you wear a traditional mask, rip it off, turn your back to the infield and catch the ball.
Who wore the first batting helmet?
Brooklyn Dodgers
The first known use of batting helmets in the majors was by the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers. Two of the Dodgers, Joe Medwick and Pee Wee Reese, had suffered severe beanings, so General Manager Larry MacPhail made the entire team wear protective helmets.
Did Jackie Robinson wear a helmet?
When Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947, not only was the color of his skin different but so was the cap he wore. In the pre-batting helmet era, Robinson had to have a specially-made Brooklyn Dodgers cap to “protect his head from beanballs,” his widow Rachel Robinson wrote in a 1994 letter.
Did Ted Williams wear a batting helmet?
Ted Williams, after all, steadfastly refused to wear a batting helmet, even as he saw the benefit they provided to teammates and opponents alike. His reasoning: He was against anything that could potentially interfere with his supreme concentration when it came time to hit a baseball.
When did NHL require helmets?
1979
Objective In 1979, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that helmets would become mandatory for incoming players.
