The History of NPB's Helmet Mandate - 40 Years of Batter Protection Shaped by Beanballs
NPB now mandates double-eared batting helmets, but reaching this standard required tragic beanball incidents and years of debate. From the helmet-less founding era of 1937, through optional helmet use postwar, single-eared helmet adoption, and finally double-eared helmet mandates, batter protection evolved in stages. We trace 40 years of NPB helmet history through the lens of accidents and rule changes.