MLB Players to Debut New Batting Helmet
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), added its new S100 Pro Comp batting helmet line to its on-field assortment of protective headwear during Major League Baseball (MLB) Opening Day festivities last week. Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball.
The company says approximately 300 MLB players chose to wear the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp this season before the league-wide rule goes into effect in 2013. It was announced Wednesday, April 11.
[ Also Read: May Madness Begins with IPL Cricket in India ]In a related development, using supercomputers and workstations based on present and future Intel processor technology, researchers are simulating collisions to study the impact on the brain. They will use that information to design new football helmets that reduce the risk of short- and long-term injuries. (Read: Intel Chips in to Make Football Helmets Safer)
[ Also Read: How Adidas Techfit Jerseys Help Football Players ]The mandatory use of the updated version of Rawlings S100 batting helmet is outlined in the new, 5-year collective bargaining agreement signed last November by Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association. This protective provision was specifically included in “Health and Safety” category (Section VIII) of the labor agreement, says the company.
Constructed of aerospace-grade carbon fiber, the new Rawlings S100 Pro Comp batting helmet provides protection for ball strikes up to 100 miles per hour.
[ Also Read: Nike Offers the New French Football Kit ]The next-generation S100 Pro Comp is 300-percent stiffer and 130 times stronger than traditional ABS plastic helmets, yet features a lighter and smaller design specification compared to previous S100 models.
It weighs approximately five ounces less and is almost 200 cubic inches smaller than the S100 – originally introduced in 2009 and currently worn by Minor League Baseball players. And it weighs 8.8 ounces less and 34 cubic inches smaller than S100 Pro+.
