Condition Sensitive: A Quick Study of Batting Helmet Facemasks

Thursday 20 September 2012

A Quick Study of Batting Helmet Facemasks


1981 Topps #445 Ellis Valentine

Inspired by yesterdays Charlie Hayes card featuring a football style mask on his batting helmet, further research led to finding a few more cards with a similar theme. The first instance is probably the most famous, but was never captured on cardbaord, Dave Parker in the middle of his 1978 MVP season fractured his jaw and cheekbone in a collision at the plate. That lead him experiment with a Jason Voorhes style goalie mask before switching to mounting a football face-mask onto his helmet. This is already covered at Uni-Watch and Dick Allen Hall of Fame including a sweet custom card.

The first actual cards I have found with batting helmet masks is 1981 Topps with Ellis Valentine and Ron Roenicke using football masks cut in half and bolted on the batting helmet.

Starting in the early 1990's the more familiar jaw guard called the "C-Flap"started to appear on cards. Terry Steinbach has several cards from 1989-1991 wearing one. David Justice has a few cards in 1991 with a guard on his helmet. After being hit in the head for the second time in 1995, Kevin Seitzer took to wearing one for the rest of his career and can been seen with one on cards from 1996-1997, his son Cameron Seitzer can be seen with the guard on his 2012 Topps Pro Debut card. Terrence Long has several 2001 cards showing a good side view of the guard and Josh Willingham has one on his rookie card. Most recently Marlon Byrd is pictured with the guard on his 2012 Topps Tier One autograph cards and Astro's Prospect Chris Wallace (full story here) has worn something close to the Charlie Hayes model since getting hit in college.