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Hall of Fame Catcher Roger Bresnahan
(above left) Played between 1897 - 1915
Bresnahan most notable contributions to
the game were in protective equipment.
In 1905 after getting "beaned" in the
head with a baseball began
experimenting with head gear similar to
the leather football helmet of the
period that were made by A.J. Reach.
Sliced vertically: one half for
covering the left side of a right
handed batter's head, the other for the
lefty hitter.
Two years later in 1907 he devised catcher's shin guards. The first,
evidently modeled after a cricketer's
leg pads but were large, and bulky. NL
president Pulliam dismisses the Opening
Day protests of Pittsburgh manager Fred
Clarke over Roger Bresnahan's shin
guards. As yet, Bresnahan was the only
catcher using them. Ignoring the
ridicule, it was not thought to be
gentlemanly to use them. By 1909 the
design was refined, and became
accepted, and more wildly used.
Thomas E. Wilson Sporting Goods, began producing these Shin Guards in the
mid to late 1910s, and most likely
produced the shin guards for
Schmelzer's Sporting Goods. Model No.
1, is listed in the 1927 Schmelzer's
catalog as follows, Willow Reeds
covered, ribbed with white duck and
inside padding of thick felt are
features in this guard-sole leather knee
cap, with flexible joint, make this a
favorite with seasoned catchers. The
shin-guards most likely appear in
earlier catalogs that are not
available.
The Schmelzer Arms Co. opened in 1857, in Kansas City, MO. The 1920's saw
a steady decline in sales and in 1930,
filed for bankruptcy. George Lowe was
an employee and worked as a buyer for
Schmelzers during their heyday in the
teens, and he stepped forward during
the bankruptcy and took over some of
Schemlzer's sporting goods business for
his present company, Lowe and Campbell
Sporting Goods.
In 1931 along with the Horace Partridge Athletic Goods Co., Lowe &
Campbell merged with the larger, Thomas
E. Wilson Company (Wilson Western
Sporting Goods) These mergers were
common, as large sporting goods
companies such as Wilson, Rawlings, and
Spalding merged with smaller, local or
regional companies to increase their
presence in markets throughout the
country.
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