Of Wally Pipp And Baseball Helmets

In sports trivia this morning, Mark mentioned Lou Gehrig beginning his consecutive games streak (actually started when he pinch hit in the eighth inning, June 1, 1925), playing first base for Wally Pipp. The answer to today's sports trivia question was the batting helmet was used for the first time on this day in 1938.

I have blogged this particular article from Snopes.com in the past. Wally Pipp had said that it was for lack of a baseball helmet that Lou Gehrig began his streak. As this thorough research seems to prove, it was not that, nor the legendary 'headache', that put Gehrig at first instead of Pipp.

www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/pipp.asp