Throat guard
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A throat guard is a piece of
. Throat guards can be made of metal, leather, and/or plastic, and may be built in to a mask or attached separately.The guard was invented in 1976 by Los Angeles Dodgers trainer Bill Buhler after catcher Steve Yeager was impaled in the throat by pieces of a broken bat. It was designed to hang from the bottom of the catcher's mask and protect against foul balls.[1] This guard was compared to a goat's beard.[2]
The guard is now required in numerous youth and amateur baseball
Little League. The NCAA requires it for baseball and softball.[3]
Numerous umpires across the world opt to use the guard as well.
References
- ^ Bush, Frederick C. "September 6, 1976: Dodgers' Steve Yeager suffers near-fatal on-field accident". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ISBN 9780393073492. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ISBN 9781975161392. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
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