Talk:Roger Bresnahan

Bresnahan and the introduction of the shin guard
Although many sources credit Bresnahan with the introduction of shin guards, several sources point to information showing that other catchers were using them earlier. For example, Bill James in The Politics of Glory, (1994 - later republished as Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame), pp. 41–42, says the Negro league catcher Chappie Johnson was wearing them in 1902 and Nig Clarke wore them in the major leagues in 1905. See Baseball Legends Revealed #2. The article really ought to acknowledge that the claim is disputed. BRMo (talk) 02:28, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
 * I suppose you're right. That page cites James and the Fleitz book I cited in this article. I haven't read the James book, so I don't know about his research on this (other than his sterling reputation, so I wouldn't question him). A closer look at the text in the Fleitz book shows that others tried using protection before, but Bresnahan's use led it to take off. I'm not sure how to rewrite that (it'll impact my DYK nomination, thanks for mucking it up with facts :P). – Muboshgu (talk) 02:59, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
 * The page now reflects that Bresnahan helped popularize shin guards, while acknowledging that he wasn't the first to wear them. – Muboshgu (talk) 20:14, 25 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Text is misleading, as it suggests that Bresnahan popularized the use of almost all gear, as opposed to merely the shin guards. I do not have the James book, so I do not know his use of words, but Peter Morris' Catcher (2009, Ivan R. Dee Publishing) demonstrates that the face mask, the chest protector, and the glove had all been introduced and come into regular play over the course of the the mid-1880's to the 1890's, which is to say that the introduction of the shin guards was one of the last major forms of protective gear introduced to the catcher (which is not to say that they were unimportant, or that there have not been developments in protective gear since then.)  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.85.138.189 (talk) 04:17, 14 July 2012 (UTC)