A batting helmet is the protective headgear worn by batters in a game of baseball or softball. It is meant to protect the batter from stray pitches thrown by the pitcher. A hit by pitch, caused by either a wild pitch or a purposeful attempt to injure the opposing team's batter can cause serious injury.
Traditionally, a batting helmet covers the back, top, and sides of the head, and at least one ear. The left ear is covered for right-handed batters and the right ear for left-handed batters, whichever ear faces the pitcher. Batting helmets that cover both ears are common as well.
Batting helmets were not required in Major League Baseball until 1956, a result of several years of hospitalizations due to injury from hits to the head.
Occasionally, a player who perceives a higher-than-normal risk of head injury will wear a batting helmet in the field. One notable example is current major-leaguer John Olerud, who started doing so after undergoing emergency surgery for a cerebral aneurysm while attending Washington State University.
