title: The neurosurgeon as baseball fan and inventor: Walter Dandy and the batter's helmet.
abstract: Baseball maintains one of the highest impact injury rates in all athletics. A principal causative factor is the "beanball," referring to a pitch thrown directly at a batter's head. Frequent morbidities elicited demand for the development of protective gear development in the 20th century. In this setting, Dr. Walter Dandy was commissioned to design a "protective cap" in 1941. His invention became widely adopted by professional baseball and inspired subsequent generations of batting helmets. As a baseball aficionado since his youth, Walter Dandy identified a natural partnership between baseball and medical practice for the reduction of beaning-related brain injuries. This history further supports the unique position of neurosurgeons to leverage clinical insights, inform innovation, and expand service to society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brewster
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Wenya Linda
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Gormley
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Ian F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Laws
mesh_terms: D001484:Baseball / Q000293:injuries*; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000266:history / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069471:Neurosurgeons / Q000266:history*
keywords: MLB = Major League Baseball; TBI = traumatic brain injury; Walter Dandy; baseball helmet; head trauma; innovation; protective gear; traumatic brain injury