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INSIDE This Issue
1
We Have New TV Ads!
Prior Authorization in Medicare Part D 2
You Can’t Stop Time, But You Can Slow
the Damage 3
Teriyaki Beef Skewers 3
4 The Hidden Innovators Behind Baseball’s Greatest Gear
Meet the Minds Behind Baseball’s Iconic Equipment A Glove, Bat, and Ball Transformed Baseball Forever
Baseball may be America’s pastime, but it didn’t appear out of thin air. The game we know and love today is a patchwork of early stick-and-ball games, tracing back centuries to England’s cricket and even as far back as ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Egyptians. But modern baseball started taking shape in 19th-century New York. Enter the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, which set the foundation in 1846 with official rules that included base paths, foul lines, and, mercifully , the elimination of tagging runners out by hurling the ball at them. Of course, baseball wouldn’t be what it is today without the brilliant minds who revolutionized its equipment . Three inventors, George Rawlings, John Hillerich, and Benjamin Shibe, took baseball’s core components and transformed them into game-changers.
George Rawlings was the first to look at a player’s bruised and battered hands and think, “There’s got to be a better way.” As a sporting goods store owner, Rawlings designed a padded baseball glove, patenting it in 1885. With added felt and rubber padding, his glove gave players much-needed protection while fielding fast-moving balls. Today, Rawlings’ baseball gloves are as essential to the game as the bases themselves. Then there’s John Hillerich, a German immigrant and skilled woodworker who ran a shop in Louisville, Kentucky. His game-changing moment came when his baseball-loving son needed a better bat. Hillerich’s new design had a harder surface to help players drive the ball farther, and in 1902, the famous Louisville Slugger was patented. More than a century later, the
bat remains one of the most iconic pieces of baseball equipment, wielded by legends past and present. And finally, Benjamin Shibe, the “Edison of baseball.” Before Shibe, baseballs lacked the durability needed for a high-powered sport. In 1909, he patented the cork- centered baseball, a tougher, more resilient ball that allowed for stronger, farther hits. His creation became the official ball of Major League Baseball in 1911, forever altering how the game was played. These three inventors helped shape baseball into the thrilling sport it is today. Next time you watch a game, remember that every leaping grab at the warning track, every solidly hit line drive, and every soaring home run snagged by an enthusiastic fan are built on a legacy of innovation.
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