Rawlings
S100®
Pro Comp™
Sets the New Standard in Batting Helmets
New
MLB®
batting helmet mandate takes effect; provides protection for ball
strikes up to 100 miles per hour
ST. LOUIS,
MO – February 20, 2013 – Beginning with the start of this week’s
Spring Training exhibition games, Rawlings Sporting Goods Company,
Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), and its new
S100®
Pro Comp™
batting helmet will become the standard throughout Major League
Baseball®.
The mandatory implementation of Rawlings’ technologically-advanced
batting helmet is outlined in the 5-year collective bargaining
agreement signed in November 2011 by MLB and the MLB Players
Association™.
Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet of Major League Baseball.
Approximately
200 MLB players elected to wear the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp last year
before the league-wide rule went into effect, including National
League™
batting champion Buster Posey of the World Series™
champion San Francisco Giants™.
“Collectively
with MLB and the MLB Players Association, we developed the Rawlings
S100 Pro Comp batting helmet to provide increased protection for the
world’s best baseball players, while meeting their specific
functional and performance demands,” said Art
Chou,
senior vice president of product for St.
Louis-based
Rawlings. “The evolution of the Rawlings S100 product line clearly
illustrates how we can deliver innovative protective solutions at the
very highest level of the sport while still delivering
high-performing equipment so these players can continue to play at
their peak levels.”
Constructed
of aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite,
the new Rawlings S100 Pro Comp batting helmet provides
technologically-enhanced protection for ball strikes up to 100 miles
per hour. Earlier this week, the innovative Rawlings S100 Pro Comp
helmet design was named a finalist for the Edison Awards in the
category of material science-composites. The Edison Awards honors
excellence in new product development and innovation.
The
next-generation S100 Pro Comp is 300-percent stiffer and 130 times
stronger than the traditional ABS plastic helmet that was the
previous standard in Major League Baseball, yet features a
significantly lighter and smaller design than previous S100 models
that have been tested in recent years.
The similarities in weight and size to the traditional helmet allow
for a seamless transition to the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp for all MLB
players.
“Protecting
our players with the latest innovations in protection equipment is a
top priority of Major League Baseball,” said Dan Halem, Senior Vice
President, Labor Relations, Major League Baseball. “Last
year the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp received a great reception from the
MLB players that chose to
wear it, and we’re pleased to take the next step and roll it out
league-wide.”
For more
information, please visit www.rawlings.com
or www.mlb.com.
About
Rawlings
Rawlings
Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer and
marketer of sporting goods worldwide. Founded in 1887, Rawlings is
an authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes
from the sandlot to the pros. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality and
expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more athletes
choose Rawlings, and why Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet and
Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball of
Minor League Baseball™ and the NCAA®, and the approved baseball,
basketball, football and softball
of the National High School Federation®. For more
information, please visit www.rawlings.com
or by phone at (314) 819-2800.
About
Jarden Corporation
Jarden
Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer
products with a portfolio of over 100 trusted, quality brands sold
globally. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through
a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu
Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®,
Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®,
Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Völkl®
and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Breville®, Crock-Pot®,
FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®,
Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White
Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®,
Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®,
First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®,
Lifoam®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®,
Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden
ranks #371 on the Fortune 500 and has over 25,000 employees
worldwide. For in-depth information about Jarden, please visit
www.jarden.com.
For more information, please contact:
Kurt Hunzeker
(314) 819-5348
khunzeker@rawlings.com