NEW YORK CITY (AP) — A specially padded baseball cap that Jackie Robinson wore for protection against beanballs has sold for $590,994 at auction. The blue Brooklyn Dodgers hat sold on October 28 after a month long online auction through the sports auctioneers Lelands. Lelands says Robinson wore the hat when he broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Robinson endured constant racist taunts during that rookie year, and pitchers frequently threw at his head. The padded cap came with a letter from Robinson’s widow, Rachel, describing the three protective plates sewn inside the lining. The 95-year-old Rachel Robinson was in Los Angeles on October 24 to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 1 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Houston Astros. Batting helmets didn’t become mandatory in the Major Leagues until 1956.
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