It was patented in 1959 by Creighton J. Hale, a physiologist who was the first director of research for Little League Baseball. Dr. Hale died Oct. 8 at a hospital in Williamsport, Pa., the headquarters of what is now called Little League International. (Little League International)Little League baseball was founded in 1939. “I was worried about the parents.”Creighton J. Hale — the “J” was merely decorative — was born Feb. 18, 1924, in Hardy, Neb. An orthopedic surgeon refuted his claims, and a judge ruled that girls were eligible to play Little League baseball alongside boys.

Source: Washington Post October 21, 2017 22:50 UTC