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Follow on Google News | Franklin Sports Founder And Industry Pioneer Irving H. Franklin Dies At Age 93Irving Franklin, co-founder of sporting goods company Franklin Sports, has died at age 93. Franklin was also the innovator of the batting glove.
By: Jerry Milani Mr. Franklin was a true visionary, both in producing the prototype of the batting glove that is still used today, as well as in establishing product lines for superstar athletes including Phillies star third baseman Mike Schmidt and New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. Born on August 2, 1918 in Brockton, Massachusetts, from modest beginnings, Irving Franklin launched the company to manufacture a line of youth sporting goods, which grew into a major brand in the global market of sporting goods. Mr. Franklin and Franklin Sports became best known for innovating the design and make of the first batting glove in the 1980s, and became manufacturer of the “Official Batting Glove of Major League Baseball” soon after. Franklin today is the industry leader as the premier batting glove company, and custom fits batting gloves for over 150 MLB players. In the late 60’s, Irving signed New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, and became the first in the industry to market a complete line of products around an athlete. A model Franklin has used successfully for many superstar athletes including, Terry Bradshaw, Dan Marino, Herschel Walker, Sugar Ray Leonard, David Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Don Mattingly, Bo Jackson, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Barry Bonds. The breakthrough for Franklin and the batting gloves came when Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt and Irving Franklin teamed up to create the basic design that is still the preferred glove of most major league hitters. Irving Franklin went to Clearwater, Florida, to meet with Schmidt during spring training in 1983. Together, they worked tirelessly to make sure that the materials and design were perfected, so collaboratively the two were the first authors. At that time, most players wore no gloves. A few wore a single golf style glove, but no company offered a product specifically designed for the needs of professional players. Franklin today is the industry leader as the premier batting glove company, and custom fits batting gloves for over 150 MLB players. Mr. Franklin was first employed at a shoe factory in Brockton, and later joined his grandfather in the scrap leather business, which he took over when his grandfather passed away. # # # Franklin Sports (www.franklinbaseball.com) End
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