There’s a good story in the Times about Irving Franklin, the founder of Frankin Sports who helped popularize the batting glove in Major League Baseball and died at age 93 on Thursday:

Batting gloves, like batting helmets, were a relatively late addition to the national pastime. Unlike the helmets, the gloves are not required. But players say they provide comfort, warmth, improved grip and shock absorption. They say gloves give them a more secure feeling about their grip, especially early in a swing.

Irving Franklin’s son, Larry, recalled Monday that his father was eager to get a top-flight player to endorse something his company made. He signed up Schmidt, who suggested batting gloves. They teamed up at spring training in 1983. Mr. Franklin contributed his knowledge of making sporting goods from leather; Schmidt gave a player’s view, as he continually criticized and tweaked designs.

It goes on like that, and details the way Franklin secured MLB’s designation as the league’s official batting glove, and how Mark McGwire eschewed big money from Nike to stay with Franklin for way less during his record-breaking season in 1998. Then there’s the very last paragraph of the story:

Irving Franklin was particularly pleased about his batting gloves because the name of his company was so easy to see when television cameras closed in on a hitter. His other official major league products, cups and supporters, were not.

Lead: buried.