Broken wrists or fingers from a 100 miles-per-hour pitch can ruin a season for a Major League Baseball player. Take some speed off that fastball and it’s still enough to send a Little Leaguer to the hospital.
Enter XProTex, a Valencia startup that is hoping a new class of baseball batting gloves it developed will provide enough protection to keep players young and old on the field.
Created with the help of Cal State Northridge scientists and an established sporting goods manufacturer, the company claims the gloves reduce the effective speed of impact by more than 50 percent. The gloves appear to have caught on quickly.
They were recently approved for use by MLB and about 40 minor and major leaguers have signed up to endorse them, including Jason Repko of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles star Miguel Tejada.
“We’ve sold out our first three months of production and we started in January,” said Jack Kasarjian, chief executive of XProTex.
Kasarjian co-founded the company four years ago when he was looking for a way to capitalize on the popularity of another company that he owns – X Bats, a manufacturer of maple bats that have become popular with Major League players. His idea was to improve on the design of batting gloves.
Companies such as Nike and Reebok make batting gloves with extra padding, but most are designed to absorb the shock transferred from hitting a ball rather than being hit by a pitch.
Kasarjian contacted the owners of SixSixOne, a Valencia equipment manufacturer that specialized in extreme sports such as mountain biking and motor cross. SixSixOne owners partnered with Kasarjian to set up the company. Other investors helped fund research at Cal State Northridge
The gloves went through 14 prototypes, with the last version finally ready for use by pro ballplayers. The gloves feature a composite material that protects the wrist and outside part of the hand without interfering with grip. The company claims the top-end version of its glove can reduce impact of a direct hit from a 100 miles-per-hour fastball to just 39 miles per hour.
Company executives traveled around to baseball spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona last week to promote the product. Kasarjian said players and agents were excited by the gloves, given how often player hands get hit by balls.
David Toth, chief operating officer for Momentous Insurance Brokerage Inc., a Van Nuys insurance company that specializes in athlete insurance, said the gloves represent a trend toward the use of more protective gear in baseball.
“We always tell players to use more gear,” he said.
Kasarjian recognizes that larger manufacturers will quickly try to copy the product, but he hopes that its five patents will keep competition at bay for a while. In the meantime, the company is more worried about being able to fill orders.
“We’re going triple shift to get out the April and May orders,” he said.
The gloves retail from $35 to $80, depending on the level of protection and whether they are youth or adult sizes.
Run Down
The 2010 version of the L.A. Marathon is shaping up to be a financial home run for Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who’s in his second year as owner of the race.
The March 21 event is expected to draw 25,000 runners and, despite the economy, have one of its biggest sponsorship years.
Japanese car maker Honda, which has its U.S. headquarters in Torrance, made headlines signing up as the primary sponsor. Another local company, Westlake Village athletic shoemaker K-Swiss Inc., will be the secondary “presenting” sponsor. Both companies signed multiyear commitments.
Other major sponsors include La Canada Flintridge sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet Inc.; Mexican restaurant chain Rubio’s Restaurants Inc. of Carlsbad; and Coca-Cola Co., which will be promoting its Powerade sports drink and Dasani water brand at the event.
The sponsors and other vendors will have a much larger venue to engage runners at the traditional expo where athletes register prior to the event. Featuring 150 companies, it will be at the Dodger Stadium parking lot where the race will start.
Also, in conjunction with K-Swiss, the marathon has started a licensing program to produce L.A. Marathon-branded apparel products. The products, including running gear and T-shirts, will be sold in Sports Chalet stores.
“We want to make the L.A. Marathon a brand for 365 days a year that represents Los Angeles,” said Dave Klewan, L.A. Marathon partnerships director.
Swim Wear
L.A.-based Speedo, a division of Warnaco Swimwear Inc., announced an extension of its sponsorship of 11-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin. The deal extends Coughlin’s sponsorship through 2013.
Coughlin could become the most decorated female American swimmer in Olympics history at the 2012 London Games. She is one medal shy of Jenny Thomson’s record.
