Alex Torres' padded hat headed to Hall of Fame

The pioneering padded hat worn by San Diego Padres reliever Alex Torres, who became the first pitcher to don the protective cap in a major-league game June 21, will be enshrined at Cooperstown as part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's "Today's Game" exhibit.

"His cap represents an important moment in baseball's changing technology to protect the player," Hall of Fame vice president Brad Horn told ESPN's William Weinbaum.

Torres was compelled to try out the protective cap after watching former teammate Alex Cobb suffer a concussion last season after being struck in the head by a line drive. Major League Baseball approved in January a model manufactured by isoBlox that "adds close to six ounces to a standard 4.6-ounce official MLB New Era cap" for increased protection from batted balls.

"I'm proud of it going on display at the Hall of Fame, it's a good moment," Torres said through interpreter Jose Valentin, the Padres' first-base coach. "It's a good step forward to send a message to pitchers and all of baseball about safety, and I want to be a messenger."

The protective caps have drawn considerable ridicule on social media, though, with several pitchers levelling criticism about the cap's bulky appearance.

"I don't care how I look, I care about the protection," Torres said. "It might be a while before we see more pitchers using it, but the cap feels good, and I hope to see people join me next season and the cap refined further."