"Ever the innovator," the Hall's official Web site reads, "[Bresnahan] introduced shin guards to the catcher's position in 1907 and he was the first to experiment with a batting helmet, following a severe beaning." But as Bill James points out, a black catcher named Chappie Johnson wore shin guards in 1903, and Nig Clarke—"white despite the name"—wore in them in the majors in 1905. If Bresnahan had invented shin guards, would that have qualified for admission to the Hall as a player? Simply, no.