MLB Players to Debut New Rawlings S100 Pro Comp™ Batting Helmet This Season

ST. LOUIS, April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), added its new S100 Pro Comp™ batting helmet line to its on-field assortment of protective headwear during Major League Baseball® Opening Day festivities last week.  Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120411/CG85720)  

Approximately 300 MLB® players chose to wear the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp this season before the league-wide rule goes into effect in 2013.  The mandatory use of the updated version of Rawlings S100 batting helmet is outlined in the new, 5-year collective bargaining agreement signed last November by Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association™.  This protective provision was specifically included in "Health and Safety" category (Section VIII) of the labor agreement.

"Rawlings' long-standing history and ongoing commitment to help protect athletes' bodies served as our central focus during the S100 Pro Comp's development from idea to production," said Mike Thompson, senior vice president of marketing for St. Louis-based Rawlings.  "We worked collaboratively with MLB and the Players Association in order to create a solution that increased protection with the performance qualities and style players demand to play at their best."

Constructed of aerospace-grade carbon fiber, the new Rawlings S100 Pro Comp batting helmet continues to provide technologically-enhanced protection for ball strikes up to 100 miles per hour.

Based on feedback from Minor League players wearing the S100 the past two years and MLB stars who tested the S100 Pro+™ during the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim, Rawlings' product development team sought to maintain the same protective attributes in the new batting helmet while significantly enhancing the overall fit and comfort level to meet the performance needs of players at baseball's highest levels.

The next-generation S100 Pro Comp is 300-percent stiffer and 130 times stronger than traditional ABS plastic helmets, yet features a lighter and smaller design specification compared to previous S100 models:

• Weighs approximately five ounces less and is almost 200 cubic inches smaller than the S100 – originally introduced in 2009 and currently worn by all Minor League Baseball® players
• Weighs 8.8 ounces less and 34 cubic inches smaller than S100 Pro+

The similarities in weight and size to current, Rawlings batting helmets allow for a seamless transition to the S100 Pro Comp for all players next season.

About Rawlings

Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods in the United States.  Since the company's inception in 1887, Rawlings' mission has always centered on enabling participation by developing and producing innovative, high-performance equipment and protective apparel for the professional, amateur and entry-level player.  With an assortment of baseball, basketball, football and softball game-related product lines, Rawlings is present everywhere team sports are played.   Leagues and conferences of all skill levels integrate Rawlings' unparalleled product portfolio into their sports: as the Official Baseball Supplier and Official Helmet of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball for the NCAA®, the official football for the NAIA®, the official basketball for the NAIA, NJCAA® and AAU®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®.  For more information, please visit rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

About Jarden Corporation

Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 100 trusted, quality brands sold globally.  Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Volkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®,  Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®.  Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden ranks #379 on the Fortune 500 and has over 23,000 employees worldwide.  For in-depth information about Jarden, please visit www.jarden.com.

SOURCE Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc.