C, b. 1948. After being hit in the neck with a broken bat in 1976, he invented the hanging neck protector, which soon became standard equipment for catchers everywhere. RHP, 1848-1924. Intrigued by the arcing flight of thrown clam shells, after years of tinkering he applied the principle to baseball and invented the curve ball; named to the Hall of Fame in 1939. Exec Mgr, b. ? d. ? In 1887, this manager and owner of the New Orleans Pelicans was the first to introduce the use of the now-familiar tarp to protect the infield from rain. OF 1B, b. 1945. These men were the first players chosen in the inaugural drafts of their respective games. Cushing was the first associate justice appointed to the Court by President George Washington. He was also the last judge to wear a wig, as one can see in his official portrait. His poor health curtailed his productivity; Cushing wrote only 19 opinions in 21 years. Monday was the first player chosen in baseball’s first free agent amateur draft in 1965. He compiled solid stats during his career, including 241 homers and 775 RBI, and played in the 1968 and 1978 All-Star games.