I just had a (now) funny recollection of something my son learned freshman year. My son always had a “don’t need no stink’n protection” attitude about padding. He called it “old school cool.”
Then Nick Burdi hit him in the arm with a 100 mph fastball. Burdi would come out of the pen throwing one inning of smoke. He came out of the game after an inning. He couldn’t lift his arm for three days. When he returned he wore an arm guard from that day forward. He figured since he caved he also went with a stride leg shin guard.