baseball gloves

[Ernest P Shackleton]

At this point in my life, I would consider this part of "fun at the beach", aka fun at the park. A little catch here and there. Not often enough, that's for sure. There's nothing else like the sound of a hardball hitting the pocket of a baseball glove. I find the whole simple, common process of playing catch to be meditative. There's so much to think about within it, or you can think of none of it at all. Study it or just do it.

I was thinking about this the other day during the game. I remember the first time I saw a Filson wool jacket on the rack. Nothing else like it. The quality. To that young mind, true uniqueness. Though I was a baseball-obsessed kid who was surrounded by baseball gear many hours a day, the first time I ran into a Nokona mitt on the shelves, I had a similar reaction. I probably fell in love with the object in that moment. One of those objects that is so very personal to someone that having more than one, or at least just one that serves any particular function, doesn't get a lot of consideration. After all, you aren't going to carry two of them to a ball game. You'll bring your favorite every time, so why have another?

For a while now, I've had the itch to collect baseball gloves. Not the vintage, crudely shaped mitts, but more modern gloves and designs that are of particularly high quality. Mitts made of leather that require a lot of dedication to break in, before players got so lazy and so caught in the instant gratification culture that even the best manufacturers started using good quality, but lesser, leathers to appease the modern world.* Back when gloves were intended to last a lifetime and become heirlooms. If I jump into it, I'm going to start with a Nokona. I never did own one.

If you have a favorite glove, I'd love to see a photo of it. I have a single glove. I can't really call it a favorite, but it was a very important possession at one time. I question whether it is worthy of a photo. I'll have to think on that.

While I might still have your attention, are there any good forums for glove buying and selling? Where you can gather some basic information?

*I wanted to clarify that they changed the leather quality so the gloves would require far less, or no, break-in time. The trade-off is that the glove won't be as durable and play as long.

 

[belfastboy]

I am a lifetime lover of baseball and baseball gloves. I played til I was 50 and now at 67 no longer even play catch....but I do still oil my glove. It is an old Rawllngs. I had a beautiful Easton, fine fine leather but gave it to my nephew to actually use. Also had a Rawlings first basemen's mitt, (a Boog Powell model) that I took to Cuba a few years back and gave it to a young fellow. His father told me that he slept with it as he had never owned a glove of his own.
The nicest glove in my family was the one I bought for my much younger brother, Rawlings, cost me almost 3 days wages back in the early 70's. He still has it, hole in the palm and all.
I agree Nokona glove leather is something to behold.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Whenever I feel the need to magically transport myself to the softball field of Yukon Elementary School in the year 1969, when I was 12, all I have to do is close my eyes and stick my face into my old baseball glove and take a deep whiff. I am transported and, for a moment, the troubles of 2016 vanish. I can almost hear the crack of the bat and my friends cheering. I tell you, if they could only bottle the smell of a well worn, leather baseball glove.

 

[emigran]

I was a catcher in LL but never had my own mitt... I used the team's and it wasn't very good one back in 1957. I did have my own out fielder's glove of dubious nomenclature,,, it was burgundy in color and I do recall oiling it cause you were supposed to... and also put a ball in the pocket and a rubber band around it to make the pocket better.
THe only thing I remember achieving in LL was to hit a home run in practice...
I went on to become a musician...

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Ah, yes, I remember the communal catcher's mitt. I played every position but outfield. One of my favorite stints was as catcher. I wear glasses, so it wasn't such an easy task, but I loved it. It must have been obvious, because one day, my father brought home an old MacGregor catcher's mitt that I could call my own. I think he had worked in someone's house who then gave him the mitt. It was old and awesome when I got it. It was nice to no longer use the communal mitt.

I can imagine the contention in how to properly care for a glove. The arguments have settled down [pretty much] over in the years in handmade boots and shoes communities with relative general consensus, but some doozies still flare up about ingredients that are either holy or blasphemous. Those infamous words: I'VE BEEN DOING THIS ALL MY LIFE! I guess that is something else I'd like to ask an obsessive group. How has care changed, and what is now recommended? I was surprised to accidentally run across someone adamantly against using Lexol on gloves, because I know it is commonly recommended by the shoe people. They didn't specify whether that was because it would soften the leather too much or because Lexol is a poor product.

 

[Harp]

I am a lifetime lover of baseball and baseball gloves. Also had a Rawlings first basemen's mitt, (a Boog Powell model) that I took to Cuba a few years back and gave it to a young fellow...

That's a name from the past. Powell played for the Mets as I recall????

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Orioles, to be exact, and also the Cleveland Indians -- who dressed him up in a crimson-red doubleknit uniform that made him look for all the world like a gigantic habenero pepper.

As a kid, I was given a well-used Bobby Doerr model infielder's glove that I absolutely loved, until a neighborhood pit bull carried it off and ate it.

 

[belfastboy]

Ah, yes, I remember the communal catcher's mitt. I played every position but outfield. One of my favorite stints was as catcher. I wear glasses, so it wasn't such an easy task, but I loved it. It must have been obvious, because one day, my father brought home an old MacGregor catcher's mitt that I could call my own. I think he had worked in someone's house who then gave him the mitt. It was old and awesome when I got it. It was nice to no longer use the communal mitt.

I can imagine the contention in how to properly care for a glove. The arguments have settled down [pretty much] over in the years in handmade boots and shoes communities with relative general consensus, but some doozies still flare up about ingredients that are either holy or blasphemous. Those infamous words: I'VE BEEN DOING THIS ALL MY LIFE! I guess that is something else I'd like to ask an obsessive group. How has care changed, and what is now recommended? I was surprised to accidentally run across someone adamantly against using Lexol on gloves, because I know it is commonly recommended by the shoe people. They didn't specify whether that was because it would soften the leather too much or because Lexol is a poor product.

Yes...it is a risk of softening too much. The cheating way to break in a new glove is to use mink oil. But the trick is to not use too much and risk a flaccid glove. For my money it is still neats foot oil.

 

[belfastboy]

Another winter chore to fill the time til the next ball season was to "bone" and "flame your bat. An old hambone was used to scrape the bat tightening the grain and thus hardening the bat. Then flamed with a blow torch to finalize the hardening. It did not help me hit but it did keep the baseball fire lit during the long winter

 

[Harp]

For my money it is still neats foot oil.

Amen. Ever oil the bat? Always put a little on the Ernie Banks signature Louisville slugger I used but never boned or flamed it.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Another winter chore to fill the time til the next ball season was to "bone" and "flame your bat. An old hambone was used to scrape the bat tightening the grain and thus hardening the bat. Then flamed with a blow torch to finalize the hardening. It did not help me hit but it did keep the baseball fire lit during the long winter

I used this 1/2" metal rod that came with my dad's socket set. I'm not really sure what that thing was, because I never saw anyone use it. Made for a great bat hardener though.

 

[belfastboy]

Amen. Ever oil the bat? Always put a little on the Ernie Banks signature Louisville slugger I used but never boned or flamed it.

Yes, I used linseed oil after the boning and the flaming.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

We never broke in our gloves like this, but I do admit that we were probably too cautious and gingerly with them. They're leather and well lasted. By the way, those are beautiful gloves.

(watch a few minutes into it)

 

[Stearmen]

Whenever I feel the need to magically transport myself to the softball field of Yukon Elementary School in the year 1969, when I was 12, all I have to do is close my eyes and stick my face into my old baseball glove and take a deep whiff. I am transported and, for a moment, the troubles of 2016 vanish. I can almost hear the crack of the bat and my friends cheering. I tell you, if they could only bottle the smell of a well worn, leather baseball glove.

I was just thinking of my first mitt, and covering my face with it, the smell was great!

 

[Siggmund]

I love leather and I love high quality mitts. My favorites are USA-made, Horween leather, Heart-of-the-Hide mitts by Rawlings. I have a dozen or so in various styles from outfielder, first base, infielder and even catcher's mitts, all from the late '90's. I bought my first top quality mitt in 1978, a USA-made Wilson A2802 (left-handed first baseman's mitt.) I played it to death, over-oiled it with neatsfoot oil which made it too heavy. I later found Lexol which I apply as a spray on all the mitts about once a year. The most beautiful mitt I have is a Nokona women's fastpitch catcher's mitt. I bought it as art.
A good modern glove (post 1960) forum is glove-works (http://www.glove-works.getforum.org/) and for older gloves try the Vintage Glove Collector forum (http://www.vintagebaseballgloveforum.com/).
The glove I coveted and finally acquired is a 1990 Pro-T, an outfielder's mitt I used for many years as a softball mitt until I became slow and moved back to first base. It then became my standard mitt for playing catch with my kids. Here are two pics of the mitt. I branded it with my initials and used a gold marker to fill the letters "JS". This is bad for the value of the mitt but seemed like the thing to do when I first bought it!

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I love leather and I love high quality mitts. My favorites are USA-made, Horween leather, Heart-of-the-Hide mitts by Rawlings. I have a dozen or so in various styles from outfielder, first base, infielder and even catcher's mitts, all from the late '90's. I bought my first top quality mitt in 1978, a USA-made Wilson A2802 (left-handed first baseman's mitt.) I played it to death, over-oiled it with neatsfoot oil which made it too heavy. I later found Lexol which I apply as a spray on all the mitts about once a year. The most beautiful mitt I have is a Nokona women's fastpitch catcher's mitt. I bought it as art.
A good modern glove (post 1960) forum is glove-works (http://www.glove-works.getforum.org/) and for older gloves try the Vintage Glove Collector forum (http://www.vintagebaseballgloveforum.com/).
The glove I coveted and finally acquired is a 1990 Pro-T, an outfielder's mitt I used for many years as a softball mitt until I became slow and moved back to first base. It then became my standard mitt for playing catch with my kids. Here are two pics of the mitt. I branded it with my initials and used a gold marker to fill the letters "JS". This is bad for the value of the mitt but seemed like the thing to do when I first bought it!

Nice post. Thanks for the links. How can you tell which Rawlings, or any glove for that matter, are made with Horween?

 

[Siggmund]

Nice post. Thanks for the links. How can you tell which Rawlings, or any glove for that matter, are made with Horween?

It's really interesting. On Heart-of-the-Hide glove manufactured prior to 1998 there is a code stamped on the thumb above where it says, "Gold Glove Series" which denotes year, month and leather. The letters B-L-A-C-K-H-O-R-S-E are code for the numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0. B=1; L=2, etc. The numbers correspond to year, then month. So. April, 1995 is 5-04 or coded as "KEC". The leather code letter is last. 01= Horween; 09= Tennessee Tanning; 14=Gutman; can't find any others. My mitt, (pictured above) has the code "LEH01". That means my glove dated from L=2; E=0; H=6 or June, 1992 and is made of 01=Horween leather. All HOH gloves are made from Horween these days, but they use a much softer leather than in the old days. That is why I like the USA-made gloves. They are made from the much stiffer and difficult to break-in 1990's (and earlier) leather. After 1998, Rawlings gloves, other than custom-made gloves, are made in SE Asia.
There's gobs more information out there about codes for newer gloves. The links I gave earlier are great sources for this sort of stuff.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

That's great. Thanks.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I finally devoted some time to cleaning up and conditioning my Mizuno MT-2000FB. It's modeled after the Wilson A2000XLC. It was just a bit dusty, not actually dirty, so I used a very lightly damp rag (allowing it to dry for a few days) and then Lexol conditioner. I didn't have any leather cleaner around the house, and I didn't go nuts with it. Like all things leather, some people swear by Lexol, while others say it is a no-no. I happen to like it, but I also don't have any longterm experience with it. I've conditioned the inside of a couple pairs of boots with it and have been satisfied. I needed my first adult glove as a young teenager just as Mizuno and SSK (the dimpled variety was everywhere) were breaking into the USA market. Looking back on it, I'm surprised my father went for a Japanese glove. I've been looking around at new gloves for a while now, and I'll take my Mizuno over everything I've seen so far. Maybe I just don't like the feel of the new soft leathers they're using. I've looked at $250 gloves and thought, "Really?" I'll try to get a photo or two of my Mizuno to share.

*XLC, not XL