“In the Pocket” Glove Blog

Back in the 1880’s, a forward-thinking owner of a sporting goods store in St. Louis took note of a handful of baseball players who were starting to use fielding gloves and thought he could make a better glove.

In his application to the U.S. Patent Office, this enterprising businessman designed a glove that used padding for the “prevention of the bruising of the hands when catching the ball.”

Though it doesn’t much resemble the gloves we use today, it’s fascinating to see the mind of George Rawlings at work.

There’s a colorful and informative article by David Waldstein of The New York Times on a well-worn Rawlings catcher’s mitt that’s ready for retirement. Only problem is, the new mitt (also a Rawlings) isn’t quite broken in yet.

I knew catchers used a special mitt for pitchers who throw knuckleballs, but I didn’t know the pitcher generally supplies it. Did you know that?

The special mitt has a big surface area, larger than that of a normal catcher’s mitt, and it’s a lot lighter and more flexible. So light and flexible, in fact, that durability can be a problem, so it’s good to have its successor waiting in the wings.

Breaking in a new glove, we’re always trying to form a deep pocket.

Here’s an interesting take on getting a deeper pocket in your glove. It’s all technique: shift your fingers over one spot in the glove, et voila!

Feels a little strange, but heck, it’s worth a try!

When the Brooklyn Atlantics faced the New York Mutuals earlier this month in Islip, they played by the rules of 1864.

The most obvious difference between 1864 and the modern era? No gloves and hand-made balls. Home plate was round!

Any reachable ball was in the strike zone. Foul balls weren’t strikes. Catching the ball on one hop? That’s an out!!

While some of these rules may seem arcane, it’s pretty easy to see the appeal of Vintage Baseball. Some leagues play by the  The Atlantics and Mutuals are among the approximately 250 teams competing in Vintage Baseball Leagues across the country.

Different teams and leagues play by different rules. Some use the early style of gloves, some use none at all. Check out the VBBA for information about teams playing in your area.

Learn more about the early days of baseball here. And be grateful for your glove!

Defense wins championships. It’s undeniable. As baseball has emerged from an extended rip-roaring, high flying offensive bender when balls, player and even newly-built parks were juiced for distance, the pendulum is swinging back the other way, as teams are again focussing on defense.

It all starts with the glove. Check out this excellent piece by Jerry Sullivan from The Buffalo News - it’s an ode to the glove and an insightful look into defensive trends in MLB. Well worth a read.

I thought my friends and I were the only ones having this debate. But a Marlin fan asks a question I’ve been wondering about: how old is too old to bring your glove to the game?

As a kid, I brought my glove to every game. It may not have been the smartest way to care for my glove. I risked the perils of soft serve ice cream. I definitely spilled soda on it once or twice. And there may still be some cotton candy lodged inside. But who could fault me? But I was a kid. And kids bring their gloves to the game.

Flickr photo by Rho

When I got older, I always kept my glove in the car. So when I drove to a game, I was often tempted to bring it in to the game. But slowly, I stopped bringing it in. I didn’t really think about it. I just sort of stopped. So I never figured out the right cutoff age, if there is one. What do you think? Do you still bring your glove in to the stands when you watch your favorite team? How old is too old?

Ever wonder how your favorite pros break in their new baseball gloves? Rawling’s baseball gloves posted a solid new video, available here on the Twins page on Fandome. From catcher’s mitts to outfielders gloves, MLB professionals have a lot of different takes on the best way to break in a glove. With active players like Curtis Granderson, Chase Utley, Torii Hunter, and Grady Sizemore, can you guess which player uses a microwave to get his glove game-ready?

curtis granderson jeremy hermedia torii hunter ryan zimmerman adam loewen joe mauer chase utley grady sizemore ryan howard troy glaus justin verlander alex rios

Pitchers and catchers have (finally!) reported to Spring Training. It’s a happy weekend for all of us who are eager for the 2009 MLB season to start. After the controversy of this off-season, we can finally focus on developing talent on our favorite teams. That’s right, it’s time for fundamentals. For the rookies and the veterans, the wannabes and the has-beens. Even as a never-was, this time of year I always think of my first glove.

Sure, there are more baseball glove manufacturers now than when I got my Ron Darling–inscribed MacGregor glove. But some things never change. I just saw a glove under a car on my street, sitting there just like my glove sat under my dad’s car overnight. What advice would you share for breaking in a new baseball glove?

Hello everyone and welcome to our brand new blog. We’ll use this space to post up the latest news from the glove world, along with any opinions or random info we have.

See You Around!