Through the years, baseball gloves have become far more sophisticated and advanced. A ballplayer in the modern era needs a glove that is unique to the position that he or she plays. There are a variety of decisions to make when choosing a glove. The position that the glove is meant for is extremely important, as well as the glove's durability and ability to withstand damage. Many Companies offer gloves in a variety of price ranges. Generally speaking, more expensive gloves are made with higher quality leather that will last longer. As is with most sporting goods, with baseball gloves you get what you pay for.
Contents
1 Making The Right Choice
2 Glove Sizes
3 Gloves By Position
4 Major Brands
5 Tips for Breaking in Your New Glove
6 Glove Maintenance
7 External Links
Making The Right Choice
Your choice of glove should depend on a few things. Take into consideration your own ability as a player, how often the glove will be used, and the level of competition you will be playing at. If you are the parent of a child who is new to game, their is no need to spend $200 on a glove that is probably better suited for a high school or college ballplayer. You might be better off buying a glove that costs somewhere between $25 and $75 and seeing if your child takes to the game. If you do play competitive baseball, you probably have an idea of your needs as a player. This guide may further assist your decision.
Glove Sizes
Gloves for adults generally range in size from 10 to 13 inches. Different positions require different glove sizes. Children's gloves generally range in size from 8 to 12 inches, are not as position specific and comfort should be emphasized most. A child might be wearing a glove not neccesarily ideal for his or her position, but if they are comfortable, keeping the same glove is probably a safe bet.
Gloves By Position
Outfield gloves: Outfield gloves should generally range in size from 12 to 13 inches. Bigger gloves have bigger pockets and provide more room to catch the ball. This is very important when a player is attempting to catch a fly-ball
Infield gloves: With the exception of the first baseman, Infield gloves are generally smaller and usually range in size from 10 1/2 to 12 inches. Middle infielders, such as the shortstop and second basemen are prone to have the smallest gloves on the field so they are able to turn double plays and get the ball out of their gloves quickly.
Pitcher's gloves : Pitcher's gloves can be any length, but they are usually within the same size range as other infield gloves.
Catcher's mitts : Catcher's mitts look and feel entirely different than any other baseball glove. They have more padding and durability than any of the other gloves. This is probably due to the fact that they take a severe beating day in and day out.
First base gloves : First base gloves are generally larger than any other infield glove. Like catcher's mitts, they have an extra layer of padding, which helps them cope with hard throws from other infielders.
Major Brands
Mizuno : Mizuno provides gloves of all shapes and sizes for players of any ability and/or price range.
Rawlings : Rawlings is a well known and respected company. They have "player series" Gloves for youths that cost as little as $24.99 and "Pro Preferred Gloves" for advanced ballplayers that can cost more than $250.
Wilson : Wilson has been manufacturing gloves since 1922 and is now considered to be one of the premier suppliers for major league gloves. They have 13 different lines of gloves to choose from (5 youth, 8 adult) that can cost as must as $300 and as little as $15.
SSK : SSK is a Japanese company, widely regarded for its high-end gloves. Their gloves generally cost more than $50 and they have a limited number of models available (9). These gloves provide sophistication and durability and are specifically manufactured for the serious ballplayer.
Nike : Baseball gloves are a recent addition to the Nike sporting line and at this point they offer only 2 series of gloves. The "SDR" series gloves generally cost anywhere between $60 and $100 while the "Pro Gold" series gloves are slightly more expensive.
Nokona : Nokona has been making top-of-the line Gloves for more than 70 years. These are quality, pro level gloves that should not even be considered by the novice ballplayer. At the very least, a Nokona will cost you $125.
Akadema : Akadema has been around for less than a decade, but since its inception it has provided a variety of gloves for youths and adults. Prices are reasonable, while quality remains high. Youth gloves can cost as little as $40, while adult gloves rarely exceed $175.
Louisville Slugger : Louisville Slugger is renowned for their superior baseball bat design, but they also have recently manufactured some high quality makes of gloves. You can find some of their youth designs as cheap as $40, while some of their more expensive gloves are in the $150 price range.
Easton : Easton provide a wide variety of gloves for the novice ballplayer. They have adult gloves that cost under $40, and youth gloves that cost under $20.
Tips for Breaking in Your New Glove
Work in the padding: use both hands to grab the heel of the glove and twist it back and forth. Do the same for the fingers and the thumb of the gloves
Buy some glove conditioning oil. Rub the oil into the inside of the glove a handful of times, spaced out periodically (wait a couple of days between each application). This will soften the glove and decrease the tension within the frame.
When the glove is not in use, place a baseball in the pocket and wrap a rubber band around the outside of the glove. This will allow the ball to adjust to the shape of the glove more easily.
Play catch as frequently as possibly. Throw a ball into your glove repeatedly if you cannot find someone to play catch with. The more times a baseball hits that leather, the quicker your glove will break in.
Glove Maintenance
When not in use, try to store the glove in a cool, dry place. This is especially important for the off-season, when your glove might not receive use for a few months at a time.
If your glove becomes wet or damp, use a towel to dry it. Do not put it in the oven or microwave. Also, never place your glove on top of a heater as it will most likely dry out the leather.
Keep the laces of your glove tight at all times. The more you let them loosen, the more damage gets done to the overall frame of the glove.
Avoid over-oiling your glove. Once you have oiled a new glove a handful of times, you should not oil it more than once or twice a season.
External Links
If you want more insight on how to go about choosing the right glove for you, here are some additional sites that might help do the trick:
Baseballgloves.com: Arguably the best Glove site on the net.
Baseball express: Good advice and top notch gloves for experienced ballplayers.
Baseball corner: Features a terrific Glove buying guide.
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