A child’s first baseball glove is something he’ll remember forever. Many an article have been written regarding finding your young child that perfect glove. The bottom line is that you can get a pretty good glove for your nine year old down at the local sporting goods store. Once your son reaches junior high and high school it is about time to move gradually up the ladder towards the “top of the line” ball gloves. I am not going to cover first base and catchers mitts because most of them are fairly similar. Now just where do you begin? Let’s start with position specific gloves and go from there.
Leather
There are dozens of different types of leather out there today, some very good quality, some rather poor. It seems that the latest craze in glove leather is the new oil treated gloves that are injected with oil while still in the factory. This results in a quicker break in period but these gloves will not last as long as the “stiff” older models. In my well informed opinion I think Rawlings has made a huge mistake by having all of their “Heart of the Hide” models come as “oil tanned.” Wilson has also added the “Quick Stop” leather to their line, which is basically darker softer leather that won’t last as long as they claim it will. Nokona makes the only mass produced Kangaroo gloves and although you may initially enjoy the softness and feel of these gloves you will eventually realize that you are basically playing with a tortilla on your hand. Nokona does make very nice Walnut leather that is very time consuming to break in but will last for years after that. Wilson also has an interesting concept with their “Super Skin” gloves which have a dimpled plastic back that they claim lasts twice as long as leather. I find this a little hard to believe but I can’t personally comment because I haven’t personally owned one. My final answer is that you should go for the stiffest glove you can find, it will take much longer to break in but in the end it will last longer and become a part of you.
Position and Size
By the time a child hits high school he has a pretty good idea of where he is going to play. Unlike in little league when it was common to start at short, pitch 3 or so innings and strap on the gear later in the game.
Let’s start with infielders. Middle infielders will generally want a smaller rounder glove, with second baseman generally having the smallest gloves on the team ranging from 10 ½ inches to about 11 ¼. As we move over to short we will see most gloves between 11 ¼ and 11 ¾ with some exceptions like AROD who uses a 12 ¼ inch Rawlings single post web with a “fastback” back. Continuing on to third base, the most popular size is probably 11 ¾ (you’ll see some 12’s and a lot of 11 ½ ’s among the more sure handed guys over there).
Outfielders’ gloves are a lot simpler to judge because just about every pro stock adult glove will be about 13 inches.
Pitchers will vary the most out of any position. Many pitchers use gloves as small as 11 inches (Kerry Ligtenberg) and some will use gloves as large as 12 ¼ inches. I would say the average is 11 ¾. If your son is on the Nomadic side and plays all over the field I would recommend something in the range of 11 ¾ or 12 inches.
The thing we have to keep in mind regarding glove sizes, especially infielders’ gloves, is that every company varies slightly in size. For example Wilson A2000’s have always run very small and Mizuno’s tend to be larger than their listed sizes.
Webbing
Infielders – There are a variety of web styles in the infield but you will also notice a few trends. Most second baseman will use a single patch webbing which is a square piece of leather with two X’s holding it to the body, or a simple basket web. Over on to short you will find a lot of I webs and some H webs. Basically an I web looks like an I with two X’s holding it in place at the bottom and an H web has two strips of leather going vertically and one or two going across. Over at third you will see more I and H webs as well as some “Trapeze” models. A trapeze is a thick piece of leather that runs in between the thumb and the index finger, almost creating a sixth finger.
Outfielders – By far the most popular style for outfielders is the trapeze. I’m not an expert on Outfielders’ gloves but from what I’ve observed the outfielders tend to like these as well as some large H webs.
Pitchers – The main thing to remember about pitchers’ gloves is that the whole idea is to be secretive and tricky. So you won’t see many I webs or anything else like that. Currently the standard basket web is still the most popular but the two piece webs are becoming more popular among major leaguers and many of the retailers are beginning to pick up these models. You may also see some modified trapeze gloves (Pedro) and some one piece webs (Kerry Ligtenberg).
Back of the Glove
Infielders – Most infielders prefer standard open back webs, with a few exceptions as always. According to the few pro ballplayers I have talked to about gloves the consensus is that open backs keep your hand cooler as well as being more comfortable.
By far the least popular back as far as infielders go is the “fastback”, “holster” or whatever you want to call it. The only two guys who I can think of who use this style are Ripken and AROD who both use an awful 12 ¼ inch Rawlings outfielders glove. You will also see a lot of hole type backs which are basically open backed except the opening is smaller and more circular. If you can picture the Mizuno that Chipper Jones uses you have a good idea of what I am getting at.
Outfielders – In the outfield you will see a lot of open backs as well as many fastbacks.
Pitchers – Most if not all pitchers will use open backs. Pitchers have some special little gimmicks on their gloves including one that was developed by Wilson in the early 90’s to help a struggling pitcher. Greg Maddux was actually tipping his pitches to the hitter with his index finger that was poking out of his glove. Wilson simply wrapped a piece of leather around his finger to act as a cover and prevent further problems. This has turned into the Pro Sleeve, which is now standard on a lot of A2000’s and Conforms.
Now that we have learned about all the components involved in making a good glove, just how do we turn that into the ideal glove as a whole? Well here are my ideas of what that ideal glove for each position would be as based on my recommendations.
Second Base – 11 inch, one piece web, X lacing and an open back.
Shortstop – 11 ½ inch, I web, X lacing and open back.
Third Base – 11 ¾ inch, Basket Web with an open back.
Outfield – 13 inch, Trapeze web and Fastback web.
Pitcher – 11 ¾ two piece web with open back and pro sleeve.
Color
Color is probably the least important aspect as far as longevity goes but it does matter to most people. Gloves tend to come in either Tan or Black or a combination of the two. I myself prefer a solid colored glove but my newest purchase includes a tan body and a black web and I am very happy with the appearance. Basically remember that color won’t change anything about how the glove plays but you have to live with the glove for a couple of years so make sure you like how it looks.