New Baseball Glove

[baseballking99]

My advice is to go to a big baseball store if you have one in your area and just try on different gloves. I have used pro preferred and hoh Rawlings gloves before but my favorite glove, and I am very picky about gloves, is a $69 Louisville Slugger. I wouldn't buy a glove online because you might not like it.

In regards to breaking it, in only put lanolin on it if you want to put something You can buy some cream or shaving cream with lanolin works fine. Don't put oil. It makes it heavy and doesn't do much.

[sacker12]

Actually, shaving cream is bad for leather. The soaps in shaving cream caused the leather to dry up and breakdown.

[epper]

You can try, but I don't know if they would be willing to do it for the Century Series. If they would agree to do it (which, to be honest, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they did), then they may do it for the Pro-Line Series and the other series that they allow customization in.

Got a quick email back from Kelley. They won't do any customizations, but said they have a new "system" coming this summer which will allow them to....I guess I can deal with the full web. It'll just take some getting used to, but I guess the same goes for getting an entirely new glove any ways.

I was suggesting the Pro-Line and Elevation Series because of the initial price-range that you gave us.

haha. sorry....my initial price range was in Canadian Dollars, making the Century Glove worth about $143 CAD. Should've been more clear on that. Just waiting for my tax return cheque to arrive, and then I'm gonna order it up.

[sacker12]

I getcha. The full web isn't too bad. All of the fielding gloves that I have owned have the full web.

[pcgd]

I have a wilson catchers glove that I loved when I was still playing baseball. It was a Pro Line model, but it lasted me for quite some time. Same glove that Pudge wore at the time.

As for softball and such, honestly I just went to dicks and bought a cheaper softball glove ($50 bucks tops). I didn't see the point in spending so much if I wasn't going to go every day. But its a Rawlings and its been fine.

You're three requirements all require different gloves. Softball and pitching you could use similar gloves, as well as outfield, but I don't know how anyone could play infield with a glove over 12" in baseball. Plus for pitching you're going to want a closed web glove no matter the size.

As far as breaking them in, everyone says I'm insane but this has never failed for me once (4 gloves I've done this to). Don't use softeners, shaving cream, hot glove, anything. Just soak it in water for 30 mins - an hour. Then wrap a ball in it. Once its not dripping wet you can play catch with it but just keep wrapping a ball in it every time you put it away until its broken in. It'll be mostly ready to go in a few days, hell depending on the glove you might be able to play in a game the next day after dunking it and wrapping it. I broke a catchers glove in completly in a week which is pretty fast for those things.

I know it sounds crazy but trust me, just dunk it in water.

[Joshawaggie]

I still use my Rawlings RBG90 (Dave Winfield, California Angels ~1990). It's a tad small now, but boy is that thing broken in! I even left it outside one winter by mistake. That thing was under a pile of snow for months, it didn't matter though.

[epper]

My advice is to go to a big baseball store if you have one in your area and just try on different gloves.

I would if i could. But honestly, the sporting goods store selection here in Niagara is pathetically thin. You're basically limited to Sportchek or Canadian Tire style stores for baseball (Many more specialty Hockey stores), and you're not going to get a quality product there.

[epper]

so i finally got my tax return in the mail today, and ordered up this new beauty: Kelley CS175.

Can't wait for it to get here!

[infrared41]

so i finally got my tax return in the mail today, and ordered up this new beauty: Kelley CS175.

Can't wait for it to get here!

Well, it's not a Rawlings but I'm sure it will be fine.

[paynomind]

Well done, entertaining, and intelligent thread gentlemen. I enjoyed reading. Thank you one and all for sharing.

[Clayton Johnson]

I personally recommend a Wilson glove, maybe an a2000 or and a2k. I just bought one for my son on Baseball Bargains for 200 bucks, If you're willing to go a little over your price range I highly recommend one of those gloves.

[ICTknight]

How many of your guys hands stopped growing after the 3rd or 4th grade? It seems like there are a lot of those stories. I had to get a new one every 2 years cause of outgrow them.

Anyways for breaking in I put a ball in the glove tied it shut with rope and stuck it under my mattress for a week while playing catch.

[infrared41]

I personally recommend a Wilson glove, maybe an a2000 or and a2k. I just bought one for my son on Baseball Bargains for 200 bucks, If you're willing to go a little over your price range I highly recommend one of those gloves.

Pretty sure this matter was settled - SIX YEARS AGO! Rookies. Oh, and Wilson (even the mighty A2000) can't hold a candle to a good Rawlings glove.

How many of your guys hands stopped growing after the 3rd or 4th grade? It seems like there are a lot of those stories. I had to get a new one every 2 years cause of outgrow them.

Anyways for breaking in I put a ball in the glove tied it shut with rope and stuck it under my mattress for a week while playing catch.

But since we're here...

The best way to break in a new glove is to use it. If you play catch enough, you can break in a glove in a few days. Don't soak it in water or tie a rope around it, etc. Just use it. The glove will break in perfectly that way. I got a catcher's mitt for my birthday a few years back. All I did to break it in was wear it and toss a ball in the air and catch it while I was watching TV. Simple as that. Took about three days.

[leopard88]

I've used this stuff on three gloves and it has always worked great.

[-kj]

How the hell do new users even find six-year-old threads? Seriously, do people go back and read that many pages of old threads?

I realize it's a softball glove, and not baseball, but I love my DeMarini Diablo. I've had it for probably close to ten years. To be honest, I haven't done anything to condition it, break it in, or anything, and it's still great.

[Shumway]

Since we've resurrected this thread, and I just bought a new glove last week, I guess I'll chime in.

I hate going to regular sporting goods stores for gloves because I'm left-handed. Out of the six or so gloves I tried between Dick's and Sports Authority, I ended up buying a Wilson. I'm partial to Mizuno or Rawlings, but I kind of needed one that day (I must've left my glove at the field, and nobody turned it in to the league). Anyway, to break it in, I used glove oil, then wrapped it up with a ball inside and stuck it under my mattress for a night. Then, I just threw it in the trunk of my car for a day or two and let the heat get to it a bit. By Sunday, it was pretty well broken in after throwing for a bit before my game.

I did try throwing it in the dryer for a few minutes (I read about it), but it really didn't seem to do anything.

[(probably)notabandwagonfan]

Wilson A1000 is pretty good if you're too cheap for an A2000. I've always had a Wilson. They've always felt more confertable imo

[infrared41]

How the hell do new users even find six-year-old threads? Seriously, do people go back and read that many pages of old threads?

I realize it's a softball glove, and not baseball, but I love my DeMarini Diablo. I've had it for probably close to ten years. To be honest, I haven't done anything to condition it, break it in, or anything, and it's still great.

1. Apparently. I've never tried it but I'm guessing it takes some serious work to find a six year old thread.

2. I've never heard of DeMarini gloves. If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide on that glove over the usual brands? Are DiMarini gloves softball specific? Finally, is the glove color coordinated to your uniform? (I looked them up and saw some pretty cool colors)

[FiddySicks]

DeMarini is mainly a bat company, so I assume it's similar to Louisville Slugger making gloves.

[infrared41]

DeMarini is mainly a bat company, so I assume it's similar to Louisville Slugger making gloves.

Odd fact: I played either baseball or softball for 30 years. In that time, I don't think I ever used a Louisville Slugger bat. When I played baseball with wood bats, I always hit with an Adirondack/Rawlings. When I played baseball with aluminum bats, I always used Easton. Softball it was either Easton or Steele. No idea why, but I never liked Louisville Slugger bats.

Like anyone cares what bats I used...