Glove Prep

Nothing better than an A2000 back in the day. Kind of like a good Zebco, Kleenex, Timex, or an Oreo with an RC Cola.

 

Just my humble opinion, the best two out there are the pro level Wilson A2000 series and the Rawlings Pro Preferred series.

I used the Wilson A2000. A scout sold me my last new one while I was at Chipola—I paid $70 for it in 1971.

Alan used the Wilson A2000 through school and the Rawlings Pro Preferred in professional ball. Both of those gloves were touching $500 then.

 

Mizuno also makes some nice gloves. I was shocked to get a nice one as a birthday present WAY after my playing days from my parents. Maybe the thought that I might need one for playing catch with a new born son. Not the top of the line but just below. Way better than any glove I ever had before.

 

Remember prepping your new glove as a kid? Tying it around ball, rubber bands around glove, …. Anything to get that pocket worn in.

 

Yes—you could sit down with your glove oil and an old T-shirt and rub your glove seemed like forever getting it “just right”…..

 

Rawlings Pro Preferred is the way to go. Wilson has been using a cheaper leather the last few years.

 

Still have my Caesar Cedeno, albeit in 1.5 segments

 

One other thing that comes to mind with regards to breaking a glove in to be “game ready”—the leather of gloves that are left naturally tanned break in more readily than dyed leather gloves. At first this was a choice between natural tan and black. In today’s world there are multiple colors of leather to choose from such as red, blue, green, etc.

 

Natural tan has open pores. No dye clogging them up.

IMHO the best looking gloves have a deep and dark brown from years of oil.

As a former bike racer and rider from what is now ancient times we had issues with breaking in leather saddles. Nobody races on them anymore because they are so heavy but a high end leather saddle like a Brooks Pro that has huge miles on it will fit your "sitting muscles" like nothing else. I had one with well over 200,000 miles of my butt on it before it finally cracked. It was like a dear old friend died.

And most leather basketballs need to be broken in as well. Not NBA game balls, though. They go through a machine that breaks them in. I have owned two and they are the best. Wood floors only, though. One ended up in the rafters at the old Florida Gym where a very competitive friend of mine that played college ball at Illinois State back when they were good lost a pick-up game and kicked it up there. He immediately was apologetic and ashamed of his outburst.

 

Do leather footballs get broken in before play? I would suspect that the leather having a bit of "give" would be important to both a QB throwing it and a receiver of a running back catching and protecting the ball.

 

Each team provides its own balls and chooses how much wear they prefer. That's unlike 1969, when home teams provided balls. Auburn provided Wilson J5V balls, when John Reaves was used to throwing Wilson J6V balls. That, plus the high center crown, running the length of the field at Cliff Hare Stadium, were the stated cause of Reaves throwing NINE interceptions. That game and the tie against the dawgs a week later were painful, but otherwise, 1969 was one of the most fun seasons ever.

 

This is a nice down memory lane moment-- very nice. I was partial to Rawlings because that is what my dad would buy for us. When I was 6, I inherited a hand-me-down from my brother- a Rawlings Nellie Fox 1960 infielders' model. When I turned 10/11 and was showing some potential, especially on D, my dad bought me a Brooks Robinson XFCB17 infielders' glove- I always played middle infield. I used lanolin oil to mold and break in the glove. Only played through High School and Babe Ruth level but always had a soft spot for my Rawlings gloves. They did well by me.

 

77—

Back then the Rawlings we had were called “Heart of the Hide”…great gloves!

 

I bet that was a small glove if it was one that Nellie Fox would have used. He was always partial to small gloves because they made the transfer to second base faster for turning a double play. Joe Morgan was taught very well by Nellie Fox when Joe first came up with the Colt 45s that would soon be the Astros.

And Joe Morgan was one of the best to ever play second base. He is up there with Rodgers Hornsbry and Jackie Robinson. Pick one as the best ever and I won't argue.

 

Excellent point and yes the Nellie Fox model was smalL and fit my hand better. I kept using it until age 13/14 although the Brooksie glove was in reserve and I switched to it later in HS. Morgan was outstanding and yes used a small glove but Fox won a boat load of Gold Gloves, though I saw him play only in his last few years. Maz and Glenn Hubbard were also outstanding on D.

 

Always thought it was interesting that MLB rules only allowed the catcher and first baseman to wear mitts and other positions had to wear gloves with size being regulated as well. Had a first base mitt and a regular fielders glove growing up. Was interesting that I could not use the first base glove when playing shortstop or pitching.

 

Heart of The Hide Rawlings are their second tier ones. Great gloves still.

 

Correct—Pro Preferred is their top of the line, but back in the 60’s professional level gloves were not available to the public at least to my knowledge.

 

Just chiming in about gloves and rules.

I did a very quick Google search and didn't find it out for sure but I think that MLB changed the rules on catcher's mitts after JC Martin was using a HUGE mitt to catch Hoyt Wilhelm. For you youngsters Hoyt was probably the very best knuckleball pitcher of all time. Ed Cicotte has been taken out of the conversation by Kenesaw Mountain Landis after the 1919 Black Sox scandal. I never saw him but I now a lot of history and his nickname was Knuckles. And he also threw a shine ball and it was legal then. And IIRC in 1919 he won 29 games and then was "rested" for the World Series so that Comiskey wouldn't have to give him a bonus for winning 30 games.

But when looking at the Niekro boys and Wakefield I would say that Hoyt was the best.

And props to you if you mentioned Eddie Fisher as a knuckleballer. Also also props for Wilbur Wood.

Bob Uecker was an MLB catcher probably best known for his role in "Major League". He did have to catch at least on of the Niekro boys and was asked about receiving a knuckle ball. It said it was easy. You just walk back behind the plate and pick up the ball.