Fits like a glove
BY RONDA ADDY

Imagine playing a game of baseball without gloves. That was exactly the scene until the 1870s when baseball gloves became available. Early gloves were nothing like the gloves of today. They consisted of a piece of leather padding with holes for the fingers that covered the palm so fielders could knock down the ball. As the design of baseball gloves evolved, more choices became available, making the selection process more difficult.

Today, there are many factors you must take into account when choosing a baseball glove, including the position you play, your size, your degree of skill and your personal preferences. Even among the gloves themselves there are factors you must consider, such as the pocket depth, size, webbing, back style, padding, materials and the manufacturer.

Baseball gloves are made of a variety of materials from leather to synthetic materials (plastic or vinyl). While synthetic gloves cost less than leather, they are stiff and awkward to use. Because they are lighter and less expensive, they make a good choice for younger players who are known to lose their gloves frequently and outgrow them faster. For an adult who wants performance, selection and comfort, leather is the best choice. Types of leather include: top-grain, which is used in most gloves; premium steer hide, which requires a lengthy breaking-in period; and full-grain leather, which is long lasting but also requires a lengthy breaking-in. The higher the quality of the leather, the better and more expensive the glove will be.

Before making your final selection, it is best to try the glove on. Gloves come in all sizes to fit various ages, positions and games (softball or baseball). They are measured by pattern size, the measurement from the heel of the glove by the wrist to the top of the glove on the palm side near the fingers. On average, a youth glove falls in the eight- to 12-inch range and an adult glove into the 12- to 13- inch range. Depending upon the position you play, you can narrow the size further. An adult outfielder's glove is 12 to 13 inches, while an infielder's or pitcher's glove is 10-3/4 to 12 inches.

The position you play will determine the type of glove you need. The catcher's fingerless mitt has heavier padding to protect the hand from fastballs and closed webbing and a smaller pocket for getting the ball out of the mitt faster. Catcher's mitts are measured by circumference rather than length. On average, a youth catcher's mitt is 31 inches or less and an adult mitt is 32 inches or more. The first base glove is also fingerless but with less padding. It has open webbing for better trapping of the ball and a shallow pocket for faster retrieval of the ball from the glove. The average adult size is 12 to 12-1/2 inches for easier catching of fly balls. The pitcher's glove has closed webbing to better hide the ball. Other features like padding and size are a matter of personal taste. The second base glove is smaller, 11 to 11-1/2 inches, with a shallow pocket for getting the ball out of the glove easier. In fact, all infield gloves are smaller with a shallower pocket and open webbing. The third base glove, however, may have closed webbing for extra support. Outfield gloves are longer and larger, 12 inches or more, to make catching fly balls easier. They have deeper pockets and closed webbing.

When choosing a glove, you should pay attention to the web style. These include:

• Single patch webs are solid pieces of leather attached to the pocket by double X lacing. This style of webbing enables infielders to get the ball out of the glove faster.

• Basket webs resemble single patch webs but are attached a little more securely to the glove, allowing for more flexibility.

• Trap and modified trap webs are single pieces of leather attached to the body of the glove with plenty of lacing, allowing for more flexibility and better trapping of the ball.

• I-webs stop the spin of the ball when it hits the glove. They offer infielders greater flexibility and allow them to snag the ball securely and get it out of the glove quickly.

• H-webs are sturdy and flexible and work well for catching pop-ups.

• T-webs/single post webs have a single horizontal and vertical bar for flexibility and sight lines. Once you find the perfect glove, you will have to break it in. You should start by softening the leather. Don't go overboard with the softener. Too much could damage the glove. To mold the pocket of your new glove, the old-fashioned method works best. Place a ball where you want the pocket to be, tie the glove together and let it sit for a couple of days to form the pocket.

There are a wide variety of baseball glove manufactures out there, which is why gloves come in so many different designs and colors. Before buying a glove, the best thing you can do is to try it on to see how well it fits your hand.