re: Baseball Glove Question

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I bought my 9-year-old a good leather Rawlings baseball glove a year ago

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There aren't many "good leather" gloves out there for a 9 year old. Good leather is extremely stiff when the glove is new. Breaking in requires time. Once broken in, the pocket catches the ball and almost no effort is required to close the glove and the ball can't "slip" out.

Most of the gloves out there are some cheap "genuine" leather that is much softer when new. It's easier to catch with right out of the store, but it never seems to break in completely. And as such, it requires some dexterity and hand strength to close the glove. I'm seeing that with my 7 year old right now. I bought a cheap glove to throw with him made out of the same material so I'm familiar with it myself. I can catch with it since I have the hand strength. But I also notice that my glove hasn't broken in at all in nearly 2 years. It's basically the same as the day I bought it. He drops plenty of balls that should be caught easily since he can't squeeze the glove.

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Did you form the pocket? Gotta have a good pocket in the glove


Not as a middle infielder

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You still need a pocket as a middle infielder. It's not as deep as an outfielder, but there is a pocket. I remember a teammate (short stop) somehow broke in an expensive Nakona glove with literally no pocket. He didn't know what he was doing. Thing looked like a training glove when it was open. He literally couldn't catch with the thing and had to get a new glove.

Typical...don't make a catch, blame the glove. Do you blame the gun when you miss a shot too?

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You still need a pocket as a middle infielder. It's not as deep as an outfielder, but there is a pocket. I remember a teammate (short stop) somehow broke in an expensive Nakona glove with literally no pocket. He didn't know what he was doing. Thing looked like a training glove when it was open. He literally couldn't catch with the thing and had to get a new glove.

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That's because he was probably taught to catch one handed.

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That's because he was probably taught to catch one handed.

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This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Find me one competitive player who catches a thrown baseball with two hands? All those MLB first baseman using 2 hands. All those high school, college, etc. players using two hands to catch a ball . 2 hands for a grounder or pop fly......sure. To catch a ball GTFO.

Sounds like not a good pocket formed for the ball. Your son's hand alone is likely not going to help facilitate that. I use Lexol Leather conditioner on my son's glove and always have. try rubbing it down well with Lexol and tie of belt a ball in it when he is not using it.

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If you are really using the glove as an excuse for why we had to cut him, that really is all too fitting. Fielding aside (since he is obviously going pro in something other than sports), your kid is destined to have a life of mediocrity because he has a parent that is willing to blame his own failures and lack of talent/hard work on the equipment. Are you also blaming Marucci for the fact that his average was floating with the Mendoza line before we jettisoned him from the team? Honestly glad my guys don't have to be in his presence any more, not only for being deadweight athletically but also for such a poor attitude. Will call it addition by subtraction, and I'm sure my guys' parents would agree.

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