Baseball/Softball Glove, Whatcha' Got?

[Sporin]

My son just started little league, got him a good, $40 Mizuno at Olympia Sports, more then enough for him to start out with, but quality enough to last him many years if he sticks with it.

I haven't even played catch regularly in years. Can't find my good softball glove that I've had since college. Tried playing with my Dad's 50's era Cambridge (made in Japan) glove but it's just falling apart with a couple weeks worth of regular use. Tried re-lacing a few spots but the leather is just disintegrating. Glove hasn't seen real use in 30 years.

So I've been trying to snipe a killer deal on ebay for a new, hight-end baseball glove.

I'm hoping to snag one of these. Insignia is located in Worcester, MA and their gloves are 100% USA made and manufactured. They have a number of styles and specialize in custom gloves for whole teams as well as individuals.

Great story of a manufacturer doing a high-quality product, right here in the USA.



I know it really doesn't matter what you play catch with but I'd love to own a high-end glove just once in my life and it will certainly be the last glove I ever buy for myself.

[Cooper]

Wilson A2000 - XLC. Bought it in 1981.

It's above my desk here. Just picked it up. It's covered in dust.

Next to it is a little Franklin glove I got in 7th grade.

Behind thm is my dad's Willie Mays Model glove from the 1950s.

Think I'll put leather conditioner on them today.

Next to them is a Wilson NFL football - Pete Rozelle, commissioner.

[Sporin]

Wilson A2000 - XLC. Bought it in 1981.

It's above my desk here. Just picked it up. It's covered in dust.

Next to it is a little Franklin glove I got in 7th grade.

Behind thm is my dad's Willie Mays Model glove from the 1950s.

Think I'll put leather conditioner on them today.

Next to them is a Wilson NFL football - Pete Rozelle, commissioner.

The newest iterations of the Wilson A2000 gloves are still considered to be some of the best gloves available and are used widely at the MLB level.

[Cooper]

I bought it for softball when I was in grad school. A softball barely fits in the glove from grammar school.

I'm slow, have no arm, and am blind as a bat. Played center field. That should tell you how good our team was.

[6603]

I bought my son (7 yo) a 11.5 full leather Mizuno glove. It cost me close to $75. He is 4 foot and 75 lbs and the glove has worked well for him at all field positions, mostly as pitcher and 1B.

I myself use a 12" glove. It's perfect size for both infield and outfield. I even use it at 1B in my Sunday baseball league.

I have used it in some recreational softball games and it worked fine. But if you are only playing softball I would go with a 13-14" glove.

[Sporin]

So after reading a number of reviews on the Insignia gloves saying they are bout the stiffest premium glove you can buy, I've widened my search out to the higher end Wilsons and Rawlings gloves. Of course those are even more expensive.

Whereas a $200 Insignia goes for $65-75 on ebay, a $200 Rawlings Heart of the Hide or Wilson A2000 goes for $125.

It's all nutso for a glove to play catch with my son with, but that doesn't keep me from looking and hoping to snipe a killer deal.

[Sporin]

Stopped to get my son his cleats at the local independent sport shop. They had a ton of gloves on the wall, mid-to-high price category, tried on about 20 gloves, sadly, not the Insignia I've been looking at.

Ultimately, the glove that fit me best and appealed to me most from a quality/materials/looks perspective was the $69 Rawlings Gold Glove Series 12.5". This was a nice, soft, natural brown (the ones on Rawlings' site are all black and red)

There wasn't a $200 glove there that I tried on that felt any better to me. I think I've officially set my sites lower on the food chain.

[6603]

Stopped to get my son his cleats at the local independent sport shop. They had a ton of gloves on the wall, mid-to-high price category, tried on about 20 gloves, sadly, not the Insignia I've been looking at.

Ultimately, the glove that fit me best and appealed to me most from a quality/materials/looks perspective was the $69 Rawlings Gold Glove Series 12.5". This was a nice, soft, natural brown (the ones on Rawlings' site are all black and red)

There wasn't a $200 glove there that I tried on that felt any better to me. I think I've officially set my sites lower on the food chain.

Lots of great gloves in that price range. Proper break in make a big difference too. I bend the crap out it. Hit it with a rubber mallet and added a light coat of oil. Tied a piece of cloth around it and placed a ball inside it when stored.

[Cooper]

Crap. I thought you bought a glove.

There was a single Wilson A1000 at Olympia Sports here for $19.99. Originally marked $119.99.

I didn't check what series it was.

They also had several A750 gloves for $19.99.

[Sporin]

Thanks for thinking of me!

I wound up buying an old Rawlings off ebay very cheap. It's in rough shape but better structurally then my dad's old glove. The inside cleaned up nice, the outside is really beat and flaky.





For Less then $15 shipped I'm happy with it. I'm actually bidding right now on another ebay glove, very similar age and model, but tan instead of black and in MUCH MUCH better condition.

I'm still trawling eBay for a crazy deal on a high end glove though. Hoping to snag a Rawlings Heart of the Hide now.

[Cooper]

Let me know if you want me to check the series of the gloves, if you're still looking.

I was in Olympia since my wife was looking at glasses in Pearle Vision. I have to go back first thing on Monday to drop off my wife's eyeglass prescription.

[ed rooney]

I don't know man there is something morally wrong with buying somebodies beat up glove on e bay...Buy a new glove and beat it up yourself with about 1000 catches with your son in the backyard the memories will pay for the glove 100 times over.

In my man cave I have every baseball glove I ever owned exactly 3 A Wilson 1st basemen mitt that was bought for me when I was 6 it was a full size glove lasted me until I bought a new glove Freshman year of HS, when I bought a nice Rawlings 1st base mitt, and a Rawlings fielders glove that I used from about the 6th grade through Highschool.

When my grandmother died in CT they were throwing stuff away. I saved from going to the dump my fathers childhood " Charlie Brown looking glove" from the 40s and all of my Uncles childhood baseball gloves. they are now on display with one of my autographed baseball collection in the pocket of each glove. i will post up a pic one of these days

[Sporin]

I prefer to see it as extending the life of an unwanted glove.... and I'm cheap.

[Cooper]

I When my grandmother died in CT they were throwing stuff away.

My mother is like that. I really don't understand throwing family things away.

I have the photo album of my dad's WWII pictures, and I posted all the pictures on here.

I asked my mother about a second album they had. It had my parents' honeymoon pictures another pictures into the 1950s before dad switched to slides. My mom said there never was a second album. Knowing her, she threw it out.

A friend's grandmother died. The family was going to throw out a sampler from the 1820s, furniture, some of it very old, and old dresses dating to the 1800s.

[Cooper]

My wife had to go back to Pearle Vision yesterday since they broke the her new glasses adjusting them when they came in and the frame is discontinued.

Went to Olympia Sports and bought the glove. Wilson A1000 (WTA1000 ASO-BL) 12" pitcher - outfielder's glove. Originally marked $119.99. It was $19.96.

Checked online and it's a discontinued model. Best online price I saw was $62.

The assistant sales manager said that someone that manages a kids team bought 6 of them, sayign the the kids are always losing or forgetting their gloves.

[Sporin]

Killer deal! Enjoy.

[leakypipeDCI]

Kid starts little league, buy self $200 glove. Sounds like me! haha

[Sporin]

Yeah, never did, my cheap-O gene wouldn't let me.

[wamp.wamp]

tried on a rawlings gold glove series infielder glove today. super comfortable! anybody with experience with these? i'm thinking of joining a county baseball league next year and want start breaking something in soon.

[Sporin]

That was one that I tried and really liked as well. $69 iirc. Great value.

[Justin]

I picked up a Nokona 12.5 today since I am going to probably play on a co-ed softball team with my wife this winter. Looked all through boxes for my old Wilson glove, going to end up buying a new one since I found an old farts hardball league.

[Cooper]

... softball team with my wife this winter ...

Can tell you're in Az.

Miss playing softball. Played in a co-ed league in grad school. Started a co-ed company team at my first job. Haven't played since 1989.

[Justin]

Can tell you're in Az.

Miss playing softball. Played in a co-ed league in grad school. Started a co-ed company team at my first job. Haven't played since 1989.

we do everything a little backwards here

wife and I were looking for some sort of sport to play together, seemed to be the only thing we could both play

[Sporin]

Well it took a while but I finally got my glove for a great deal. $54 shipped http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Insignia...vip=true&rt=nc

Insignia Chisolm


I've been frustrated all winter as I had a hard cap of $60 and I'd be the high bidder of between $40 and $50 over and over only to get outbid right at the end by the seller or his intermediary because the exact glove would be relisted the next day.

Finally I used a firefox ebay sniping plug in and Voila! I got this one for a great price.

Looking forward to spring now despite the fresh 6" of snow we have.

[Cooper]

Nice!

I gave the Wilson A1000 I bought last year to a former lifeguard at Corolla Ocean Rescue (Outer Banks) where we go on vacation every year. He's now working at Corolla Surf Shop.

Stared the conversation with "Jose, how's your baseball glove?"

Gave another glove to him, too, to give to another lifeguard he would play catch with late afternoon on the beach.

[Sporin]

The ratty old Rawlings I bought above turned out to be too much of a mess, the basket is so beat I can't even grab a ball off the ground with it.

I've never owned a nice, new, top quality leather glove, I'm looking forward to it and my boy is totally pumped for baseball this spring so I'll have plenty of opportunity to break it in. I've got some Nokona glove conditioner ready to go.

[Cooper]

... the basket is so beat I can't even grab a ball off the ground with it.

[AggvGtivr6]

Still have my Louisville slugger glover i got when i was real young (bought a larger sized glove than needed at the time) and it's still very playable. Would make a great infield glove. Also have a larger Mizuno which i used through junior high, high school, and having to suffer through playing softball since then. I dont understand how someone can wear the glove out to the point of being un-playable

Keep it inside, and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS keep a baseball in it. I cant stress enough the importance maintaining the shape and quality of the glove by leaving a baseball in it at all times, unless being used of course, but even then when i came off the field i'd throw a ball in it when i was batting.

[BlckBadged_SwissChee]

I will have to look at mine tonight when I get home. I inherited it from a high school baseball teammate / roommate. Just big enough to use for softball. Just bought a glove for the kiddo who starts coach pitch on Thursday. I will be coaching with another dad who has experience, should be fun.

[Cooper]

Have a great time!

A friend and I helped coach a t-ball team of 8-year-olds about 35 years ago. Lots of fun.

3 innings off a tee. 3 innings pitching ... three long, long innings pitching.

[BlckBadged_SwissChee]

3 innings off a tee. 3 innings pitching ... three long, long innings pitching.

This was my fear, even with coach pitch but this league has rules to prevent it. Up to 7 pitches per batter (7th pitch fouled off is an out) and 3 outs or 7 runs, whichever comes first.

This league is a city league through the school district and I think they focus too much on "everyone is equal and everything has to be fair" but I guess at this age the main thing is learning to use a glove, hit a ball and make a throw. Hoping the glove I got my daughter isn't too big for her but even in a 7 - 9 age group they are using 11 inch softballs....I was expecting 10 inch balls.

[Sporin]

Glove came today, it's everything I expected. Put a little Nokona glove conditioner in the palm and have it wrapped up with a baseball. Now I just need the snow to melt and the mud to dry!

[AggvGtivr6]

Now I just need the snow to melt and the mud to dry!

get out there, dont teach your son to be a ***** about weather.

[Sporin]

get out there, dont teach your son to be a ***** about weather.

He's outside constantly, but I'll pass on chasing balls through the mud, thanks.

[Ryan D]

This topic just caught my eye. A friend of mine just invited my fiance and I to join an adult softball league and we had our first game last week.

My uncle bought my brother and I each a really nice Rawlings glove but mine got lost/stolen so I ended up buying myself a really cheap glove for when my friends and I used to play over the line. I don't even know who makes it but it's blue/white and relatively small. I went out and bought some baseball pants, socks, and a baseball undershirt last week so I'll stick with the cheapo glove for now.

I'd love to get a nice glove if we decide to stick with this league though.