A baseball glove is a glove made of leather that baseball players wear to help them catch the ball while out on the field. During the late 1800s, players began using the gloves while playing baseball. At first glove usage was not accepted by some players. They slowly gained popularity as more and more players began using gloves. By mid 1890s the majority of baseball players were using baseball gloves. During the early days baseball gloves were nothing more than a leather glove with a little extra padding. Since then, the functionality of baseball gloves has grown significantly. Not only have they grown in size, but they have become more specialized, depending on the position played by the person wearing the glove. Catchers mitts are wider than fielders gloves, and are shaped more like a claw. They also have extra padding, allowing them to catch a 90+ mile per hour fastball. The width of these gloves also serves as a better target for pitchers. Pitchers gloves have closed webbing. This is to allow them to grip the baseball without letting the batter see what pitch he plans to throw. First basemens mitts are very long, and the fingers are not separated. These gloves are also wider than the rest of the other gloves. This is functional because the position requires them to be able to scoop up badly thrown balls. Outfielders gloves are usually long. This will help them catch fly balls on the run. This is in contrast to the infielders gloves, which tend to be smaller. The smaller size allows players to be able to easily field ground balls and quickly throw them to first base. The gloves used today have changed from their original beginnings. Players today now enjoy the luxury of using equipment that will enhance their ability to compete at a higher level in this sport. |
