Baseball gloves david bearden

The Evolution of The Baseball Glove

  • Bare Hands

    Bare Hands

    Gloves were actually discouraged as you were considered "weak" if you wore a glove in baseball's early days.
  • Buckskin Mittens

    Buckskin Mittens

    One day, Doug Allison, a catcher, wore buckskin mittens. These mittens protected his hands and gave him an advantage as they allowed him to stand much closer to the batter while other catchers stood farther back from the batter in order to protect their own hands from the high velocity of pitches being thrown to them.
  • Half Fingered Glove

    Half Fingered Glove

    5 years later, Charlie Waitt, a player on the St. Louis Brown Stockings, brought a half-fingered glove to first base to help him handle sharp throws from his infielders.
  • Homemade Protection Layers

    Homemade Protection Layers

    After players started using half fingered gloves, they wanted more layers and protection so they decided to stuff raw meat or hay into the palm of the glove.
  • Crude Webbing

    Crude Webbing

    Bill Doak created a web system with sturdy straps which increased the area to catch.
  • Pocket Added

    Pocket Added

    For the first time in history, players didn’t have to catch the ball with their palms. This new web design allowed defenders to be much more efficient at catching and fielding.
  • A2000

    A2000

    The A2000 had a deeper pocket and closed shut really smooth. Now, infielders and outfielders were snatching grounders and fly balls with ultimate ease.

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