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