Characteristics of Different Baseball Gloves

When people first started playing baseball back inInfielder's gloves are smaller than the first
the late 19th century, they did not wear gloves.baseman's mitt. This allows players to get the ball
They caught the ball with their bare hands.out of their glove easily. These gloves also have
The first time someone used a glove was in 1870open webbing to allow dirt to move through the
when a catcher for the Cincinnati Red Stockingsglove. Pitchers glove have a closed larger webbing
used a type of glove to protect his injured hand.to help them conceal their grip on the ball before
Since then baseball gloves have com a long way,they pitch it.
growing in size and in the ability to protect aOutfielder's gloves are long with deep pockets to
person's hand.help to catch fly balls while diving or jumping for
There are five types of gloves used in baseball.them. The different types of gloves also have to
They are the catcher's mitt, the first baseman'sbe worn in differently. All gloves are stiff when
mitt, infielders' gloves, pitcher's gloves andthey are new and must be worn in to be
outfielders' gloves. Each one is specifically designedeffective.
for the needs of the different positions.Infielders tend to have a rounded style glove,
The catcher's mitt has extra padding to helpwhile outfielders have a flatter squeeze to them.
protect the hand when catching fastballsBaseball gloves have come a long way since they
approaching 100 miles per hour. They vary in size,were first used. It is important to choose the
with the largest mitt being used to catch aright glove for the size of a person's hand and the
knuckleball pitcher's tricky pitch. First baseman's'position that they play. The wrong choice can
mitts lack individual fingers, and are usually longmake the difference between a game saving play
and wide to help a player scoop or dig balls out ofand a long bus ride home.
the dirt..