Baseball glove question?

keino wrote:

Thanks for all the input. My father died when I was only 3 so very little if any of the time honored traditions were passed on to me from older brothers or uncles.

I have looked at gloves from 30 to 150 bucks and few I found were ready for action out of the sack considering my son's ability and strength.

I will use some of the ideas and thanks again.

Very good thread, Keino, and not for the question and direct answers to that question, but for the traditions that surround baseball, fathers and sons, playing catch. Brings back a lot of memories.

My daughter is 11 now and plays softball and have gone through the exact same thing as you. She's fairly small for her age and the level she's at, they are using full sized softballs, so the sizing was tough. We went with comfort first, but with the largest glove that she could control while being able to handle the bigger ball. The 11.5 or 12 size is really at the small end for softball, but it was about all she could handle at her current size. At his age, I can't imagine spending more than the $50-$80 range, when he could conceivably outgrow it within a couple of years. Entering middle school he could grow a foot and be out of it in a couple of years. Just have him try a bunch on and let him choose based on comfort, making sure it's position and size appropriate.

I, too need a new glove for my 8 year old son, and came across this thread. I know it's a little outdated, but what did you decide on? To complicate things, he's left handed, and there doesnt seem to be as many options. Can anyone vouch for this list of left-handed gloves? http://www.baseballglovereview.com/best-left-handed-baseball-glove/

Egg-focking-zactly! I get very annoyed when people try to give the impression they know something about baseball by talking about 'mitts'. Unless you're talking about he first base position or catcher, it's a 'glove'.

pennyv wrote:

I, too need a new glove for my 8 year old son, and came across this thread. I know it's a little outdated, but what did you decide on? To complicate things, he's left handed, and there doesnt seem to be as many options. Can anyone vouch for this list of left-handed gloves?

http://www.baseballglovereview.com/best-left-handed-baseball-glove/

I coached LL baseball for 21 years years. Each spring there'd be 2 or 3 kids with brand new gloves that stunted development of their fielding skills. Some parents would buy an El Cheap-o model that looked like leather, but wasn't. You can try for a million years but those types of gloves will never become supple enough. Other parents purchased high-end gloves that look marvelous, but Junior's hand will never be able to open & close it fast enough during game play — too large for a young player.

Through the years I'd find stray gloves laying around the diamonds that lacked owner identification. If the owner couldn't be identified I threw it into my duffle bag, then provided such well worn-in gloves to players in need.

I tell this story only to suggest that you might wish to check out a sports resale store, rather than pouring big money into a new glove that your son will only outgrow. In my area there is a chain called "Play It Again Sports". Perhaps there's something like this near you. Besides, breaking in a brand new baseball glove is a somewhat time consuming process.

Old Man by the Sea wrote:

keino, you are embarking on one the greatest traditions in America

.

I agree with the last poster, play lots of catch, when your son gets older and doesn't say quite as much , go play catch.

After your son does something and you have to get on him, wait a few minutes and go play catch.

If you have a bad day in the office and come home, instead of turning on the idiot box, go play catch.

If your lucky, when your son comes home from college and you miss him more then anything in the world . after you hug him and tell him you love him, he will say "Dad lets play catch".

Old Man By The Sea,

I will start off by saying I know this is a very old post, about 11 years old or so. I hope you still frequent this site. I am not a runner nor am I a baseball player. I came across this post because of Keino’s original question on breaking in a baseball glove for his son. You gave some very sage advice. That was a very powerful post. So powerful that 11 years later, I read it and felt compelled to join the site just to reply to your post. I think it’s fantastic advice and I plan to follow it. I’m hoping it will give my child fond memories and hopefully they carry on the tradition. It would be nice to know if Keino followed through with the advice. By my calculations his son would be around 21 or 22 by now. It would be neat to know how much both of them enjoyed it growing up. I would think even if the passion for baseball itself wore off as it does for most kids somewhere between 3 rd grade and 9th grade the act of tossing the baseball or football around between father and child is something rewarding for both. There seems to be an age when hugging is no longer “cool” I hope my child never feels that way but if they do a game of Pitch and Catch or tossing a football around is pretty good replacement. Atleast until the no longer cool period passes. I hug my Dad whenever I see him and always will. I wish my mom was still around to hug her. The days of pitch and catch between my father and I have long past but I know even today I’d enjoy a game of it with him even today. In fact I think I’m going to see if he is interested later on today. In any case.... thank you for the very touching post.

This seems to be very good solid advice. I have read time and time again that broken in gloves are more desirable to purchase than unbroken in ones. Maybe it’s because society needs instant gratification these days. Everyone expects everything instantly these days. People sometimes even pay another person to break their glove in for them. Some sporting good stores charge a fee to do it as well. So buying a used glove makes sense from that perspective as well (the breaking in is already done for you) as not spending a mint on something that will be outgrown or possibly given up on in a short time. It also allows people to buy a upper tier glove they might not be able to afford if it were new. I also really like your idea of recycling found equipment. That’s a great idea. I’m sure parents have appreciated that.

Nolan Dylan is a dad of a baby boy, My Website coach, and self-proclaimed bat aficionado who manages and is CEO of baseballpoint.us. Dylan always likes to write his personal playing experience on the blog. Although he has depth experience using a professional baseball bat, baseball gear etc.

How much does a baseball glove cost? Many factors determine the price of suitable baseball gloves for games. The cost will vary, depending on whether you practice the sport for fun or aim to join official matches.

Steerhide leather makes premium glove webbing, as it ensures maximum comfort and grip for players. Its smooth texture provides incredible cushioning, which is often combined with full-grain linings.