Best Baseball Glove in Town

March 23, 2008 4:31 PM

As Spring is here, I want to get out and toss a baseball. What's the best glove on the market? While I don't want to spend a fortune, I am not too picky on price.
posted by neoist to sports, hobbies, & recreation (6 comments total)

There's so many different gloves out there I doubt there's a single "best glove". However, I would suggest something from Rawlings or Wilson, they've always served me well.

[Gloves on Amazon]

PS- I have one of these.
posted by aheckler at 5:05 PM on March 23

Nokona
posted by netbros at 5:17 PM on March 23

just to clarify - i used to have a third baseman's mitt and like that range and really appreciate the help/advice - best
posted by neoist at 5:22 PM on March 23

So long as the glove is 100% percent leather and the stitching is real stitching all around the webbing (no glue, no cheap threading...), I think you'll be in good shape. I bought a new softball glove last year at Dick's Sporting Goods (this model), that I love. If you spend in the $50-$80 range, you really can't go wrong. Much more than that seems excessive.

I like Mizuno products for softball now, but had a Spalding glove in the past that lasted more than 12 years before the leather inside started to deteriorate. My old coach always said to stay away from gloves that already feel "broken in," he was a big believer that it's worth it to spend the time breaking a glove in to YOUR exact hand. I really think you've just got to just go in to a few sporting goods stores, try on a few gloves, and buy what feels right.
posted by acorn1515 at 5:27 PM on March 23

Seconding acorn in that you really need to just try a bunch on and see which one just feels good. I just bought an adidas at Dick's, and it was the first one I tried on -- it felt great right from the get-go. I slipped several others onto my hand for comparison, but none of them felt as good as that first one. I think I spent around 70 bucks or so.

Man, now I want to go have a catch.
posted by shallowcenter at 5:31 PM on March 23

Best glove on the market? Probably Nokona or the Wilson A2000 series. For the price, I prefer Wilson and Rawlings. But I don't recommend going to your run-of-the-mill sporting goods store (Dick's, Sports Authority, Modell's, etc.). Try to find a specialty sporting good store in your area, or even a second-hand or consignment shop. The specialty store will certainly be able to give you personalized advice and help you with how to take care of your glove, so it's the last one you ever have to buy (which makes a good case for spending a fair amount). Second-hand and consignment stores often sell decent, good-condition used sporting goods that you can get at a considerable discount.

If you are looking for a glove that would be appropriate for a third baseman in baseball, you really don't want to go any bigger than 12 inches. Middle infielders typically use 11" gloves, and 3B gloves are 11.5-12.5", depending on your preference. If you were playing 3B in a softball league, I'd recommend 13-14". Don't forget to get something with a little extra padding because line drives hurt!
posted by LouMac at 7:13 AM on March 24