Early Baseball Gloves

Baseball burst on the national scene in the late 1800's. It quickly became America's game. Everyone wanted to play. In those early days, few players could afford a glove so they caught the ball barehanded (ouch)! Even the first baseman and catcher often had no glove. If you could afford a glove, it looked a lot like the one in the above photo. Mostly leather.......not much padding. Those who had gloves would let the opposing players use them when their team was at bat. Most gloves were ordered by mail from Sears Roebuck or Montgomery Ward catalogs. They even had gloves for left-handed players.

Today's gloves have enough leather in them to make a teepee! They're as padded as a beautyrest mattress, and have a pocket deep enough to hide a sack of walnuts!