Baseball glove facts for kids
A baseball glove, also called a mitt, is a special leather glove. Baseball players wear it to catch a baseball. They use it when a ball is hit by a batter or thrown by another player.
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How Baseball Gloves Started
Baseball gloves were not always used in the game. In 1870, a catcher named Doug Allison was the first player known to wear them. His hands were sore and cut from catching so many fast balls. He decided to wear gloves to protect his hands. But his teammates laughed at him for it!
Five years later, in 1875, Charlie Waitt, an outfielder and first baseman for St. Louis, also wore gloves. His teammates made fun of him too. Even though players laughed at first, more and more started to use gloves over time. This probably happened when a famous baseball star named Albert Spalding began playing first base with a glove. Since he was so well-known, other infielders started wearing them too. By the mid-1890s, almost all baseball players wore gloves. Soon, everyone used them.
The Webbed Glove
In 1920, Bill Doak, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, had a great idea. He suggested adding a web between the first finger and the thumb. This created a deeper "pocket" in the glove, making it much easier to catch the ball. This new design quickly became popular, and webbed gloves are still used by all baseball players today.
How Gloves Are Used Today
Baseball gloves have changed a lot since they were first invented. They are now much bigger, which helps players catch the ball easily in the glove's web. Players use their other hand to help keep the ball from falling out.
A glove is worn on the hand that you don't throw with. For example, if you throw with your right hand, you would wear the glove on your left hand. This type of glove is called a "right-handed" or "RH" glove.
The official rules of baseball set limits on the size and shape of gloves. These rules make sure the game is fair for everyone.
Main Glove Makers
Images for kids
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"Right-handed" baseball glove worn on the left hand of center fielder Willie Mays during the 1954 World Series.
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Bid McPhee simulating playing second base without a glove
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An 1885 glove patent
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A.G. Spalding & Bros. advertisement for infielder gloves, 1905
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An example of today's baseball glove
See also
In Spanish: Guante de béisbol para niños
