The first players to use baseball gloves were often referred to as “sissies” or “too soft” because they did not want to catch the ball with their bare hands.

The first baseball gloves were used in the 1870s. The players wanted to create a glove that would pad and protect their hands and provide a cushion for catching the ball. Actually, the first gloves were a way for the player to knock the ball to the ground, not necessarily catch it.

The first baseball gloves were made from pieces of leather sewn together to fit over a player’s hand. Many early baseball gloves were simple leather gloves with the fingertips cut off, allowing for the same control of a bare hand, but with a little extra padding.

The use of the baseball glove by baseball star Albert Spalding when he began playing first base influenced more infielders to begin using gloves. By the mid 1890s, it was customary for players to wear gloves in the field.

Before the 1900’s gloves had no webbing and were referred to as “workman” style glove. Early fingerless gloves were used for better grip. Gloves were hand made or altered from existing gloves before they were manufactured for baseball.

Between 1900 – 1915 gloves had sewn in webs known as “full webs”. These webs were sewn directly to the thumb and forefinger and extended to where the thumb and forefinger meet.

In the 1910’s and 1920’s most gloves had a one inch web sewn in. Similar to the previous web except that the web was one to one and a half inches wide. Player endorsements were now being placed on some gloves.

A vertical tunnel loop web was introduced in the 1920’s – 1930’s. The glove had either two or four elongated loops sewn directly to the thumb and forefinger. A simple rawhide lace then passed through the loops.

In the 1930’s the more modern webs began to be used. First the single tunnel, then the double tunnel, then by the early 1940’s triple tunnel and H webs were introduced. These were all separate webs that were laced to the glove. The single tunnel was about a one inch wide web. The double tunnel, however, required two of these simple webs.

Between 1940 and 1950 the full modern webs were used. Until the late 1940’s fielders gloves had no lacing between the fingers. These gloves are referred to as “Spit finger” Gloves.

However, by the late 1950’s and 1960’s most gloves had lacing between the finger although you could still see a player occasionally using a split finger. The full web triple tunnel style dominated this era.

The 1950s full web tunnel style was still evident in the 1960 – 1970 era, although it had more lacing “weaved” in and out of the web showing on the outside.

In the 1970’s – 1980’s outfielder gloves were being made as long as 13 – 14″, even though a 12″ size rule was made in the 1950s.

From the 1980’s until the present baseball gloves have not changed as dramatically as the previous decades. Improvements are always strived for with all the manufacturers to provide athletes with the latest technology fro enhanced performance.

 

 

 

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