BASEBALL GLOVES - Selecting the Best Glove at the Best Price for you and/or your Child

Purchasing baseball gloves (also called baseball mitts) can seem complicated. We'll use both terms here as they are interchangeable. There are many choices out there at a variety of prices. In this section, We'll review both youth selection (typically 5 - 12 years old) as well as more advanced selection (typically 13 and older). All with the mission of helping you select the perfect one at the perfect price for you and/or your child. First, we'll cover youth selection. Then, more advanced selection will be covered. I'll then discuss the basics on breaking in a mitt and basic repair and maintenance. Finally, batting gloves will be discussed. I'll cover their many uses in this portion. Before we begin, you must first know if you require a right handed glove (means you throw with your right hand and have your glove on your left hand) or a left handed glove (you throw with your left hand and your glove goes on your right hand). Once you know the type of mitt you need, you can easily purchase it from Baseball Rampage. Their selections include all the popular brands and sizes you need, even left handed catcher's mitts which can be a challenge to find. Best of all, it's easy to buy from the comfort of your home.

Selecting Youth Baseball Gloves

There are 2 choices I recommend in this age category (typically 5 - 12 years old):

1. Fielding / Pitching

2. Catcher's Mitt

Let's start by discussing the first option.

Fielding / Picher's Mitt Selection

In most cases, Children 8 and under require only a fielder's mitt which can be used for all positions in the field. The best rule of thumb for this age is comfort. A baseball glove up to 10 inches in size is most common depending on the child's size. As we all know, kids grow at different paces.

The 9 - 12 age group should consider a couple things when selecting this type of glove. Typically, up to 11 inches in size is appropriate for this group. Second, a glove with an open web or a closed web. This is a matter of comfort. However, once kids start pitching, I recommend considering the closed web. As players advance into older age groups, it becomes important for a pitcher to keep the ball hidden from the batters view as long as possible. This creates an advantage for the pitcher with the batter picking up the baseball later as it tracks to the plate and will also hide the grip the pitcher is using to hold the ball. This keeps the hitter guessing what type of pitch may be on the way. I would not consider this critical for those 12 and under, but some leagues are more advanced at this age than others and this could be another advantage. Here's some examples of popular youth baseball mitts at a great price. Feel free to click on the link to check it out and many other options.

Baseball Gloves at Great Prices

Catcher's Mitt

A catcher's mitt becomes an absolute must once the kids start catching other kids pitching. This usually starts with the 9 years old players and older. There are several reasons why this mitt is important to the catcher.

1. Safety. A catcher's mitt has extra padding in the pocket. This absorbs more of the impact from the ball. This is designed to reduce the sore (or bruised) catching hand. Also, the back of the mitt has extra padded protection as well. This protection reduces injuries do to the occasional catcher's interference (When the bat of the hitter strikes the back of the catchers mitt).

2. Effectiveness. The catcher's mitt does not have as large or as deep a pocket as a normal fielding glove. This allows the catcher to more easily grab the ball from the glove when attempting to throw out a stealing runner.

Looking for a catcher's mitt or other catcher's equipment, please click here to purchase from the comfort of your own home and have sent directly to your house.

Click here for Discount Catcher's Mitts and Equipment

Selecting a Baseball Glove for Advance Levels

There are several different baseball glove options for players in this age group (Typically 13 and older):

- Infield (Middle infield and 3rd base)

- Outfield

- Catcher's Mitt

- 1st Base glove

We'll cover the type of mitt that works best at which positions. I'll also share some ideas on saving money if it's too costly to purchase multiple baseball gloves.

Infield Mitts

There are 2 types of infield gloves we need to cover (1st base mitts will be discussed next). These are the middle infielder (the shortstop and the 2nd baseman) mitt and the 3rd baseman mitt. Middle infielders should use a smaller glove than most other players in advanced leagues. The average length of a middle infielder mitt is around 11 inches. However, this can vary slightly based on the hand size of the player. There are a couple reasons for this type of glove being most effective. First, the middle infielders play further away from the batter than the rest of the infield positions. Therefore, they have less time to field the ball, transition it from glove to throwing hand and throw the ball to the base to get the runner out. The glove to throwing hand transition is quicker and smoother with a smaller sized mitt. Not only does it help in the deeper depth there position requires, it also allows for a smooth glove to have transition in allowing the player to get a proper grip on the ball as well as improving there ability to turn the double play.

A 3rd baseman typically uses a slightly larger (longer) glove. The average length is about 11 1/2 inches. This extra size provides them longer extension in catching the ball. Since they are much closer to the batter, the extra length increases there defensive range. Since they are closer to the batter, they also have more time to transition the ball from glove to throwing hand in their effort of throwing the hitter or runner out. Please feel free to check out these Great Prices on Infielder Gloves.

Outfield Mitts

Outfield baseball gloves are typically a little larger in both length from bottom (heel of mitt) to top of mitt (fingers of mitt). Why? It provides an extra inch or more to make the catch in the outfield. This benefit significantly outweighs the slight chance an occasional baseball will become too difficult to get out of the glove and throw the ball to a base on a close play. Just like most sports, baseball is a game of inches. That extra inch can sometimes be the difference between a winning catch or a losing attempt. Outfield mitts typically are 11 inches long to about 12 1/2 inches. Again, the players size and comfort are important here as well.

I / H web style mitts are very popular for outfield. Also, some infielders prefer these as well.

If you click on the link below, you'll see a variety of these style gloves. Please check them out and all the other available baseball equipment.

Outfileld Mitts I / H Style

1st Base Gloves

There is a special baseball glove used by first baseman (much like catchers use a special mitt not used by other positions). There are 2 main reasons for the special glove used by a 1st baseman. First, to improve the ability to scoop baseballs thrown in the dirt. If you've watched or played enough baseball, I'll bet you have seen many times when the infielder throws the ball low to the first baseman. The 1st base glove is designed to improve the 1st baseman's ability to scoop the ball out of the dirt and save the out. Also, the 1st base glove has extra padding. Much like a catcher, the 1st baseman catches many hard thrown baseballs during any given game. Having the extra padding reduces injury risk to the player. The chances of a bruised or even broken hand due to the high volume of catches they make during a game are significantly reduced as a result of this feature. If your son plays the 1st base position and are considering this specialized baseball glove based on the reasons we have discussed, please click here to see 1st base gloves at great prices.

Pitchers Glove

Keep a couple of things in mind when selecting a baseball glove if your son is a pitcher. First, The average size (length) of a pitchers glove is 11 1/2 inches. This doesn't mean you need to buy a separate baseball glove if your son plays another defensive position, with the exception of catcher or first base gloves. The 2 most important things to keep in mind are:

- A pitchers glove should be all one color. For example, all brown or black. A glove with multiple colors is illegal in most leagues. Why, you ask? The multiple colors can be considered a distraction to the hitter.

- Strongly consider a baseball glove with a closed web. Not absolutely necessary. However, having a closed web hides the ball completely in the glove until the pitcher takes the ball out of the glove. This provides an advantage to the pitcher as the batter has less time to pick the ball up, thus preventing picking up on the type of pitch that is coming (fastball, seems, change, etc.) sooner.

Need a glove for your son who pitches, check out this great selection at great prices.

Catcher's Mitt

Looking for a catcher's mitt or other catcher's equipment, please click here to purchase from the comfort of your own home and have sent directly to your house.

Catcher's Mitts

Breaking in and Maintaining Baseball Gloves

Upon purchase, new baseball gloves are typically not broken in. This is something you'll most likely have to do after any new purchase. Also, after seasons of use, wear and tear can occur. This requires you to use a repair kit or buy a new glove.

A baseball glove is an extension of your hand. The right fit for you will make it a more effective tool for you.

I researched many sites to help you on your search for accomplishing this. Here's one I recommend: By clicking on the link at the end of this paragraph, you will arrive at their home page. From the home page, select baseball accessories from the list on the left column. This is where you can select the glove accessories section to solve your specific glove maintenance situation click here to begin your glove maintenance solution.

Batting Gloves

There are many more uses for these than just batting. They serve both a safety and functional purpose for:

Hitting- Hitting requires holding a bat and hitting the baseball. 2 main advantages are the main reason batting gloves are used for hitting a baseball. First, the material batting gloves are made of contains a more sticky (or tacky) surface than the human hand. The advantage here lies in the fact the hitter has a better grip on the bat, reducing the movement of the bat in the players hands during the swing. Second, batting gloves are designed to reduce injury risk when hitting a baseball. Blisters on the hands are nearly non existent when a batting glove is used. It also reduces the stinging hand that can occur in colder weather or when the ball doesn't hit the bat solid.

Fielding- Many defensive players wear a batting glove on their hand that goes inside the mitt. It is mostly used as additional padding for catchers, 1st basemen and outfielders. Pitchers are prohibited under most rules from wearing a batting glove while pitching as it is considered a distraction to the hitter.

Base running- Several wear batting gloves as a base runner. Mostly to protect injury (like brush burns or cuts) to their hands when sliding or diving. Whether you slide head first or feet first, at least one of your hands typically make uncomfortable contact with the ground.

For a great selection of batting gloves and other baseball equipment, please click here.

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