Archive for February, 2010
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 7)
In choosing a baseball glove or softball glove or mitt, you need to choose a model that is right for your position and feels good on your hand. Remember, after you ‘break in’ a glove or mitt, it will feel much better than when it was new. It will take a little time, but hang in there-it is worth it. (Ahhh-the smell and excitement of a new glove! It just makes you feel good.)
Rawlings baseball gloves are still the most popular. I’m not sure why; maybe they were the first on the scene, but they certainly do make good gloves and mitts. (When you think of hamburgers, McDonalds always comes up. It’s hard to top a leader.) Whatever brand or type of ball glove or mitt you choose, just play to the best of your ability- and have fun…
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 6)
…Where to start-where to start? How about Akadema? They have come a long way in just a few short years, and are competing rather well with the likes of Rawlings and Wilson-especially in the area of girls softball gloves and mitts. Akadema has some fairly innovative designs that are getting more popular-and they look pretty cool, too! With their Fastpitch design, ProSoft, Praying Mantis and Reptilian models, they are getting quite a boost.
The Rookie Series for the kids is priced under $40.00, so it won’t break the bank, but it is still a very good softball glove. The ProSoft design and others come in infield gloves and outfield. Also first base mitts and catchers mitts are aplenty. You won’t go wrong if you choose an Akadema softball glove…
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 5)
What if softball is your game? What kinds of softball gloves are available? We could talk about that subject for hours and hours. There are girls softball gloves, Fastpitch softball gloves, Akadema softball gloves, Rawlings softball gloves, Wilson, All-star, Mizuno and the list goes on and on. So how do you choose? Once again, you need to look at your level of play and how serious you are.
Even if you are just playing for the pure ‘fun of it,’ a better glove is always a good choice-and doesn’t have to cost all that much. If you don’t have a clue as to what to buy, tune in to a college girls softball game and look to see what they are wearing. They have pretty much done the homework for you. You will see all the above named brands, so you will still have to choose. Let’s take a closer look…
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 4)
When buying a youth glove, there are some really cheap ones and some really good ones- and a whole lot in between. All of the major manufacturers obviously make good youth gloves and mitts and there is a wide range of prices. If your youngster is just starting out, you might want to spend a little less until you figure out how involved he/she will become.
Akadema youth baseball gloves has a lot to choose from. (A better glove does help a child catch better.) Their Rookie & Prodigy series gloves and mitts range from $39.00 to $65.00, a little more than the cheaper gloves, but they’re worth it. Remember; a better glove helps a child to catch better…
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 3)
…So, let’s talk about some of the brands and types of baseball gloves, and softball gloves that are offered today. First of all, $50.00 is no longer a “high end” glove or mitt; not in today’s world. Although, you can still get a pretty decent youth glove for $50.00 or slightly under, anything less is strictly for the kid that you are “making” him/her play ball. (No sense buying an expensive glove for that-it’s going to wind up in the basement and you’ll find it two years from now in a spring flood!)
But yes, the major brands are still there as well as several new brands. Rawlings baseball gloves are still the most popular as well as the most widely bought and used. Wilson is big and Spalding is there, but not so popular. There’s also All-Star, MacGregor, Mizuno, and the ever more popular Akadema baseball gloves and equipment. There are other brands as well, but I am writing a blog-not a novel…(see part 4)
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 2)
Way back when I was seven or eight years old and just starting to play Little League baseball, I seem to remember that a teammate and I both had Rawlings youth baseball gloves. At that age and at that time, (late 1950’s) I don’t remember anyone really being “all into” what brand of glove they had…not like today. Times have changed a bit since then. I don’t even remember where I got my glove; probably my parents.
I do however, remember just a few years later buying my own Wilson baseball glove. My best friend’s older brother worked for Wilson Sporting Company in Chicago, and I was “talked” into buying a Wilson glove. It cost me $50.00, which was a lot of money in the early’60’s. I broke it in and really took good care of it. It’s funny how spending your own money will cause you to take care of something just a little more…
Your Glove of Choice-(Part 1)
So, you want to play baseball or softball, or you already do-what’s your glove of choice? With so many brands and types of gloves and mitts to choose from, your decision may not be so easy. There are the “old lines” such as Rawlings, Wilson and Spalding through Mizuno, MacGregor, All-Star, and many others to newer companies like Akadema. Do you buy a glove or mitt because of a friend, coach or favorite major league star?
Usually, you buy what you know or hear about or a recommendation from a trusted coach or friend. Obviously, the position you play has a lot to do with it. There are infield gloves and outfield gloves; catchers mitts and first base mitts, not to mention all the colors and grades of leather. There are youth baseball gloves, slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball gloves…so many choices! Let’s take a closer look at several types and brands. See part 2…
History of Softball-(Part 7)
Sixteen inch softball has spread to other states, but remains most popular in the Chicago area. Numerous leagues and teams have sprung up and it is even a “letter sport” in Chicago high schools. With more kids and youngsters playing the game, its popularity will go on for years to come.
One of the really neat things about the game of 16” softball is that kids and parents can play it together. Kids are surprised to find out that their moms can smack a 16” softball with a baseball bat, and played the game when they were young girls. Many ethnic groups play in their own leagues all over the city. What a fun game! It knows no barriers…
History of Softball-(Part 6)
People of all ages play 16” softball. In the Chicago area especially, teams sprang up everywhere. There were men teams, ladies teams, park teams, mixed ladies and men teams and professional teams. It’s hard to go to a park in the Chicago area and not see a 16” softball game going on.
Probably, the most noticeable thing about the game is how much fun it is to play. Unlike so many other games that many people either can’t or do not play, 16” softball has been played by people of every background. Again, no softball gloves are necessary to play the game, just a bat and a sixteen inch softball. Then, there are the leagues…
History of Softball-(Part 5)
Sixteen inch softball got very popular in Chicago especially during the time of the Great Depression. All you needed to play it was a baseball bat and a 16” softball. Nobody wore softball gloves mostly because they couldn’t afford them. This caused you to become a better fielder because it is easier to catch a ball in a glove than bare-handed.
The game was slow pitch which many girls and women also loved. Just about anybody could play without much worry of getting hurt. You could use just about anything for bases and because it was played on smaller fields, a game could spring up almost anywhere…