The Scoop on The First Baseman’s Mitt
Part dust pan, part baseball glove; the modern first baseman’s mitt is a specialized piece of leather, diligently designed to meet the needs of the position. But, why?
It hasn’t always been the case as the historical consensus is that the specialized first baseman’s mitt didn’t become widely popular until the 1940s. And even then it didn’t look like it does today. As the rules of the game evolved to differentiate between gloves and mitts (gloves have fingers, mitts do not and only catchers and first basemen can wear mitts) the mitt itself evolved. The game has evolved, too. Players are bigger, faster, stronger and so are the throws and batted balls that a first baseman has to handle. Here’s the scoop (get it?!):
It’s big and that’s no accident. The goal of a first baseman is to CATCH THE BALL. The other infielders rely on 1B to consistently be the putout to their assist. The pitcher needs the 1B to snag every pick off throw. Every now and then the outfielders need a target they can trust as a cut-off man. If 1B had to perform these duties with a mitt smaller than the typical 12.5-13” it might get a little dicey. Players at this position rarely have to make quick transfers from glove to throwing hand so there’s low risk associated with use of a larger mitt.
Now, you may be thinking, “Outfield gloves are big, too. What makes a first baseman’s mitt so special?” The answer, dear reader, is in the shape:
For starters, you’ll notice that on the exterior of the mitt there are not individual fingers, aside from the thumb (now in the handstall on the inside there is space for each of the four fingers individually). The fingers sit inside a flat, wide expanse of leather and padding designed to increase the catching surface of the mitt. Remember, catching the ball is the primary job of 1B!
The pocket (space between the thumb and pinky on the palm side of the mitt) is deep because the ball has to stay there when it hits the mitt. Unlike the other infielders who try to get the ball out of the glove ASAP, 1B needs the ball to stay put or the defense is in trouble.
As hard as they try, infielders don’t always hit their target in the chest when throwing across the diamond. Thankfully 1Bs are equipped with a mitt that has a curved edge and slightly concave shape. This feature allows 1Bs to scoop low throws out of the dirt (or turf) with less resistance. The rounded, slightly concave shape also helps to funnel the ball toward the ever-important pocket.
To the casual observer and as some baseball stereotypes portray the first base position seems like a spot for a player that can’t hack it anywhere else in the infield. Some think it’s best to just put the lumbering, unathletic player at first. Some say, “it’s easy, all you have to do is stand there and catch the ball.” But I think the evidence outlined above makes a compelling case for the contrary. First base is a unique position that requires a specific skill set that benefits, nay, requires a tool uniquely designed to fit the position.
With glove,
