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Photographs by Mark Gilliland
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Fielder’s Glove | 1877
Thanks to today’s heavy hitters, gloves are a necessity, but when Rawlings introduced them in the late 19th century, the original ballers thought they were a sign of weakness. “They didn’t want people to think they were soft for wearing a glove,” Clevenhagen says. In fact, those old-school tough guys were so paranoid about looking like wimps, Rawlings used flesh-colored leather to make the gloves less noticeable.
< Bill Doak Glove | 1920
Doak was a Cardinal right-hander known for throwing a wicked spitball, but he’s even better known as the father of the modern glove: He suggested connecting the thumb and first finger with webbing to create a pocket. “That was the first example of something that could change the glove and change catching,” Clevenhagen says. (Notice the heavy padding—it’s safe to say that 20th-century ballplayers more than got over their fear of looking like wimps for protecting their hands.)
Mickey Mantle Glove | 1954 >
By the time the ’50s rolled around, the pillowy cushion of the Doak model was losing favor among the game’s increasingly athletic players, who didn’t want to have to use two hands to catch every fly ball. This streamlined design reduced padding in favor of the ability to close around the ball. And in case you’re wondering: No, Mantle didn’t design the glove—he just happened to be the most marketable name at the time. Welcome to the age of the celebrity endorsement.
< Fastback | 1968
The Fastback became the choice of outfielders, thanks to its snug fit that improved control. It was completely enclosed—earlier models left a large part of the back of the hand exposed—making it possible for a player to only stick his hand in halfway and maintain a good grip. “If you’ve only got your fingers in a glove, it’s easier to close,” Clevenhagen says. (It also gave outfielders an extra inch or two for reaching over the wall to snag would-be home runs.)
Primo | 2006 >
We’ll start with the part you can see: It’s made from imported Italian leather—quite a leap from the raw horsehide used for those gloves in the 1800s. The part you can’t see? A series of creases designed to close the glove according to a given position’s needs. “If you’re an infielder,” Clevenhagen says, “you don’t want to catch the ball in the web. You want it open for ground balls.”
* RSGXL Model | 1970s
As for personal design achievements, Clevenhagen says his best work wasn’t even a baseball glove—it was a softball glove. Before he came along, “all they did was take a 12-inch baseball glove and make it 2 inches longer, which didn’t really relate to catching a softball,” he says. “I spread the pocket and changed the way it closed, to the point that it looked like you could almost catch a bowling ball in it. And golly, for a middle-aged old man like me, what an asset that is.”
