All Things Gloves

Rawlings Introduces New Heart of the Hide Pro Mesh Series Gloves

2009-05-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

We've been hard at work on our 2010 line of gloves and we're proud to announce the launch of our Heart of the Hide Pro Mesh gloves. Made from our world-renowned HOH leather and now with a lighter mesh back, these new gloves are the perfect combination of weight and performance. You'll see plenty of pros wearing this new design including former Cy Young winning pitcher Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals. Let us know what you think of this new design!

Yadier Molina finally gets his first Rawlings Gold Glove!

2009-01-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Cardinals Catcher and member of Team Rawlings Yadier Molina was awarded his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award this past Monday at the Baseball Writers Association of America's annual dinner banquet. Yadier, known for his impressive skill behind the plate, had a tremendous year and is extremely deserving of this honor! Congrats Yadi!!!

Just to recap, managers and coaches of each Major League team select a squad of the best defensemen in their leagues, excluding their own teams. Rawlings does not select the winners.

http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=21954511&event=674600&CategoryID=17311&picnum=46&move=F#Image

Pro Preferred Gloves Get a New Look!

2008-12-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

This year, we decided to take the Pro Preferred line to a new level! Made from premium Italian Bruciato and kip skin leather, the Pro Preferred 2-Tone gloves have a flawless look and a super-smooth feel. As the name suggests, these gloves are pro quality and feature some of the very best pro patterns. All models contain the strongest lace available (1oo lb. tensile strength), 100% wool padding and are lined with Pittards® Sheep Skin for comfort and softness.

We'd love to hear what you think of the new Pro Preferred 2-Tone gloves!!! Let us know.

Rawlings seems to be the glove of choice at this year's All-Star Game!

2008-07-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Several of the pros that made this year's All-Star line-up will be flashing Rawlings leather! Check out the list below to see all the guys who will be sporting the Patch while making awesome defensive plays!

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Starters
C: Geovany Soto, Chicago
1B: Lance Berkman, Houston
2B: Chase Utley, Philadelphia
SS: Hanley Ramirez, Florida
3B: Chipper Jones, Atlanta
OF: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
OF: Kosuke Fukudome, Chi.
OF: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago

Reserves
C: Russell Martin, Los Angeles
1B: Brian McCann, Atlanta
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, S.D.
1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2B: Dan Uggla, Florida
3B: Aramis Ramirez, Chicago
3B: David Wright, New York
SS: Cristian Guzman, Wash.
SS: Miguel Tejada, Houston
OF: Pat Burrell, Philadelphia
OF: Corey Hart, Milwaukee
OF: Matt Holliday, Colorado
OF: Carlos Lee, Houston
OF: Ryan Ludwick, St. Louis
OF: Nate McLouth, Pittburgh
OF: Aaron Rowand, S.F.

Pitchers
SP: Aaron Cook, Colorado
SP: Ryan Dempster, Chicago
SP: Dan Haren, Arizona
SP: Tim Lincecum, S.F.
SP: Ben Sheets, Milwaukee
SP: Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati
SP: Brandon Webb, Arizona
SP: Carlos Zambrano, Chicago
RP: Brad Lidge, Philadelphia
RP: Billy Wagner, New York
RP: Brian Wilson, S.F.
RP: Kerry Wood, Chicago

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Starters
C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota
1B: Kevin Youkilis, Boston
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Boston
SS: Derek Jeter, New York
3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas
OF: Manny Ramirez, Boston
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
DH: David Ortiz, Boston

Reserves
C: Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay
C: Jason Varitek, Boston
1B: Jason Giambi, New York
1B: Justin Morneau, Minnesota
2B: Ian Kinsler, Texas
2B: Brian Roberts, Baltimore
SS: Michael Young, Texas
3B: Joe Crede, Chicago
3B: Carlos Guillen, Detroit
3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
OF: J.D. Drew, Boston
OF: Jermaine Dye, Chicago
OF: Jose Guillen, Kansas City
OF: Carlos Quentin, Chicago
OF: Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
DH: Milton Bradley, Texas

Pitchers
SP: Justin Duchscherer, Oak.
SP: Roy Halladay, Toronto
SP: Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay
SP: Cliff Lee, Cleveland
SP: Ervin Santana, Los Angeles
SP: Joe Saunders, Los Angeles
RP: Joe Nathan, Minnesota
RP: Jonathan Papelbon, Boston
RP: Mariano Rivera, New York
RP: Francisco Rodriguez, L.A.
RP: George Sherrill, Baltimore
RP: Joakim Soria, Kansas City

Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop is here!!!

2008-05-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wished you could get Derek Jeter’s game day glove but customized with your own team colors or with your favorite web? Ever wanted to be able to create your very own glove from scratch and know what it will look like before you buy it? With the new Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop, you can do just that! Get the very same treatment as our pros and make all of your own choices! You can choose your leather type, color, lace color, web, pattern and more. Add cool features like a wristband, a country flag, or your name to make it truly unique! Have fun mixing and matching all of the different options! You can choose to save your glove for later, print out your choices and take it to your local Rawlings dealer, or buy it on the spot! You can even share your glove with all of your friends on MySpace, Facebook or AIM! It’s your glove, your way!

Be sure to visit the Rawlings Custom Glove Pro Shop at: http://rawlings.com/customglove

Let us know what you think!!!

Your First Glove

2008-04-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

We want to hear all about your first glove you ever received. What model was it? What about it made it so unique? Do you still have it? Tell us your glove story...

Rawlings' own Bob Clevenhagen featured in the Wall Street Journal

2008-03-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a cool read on our very own master glove craftsman Bob Clevenhagen!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120666585578470501.html?mod=djempersonal

2007 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winners Announced

2007-11-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 5th, the 07 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winners were announced for both the American and National Leagues. Note that the winners were selected by managers/coaches of the various teams. They aren't allowed to vote for anyone on their own team. That said, here's the winners. Team Rawlings players are highlighted in red.

American League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup:

Pos Player Team Award(s) Won

P Johan Santana Minnesota Twins 1
C Ivan Rodriguez Detroit Tigers 13
1B Kevin Youkilis Boston Red Sox 1
2B Placido Polanco Detroit Tigers 1
3B Adrian Beltre Seattle Mariners 1
SS Orlando Cabrera LA Angels 2
OF Ichiro Suzuki Seattle Mariners 7
OF Torii Hunter Minnesota Twins 7
OF Grady Sizemore Cleveland Indians 1

National League Rawlings Gold Glove lineup:

Pos Player Team Award(s) Won

P Greg Maddux San Diego Padres 17
C Russell Martin LA Dodgers 1
1B Derrek Lee Chicago Cubs 3
2B Orlando Hudson Arizona Diamondbacks 3
3B David Wright New York Mets 1
SS Jimmy Rollins Philadelphia Phillies 1
OF Andruw Jones Atlanta Braves 10
OF Carols Beltran New York Mets 2
OF Jeff Francoeur Atlanta Braves 1
OF Aaron Rowand Philadelphia Phillies 1

What do you think of the list? Are there any athletes that you think were robbed? See someone on here that you do not think belongs? Let us know what you think!

Talking to the Master of Gloves

2007-09-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have been with Rawlings for over 30 years now. I was first hired to manage the baseball glove manufacturing factory. In that position I worked very closely with the current glove designer at that time, Mr Rollie Latina, who was only the second designer in Rawlings history. When he retired in the early 80's, I became the third. Over the years I have started a plant in Haiti, have worked for Rawlings-Japan, and spent 3 years on the Rawlings Sports Caravan with which I visited every state and many All-Star and World series games. During this time, I also went to Spring Training where I worked with pro players and gained a lot of knowledge as to what was really needed at that level.

My favorite part of the job now is working with young kids; from helping parents pick the right glove to showing the kids how to use and take care of their new gloves. I also enjoy handling calls concerning the history of Rawlings gloves and sometimes restoring a really old glove for some persuasive Rawlings fan.

My favorite gloves are any of the old style Heart of the Hide gloves which I hope to offer again on our web site in the future. My favorite player to work with was probably Ozzie Smith who was always a classy player, but I really enjoyed A-Rod when I would break in his gloves for him. Craig Biggio was also a favorite of mine. I could keep on listing them so I will have to stop there.

If anyone has any questions/comments for me, let me know.

Bob Clevenhagen
Rawlings Master Glove Craftsman

Introducing the 08 Line

2007-07-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already, be sure to check out rawlings.com to see all the new gloves from our 08 line. We've developed some really cool new models and series (take a look at the Burgundy Heart of the Hide gloves!) Let us know what you think! What gloves do you like the best? Which ones shouldn't have made the cut? We look forward to hearing your feedback.

Lindsey Naber
Rawlings Asst. Marketing Manager

Learning the Craft of Glove Design

2007-05-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Below is an interview with Rawlings Project Engineer, Greg Williams. Greg works closely with the Rawlings glove line.

-What are some of the current projects you are working on?

At Rawlings, we are continually searching for new materials to use in gloves. We look for materials that are stronger, lighter, better feeling etc, anything to help improve your performance. Part of my job is to do extensive lab and field testing on new materials to determine whether they can improve gloves.

-What are some of the trends you notice in regards to glove design?
Many players today are looking for something that sets their glove apart from others. Our custom glove program allows players to choose the color of the leather and laces and personalize their glove with their name. I think glove customization will become more and more commonplace in the near future.

-What's the hardest part about your job?
Part of my job includes coming up with creative new ideas for gloves. Continually thinking of new ideas can be difficult which is why we encourage feedback, ideas, and advice from players in the field. This is where a lot of our ideas start. Please don’t hesitate to send us your suggestions and comments. I’d love to hear what you think.

-What are some things to expect from Rawlings in the coming months?
If you’re a softball player, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with our new Gold Glove Softball Series. We took the high end feel and performance of the Gold Glove Series, and added some models that have softball specific patterns and webs.

Also look for a new look and improved feel in the Heart of the Hide Series. Half of the gloves in this series are being made with a new burgundy leather similar to the color of our Primo gloves. This and the addition of a deerskin lining give these gloves an awesome feel.

-How do you observe trends in the field that help you with your job?
We spend a lot of time going to tournaments to interact with players of all ages and abilities. We like to talk to players one on one to hear their thoughts and try to establish the latest trends. Ultimately it is the consumer that decides what gloves we will make.

Be sure to post your questions and comments for Greg to answer!

The difference between a flat and deep pocket

2007-05-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Someone recently submitted a question asking what the difference between a deep and flat pattern is. Let's examine this:

The fingers on a glove having a "deep pocket" are more curved by pattern and design and create a deeper type pocket for players who catch a ball as opposed to players who scoop balls. Pitchers, outfielders and some third basemen will prefer gloves that have a deeper type pocket. Typically, a glove having a deeper pocket will allow you to close the glove thumb to ring finger or little finger or to your playing preference.

The fingers on a glove having a "flat pocket" are straighter by pattern and design creating a shallower, flat type pocket. This design is good for scooping ground balls and easier to find the ball in the pocket to make the transitions from the glove to the throwing hand for either turning a double play or throwing to first. Traditionally, middle infielders (short stop and 2nd basemen) will prefer flatter type patterns. When catching or scooping with this type of glove, the glove is closed mostly by closing your fingers toward the heel of your palm.

I hope that helps to clarify the difference between the two patterns.

Denny Whiteside
Rawlings Glove Engineer

Newest Addition to the Rawlings Team

2007-03-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

My name is Ryan Farrar and I am new to the Rawlings team. As an Assistant Product Manager for gloves, equipment bags, and batting gloves, I assist in the production, development, and design of the products as well as devise new marketing strategies for these categories. I also play college baseball. This experience comes in handy while doing my job…

I’ve used a lot of different kinds of gloves over the years. When I choose a glove, the first thing I consider is how it looks. Is it all one color? Is it a two tone glove? What kind of web does it have? After I have narrowed it down to a couple of gloves, I start to see how they feel. I know as soon as I put a glove on if I will be able to field with it or not. A glove should be an extension of your hand. Even though I am a pitcher, it is still important to field at your position. Fit, feel and comfort must all be considered if you want to field to the best of your ability.

The glove I currently use a Rawlings PROS15TCB. This glove is an 11 ½ Conventional back with a modified Trap-Eze Web. I have always used an 11 ½ inch glove because it allows me to transfer the ball from my glove to my hand without having a deep pocket. I also don’t break in my gloves too much; the stiffer the glove the better.

My personal experience and baseball background helps me with my research. While playing baseball on different teams I have met a lot of people. I have stayed connected with those people and I can ask them questions about product or marketing ideas and pick their brain on the latest trends.

Speaking of trends, I think customization will continue to be a popular trend with regards to gloves. I also think that offering various colors for leather, laces, and webs will be increasingly important.

That said, I am open to hearing ideas on what Rawlings can do to make a better product.

Ryan Farrar
Rawlings Asst. Product Manager

What's with the webs?

2007-01-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

Regarding glove webs, it tends to be a matter of personal preference. Sure, there are unique features to each web, but ultimately, people play with a glove that they feel comfortable with. We see many infielders use open webs so that the dirt can escape after they field a ground ball. Then again, one of the most famous infielders, Derek Jeter, uses a closed Basket™ Web. There really aren’t any rules when choosing a web; people choose one based on their own style of play. Here, I will try to break down some of the differences you see in the various types of webs.

Trap-Eze® Web: Rawlings patented this web in 1959. It’s often referred to as the six-finger glove. The laces allow the glove to close naturally around the ball. This is a popular choice among outfielders. Additionally, we will be offering a 11 ¼” Heart of the Hide Model with a Trap-Eze Web that will work for infielders. We currently offer other gloves with a Trap-Eze Web that work for pitchers or 3B including the PROS12TCB from the Pro Preferred® Series and the SL12XTC from the Sandlot Series.

Basket Web™: This web, patented by Rawlings in 1967, is both stretchable and flexible. Its deep pocket makes it a good choice for just about any position.

Basket Connector Web™: This web, patented by Rawlings in 1994, is a variation of our Basket Web. The Basket Connector Web adds an additional axis that wraps around and secures the ball.

I Web™: Our I Web offers a bit more flex than our Pro-H™ Web. Its laces make it easy to modify the depth of the pocket to the player’s preference. This is a popular choice among infielders as it provides a quick, easy transition from glove to hand.

Pro H™ Web: The Pro H Web uses two bars of leather connected by a horizontal strip to provide increased stability and control. With its large catching surface, it makes this web a good choice among outfielders. It also allows outfielders to block the sun or lights while still being able to see the ball.

Modified Trap: This web is a modified version of the famous Rawlings Trap-Eze. Its t-bar adds some stability while its lacing allows the web to expand. This web is popular among infielders and pitchers.

Single Post: Thanks to its simple design and lack of lace, this web allows for an easy break-in. Many infielders favor this web. The Single Post web is only available in our custom glove program.

1-Piece Solid: This web, patented by Rawlings in 1953, is used primarily by infielders. The opening between the web and pocket helps to create flexibility and a nice, deep pocket. This web is only available in our custom glove program.

2-Piece Solid: This web is a good choice for pitchers as it allows them to hide the ball and conceal their pitches. The two pieces work as a hinge to create more flex.

I hope that helps you to better understand the various webs and their function. I’d be interested to know what’s your favorite web and why?

Denny Whiteside
Rawlings Glove Engineer

Glove Story

2006-10-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

I want to know what your favorite glove you've ever owned is...What model is it? What did it look like? Was it a signature model? How did it help your game? Tell me your glove story and I will post the best ones.

Lindsey Naber
Asst. Marketing Manager

Breaking in your glove the RIGHT way

2006-09-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, you can find gloves with softer leathers that have a game-ready feel right off the shelf; however, most of your high performance models will require a break-in period. Over the years, we’ve heard plenty of stories about how people break in their gloves. Some tactics work, yet others are just simply harmful to your glove. As a result, I’ve created a list of “do’s” and “don’t s” that come in handy when it comes to caring for your glove.

DO WORK THE PADDING: you can loosen the fibers by twisting the heel of your glove back and forth. Do the same with the fingers and thumb of your glove. You’ll begin to feel it getting softer. This technique will also allow for a more comfortable fit.

DO PLAY CATCH: the best way to form a good pocket is to play catch. You can also pound your pocket with a mallet or your fist. Be sure to pound exactly where you want the pocket to be formed.

DO WRAP YOUR GLOVE: Place a Rawlings baseball in the pocket of your glove and fold it closed. Secure your glove with rubber bands and let it rest in a cool, dry place. This will allow for your glove to conform to the shape of a baseball more readily and easily. This technique will aid in forming a pocket.

DO CONDITION YOUR GLOVE: Give your glove a light coating of Rawlings Glovolium or lanoline-based shaving cream every 2-3 months. Simply pour onto a rag and wipe your glove to maintain the leather fibers. This will ensure that your glove stays soft while adding a layer of protection. Again, a light coating used moderately works best.

DO MAINTAIN YOUR GLOVE: Inspect your laces every so often to ensure they aren’t broken or stretched out. Tighten them as needed and replace with new laces if yours break.

DON’T USE A MICROWAVE OR OVEN: This is the worst thing you could do to your glove! It drys out the leather and damages the inner portion of the gloves. Heat can also make the laces brittle causing them to break.

DON’T RUN OVER WITH A CAR: Yes, there are people who do this. This is a sure-fire way to shorten the life of your glove. People do this to make their glove flatter, but there are better ways to achieve this result.

DON’T SUBMERGE IN WATER: This too will shorten the life of your glove. This will cause the glove to become heavy as well. If you insist on using water to help soften your leather, pour a small amount of hot water onto the pocket and let it run right out, pound it a bit, then treat with either a small amount of Rawlings Glovolium or lanolin-based shaving cream. Be sure that it’s completely dry before playing with it.

I would love to hear how you break in your glove. What works? What doesn’t? We’d love to hear your feedback.

Denny Whiteside
Rawlings Glove Engineer