Questions..........

[MaverickAH]

These are some random & not so random thoughts & questions that have crossed my mind from time to time (Some for years!). My hope in asking them is to provoke thought & discussion. Here goes...…...


1. How much work do you put in on the defensive side of your game?

For me, the answer was, "A LOT!". Countless hours of drills & scenarios. Coming from a baseball & fastpitch background where runs are more scarce & one miscue can cost you a game, playing defense was extremely important. When I played slow pitch, I was a multi-position player & even though offense was thought of as the prime focus of the game, I put in far more work every week on my defense. I took great pride in being able to affect a game on the defensive side far more than I took from the offensive side when it came to slow pitch. My rationale was:

• Defensively locking down an area of the field can negatively affect your opponent's offense especially if it forces them to change up & try to do something they don't normally do. It can be very demoralizing & messes with their heads when you make a great play.
• Not making routine to mildly difficult plays & not playing good fundamental defense extends innings. Turning a 0 - 2 run five minute inning into a 10+ run 45 minute inning in 90+ degrees temperature is not a good thing! It also does nothing to help your offense no matter how good it is!

Buying a high-end glove & not putting in the work is akin to buying a $300 bat & having a terrible swing!

2. How long do you expect your main gamer to last you?

The answer to this question can have multiple factors:

• How many games do you play?
• Where do you play?
• What conditions do you play in?
• Do you use multiple gamers?
• How much attention do you pay to glove maintenance?
• What level of glove do you use?
  
• How do you like your glove to play?

My answer for this question would be living in the NE with predominately moderate climate/conditions, a maximum of 9.5 months & 100+ games/year, I'd expect about 5-7 good years of service out of a stock glove of the A200/HOH variety. The biggest enemy here is humidity & glove treatment & maintenance. This answer is based on one primary on grass & turf only. We also play on asphalt & concrete here with Clinchers but I never use my primary on those surfaces.

I would expect answers to this question to be wildly varied. Some areas of the country have extreme heat & weather conditions. Some areas play year round. Some areas have red clay which can be particularly hard on leather. Some places have all 3!


Look forward to reading your answers!

One thing that I forgot to mention is that once a glove becomes a gamer for me, it's a lifer! I never sell my gamers.

 

[sleepin4matty]

1. not much anymore sadly. I try to get to the field about 30 mins early to stretch and infield toss but that's about it
2. A long long time, I take really good care of my gloves
I play anywhere from 3-10 games a week in pretty moderate conditions (so cal 70* weather most of the time)

 

[Party mafia]

These are some random & not so random thoughts & questions that have crossed my mind from time to time (Some for years!). My hope in asking them is to provoke thought & discussion. Here goes...…...


1. How much work do you put in on the defensive side of your game?

For me, the answer was, "A LOT!". Countless hours of drills & scenarios. Coming from a baseball & fastpitch background where runs are more scarce & one miscue can cost you a game, playing defense was extremely important. When I played slow pitch, I was a multi-position player & even though offense was thought of as the prime focus of the game, I put in far more work every week on my defense. I took great pride in being able to affect a game on the defensive side far more than I took from the offensive side when it came to slow pitch. My rationale was:

• Defensively locking down an area of the field can negatively affect your opponent's offense especially if it forces them to change up & try to do something they don't normally do. It can be very demoralizing & messes with their heads when you make a great play.
• Not making routine to mildly difficult plays & not playing good fundamental defense extends innings. Turning a 0 - 2 run five minute inning into a 10+ run 45 minute inning in 90+ degrees temperature is not a good thing! It also does nothing to help your offense no matter how good it is!

Buying a high-end glove & not putting in the work is akin to buying a $300 bat & having a terrible swing!

2. How long do you expect your main gamer to last you?

The answer to this question can have multiple factors:

• How many games do you play?
• Where do you play?
• What conditions do you play in?
• Do you use multiple gamers?
• How much attention do you pay to glove maintenance?
• What level of glove do you use?
  
• How do you like your glove to play?

My answer for this question would be living in the NE with predominately moderate climate/conditions, a maximum of 9.5 months & 100+ games/year, I'd expect about 5-7 good years of service out of a stock glove of the A200/HOH variety. The biggest enemy here is humidity & glove treatment & maintenance. This answer is based on one primary on grass & turf only. We also play on asphalt & concrete here with Clinchers but I never use my primary on those surfaces.

I would expect answers to this question to be wildly varied. Some areas of the country have extreme heat & weather conditions. Some areas play year round. Some areas have red clay which can be particularly hard on leather. Some places have all 3!


Look forward to reading your answers!

With so many awesome gloves you own, if you have to pick two gloves, one for the if, and one for the outfield, which two would you pick as your gamer?

For me if I m pitching, I would use my Easton small batch in a 13 inches.
If my ot Wilson 1781
Of would be my Easton legacy elite in a 12.75 inches .

 

[MaverickAH]

With so many awesome gloves you own, if you have to pick two gloves, one for the if, and one for the outfield, which two would you pick as your gamer?

For me if I m pitching, I would use my Easton small batch in a 13 inches.
If my ot Wilson 1781
Of would be my Easton legacy elite in a 12.75 inches .

My custom 12.5" Vinci Optimus would be my go to all-around glove if I had go with just one.

Otherwise, my choices would be dependent on what version of the game I'd be playing.

• Modified/Fastpitch: For Clinchers I'd go with my old faithful Vinci Pro JC65 (11.85") for IF & my Glovesmith Shadowflex 1250 (12.5") for OF. If I were playing with Dudley's, I'd go with something more substantial (like below).
• Slow Pitch: Vinci Custom Optimus (12.5") for IF & a Vinci Custom Pro RV60 (13") for OF. (I'm usually a fixture @ SS these days when I do play SP)

 

[ShortYellowBus]

All around best of the gloves?

Wilson: 1799 or OT6.

Rawlings: Sbf Horween BH34.

On a “budget”, Easton Jefe 13.5” trap.

 

[ilyk2win]

1 - I'm old and pitch so not much work put in on the defense

2 - I sweat a lot in this NE humidity so I get 2-3 years out of my gloves, playing 2-3 tourneys a month plus weekly BP. Sweat, use, dirt and occasional rain = shorter life. Admittedly I don't care for them anywhere near the level some of you guys take care of your leather. Currently game an A2K 1799 on year 3 and have an 12.75" H All Star System 7 as backup that I mainly use for BP (not game ready).

 

[beeblebobble]

I play old fart Sunday baseball, defense and fundamentals are often the biggest factors in playing winning baseball in these leagues. 5 and 6 out innings are killer. Everyone goes to the cages and is ready to rip one, not everyone is as lucky to get to put in defensive practice. A lot harder to get time, field, people to all come together.

1. During my summer hiatus from work I'm practicing 2/3 times a week and games are Sundays. And we'll do infield at the end of every practice. While I'm working the other 9 months I'm lucky if I get more than just a game in each week.

2. I use a custom Pro Preferred because the pattern I like to use isn't available at retail and PP actually needs to be broken in. Kip is relatively new leather to gloves so its hard to know what to expect. I don't see it lasting more than a decade. Especially since I play in hot weather and really sweat through my glove each game/practice. I bought two pretty close to identical gloves and plan to interchange them as needed over the next few years. One is 3 years old and ready for a reconditioning with new laces and binding being the biggest needs. The other is being broken in now to use once I send the other one away. I'm hoping by switching back and forth over the years and with regular maintenance I'll get them to last til I'm done playing.

 

[MaverickAH]

I play old fart Sunday baseball, defense and fundamentals are often the biggest factors in playing winning baseball in these leagues. 5 and 6 out innings are killer. Everyone goes to the cages and is ready to rip one, not everyone is as lucky to get to put in defensive practice. A lot harder to get time, field, people to all come together.

1. During my summer hiatus from work I'm practicing 2/3 times a week and games are Sundays. And we'll do infield at the end of every practice. While I'm working the other 9 months I'm lucky if I get more than just a game in each week.

2. I use a custom Pro Preferred because the pattern I like to use isn't available at retail and PP actually needs to be broken in. Kip is relatively new leather to gloves so its hard to know what to expect. I don't see it lasting more than a decade. Especially since I play in hot weather and really sweat through my glove each game/practice. I bought two pretty close to identical gloves and plan to interchange them as needed over the next few years. One is 3 years old and ready for a reconditioning with new laces and binding being the biggest needs. The other is being broken in now to use once I send the other one away. I'm hoping by switching back and forth over the years and with regular maintenance I'll get them to last til I'm done playing.

When I was playing seriously (as in, "for $$$"), we always did defensive drills first before taking BP. That was particularly tough on me as I had to take balls at multiple positions since I rarely knew in advance where I'd be playing. Whenever I could get someone to stay with me after practice, I'd take extra ground balls. I would shorten up my position from normal to help increase my reaction time & play particular attention to my footwork. I would also instruct the person hitting to me to not take it easy. A little bit dangerous but effective! It really helped to slow everything down come game time. I also did some pre-game meditation. There's no better feeling than getting into that matrix-like zone when fielding! Most guys get off by hitting a big bomb that draws Oooo's & Aaaah's. Me? I always drew way more pleasure by getting the same reaction making a great defensive play.

 

[etnstudios]

lately, the only time i can get defensive practice in is before a game. people always wanna swing some pepper so i use a gymball (very pillowy but not the oversized 16" ball) and let them take full hacks from 30' or so. works on the reaction time the best. had our pitcher get blasted with a line drive to the shoulder with it and just laughed it off.

 

[Rous]

One game per week, 24 weeks per year (3 seasons). They gave up on the January-February winter league a few years back, playing when it is below freezing sucks.

Until I think I have discovered a better glove for me. The ones I buy will last a long time as often as I play.

I long ago gave up trying to get my team to practice (we did win more when we practiced even 2-3 times in a season) although I go to the cages about 4-5 times per season (I can do it alone).

 

[NYC]

These are some random & not so random thoughts & questions that have crossed my mind from time to time (Some for years!). My hope in asking them is to provoke thought & discussion. Here goes...…...


1. How much work do you put in on the defensive side of your game?

For me, the answer was, "A LOT!". Countless hours of drills & scenarios. Coming from a baseball & fastpitch background where runs are more scarce & one miscue can cost you a game, playing defense was extremely important. When I played slow pitch, I was a multi-position player & even though offense was thought of as the prime focus of the game, I put in far more work every week on my defense. I took great pride in being able to affect a game on the defensive side far more than I took from the offensive side when it came to slow pitch. My rationale was:

• Defensively locking down an area of the field can negatively affect your opponent's offense especially if it forces them to change up & try to do something they don't normally do. It can be very demoralizing & messes with their heads when you make a great play.
• Not making routine to mildly difficult plays & not playing good fundamental defense extends innings. Turning a 0 - 2 run five minute inning into a 10+ run 45 minute inning in 90+ degrees temperature is not a good thing! It also does nothing to help your offense no matter how good it is!

Buying a high-end glove & not putting in the work is akin to buying a $300 bat & having a terrible swing!

2. How long do you expect your main gamer to last you?

The answer to this question can have multiple factors:

• How many games do you play?
• Where do you play?
• What conditions do you play in?
• Do you use multiple gamers?
• How much attention do you pay to glove maintenance?
• What level of glove do you use?
  
• How do you like your glove to play?

My answer for this question would be living in the NE with predominately moderate climate/conditions, a maximum of 9.5 months & 100+ games/year, I'd expect about 5-7 good years of service out of a stock glove of the A200/HOH variety. The biggest enemy here is humidity & glove treatment & maintenance. This answer is based on one primary on grass & turf only. We also play on asphalt & concrete here with Clinchers but I never use my primary on those surfaces.

I would expect answers to this question to be wildly varied. Some areas of the country have extreme heat & weather conditions. Some areas play year round. Some areas have red clay which can be particularly hard on leather. Some places have all 3!


Look forward to reading your answers!

This reminds me, does anyone have an opinion on which glove liners cause the least amount of sweat? In my opinion sweat is the leading cause of glove deterioration.

 

[MaverickAH]

This reminds me, does anyone have an opinion on which glove liners cause the least amount of sweat? In my opinion sweat is the leading cause of glove deterioration.

While there can be some truth to that, I've found that it's not straight forward at all. A lot can depend on who's doing the sweating! Not everybody's sweat is the same & not everybody sweats to the same degree. I've also found that if you eat clean & you are someone who doesn't sweat heavily (that's me!), glove deterioration is greatly reduced. It can almost completely eliminated if you don't put your glove confined in a bag or car trunk immediately after use. Letting wet leather stew in its own juices is a recipe for disaster! Let it air dry!

Conversely, if you're an individual with bad eating habits or naturally has sweat that varies from neutral, you can potentially have problems with your glove especially if you don't take measures after use.

 

[defos]

"I took great pride in being able to affect a game on the defensive side far more than I took from the offensive side when it came to slow pitch. My rationale was:

• Defensively locking down an area of the field can negatively affect your opponent's offense especially if it forces them to change up & try to do something they don't normally do. It can be very demoralizing & messes with their heads when you make a great play."

This^^.
I'll be 64 in 6 weeks, but still play 3rd with and against the young guys. When I played SS (until about 6 or 7 years ago), I'd bat last at practice just to be able to work myself ragged on defense. By the 4th practice, I could get to and field everything I should, and some I shouldn't have expected to. I made my share of errors, mostly on routine plays, but made enough plays no one - including myself - thought I could make to make up for the errors. I was blessed with the ability to read the pitch and the hitter which allowed me to get a great break on the ball and cover a lot of ground. Obviously, I've had a lot of meaningful hits in 34 years of play, but very few of them stand out in my memory, and those that do are more about the circumstances rather than the hit itself. There are quite a few defensive plays going all the way back to Little League that I remember very well on their own merit. And no, they haven't gotten better over the years.

I use a PROS27 Trap for men's league now - mostly because I got it for a great price and it was too nice to flip, which was the reason for buying it - but I used a Dale Murphy RBG36 circa 1990 or '91 for about 18 years. It was still in good condition, but probably in need of new internals when someone accidentally gathered it up with their stuff in what turned out to be the last game they played. I played a minimum of 2-5 games a week from late April through October for about 25 years, and still play 3 games a week. I live in Iowa where it's in the upper 80's to mid to upper 90's and very humid in July and August. It's currently 84 degrees with 50% humidity at 9 pm. It was 93 and the humidity was higher when we played at 2 and 3 o'clock today. Fortunately, my palms don't sweat, so that's not a factor in the life expectancy of my gloves.

I use a PROS601 in the co-ed church league, and a couple of others for wet conditions and just to change things up. All my gloves close thumb to pinkie, and I wear them with the heel of my hand exposed to gain that little bit of extra reach.

 

[Hiltz]

This reminds me, does anyone have an opinion on which glove liners cause the least amount of sweat? In my opinion sweat is the leading cause of glove deterioration.

I've also found that if you eat clean & you are someone who doesn't sweat heavily (that's me!), glove deterioration is greatly reduced. It can almost completely eliminated if you don't put your glove confined in a bag or car trunk immediately after use. Letting wet leather stew in its own juices is a recipe for disaster! Let it air dry!

I sweat heavily but I wear a golf glove under my fielding glove, I always air dry my glove after games, and I condition/seal the hell out of the palm liner and finger stalls. I only own gloves that use shell leather liners too (Wilson A2000, Gloveworks, Nokona). I've been gaming my A2000 for about 8 years and I could relace, clean and condition it and pass it off as 1 old, easy.

Most guys get off by hitting a big bomb that draws Oooo's & Aaaah's. Me? I always drew way more pleasure by getting the same reaction making a great defensive play.

Turning double-plays in my wood bat league is my drug. Balls aren't hit hard and the baselines are short, so you need a really quick transfer to turn two. I swear I can feel the endorphins when the ball hits my first baseman's glove and the runner's foot is still in the air.