1916 Spalding 9-0 "Three and Out" mitt

[mikesglove]

The model 9-0 Spalding "Three And Out" catchers mitt was near the top of the Spalding catalog in 1916 and sold for $9.00

The bottom of the ad lists a model 9-0P with "Perforated Palm".

Charles King patented the perforated palm design in 1913 for A.G. Spalding. He invented two versions. The first was for small perforations through the palm facing with a cemented and stitched leather backing as reinforcement. The second design was for slots cut horizontally across the palm with the same leather backing. The purpose of the patent design was to counter the slick surface in the pocket so a ball would stick better.

I haven't seen examples of the perforated palm variations. They may not have been a big seller since they weren't pictured in the catalog.

[mikesglove]

I found this photo of the Spalding "Perforated Palm" model. The front shows a lot of wear and tear but I'm pretty excited to see one of these intact.

[Mr. Mitt]

The mitt created a lot of buzz over the past seven hours since it's been listed and the fact that it hasn't sold already is all one needs to know about the general consensus of its originality. Like Mike, and several others, I went to the patents as well as the catalogs, but there are too many inconsistencies which kept me (and apparently everyone else) form pulling the trigger. Granted, we don't have another example to compare it to, but the difference in appearance to the patent as well as the cleanliness of the padding behind the perforations in the close-up picture just doesn't seem right. A mitt with this much wear to it, especially on the reverse, should have similar, if not more, wear to the perforations in the pocket. It's simply not consistent and raises too many doubts. If others believed differently, it would have already been scooped up.

[mikesglove]

The holes do seem a little random and the stitched perimeter pocket reinforcement is not there and you are right about how clean the inner padding looks. In fact there should be another layer of leather under the holes as reinforcement but the close-up doesn't look like leather. It looks like canvas covered padding which isn't how the patent describes the construction. Well that really sucks!

[vintagebrett]

I remember seeing a glove very similar to the one in the auction a few years back at the Shriners show in Boston. If I remember correctly, Dave Bushing had bought it from someone at the show - I remember discussing it with him but I can't recall if this was the same mitt or not.

[Mr. Mitt]

It really sucks! At first glance, your heart starts pumping a bit faster because you know it was produced because it was in the catalogs (not just a design that was patented). To finally have one "pop up" would garner a reaction somewhat similar to a "tornado" hitting eBay. It's just not right, unfortunately. Kinda looks like someone took a hole puncher to the palm. Still neat looking from a folk art perspective, though.

[Number9]

This mitt has a lot of conflicts which makes it a tough call.

On one hand, it appears to me as though the mitt was used while the holes were in place. The edges of the holes look worn and thin and appear to stretch to an oval shape, following the contour of the pocket. All other features on the mitt would suggest an above average line placement. Maybe Spalding made a lower level model with a simpler pattern function without the leather backing. You could make a case for it pre or post dating the catalog image based on trial function from year to year - or cost adjustment. I think the (w)hole concept is pretty nutty and likely very non-functional, so I don't know how many models it could or would have been spread across, or long it would have lasted.

On the other hand, it's also clear that the mitt was opened at one point, which isn't the best sign, but it looks as though that were long ago. The obvious problem is that it's very possible for someone to punch holes like that. In fact, it would be very easy. The only way to tell if it saw use with the holes in place would be to open it up and see if the canvas backing has a dirty dot pattern on it. If that's the case, it would suggest that the worst case scenario is that it's an old owner-modified mitt where someone was trying to copy a higher level model....... but, if someone were crafty enough to punch holes in their mitt with such precision, wouldn't they also be talented enough to lace it up properly? This is a weird one.

[mikesglove]

When I first posted the Spalding catalog listing a few months ago, I wondered how the patent even got off the ground. Considering what William said about the wacky design concept (to which I agree), I figured I wouldn't ever see one, so when It was first listed, I was so jazzed to see the model I didn't bother to really look closely at it. To me, the clincher was the lack of the stitched leather reinforcement. I have had a few catchers mitts with air holes for ventilation at the finger stalls, but I don't believe a manufacturer would intentionally punch holes in the pocket of a catchers mitt with only the padding behind. Manufacturers of the day were going in an opposite direction like this 1916 patent design of the "Double Face" catchers mitts consisting of an inner and outer layer of leather to combat wear and tear.

The perforated palm concept of getting a better grip of a caught ball had its origins early on, especially with fielders gloves. This 1906 Stall & Dean "hole in the palm" patent followed a known custom of infielders cutting out the padding in their gloves.

There is another "holes in the palm" patent for a catchers mitt even later than the King "perforated palm" design that to me takes the cake for weirdness. This 1920 patent features two exhaust tubes leading from the pocket internally to exit at the heel. These tubes were meant to evacuate air quickly and deepen the pocket as a ball was caught.

[mikesglove]

The perforated palm surfaces again in 1982 in this patented design by SSK. A heated embossing plate stamps a pattern of dimples into the thick leather palm, increasing the flexibility of the glove and providing a coarse surface to grab a hit ball. I remember this being a somewhat popular design. SSK references the 1913 Charles King "Perforated Palm" design in the 1982 patent application.