Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

A journey to a new Play it Again yesterday uncovered a glove I've not had, a Roger Maris, Personal Model 42-217, not in the greatest of shape but decent. Dark oil spot blotting out a little of the "is" in Maris. The glove dates from about 1966 to 1968 and by '68 Roger was finishing out his career in St. Louis, never having lived up to the great potential in 1960 and especially in 1961 when he and Mantle raced to the homer crown and Maris broke the Bambino's record of 60 with 61 dingers.
Rawlings was making the Spalding gloves in 1968 so I drew out a Rawlings catalog to see where this one fit in. It was the same glove as the Billy Williams XPG11 with the tri flex web and a design which was new in 1966. By 1968 Jim Bunning, a pitching hero in both AL and NL, had the most expensive glove in the Spalding line, a 42-201 at $45.95. Roger's glove was going for $36.45.
No name was bigger than Maris' in 1961. Who would have figured at that time that Maris would not make the hall of fame but Billy Williams would?
I saw Billy play centerfield in class D ball in 1957 for Ponca City, OK. We had dubbed him the next "Willie Mays."
Great memories a baseball glove can evoke and delight in looking up for its history.
I'll try to get a picture up and maybe send the glove to Ken Jenkins for a repair.

Nice post Joe. Roger was a victim of his own success and I sure hope he found peace in St. Louis. Roger is always remembered for his 61 in 61 but he was also a way above average fielder with a good arm. I wish I could have the luck at PIAS that a lot of you have. Around here (Nashville) I never find anything worthwhile.

Here's the Roger Maris personal model. A bit neglected, dried out, some broken laces, etc. I got the oil spot out of the pocket but haven't done anything else except to see how it would take a little conditioner.
Big web with nine cross laces in the back. Not sure what Rollie was thinking about in this design except it provided a deep and big pocket and web.

So, my questions are...once something like this gets restored, do you use it? Or is it a "shelfer"? How well does dried out, 40 + year old leather respond to restoration?

Nice find, by the way.

You should check out some of the pics in the "glove pictures", "glove restoration", or "glove conditioning" sections...you'd be surprised just how much old dry leather can be brought back to life with the right products and a lot of elbow grease.

Joe, what did you use to get the oil spot out?

Musashi's right. It is amazing how these old gloves jump back to life with some TLC. Put some new laces in there and those babies are absolutely beautiful.

Thanks for all the replies! I'll do a little of the reconditioning (re-moisturizing) myself. I worked a little on the back around the piping and
wrist strap. My thoughts is that, even after the "treatment" the leather will look a little streaky and blotchy in spots, but will look MUCH REFRESHED! And new laces will help. The glove, by the way, is 11 inches high with the web being 5 inches itself.
Yes, I'm a big believer in reconditioning and love the pix here on the forum where new life is breathed into the leather. I used to polish rocks
and get the same feeling.
I cleaned the oil out with "Goo Gone" which works, I hear, like "Fast Orange."
I'll try a little catch with the glove, admire for awhile then put it up for sale or trade.
On the Play It Again finds, I've "worked" with one Play It Again store owner here for nearly 20 years. He has my price guides and I'm very up front with him when he puts something back for me. He got me in on a great store bat find about 15 years ago. So it's been a great relationship.
I have a picker friend who makes garage and estate sales getting me some great glove buys. On the newer, workable models, I trade these into his PIAS store for gloves he sets aside.
The other PIAS outlet has had three owners and rarely, rarely has any gloves like this, except this time. I just paid what the asking price was.
I go by there every six months or so, along with my thrift and antique store stops.
I appreciate all of your nice comments. Glad to shed some light on the find.
Happy Hunting!

I've got almost the same glove....but it is a Yaz Triple Crown Spalding....same lacing, same web....but that glove (or so I think) must have come out after he won the TP (67?)

Seems Spalding just recycled the same pattern.

It should be fine with some vaseline and new lace....

Mine is currently relaced in Cubby blue....

Why you ask? I guess because I can advertise that way.....ha ha ha

Great pics!

What more can you say about Kenny Jenkins repair work that hasn't been said. Kenny took my Maris and rebound and relaced the glove. I did the
reconditioning with a little lanolin and jaguar hide care.

Roger has nearly come back to life. Kenny J. said at one time that it took a 56 inch lace to finish up. I said what was Rollie (Lattina) thinking of? We both laughed. This glove was extremely dried out and one has to be careful in the re-moisturizing process but, all in all, it didn't turn out badly.