Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Does anyone have a list of the glove manufacturers that have confirmed use by Major League plalyers, Pre WWII ?

THANKS!

Hi

I don't think there is a list that someone has generated but I would classify the following companies with gloves most likely used by Major League players prior to WWII:

Rawlings
Spalding
Wilson
Reach
Ken-Wel
Stall and Dean
D&M

I might also throw Victor and Wright Ditson into the mix.

I'd say more players used Draper Maynards than any company prior to the Bill Doak model Rawlings introduction. It was "the Rawlings" of its day. Rawlings and Doak sort of stole D&M's thunder.
Goldsmith gloves were likely used by many ballplayers. Also probably Dubow. A few Nokonas were on the hands of a few ML players in the 1930s.
I could probably name a few more.

Oops, forgot about Goldsmith - they should definitely be on the list.

I find it interesting that D&M would be the company of choice pre-Doak model - I would have thought Spalding would have dominated at that time. Neat stuff.

D&M got a jump on Spalding and the rest with the Irwin glove, the first padded glove and the company took off from there. I think there were several writeups touting Draper Maynard with being the leading supplier for major league use. The Doak model's introduction in 1922 with the first really better playing glove, stole the D&M Thunder and Rawlngs quickly took over the lead. Spalding always had a strong position especially in the retail markets. By the mid 1930s, one player was describing the D&Ms as "Drop 'em and Moan." By 1937 Goldsmith had bought out the company and closed the plant in Plymouth, NH.
Don't forget the Worth Company that supplied the Wambsganss glove for Bill on the 1920 world series unassisted triple play as featured in our latest glove newsletter.

Any info on whether the pros of that era used the Ken-Wel Dazzy Vance models? I know that the laced fingers didn't make the splash one would have thought, but they were large and well made.

I've got a picture somewhere of Lefty Grove wearing one. I'm sure there were several if not many others with the Vance style glove.

softball66 wrote:D&M got a jump on Spalding and the rest with the Irwin glove, the first padded glove and the company took off from there. I think there were several writeups touting Draper Maynard with being the leading supplier for major league use. The Doak model's introduction in 1922 with the first really better playing glove, stole the D&M Thunder and Rawlngs quickly took over the lead. Spalding always had a strong position especially in the retail markets. By the mid 1930s, one player was describing the D&Ms as "Drop 'em and Moan." By 1937 Goldsmith had bought out the company and closed the plant in Plymouth, NH.
Don't forget the Worth Company that supplied the Wambsganss glove for Bill on the 1920 world series unassisted triple play as featured in our latest glove newsletter.

How about Alex Taylor?

I'm sure it would be possible that an Alex Taylor was used. I remember seeing a Horace Partridge gamer from Luke Appling (i think) in a 2008 auction somewhere.

Correct on both counts...

* Alex Taylor Gloves were indeed used by Major Leaguers in the twenties and early thirties.

* Appling's glove was a Horace Partridge. I consigned it to Memory Lane a few months back. It was accompanied by a letter from Appling's daughter.

Question about Alex Taylor gloves - I thought all Alex Taylor gloves were made by Goldsmith or Rawlings. What's the story?????

perezfan wrote:Correct on both counts...

* Alex Taylor Gloves were indeed used by Major Leaguers in the twenties and early thirties.

* Appling's glove was a Horace Partridge. I consigned it to Memory Lane a few months back. It was accompanied by a letter from Appling's daughter.

PEREZ,

Could you show me pics or proof of ALex Taylor gloves in the Majors...it would be greatly appreciated!!

jboosted92@live.com