Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

I always enjoy finding a good picture of a player's glove, esp. a major leaguer of any era. I have a few of those coffee table sized books that have tons of great baseball pics, but disappointingly few good glove photos. Joe has had many nice ones in TGC over the years, but I must see more! Anybody else feel the same way? I've seen a couple in the Vintage Glove Pictures section, but I guess that I think of that category as a place to show pictures of gloves from our varied collections (love looking at those, too.) Anyway, here's a picture from The Baseball Antholgy of well known Wilson (hah!) endorser Brooks Robinson. Anyone else seen this one? Joe, let me know if I'm rehashing pics that have been in TGC. My memory is not the greatest.

Here's a good one of Mantle and Maris taken in 1961 from the book "Baseball From The Archives of The Sporting News".

Cool picture! Don't remember seeing the Mick with a Trapeze glove before. I found one more and a card featuring the Trapeze. The one that Frank Howard had must have been an XXL. That glove looks huge!

Very interesting post! I'm compiling right now a series of magazine and baseball card shots (clear shots of the gloves) of players with their various gloves. Re: the Mantle Trapeze glove. When Rawlings introduced these to the pros around 1957 they had Mantle and other Rawlings player endorsers pose with this new model and he may have used them for a while (who's to say?). I'd not seen this picture of him and Maris together with their gloves. I did run a picture of Maris with a "trap" style (Tra-pocket Spalding)
I've got a great cover closeup of Brooks wearing a trapeze in a fielding pose. The Trapeze is the most quickly identifiable glove of its era by the way.
Long-time glover Tom Taylor also has an interest in finding these pictures and has sent me some unusual wear shots of Lou Brock with a Franklin glove on his hand and Willie Mays wearing a "Spalding."
I have run pictures of various players with their gloves in the newsletter and found readers interested in this feature.
I'll try to get some pictures made and post here.
Thanks for bringing the subject up.

Sounds good, Joe! I found a couple more to post in a bit. I've always enjoyed the pictures and articles on the Pro's gloves in your newsletter. Especially the story about the fan who ended up with Roberto Clemente's HSP. If I remember correctly that was at old County Stadium in Milwaukee?

Warren Spahn's HH, Lew Burdette (HH or HSP?), and Double H himself with (what else?) his Trapeze.

Looks like Mick has two fingers in the pinkie stall.

Was that his normal procedure?

Guess we'll have to wait for a Mantle expert to answer that cuz I have no idea. More pics while we're waiting? Great!
Warren Spahn and his Macgregor Spider-Web:

Harvey Haddix with a Wilson?

Sandy Koufax and his Rawlings:

Snuck in a couple more as long as we're still waiting...
Roy Face and what looks to be a Rawlings. His 1959 card shows a Wilson (guessing an A2000).



Roy and his Trapeze. He also endorsed Nokona.

My magnifying glass thinks that it's an A2054. Lots of silver left on that one!

Ryne Duren's A2000.

Wynn with Wilson! Sorry.


There, I'm done for now.

Roberto Clemente used a Rawlings HSP model in the 1950's.
One came up for Lelands auction a long while back and went for 30k.

The Rawlings Trapeze model was introduced to players circa 1957 and was a big hit. Here's Mantle circa 1958. Note, there is no Trapeze stamp. An early Patent applied for model:
Clemente used the Trapeze model throughout the 1960's. 1960 world seriescirca 1968

Clement signed an endorsement contract with MacGregor circa 1965.
This 1968 Dexter trading card shows him sporting a MacGregor KC1 model, same as Mays was using at the time.

The KC1 model was kangaroo hide and had a dual post/triple bar web
Clemente's store model MacGregor version was similar looking, the autograph model 990. It came in a couple of styles.

Clemente switched to the Rawlings Fastback model in the late 1960's
Below is a game model XFB1

Rawlings introduced a Clemente autograph model Commemorative glove in 1973, the model XFG15 with bellows web.