Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Happy New Year, One and All.

I thought this photo I came across recently was pretty amazing. Take a look at Lou's glove (basemitt). This has got to be from the 30's. The web clearly extends the glove's pocket beyond the thumb and finger sides the way the rolled lace web would (maybe eight to ten years down the road). Looks like Lou might be heading into foul territory to retrieve an errant throw. Any thoughts about this mitt? The wrist strap reminds me of one I have on a Lou Fonseca fielder's glove. But this must be a top quality glove. I wonder who made it?

Great shot Mike and I'm not surprised. I am betting this is a custom glove by maybe Ken Wel, his endorsed company, or another company's custom made mitt and would wager this is in the late 1930s
when Hank Greenberg came up with his "rigged" crossed-laced web mitt that extended beyond the top of the mitt itself. Players quickly recognize the advantge of having that extra length on their gloves, especially at first base. Now, I can't tell whether this is strap leather or lacing, or a combination but the idea, I'm sure, came from Greenberg's idea.
I was lucky enough, on an exchange program with the Texas Rangers Baseball Museum, to put on a Gehrig gamer that the Hall of Fame had. It was "huge" for it's day and a Ken Wel. Yes I wore the
protective cloth glove to try it out. Normal webbing though.

Here is a glove on ebay now that matches

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3D1&_rdc=1

Just to clarify, this is the way I see this web. As Joe says, piece A. might be rolled lace. It seems likely so that the top of the web would be tightly curved and able to hold the ball. It might also be a horizontal web piece. Parts B. could also be rolled lace. Part C. is clearly a horizontal web piece. I'm not seeing the Oglesby wrist strap on Lou's glove. Looks like more of an open ended flap. I just wonder how it's attached. There is a white square in the center of the strap that could very well be a Ken-Wel label.