Baseball Gloves vs. Softball Gloves

[Cowboy7130]

I have a question which may be considered silly by some of you more experienced and more knowledgeable glovers. What are some of the differences, other than size, that would differentiate a baseball glove from a softball glove? Of course, I can easily see differences between baseball and softball first base and catchers mitts, and I know some of the smaller middle infielder style baseball gloves would not be used with success on the softball field, but what about fielders' gloves? What would make one glove a baseball glove, and the other a softball glove?

[BretMan]

I would have to imagine that a great deal of the diference, besides size to accomodate the larger ball, is simply marketing. The glove makers want to have gloves available that are marketed as softball gloves, just to tap into the huge softball market.

Beyond size, I can't really see any real differences beyond minor cosmetic ones. The biggest differences are probably between the gloves specifically marketed for girls softball, where you can find certain ergonomic features to better fit the female hand, such as smaller finger stalls.

If it looks like a glove and you can catch a baseball with it, then it's a baseball glove. If it looks like a glove and you can catch a softball with it, then it's a softball glove!

[stockbuddy]

Hi Cowboy,

I will try and help a bit with your question. I might mention that I will answer your question from the stand point of FIELDERs gloves from the 20's -40's (softball gloves) as that is my area of interest. The old time softball and baseball gloves share many of the same web styles. There were sewn web softball gloves and vertical tunnel loops and tunnel webs, lace webs, solid webs ect. However, if you look at the typical softball gloves of the 20's-40-s they do differ a bit from the old timer baseball gloves. This is not an absolute, but typically the old softball gloves have either a raised crescent pad that runs UP the little finger, palm and the thumb. Whereas, the old timer baseball crescent gloves typically would run up the thumb and the palm (NOT the little finger). So if the the glove has raised pads that helps to identify the softball from a baseball glove in years gone by. At times old softball gloves would have a double stitched palm with no raised pads whereas some baseball gloves may have a single stitched palm. This too often clues us that it is a softball glove. Another thing that could be helpful is that a lot of makers of softball gloves wrote, embossed the word "softball" on the glove. Most softball gloves did not have an endorsed player on them as does a lot of baseball gloves.

I have recently expanded my Fielder's Dream Glove book (which was about old timer baseball gloves) to include 2 pages of the old timer softball gloves. It will have some pics of very cool old timer softball gloves in that book (which is currently being printed). Even though the old softball gloves don't get the same level of respect as the old baseball gloves, I wanted to make people more aware of them in my upcoming book.

Hope this helps.

Dave

[Cowboy7130]

Dave, that is fantastic, and it really helps a lot! My dad played softball for years and years, but his glove looked like an old baseball glove, to me. It was too small for softball, but he insisted it was a softball glove. Maybe, if he could catch a softball with it, it was a softball glove!

It just dawned on me ... I need to go dig around in Daddy's trunk to find his old glove ...

[Cowboy7130]

BretMan .... I think those are the only modern differences, too! I have begun to notice more and more "female" gloves on the market, and not just with pink leather.

*resisting the urge to comment on equal-rights-wanted-but-different-equipment-needed phenomenon*

[softball66]

Stockbuddy Dave nailed the 20s to 40s softball glove types which used mostly raised padding on the palm side, which I guess was to accommodate the bigger softball. When I was playing fast pitch in the 1950s and '60s I used a regular baseball glove to catch with. Bigger size does help as I play senior softball now with a 14 inch AMG400K Nokona.
The bigger the better I say, and I play middle infield. Big works for us seniors.
Larger size has dominated the softball glove sales and is the big distinguishing feature but they are interchangable from 12 inches and up. Professional baseball is supposed to have a 12 inch limit but it is ignored and not called.
The women seem prefer a lighter-weight leather and ease of closure. Women now have taken over the fast pitch world and seems like everyone plays a bit of slow pitch softball.

[stockbuddy]

Cowboy, Glad to help a little. Thanks to Brett and Joe too for filling us in on the newer gloves too.

Dave

[BretMan]

I always found it interesting that, after the early softball gloves stopped using the exterior padding, they began using a stitched seam in the pocket, giving the pocket a nice, rounded shape.

Yet it was about a decade later before baseball gloves began using laces in the pocket to help form it. The early softball gloves seem to have inspired this feature, though accomplishing the cupped pocket with rawhide laces seems to be a more durable design than the cotton thread stitching found on softball gloves.

Somewhat ironically, just this past week I cleaned and conditioned three vintage softball gloves that were in my collection, but not yet fully restored: a Draper-Maynard model #DP124 (not cataloged) external pad, split-finger with very light blonde leather, perfect stampings stating "Soft Ball Glove" and a shiny "lucky dog" D&M button; a Goldsmith #SB80 split-finger with "United States Navy" stampings, and; a Rawlings #DW15 that also seems to be a military glove, as it has the "US 10-45" stampings found on many of these gloves.

All three look great, were cheap finds, are 100% functional if you want to have a catch and feature designs that scream "vintage glove!".

Guys...I really, really need to get my digital camera in gear and start posting some of this stuff!

[dwags4him]

For what little it's worth

MLB rules declare that no fielders' glove shall exceed 13" (wrist to top of web)

I am sure that some mitts might be bigger, but I too have never seen a glove measured. I am sure that first baseman and catchers would be more prone to cheating than perhaps other fielders. Doug Mirabelli probably uses a larger glove to catch my guy Wakefield.

I use a 12.75 in the OF, and one of several 12" for the 3B or P, and a 11" for 2B and SS

And I am an umpire, so I had better know that I am not cheating!

Good info....never knew about those older gloves....

[BretMan]

Actually, the MLB rule says a fielder's glove cannot exceed 12" in length. Sorry to be picky, but I am an umpire, too! I'm state-certified for high school baseball and also have ASA certification in softball.

Here are the MLB rules governing gloves and mitts:

1.12
The catcher may wear a leather mitt not more than 38 inches in circumference, nor more than 151/2 inches from top to bottom. Such limits shall include all lacing and any leather band or facing attached to the outer edge of the mitt. The space between the thumb section and the finger section of the mitt shall not exceed six inches at the top of the mitt and four inches at the base of the thumb crotch. The web shall measure not more than seven inches across the top or more than six inches from its top to the base of the thumb crotch. The web may be either a lacing or lacing through leather tunnels, or a center piece of leather which may be an extension of the palm, connected to the mitt with lacing and constructed so that it will not exceed any of the above mentioned measurements.

1.13
The first baseman may wear a leather glove or mitt not more than twelve inches long from top to bottom and not more than eight inches wide across the palm, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the mitt. The space between the thumb section and the finger section of the mitt shall not exceed four inches at the top of the mitt and 31/2 inches at the base of the thumb crotch. The mitt shall be constructed so that this space is permanently fixed and cannot be enlarged, extended, widened, or deepened by the use of any materials or process whatever. The web of the mitt shall measure not more than five inches from its top to the base of the thumb crotch. The web may be either a lacing, lacing through leather tunnels, or a center piece of leather which may be an extension of the palm connected to the mitt with lacing and constructed so that it will not exceed the above mentioned measurements. The webbing shall not be constructed of wound or wrapped lacing

1.14
Each fielder, other than the first baseman or catcher, may use or wear a leather glove. The measurements covering size of glove shall be made by measuring front side or ball receiving side of glove. The tool or measuring tape shall be placed to contact the surface or feature of item being measured and follow all contours in the process. The glove shall not measure more than 12 inches from the tip of any one of the four fingers, through the ball pocket to the bottom edge or heel of glove. The glove shall not measure more than 73/4 inches wide, measured from the inside seam at base of first finger, along base of other fingers, to the outside edge of little finger edge of glove. The space or area between the thumb and first finger, called crotch, may be filled with leather webbing or back stop. The webbing may be constructed of two plies of standard leather to close the crotch area entirely, or it may be constructed of a series of tunnels made of leather, or a series of panels of leather, or of lacing leather thongs. The webbing may not be constructed of wound or wrapped lacing to make a net type of trap. When webbing is made to cover entire crotch area, the webbing can be constructed so as to be flexible. When constructed of a series of sections, they must be joined together. These sections may not be so constructed to allow depression to be developed by curvatures in the section sides. The webbing shall be made to control the size of the crotch opening. The crotch opening shall measure not more than 41/2 inches at the top, not more than 53/4 inches deep, and shall be 31/2 inches wide at its bottom. The opening of crotch shall not be more than 41/2 inches at any point below its top. The webbing shall be secured at each side, and at top and bottom of crotch. The attachment is to be made with leather lacing, these connections to be secured. If they stretch or become loose, they shall be adjusted to their proper condition. The glove can be of any weight.

[softball66]

I thought the old standard 12 inch rule was still in effect for fielders gloves. Now, that said, there are likely players using 13 inch and 14 inch gloves in the ML and professional outfields. I believe it was in 1991 that MLB or such authorities declared that the "rule would now be enforced". Umpires would call the play illegal if catch was made with oversized glove. Glove makers went into a panic and started redesigning their gloves. But...virtually nothing resulted... because of a tacit understanding among managers, "hey, you call my guy, I'll call your's." So, to my knowledge, it has not been enforced even though the "word came down."
Visiting this thought, in my thousands of softball games, I've seen only once the call when an outfielder used a first base mitt to make the catch and one of our brighter players called it and it was upheld as a non catch.
Interesting topic.

[BretMan]

The softball world has changed their rules regarding glove and mitt use in recent years.

Some of the larger sanctioning bodies now allow any glove or mitt to be worn at any position, as long as the glove/mitt is otherwise legal under the size and construction rules.

So you could possibly have an outfielder legally use a first base mitt, or even a shortstop using a catcher's mitt!

[softball66]

Bretman, do you have the printed new rules? Which makes sense considering the size and speed delivered from the new bats. They should allow senior softballers a 16 inch glove. I took a shot at SS off the ankle because either I couldn't bend down that far (yes) or my glove wasn't long enough!

[BretMan]

I don't have them in a format that can be posted here or emailed. I only have them in my hard-copy rule books.

This is the rule for ASA softball as well as for NFHS high school ball. Those are two of the biggest sanctioning bodies and the ones I umpire for.

Just like in the amatuer baseball world, there is a virtual alphabet soup of softball organizations, including NSA, USSSA, ISF, AFA and others. Some still have restrictions on glove or mitt use, others do not.

If you know for sure which rule set you're playing under, many of their rules can be found on-line and are easy to check.