Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Found an old glove in an antique store:

Rawlings model G490 'John Pesky', 'Professional Model', 'Floating Heel'

I can hardly wait until the Glove Catalog is out so that I can identify gloves that I find. The binding around the back is really worn but the rest of the glove has no major problems.

I need to re-read the instructions to post pictures.

I have one of those that is in unusual condition. The glove looks it was never used in regards to its shape and form. It has the stiffness of new leather and the shape of a new glove. However, the stampings, while all readable, are somewhat faded and the shell shows some discolorations and a scratch or two.

Apparently this glove was never, or barely, used and the only wear is from normal aging and storage. It's a cool glove!

The G490 Pesky model appears in the Rawlings catalogs from 1948 through 1952. Mine is a split-finger glove and so are all of the ones I've ever seen. This has to be among the last split-fingers Rawlings produced. By the mid-50's most all gloves had lace between the fingers.

You're going to love the Glove Catalog book when you get it. It is a resource that every glove collector MUST have!

I need to get the camera going, too. Posting pictures is fairly simple- I just haven't gotten around to photgraphing all my gloves!

I always feel as if I'm bidding/buying blind without any reference, The first few gloves I purchased online turned out to be kids gloves...so the book will make a world of difference.

Mine is a split finger also...LHT to boot (I'm left handed)..its a fairly small glove--maybe Mr Pesky was a second baseman.

Johnny was a shortstop for the Red Sox in the 40's. He's still active with the team. Because of his long association with the Sox and his general good nature, he's a huge fan favorite and his glove prices are usually slightly above average when they come up on ebay. Nice pickup.

Mine always impressed me as being fairly large- at least "large" when compared to most gloves "back-in-the-day". It easily fits my hand.

I just now grabbed a tape measure and it is a 10" pattern glove, same as the Bill Doak "H" model from the same era that just happens to be sitting next to it on my shelf.

Price-wise (and, hence, quality-wise) the G490 was a mid-priced glove, selling for almost exactly half the top-line Rawlings models.

Can anyone say for sure which was the last split-finger sold by Rawlings? I would have to imagine the G490 is close to the cutoff point, as is the Doak "H" model. 1952 was the last year for both of those gloves.

Thanks for the info on this glove.

Well, I finally got the digital camera and new computer up and running...

This G490 is in "as found" condition, other than a quick wipe-down with a rag that had some residual conditioner on it after cleaning another glove.

Note there is no paint missing from the grommets and the welting and stitching still are fairly white- a sure sign of little use.

There is no sign that this glove ever had a patch on the wrist strap.

Bret,

Nice old glove. Cool.

Dave